The Gift of the Sea

Chapter 1

"Quickly Ethne," my sister-in-law, Juno echoes before diving down to enter the cave system of our pod. 

I follow after her. My father must have called a meeting to side her out after me. We found out last week that she is expecting. Entering the main cave opening I see I see my father and brother next to each other and other pod members either on the ledges or in the water.  Titus, a nomadic merman is in the center speaking with my father. Juno and I swim and settle next to my brother. Him on my right and Juno on my right. 

"Father," I greet him with a nod. Looking to our guest,  "Hello, Titus," he has come through our territory before. 

"Ethne," he breathes with a almost a sigh of relief. 

"Titus has come to claim his mate," my father states clearly for everyone present to hear. A few of the single mermaids are listening to see who it could be, "State your claim Titus the Nomad."

"I state my claim on Ethne Lunar."

Everyone's eyes shot to me, all that is except my father's. He knew that this was coming. Whispers fill the cave, "Daughter," he calls me forward, "Even though Ethne has not made it to her 18 year if you are her mate she will know."

I reach out my left hand and touch Titus's left shoulder. I wait for a the mate feeling to take hold but nothing comes. I remove my hand before shaking my head, "No she is my mate. I can feel the bond," Titus claims, "You said it yourself that she is not 18. She may not feel it right now but she will on her 18 birthmoon."

My brother Xander guides me behind him, "If my sister does not feel the mate bond then there is none."

"I received a message form the Crete Pod," my father starts, "It appears that you found your mate there as well,"  he swims closer to Titus, "So you either lied to the Crete Pod or are lying now. Either way we will not let you disrespect your mate in the Crete pod that you already claimed. Even more than you already have. Nor will your disrespect towards my daughter be aloud."

"No, Alpha Rex, Ethne is my mate the Crete po-,"

"You will leave our territory now," my father's voice booms. Shaking the rocks, "You will never cross our borders again. If you do, I will see it as an act of war and anyone else with you will follow in the same fate as you," Titus looks towards me with his gleam almost in his eye. Juno and my mated friends Lily and Thomas block me from his view. 

"Leave," Xander hisses, "Now."

Titus exits the pool still facing us till he had to dive. With a nod from my father two mermen follow Titus to make sure he leaves, "Spread the word, if anyone sees Titus in our territory after today, it means his death."

 A few other mermaids and men leave heading out of the opening doing as my father said, "Let's go back to our ledge," Xander states gently pulling me by my arm.

Heading out a side opening we head back to our family ledge that is reserved for the alpha pair and their family. Pulling myself out of the water  I wait for them to do the same. My father does so as well but changes his fin into human legs. He has always practiced this incase he needed to head onto the human land. My brother is running his mouth angry at what Titus just tried. Mates are so coveted that wars will brake out over them. 

"Peace," Dad orders after a few minutes, "it is not safe for Ethne to remain here."

"Where would she go," Juno asked, "Most other pods will not take her in. Even the Mako pod would not take her in. They have nothing to do with mermen and would not risk angering one because of the old wars."

"They have one that lives with them," I counter, "and another that they can call for if needed."

"We have one place that Titus would not look," Dad takes a breathe, "Land."

"Land!"

"We have treaty with a group of shifters that live on the South Eastern part of our space. We make sure that their catch is good and help them in other areas. In return, it is a safe place for us to hide and send our birthing mothers to. Your mother was the last one sent to that area."

"Would they take her in?"

" I believe they would. If only for a few moons to make sure Titus is not a threat anymore," Dad takes a deep breathe, "We have never asked for anything extra and have kept a great secret for them."

Juno who is sitting next to me wraps her arms around me, "We will get to the bottom of this and you will be here for you 18 birthmoon."

Dustin, one of our scouts is sent ahead. The next morning, with a small bag in hand my father and I set off. My brother held tightly onto me till I left. We travel quickly, most merman can swim faster than mermaids going about 380 miles an hour. Where most females top out at 300 miles per hour. I can go about 325-330.  Taking breaks  only to eat and rest we enter a place that I can barley remember. Leading me into an underwater cave we surface into what looks like a moonpool.

"We have two moonpools," I question starting to lift myself up onto the self. A shake of my father's head has me staying in the pool. 

"Yes and no," Dad answers, "We share it with the Quileute people that live here. Don't shift yet, I have Dustin bringing clothes for you," he quickly shifts and changes into the human clothes, "Wait behind that rock till I call for you."

After about thirty minutes Dustin enters through the land entrance. A man in some type of chair with wheels  and a younger male with short hair enter following Dustin. I shift making sure that they can't see me. 

"Alpha Rex," the man in the chair greets my dad, "What brings you here before our normal meeting?"

"I need your help."