Page 55 of Dante's Circle Reborn

“She’s gone home with her family. That means, I need to follow.”

“Don’t ruin your chance,” Broderick repeated.

“What’s a chance without a little danger?”

“You’re not that much of an idiot.”

“Sometimes, I truly feel like I could be. But, no worries, I won’t hurt her. Only if I have to use her to protect our people. Then, so be it.” And before Broderick could say anything else to that, Misha glimmered and followed the scent trail of his mate.

Like shifters, his kind were trackers. It was how they hunted their prey and found their food source. After all, sometimes, those two weren’t the same.

He followed the path through the portals, using his glamour to get through any barricades in his way, and then found himself at the edge of the mer-realm.

The realm itself had an above-the-sea section. It wasn’t all under the sea, not like a realm that you just plunged into the depths of the ocean. Although, that would be a deterrent for anybody who dared come to their lands uninvited.

However, the mer-kin knew that some of their mates and friends would not be able to breathe underwater without a special charm or the kiss of life as some were able to give.

Misha himself didn’t need that. After all, his kind didn’t need to breathe.

Oh, his lungs functioned just fine, and he even breathed in and out when he felt like it. He could scent and needed that to hunt. He could enjoy the smell of a flower, or freshly brewed coffee. However, he could also hold his breath indefinitely if he needed to.

It was just the way his kind worked. And probably why so many were afraid of them.

That was, if they knew they existed at all.

So, being a mate to a mermaid? Well then, perhaps it was fate, after all.

He looked down at his tattered black jeans and Henley, as well as his leather work boots, and wondered if he should have changed before he decided to dive in. However, there was no time for that now. He had a mate to find, and one he needed to convince to help him. Whether she liked it or not.

He rolled his shoulders back and then dove off the cliff that he stood on, right into the ocean below. Perhaps if he had a submersible or fins, he would have been able to make the trek faster. However, he did swim faster than a human. So, he kicked and used his arms and slowly made his way down below, tracking his lovely mate’s scent.

He ducked out of the path of a shark, one that was just prowling and hadn’t really noticed him. However, he really didn’t want to be shark bait at the moment, so he kept his distance. There were a few mer-warriors on patrol, so he did his best to avoid them, as well.

They had a great defense system. However, he had spent his life amongst the shadows, in the darkness. They would never be able to catch him. However, if he were going to mate with this woman, he would do his best to train those soldiers better than they were. After all, his mate needed to be safe. What if he wasn’t around all the time? They needed to be able to sense that he was near and not let an enemy into their midst.

He’d been to the mer-realm before, though it had been decades. He’d met with another of his kind who had been on patrol within the realm itself. He hadn’t talked to any of the true inhabitants of the realm, much like he hadn’t done with many of the other paranormals.

His kind lived in the shadows, much like the magic users of that particular realm. Secrecy even amongst the secret kept them alive.

However, the time had come for change, and Misha was going to be on the forefront of that—and, hopefully, with a mate who could aid him in that quest.

He followed his mate’s scent towards an underwater dwelling that seemed to have multiple sections with bubble tops so the entire place could either be open to the sea’s viewing, or fully opaque. At the moment, he couldn’t see through the tops, but he could sense a few heartbeats within. He passed over what seemed to be a family of four, one of them a small child, and made his way to the other wing of the large home.

His mate moved around the room, her heartbeat strong.

Misha swam under the large dome and came up through a pool on the other side of the room where his mate stood. He couldn’t sense anyone else around, but he still kept his predator senses on alert. It wouldn’t be good to get in a fight now when things were just getting interesting.

The place looked welcoming, even if it felt like he was also in a fishbowl under the ocean. He wasn’t quite sure how mer-kin lived like this all the time, but he wasn’t one to judge. After all, his people literally lived within the shadows, constantly ducking from one enemy after the other. Usually, within their own ranks.

He pushed those thoughts from his head for the moment, though. Right now, he needed to focus on his mate. He walked past the bedroom, thankful that a towel had been placed on one of the benches so he could at least begin to dry off. He did his best to walk softly along the path so as not to make too many wet sounds on the tile as he walked past her bedroom to where she currently was.

The fact that she was in the shower? Well, this was officially an interesting way to introduce himself to his mate, beyond how he had outside the Conclave.

Nerves crept up his body, but he ignored them.

This was just like any other meeting. She had something he needed, and hopefully, he had something for her. The fact that he had never done anything like this before, and never thought he’d ever find a mate notwithstanding. In fact, he wasn’t going to think about that at all.

Because it wasn’t safe for her to be his. Not until they figured out exactly how to protect his people.

---