THE SUN IS SETTING, and I can’t help staring at the beautiful horizon in awe. The sea was my home for a long time. Now, I have to get used to having legs. I married Duncan, and I’m his queen. It’s time I fulfill my end of the deal with the Sea Witch. Losing my tail is a small price to pay for my happiness. I’ll miss breathing underwater. I’ll miss my underwater kingdom.

I sit by the shore and let the seafoam touch my toes as the breeze plays with my hair. A stronger wave wets my feet. As salt is absorbed by my skin, my transformation begins. After saying the incantation, my tail will be gone forever. Returning to the sea and leaving my husband is out of the question.

I secure my hands on the sand and lean back with closed eyes. I breathe the breeze and remember the happy moments I had underwater, the races with my sisters, the quests for sunken treasures, and all the colorful fish that roam my father’s domains.

Suddenly, hands grab my shoulders.

I look back. “Dun—” I scream at the unfamiliar man behind me. His filthy hand covers my mouth and muffles my cry for help.

“Grab her while she’s a mermaid. She’s easier to handle like that.” A voice echoed behind me.

I use my fingernails to scratch my attacker. Flopping my tail, I try to roll on the surf into the water, so I can escape.

“Not so fast, pretty one,” another attacker grabs me, and I notice his dark eyes. “My master won’t be happy if I let you escape.”

I scratch and pull them back. With my mouth free, I scream at the top of my lungs. “Duncan!”

An angry voice orders, “Grab her arms, so I can tie her up and put a rag in her mouth to keep her quiet.”

Frenetically, I look at the slope, hoping to see a guard coming my way. Hoping to see Duncan. I seem alone. I try to evade their hands and move my head, fighting for survival. Their hands keep grabbing me and trying to muffle my screams.

I suck in a breath and focus my powers on the waves. They increase in size and crash against my attackers. One of them stumbles and falls, but the one with dark eyes growls and slaps my face. Blood floods inside my mouth, and I feel dizzy. When I focus my eyes on him, his face looks dangerous and his eyes are completely dark.

“What are you doing?” The other man manages to get on his feet and pulls the dark-eyed creature from me.

“Her blood,” the guy mutters.

I gasp when I notice the fangs inside his mouth. Rolling onto my tummy, I try to leave the salty water, so I can use my legs to run while they are discussing.

“Master will kill us if anything bad happens to her. That includes feeding. Now grab her and let’s move.”

I feel a sharp pain in my tail. Looking back, I see they are pulling me back. I slap and flop, hoping to knock them down.

My breath is heavy. “Duncan...”

“The Lycan King can’t hear you. You’ve descended alone, and we’ve been waiting for the opportunity to grab you,” the one that seemed human says.

Seizing my arms, the two of them drag me through the sand. My dress clings to my body, making it harder to move.

“Duncan!”

“We’re dead if they find us here,” the human mutters.

“Quiet!” the vampire spat at me, his eyes menacing. Halting, he grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. “Grab the horses, I’ll carry her.”

A howl echoes, and I raise my head to look at the castle.

“They know we are here,” the vampire speaks. “We need to hurry.”

My stomach drops, and my head falls forward as he increases speed. I feel dizzy, but I try to move.

“Let me go!” I wiggle and push to get out of his hold.

“Shut up if you want to live,” he menaces as he runs up the hill.

Fisting my hands, I puff out of breath and stab my fists against his back.

Without any warning, he throws me forward, and I fall on the floor. The air leaves my lungs, and with blurry vision I notice a dark figure speeding our way. I blink.

The vampire sniffs the air. “Lycan,” he says.

“Shit! Run!” The man that was with the vampire seems to notice the dark beast running toward him. The creature looks like a half-man, half-wolf. Something tells me it’s my husband.

The vampire turns around and sees what I see—his companion frozen in terror.

I place my hands over my mouth and stifle a scream when the creature jumps in the air and tears my attacker apart. The man didn’t have the time to scream.

Duncan’s beast has dark fur and yellow eyes. He growls and drools, blood smearing his fur and sliding down his mouth.

The vampire fists his hands and looks at me as he removes a blade from behind his back. My breathing halts. I have no idea how strong a vampire is. Can he kill Duncan?

But, instead of attacking Duncan, the vampire dodges and slices my leg. “Better you than me,” he mumbles with a sly grin before speeding away.

Tears run down my cheeks, and I cry in pain. The Lycan's head snaps at me.

“Duncan, no...” I cry as I place my hands in front of my body for protection. I squint my eyes, preparing myself for the worst.

Instead of being attacked, I feel his tongue licking my fingers. He whimpers. Opening my eyes, I look into his. He doesn’t want to hurt me. Duncan came to rescue me.

His head bounces against my hand, and I rub his head. My wound stings, but it’s not deep.

Duncan’s claws reach my face, and his talons brush my cheek. Before I realize what’s happening, he’s taking me in his arms and walking to our home. He’s still in his Lycan form, and I wonder if he can shift back. Still, he’s not acting like a wild beast and seems in control.

“I’m sorry for leaving our home alone,” I sob, caressing his fur and hiding my face against his chest.

***

I WAS PACING OUTSIDE Mirella’s bedroom while the healer was checking her physical wounds. Vampires had entered my domains and tried to kidnap my wife. Unacceptable. I will rage war against the Vampire King.

“What happened?”

I look at the blonde woman coming my way and blink. “What are you doing here, Dana?”

“Her distress call reached my senses. The waves screamed in my head, and I knew that my sister was in danger.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “The Vampire King sent men to kidnap my wife. She fought back, and our bond allowed me to know she was in danger. I saved her in time, and my beast killed one of the humans helping the vampires. But the vampire got away.”

Mirella’s sister fists her hands. “I’ll kill that bastard before he tries to hurt my sister again.”

“They have been attacking my ships. We have no idea why. But this was the last straw. They hurt my queen!”

“Gather your men. We’ll attack together. He’ll be sorry that he harmed a mermaid princess.”

Before I could agree with Dana, the door cracks open and Mirella appears, jumping on one leg.

“There’ll be no war,” she states with a severe expression. “I’m alive, and I don’t want more destruction. We need to send an emissary to the Vampire King and demand an explanation. Duncan swears...”

“I’ll go,” Dana cuts her off. “I swim faster and can enter undetected. I shall talk with that reckless vampire.”

“Dana,” Mirella mumbles.

It’s too late. Dana marches down the corridor and disappears.

“She’ll start a war on her own. I’ve never seen her this mad.”

I look at my wife. “I’m mad, too!”

She grins. “I’m here and well.” Her arms wound around my neck. “My hero.”

I kiss her and hold her tight, the fear of losing her still gnaws at my heart. I would die without her. I know I would.

“Love of my life,” I whisper against her lips.

With a worried expression, she leans back. “Duncan, we need to talk about something.”

“What’s wrong, honey?”

“I was on the beach because...”

“You miss the ocean? I know I can’t hold you prisoner, but it’s not safe to descend on your own. You need an escort to prevent something like this from happening again. If you want to swim, ask me, and I’ll go with you or send guards.”

Mirella bites her lower lip. “It’s not that. I miss the ocean, but I made a deal with the Sea Witch. It’s time for me to keep my part of the deal. For that, I need to go to the sea and offer her my tail.”

“You’ll stop being a mermaid,” I mumble with mixed emotions fighting inside my heart.

She nods. “It’s a small price to pay for spending my life with you.”

I caress her cheek. “You won’t be able to...and your family... Do they know?”

“I don’t think so. But it’s okay. They can come and visit me here. All I want from life is to be your wife and bear your children.”

My heart swells with love. “I’ll make sure you never regret your decision.”

My wife smiles and kisses me.