The Mermaids' Mate

Chapter 9

"Wake up, little mermaid." I heard a soft, frail voice say. I tried opening my eyes, but my aching head made it hard.

"Who- who's there?" I groan, massaging my head.

"You seem to have taken quite a hit." The voice spoke.

"Who are you?" I opened my eyes and looked around. They had almost adjusted. I'm pretty sure I had a concussion.

"So strange to see a mermaid without her tail." It chuckled. "A Half Mermaid? Hm, very interesting." I looked up, and a 20-foot shark was circling above me.

"Ohh, god." I started to panic. My blood had attracted a massive great white shark.

"Don't panic, little mermaid. You have been out cold for a while. It gave me quite a startle when you fell in." It swam closer to me, almost like it was examining me. The only thing I could stare at was its rows of large sharp teeth. As it circled me, I noticed many scars on its body. It looked like a pretty old shark.

"You're not going to eat me, right?" I gulped. Getting eaten by a shark was not a fun way to go.

"Oh, my Triton, of course not." It chuckled. "We sharks don't eat mermaids. Didn't your mom teach you anything?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Sharks are one of the most ancient sea creatures. We mermaids and sharks have lived in harmony since Lord Triton's time. We protect one another."

"Lord Triton, huh?" I sat up slowly. Every time I moved, my head felt like it was on fire. "You think he's responsible for this? Me not being able to shift."

"What you need to do is practice. Think like a mermaid, not like a human. That's how wolves can shift." It replied.

"I tried. Maybe I'm just not good at this." I took a deep breath.

"You just haven't been taught. Your mom has kept you away from the ocean for a reason." The old shark said.

"Why? So I could be miserable? So I could end up being mated to a wolf?" I groaned, rubbing my temples. "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask for a mate."

"No. But the Moon Goddess heard your pleas for help. And she delivered." The old shark spoke. I could hear Bryan's voice in my head. "Nobody is coming to save you." But he was wrong. Someone did come, and his name was Damien. The moon goddess paired me up with Damien so I could be happy. Or maybe she got tired of hearing me complain.

" By pairing me up with someone who doesn't want me?" I asked.

"How do you know he doesn't want you? He protects you a lot. And he's up there looking for you right now." It said, pointing its large head up above us.

"How do you know all this?" I asked. The old shark was right. He always seemed to be there when I needed him.

"I have been around a long time. I think it's time to take you back to shore. Your friends are worried. Come on, take my fin. I'll take you back to shore." I was hesitant at first but finally agreed. It swam close enough for me to grab onto its fin. Its skin was rough, almost like sandpaper.

"What if I don't want to go back? What if I want to stay here? The only thing waiting for me up there is pain." I sobbed.

"oh, little mermaid, I know you're in pain. I know you feel like giving up, or the world is stacked against you, but it will improve. You have people up there who care about you."