A Mermaid's Cry

Chapter 28-Another Distraction

I had told Ares that instead of dreams all I see are nightmares, I hadn't lied in the slightest. Cruel twisted faces fill the dark void, along with flashing mouths of eels and the frantic cries of my brother. My own painful screams mix with his, the feeling of sharp needle like teeth digging into my flesh. I try to wrench myself away, try to escape the horrid tang of blood and cold writhing bodies. Except iron bands hold me down, leaving me to drown in the darkeness of my mind.

I lash out, the feeling of my claws hitting something hard, chases away the all consuming past that haunts me still. A wave of cold slams into me, wrenching me out of the dark and into the weak rays of morning light. I find the sight of my bloody claws first, horror sending shivers up my arm and into my spine. I look up and find Ares with a claw mark running down his left arm.

However, this does not surprise me in the slightest. What really does bring worry and fear to my heart, is where I am. A simply decorated bedroom, with open windows, sturdy walls, and a wooden floor. I know from my long years, that only the home of our chief is worthy of a hut, not held up by stilts, to have a wooden floor. Not only that, I'm in fresh cotton pants and a crisp green silk tunic held up by a string tied round my neck.

"What have you done?" I whisper, curling my hand against my chest. "What have I done?"

His silence tells me all that I need to know. That irritating spark of desire that he can't hide in his gaze. Or the fact that I lie on a bed that I can tell has been newly made, the scent of fresh cut wood confirms it, along with it being big enough for two grown Mer. Even the blatant absence of other Mer in the room, continues to cement my unwanted assumption.

"Answer me!" I yell, forcing myself off the bed with rage heating up my blood. "Why are you here when my brother has been taken by those beasts? Tell me why this bed and I are both here!"

Ares's eyes darken, and I suddenly wish I was back in the shadows of my dreams. He strides forward, regardless of the blood now beading out of the wounds I caused. I don't move, I refuse to. Even in my state of grief, fear, and rage, I will not be pinned to a wall like some moth before its wings are pinned under glass. No matter how harsh his mouth changes, no matter how his face contorts with anger. No matter how his eyes threaten to make me burst into flames, or how my legs tremble when he grabs hold of my chin.

"I had no choice Corintha," he utters, the unforgiving husk to his voice stripping me bare.
"If I had let you return to your family, the wrath of your grandmother would be felt by you. I could not let her blame you for your brother's capture. So, I made my case to have you for a mate, and as expected they all agreed to the match."

"While I had no say at all," I growl, wrenching away only for him to grab hold of my shoulders.

"You still do," Ares says, leaning down till we are face to face and nose to nose. "I made it so that you have until the end of the season to decide if you want to be my mate. If you agree to give me a chance, and allow me to protect you from those who wish to have you punished for your insolence."

"Insolence?" I hiss, scrunching my brows in anger as he gives me a toothy grin.

"Standing up to my father, treasure. They only grumble because they didn't think of it first. But more than that, they don't want to believe our victory was in thanks to you, a female that cannot be controlled."

"Except by her mate," I mutter, knowing full well how the males must have smiled when Ares deemed himself the one that would hold me at bay. "You may think you helped, but it has only made things worse. How will I be able to find Lucas, now that my possible future is to remain on this forsaken island for the rest of my days?"

The words are barely out of my mouth, before Ares silences me with his soft unforgiving lips. That hunger that I felt on the rock, the desire bubbling in my blood, comes back with a vengeance. More powerful than any wave crashing upon the shore, stronger than the ferocious gales of a hurricane.

I tangle my fingers into his midnight hair, as he grabs hold of my hips and presses me close, so very close. The familiar liquid heat returns, pooling in my lower belly as his kiss intensifies and my legs go weak as palm fronds. I gasp as Ares removes his mouth from my lips, and presses it against the bite mark on my neck.

A moan makes its way out of my mouth, stifled but not quiet enough. A low growl resonates from Ares's chest, a rumble that has me shaking as I trail my hands down to his shoulders. I slowly go mad as he sucks the sensitive skin, and then trails his lips down my neck to the thin flesh of my collarbone. A hot flush travels up my skin, as my mind fogs from the sensations of his lips driving me utterly mad.

"Ares," I whisper, my voice distant and riddled with desire. "Why must you torture me so?"

I stiffen as his mouth parts in a grin against my flesh. Without a word, he brings his head back up and seals his mouth over mine. Those warm hands of his grab hold of my waist, and guide me back towards the bed. Immediately, the edge greets my legs and I fall backwards onto the cotton sheets, with Ares pinning me down like a leopard does to its prey.

"Because you dear treasure, torture me more than you could ever imagine," he whispers, pressing my wrists down on either side of my face.

"At night I'm haunted by your voice, by day you taunt me with every insult that passes your lips. This game you have pulled yourself into with me, has only stoked the fire in my soul. All because you don't bend, don't break, nor listen to anything I tell you. In my entire life, there has been no one that has challenged me as much as you have."

I grow still has he closes the distance between our mouths. Anticipation spikes in my veins as he softly brushes his lips across mine. A gentle whisper of a kiss, as if testing me to see if I shall back down or feed myself to the burning lust flaming inside me. Except, I don't get the chance when the door bangs open, revealing a red faced Arcus and a grinning Adila.

"Are we interrupting something?" Adila asks, snickering as Octavia and Zola pop their heads into the room. Now I wish I hadn't woken from my nightmares. That would be preferable to being pinned underneath a male, while under the gazes of my curious friends, and murderous cousin.