Page 21 of Stealing the Merman

Conall

Everything had gone wrong. Conall had hoped to find diversion with Finn. He wanted to play with him; he longed to feel his soft skin, his pillowy lips. But Darin, who must have been desperate for sex after Conall stopped fucking him, jumped into the sea when the first note of the mermen’s song rang out.

Finn hadn’t known Conall was coming. Darin was dazed by the song. And so they found each other before Conall got off the ship. He spotted them once he hit the waves, but it was too late, and Finn was dragging Darin away to a nearby beach.

Conall followed them to claim Finn. Then he saw Finn crawl on top of Darin in the white sand, kiss him, go down on him. It was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen, and his plan flew out the window. Watching them, he felt like a pervert, but he couldn’t stop. They were too beautiful. Taking his eyes off the scene in front of him was impossible. It struck him that he wasn’t jealous. He should be, seeinghisgorgeous merman toying withhissweet boy. But he didn’t feel jealous. The two of them had his pulse quickening for a different reason.

Finn licked and sucked Darin, and Conall pressed the heel of his hand to his crotch to relieve the building tension. It didn’t work. His cock throbbed. When Darin erupted between those perfect merman lips, Conall came in his breeches. He grabbed at the rock behind him for support, his legs wobbly at the sheer pleasure seizing him. The lack of sex over the past days hadn’t only affected Darin. There was nothing more beautiful than these two. Gold and copper united. Their light blinded Conall.

He could’ve stayed forever, drinking them in. It was Darin who spotted him, and it snapped Conall into reality. What was he doing? He shouldn’t be watching. He should’ve either separated them or left them alone. The mess in his breeches was sticky and wet, and he felt as if he was eighteen and unable to control his urges. But it could’ve been worse. Had Conall indulged his deepest desires, Darin would’ve literally caught him with his pants down.

Conall had to control the situation. His heart pounded dangerously, telling him what he didn’t want to hear: he loved seeing them together, exploring each other’s bodies. There was no reason why he should feel this way. He ought to be boiling with jealousy. That was the normal reaction. The betrayal was supposed to sting, but it didn’t. There was no betrayal. When they started making out, Finn hadn’t seen Conall, and Darin likely hadn’t recognized Finn as the merman from Conall’s descriptions. And even if both of them had known who the other was, Conall wouldn’t have minded for things to play out the way they had.

What he felt made no sense, and it had to stop. For that, he had to separate them. Then he could be angry like he was supposed to. Or at least, he’d stop being drawn to them. Their combined allure confused him, it was dangerous, and it had to end. So he told Darin to cut it. They were leaving.

Back aboardThe Pillaging Seas, Conall retreated to his cabin. He sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands. Thinking about his reaction to the events ate him up. He liked Darin. Finn too. He’d promised himself this wouldn’t happen again. He’d been hurt enough. The woman who he’d thought was his soulmate had torn out his heart, stepped on it and spit him in the face. And that was putting it mildly. Conall had to keep his heart locked away because it couldn’t be trusted. How could he have been so wrong about Anne?

He couldn’t engage with Darin anymore. If Conall wanted to preserve his sanity, he had to cut him out of his life. The risk of developing feelings was too high. He liked him, and seeing him with Finn had opened a door to Conall’s heart that had to be slammed shut.

Poor Finn. Conall had ripped Darin out of his arms. His smile had been bright and genuine when he held Darin. He must’ve not toyed with a man in a while. The thought of Finn with someone else had bile rising in Conall’s throat. As much as he liked seeing him with Darin, he didn’t want anyone else near him. Finn held a special place in Conall’s heart. Although Conall thought about him in similar ways as Darin, he wasn’t as dangerous—he’d saved Conall’s life, after all.

He wished he’d been able to speak with Finn, hold him. Finn was salvation. But Conall couldn’t; he had to deal with the situation.

Conall ordered the quartermaster to discharge Darin at the next outlaw post, where they arrived a couple of days later. It was a cloudy afternoon, but the port was busy with people strolling along the waterfront, weaving through the narrow alleys further back and dipping into the taverns. Conall stood on the stern deck and watched as Darin stepped off the ship. It’d be the last time Conall saw him. There was no harm in tracking Darin’s every move as he walked away, head lowered, shoulders hunched. Conall’s eyes followed his ginger head as far as he could, but eventually, Darin disappeared among the masses.

It hurt Conall. All things aside, Darin had done a good job as third mate. He was smart and a fast learner.The Pillaging Seas’ crew had been lucky to have him, and they knew it. They likely thought Darin had been let go because he and Conall had a lovers’ quarrel. Better not to bed the captain. How right they were. Conall hated himself for what he did to Darin. First, he’d hired him intending to use him for his pleasure, and Darin had happily indulged him. Now Conall got rid of him because he’d met all his needs and more. Darin deserved better than this. Letting him go was a selfish decision Conall made to protect his heart.

In the long run, Darin would benefit from it. Conall had no doubt he’d find a better position aboard another ship. He was experienced enough to work as a second or even first mate. If that work was on a merchantman, all the better; he just had to keep his pirate past a secret. The pay was worse, but it was safer. Conall hated the idea of Darin endangering himself during pirate antics. But his time aboardThe Pillaging Seaswould serve him well if he ran into a pirate ship; he’d know how to act in a raid.

The following nights, Conall didn’t sleep. He lay awake, praying he’d drift off, but he tossed and turned. Thoughts of Darin, of Finn, of DarinandFinn, kept him wide awake. He couldn’t stop replaying every moment he’d shared with them in his mind. He thought of Finn, the most stunning creature he’d ever seen, nursing him back to health on the island. He thought of Darin serving him as a cabin boy, blushing so prettily when things got dirty. And he thought of the two of them entangled in passion in Shroud Cay. Whenever that particular memory surfaced at night, Conall couldn’t help but reach for his crotch. Images of Finn rolling onto Darin flooded him. Darin pulling him in for a kiss. Finn’s tongue trailing along his torso. Darin coming down Finn’s throat.

That last one did him in. He came with a bitten-off grunt, catching himself at the last moment before the unthinkable happened, and their names spilled from his lips.

Chapter Nine

Finn

Finn didn’t see Conall until it was too late. One moment Darin was coming down his throat, panting and moaning. The next, they spotted Conall on the beach.

Finn didn’t understand. Did Conall and Darin know each other? Of course, they did. Conall’s possessive look roaming Darin’s naked body said it all. So did Conall’s smell, which Darin exuded from every pore. There was no jealousy in Conall’s voice when he called Darin away, but something was off.

For Finn, it was a shock to see Conall. He hadn’t expected to come across him. And Conall looked… different. He was brimming with life and virility. When Finn had met him, he’d picked him off a sandbank in a state of desolation. Now, he was more muscular than ever, and there was a glow to him that Finn hadn’t seen before. His skin was golden; his brown hair shone in the sunlight. And he’d watched Finn as he played with Darin, a piece of information Finn didn’t know what to do with.

As quickly as Conall had appeared, he left, taking Darin with him. Like an apparition. One moment he was there, the next he was gone, sparing Finn not more than a look or two. Had Finn not touched and tasted Darin, he would’ve thought the entire encounter a dream, but his need was real.

Finn ran his fingers through the fine sand. It was warm with Darin’s body heat. Finn had enjoyed such a great time with him. It had been too long since he’d lain in the arms of a man. Plus, there was something special about Darin. He’d been eager, pliant and exhibited a need to connect that Finn responded to.

He wondered about Conall and Darin and regretted that he didn’t get to speak with Conall before he disappeared. It had been months since their time on the island. Back then, Finn had been sure he wouldn’t see Conall again. In the end, Conall did show up, but for far too short. Getting a glimpse at Conall but not exchanging a word left Finn feeling empty.

Because while Finn hadn’t expected to see Conall, he had told him that he spent most of his time in the waters around Shroud Cay. Over the past few months, Finn hadn’t left the area. Deep down, he’d dreamed of Conall returning to him. A dim hope had gleamed in his heart, but Conall hadn’t shown. And when he finally appeared, he collected Darin and left. Finn had been thoroughly dismissed. It stung. But what had he expected? He was a merman, not a human. Men saw little more than interchangeable diversions in mermen if they didn’t fear them.

Now that Conall and Darin had departed, staying around Shroud Cay was pointless, as it had been from the start. After Conall’s dismissal, the place bore a negative mark. Perhaps he should go elsewhere. There were plenty of mermen colonies he could join.

Finn didn’t think about it for long. To start fresh somewhere else was best. He’d make new friends, which would be an excellent distraction. Mermen lived in loose colonies. Someone was always leaving while others joined, and it’d be easy for him to fit into a colony. Humans were bound to their habitats, but mermen weren’t. In that sense, they were more similar to fish or dolphins. No one would raise an eyebrow if Finn joined a colony full of mermen he didn’t know. The waters were balmy throughout the region, the island landscapes stunning, and the merman colonies plentiful. He’d enjoy the journey.

So, Finn swam south. He hopped from island to island, traveling during the day and sleeping on a different beach each night. Sometimes, he only traveled for a few hours before stopping to catch fish and eat while marveling at the scenery.

One day, he swam for a forested island to eat at the beach. In the trees, he spotted parrots, a sloth and a hutia. Finn adored animals, and he wished he had a piece of fruit he could throw them—none of them were keen on the fish he’d caught. The hutia climbed off its tree and approached anyway, eyeing him. It was a cute animal that look like the lovechild of a beaver and a rat. Its tiny feet scuttled over the sand and stopped when it was an arm’s length away. It lifted its jittering nose as it picked up his scent.

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