Prey

Chapter Fourteen: Uncharted Waters.

Queen’s Royal Garden.
September 26th, 2023.
5:36 pm.

     There was a blatant pause. I looked into the eyes of Kanto before I met the others’. I swallowed softly, the feeling of anxiety falling around me suddenly has me on edge, especially when Queen Allura slides her slender hands down to my shoulders.

My body jerks away from her and I bare my teeth in freight. I don’t dare to draw near her, only back away as she tries to beckon me closer. Ignoring her gestures, I back into some flowers and jump, afraid I was being attacked. My heart pounds in my chest with panic as my eyes catch each movement within the vicinity.

“No.. leave her be.” I hear a steady voice speak.

I glance at the sound, finding Cyraen’s sparkling green hues. My own eyes widen and I only gasp at my increasing heart rate. After a few moments, Cyraen is the one to come forward. Instinctively, I back away from the approaching male.

I had no idea why I was acting like this, acting like a scared little bird. I felt so venerable and scared, it was pathetic and weak. I could only shrivel in fear with each inch he came closer. My breathing becomes shallow when he crossed halfway towards the garden to reach me.

“Pandora—” Cyraen extends his hand out to me steadily— “Pandora, are you alright?”

My eyes flicker to his momentarily, then returning to his hand that gestures me forwards. I only glared at his hand, then glaring at those mystifying green eyes. He seems taken aback when I glare at him.

Cyraen slowly retracts his hands. “Please, don’t be afraid. No one will hurt you here,” He promises, looking back to the others.

Whether his look was a signal to leave or not, they all file out of the garden one by one, but Kanto, Tallese, and Queen Allura stay. A quirky little smile forms on my lips as the queen waves the king away, forcing him to take care of the others who came.

When my eyes settle on Cyraen, I see him smiling at me with adoration, uncurling unknown emotions from me. My body suddenly aligns on its own accord; my shoulders go back and my stomach structures itself straight just as my body loses its tense posture.

A seductive smile takes hold of my lips and I just can’t help myself when I boldly swim towards the muscular merman. I suddenly don’t mind my chest on display, or that both of my breasts touch the skin of a male I barely know in front of his mother and other mers. I only draw soft pattern into Cyraen’s chest, sometimes tracing the outline of his muscles, while wrapping my slick black tail full of nubile fins around his own azure mass.

He seemed startled by my sudden display of affection. He hesitantly wraps an arm around my waist, embracing me. I was level with his face so I caressed his jaw, gliding my fingers over his stubble while holding eye contact with him. A smirk dights on my lips as I draw him in. My sharp claws guide him to me as I try to kiss him.

Cyraen only smiles as he inches forwards, drawing nearer to my lips. His webbed hands softly brush against my waist as we began to subtract our distance. His eyes don’t leave sight of my face as I continue to feel as if I had been ensorcelled by a witch.

Just before we kiss, we’re torn apart by Kanto. “Stop! Don’t kiss Pandora, Cyraen.” Kanto demands with a cautious tone. Kanto holds me back from Cyraen, thrusting me out of his sight.

Cyraen scowls, yanking me away from Kanto’s hands and into his chest. “Why? Are we jealous, Kanto? Mad that it’s no longer you she wants—” Cyraen taunts malevolently.