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  Huran found his mate, his cursebreaker, his beloved, long ago. His happily-ever-after should be in the bag. But he’s been keeping a secret from her: the curse that turned him into a finned wonder was never completely broken. Magical kisses be damned, something holds him to the water. And he’s not sure how long he can keep his lingering Mer-tail from the people he loves.

  Christienne knows Mer lore like she knows the shape of her mate’s abs. But something is very wrong with Huran. When she catches him sneaking out to the lake at night, she suspects his secret is bigger than she can handle. Somehow, she must find a way to meet her merman in the depths of his despair if there is any hope of them making it to their next mate-aversary.

  But she has a secret of her own, and no guarantee that Huran will be by her side when the truth comes out. There’s only one thing to do now…

  Fight for love and hope it’s enough.

  RETURN TO THE DEEP

  Mountain Mermaids: Sapphire Lake

  P. Jameson

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  Return to the Deep

  Copyright © 2019 by P. Jameson

  First electronic publication: October 2019

  United States of America

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any database, without prior written permission from the author, with the exception of brief quotations contained in critical reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this work may be scanned, uploaded, or otherwise distributed via the internet or any other means, including electronic or print without the author’s written permission.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Cover Design/Formatting: Agent X

  P. Jameson

  www.pjamesonbooks.com

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  Prologue

  The wind whipped the sails of our ship like a woman shaking out a stiff blanket. Huran of Brigantes gripped his sword, looking for an enemy to slay. The sound thundered along with his pulse as the sky lit up with Tamsin’s electric display. The witch was angry and looking for revenge. She meant to make them all pay for the betrayal of one man. Even the most innocent among them.

  Huran looked at his son across the slippery wooden deck. Arne was only ten rotations alive, but old enough to be called a man. This was his first voyage of exploration as well as his first battle.

  Huran feared it would be his last.

  The only comfort was that the boy wouldn’t be alone. If he’d left him in the homeland, he would have no one. His mother was long gone. As were any grandparents to speak of. Better that they both die here, now, than the boy be left to his own at such a young age.

  The ship rocked and the lake churned with the witch’s powerful magic. Above them her bodiless voice could be heard chanting a spell.

  “A love so true, the earth rejoiced.

  A betrayal so cruel, the stars cried.

  Those that chose to ignore my pain,

  Will forever be bound to the bounty they

  Tried to steal. My heart is shut to their

  Cries of pain. Your souls will twist in

  The mud below just as the fish dig for food.

  You’ll suffer as I have under each full moon.

  Until such time that you find your true love…”

  They couldn’t fight this kind of enemy. One without substance who existed as air and power. Their swords were useless, their war cries pointless.

  The ship bucked and across the deck Huran saw Arne’s weapon clatter to the floor. “Hold on, boy!” Huran shouted as their boat swirled and dipped in the violent wake.

  But his words didn’t make it across the ship in time. Arne reached for a rope but lost his footing just as another vicious wave hit the bow. Huran watched in horror as the boy slid down the sloping deck, desperately grasping at anything to hold on to. He snagged the leg of a wooden bench with his fingertips, and Huran’s breath caught in relief. But at the last second, a loose rope caught wind and whipped Arne in the face causing him to lose his grip. One more crash of water dipped the ship, and Arne went overboard.

  “Noooo!”

  Huran shoved men aside as he crossed the deck. Angry and heartbroken, he peered over the side searching the choppy waters for his son. There was no sign of the boy, but he had to have hope. Arne was a good swimmer. He was strong for a boy of ten. Perhaps he would make it to shore.

  Huran didn’t get to contemplate it further.

  A chill ran along his spine as a wave of magic surrounded him. He let off a growl and twisted, sword ready to battle the source the only way he knew how. It was the scream of his fellow men that told him they were already defeated. The terrified sounds of battle hardened warriors who were scared of nothing. Fear didn’t exist in their bones. Not when war was all they’d ever known.

  He watched, half horrified half in wonder, as one by one men fell to the deck, their legs twisting together in a swirl of green and purple magic. Such colors reminded him of the treasure that they pulled from the bottom of the lake. Colorful gems and stones.

  Huran felt his own legs giving way as he toppled to the floor. Something was happening. Something was very wrong. Pain. So much pain. Skin ripping. Flesh mending.

  Transforming.

  He gasped for air, but his lungs didn’t work the way they should. He tried to move, to stand, but it was impossible.

  Looking to see what had captured his legs, he found the source of pain. They were no longer legs. They were… he was…

  He looked around at his fellow warriors, but their condition was the same.

  In the place of human legs, there was now a colorful scaled tail, complete with a wispy fin. Huran smacked it on the deck with an angry thud. With what felt like his last breath, he cursed Tamsin, cursed the skies above and the water below. Cursed the Old Gods.

  All in vain. Because with a rumble that felt like the great earth shaking, the ship began to sink.

  The last thing he saw as he fell below the waters of Sapphire Lake was the mast of the ship break apart and come to life as a giant dragon-like serpent. And he knew in his heart, there was no hope for his son.

  Arne was gone.

  Chapter One

  “You shouldn’t look at me like that, snuppa. With those pretty eyes batting and those soft lips pouting.” Huran of Brigantes pushed his delicious mate up against the wall of their office cabin and watched her eyes glaze over with lust.

  “Why not?” Christienne murmured playfully, and his cock grew even harder at the sound of her voice. Silky. Sultry. Like a stroke of velvet. It only got that way when she needed him to fill her.

  “You know why.” He dipped his head low to kiss her mouth, plying her with his tongue before pulling back to watch her face go soft. Oh, he loved that part. Watching her submit to his wiles. He loved every part.

  He loved her.

  Damn, he really did. His curvy little human, with her spunky attitude and her ability to tame his roughness. The one who broke his curse.

  Almost.

  He wouldn’t think about that now.

  “The door isn’t locked,” she warned. “Anyone could walk in at any moment and see us.”

  “They would die,” he answered easily. “N
o one sees what’s mine and lives.”

  She nodded, as if she understood. “Which is why we have to lock the door. I can’t have you killing anyone. Especially one of our unassuming friends.”

  He considered her request and dismissed it.

  “No,” he argued. “I have you right where I want you.” He ducked to kiss her again, but she put one delicate finger to his lips to hold him back.

  “I’ll make it worth your while,” she purred, a naughty look in her eye.

  Oh, shit.

  Mate knew how to get what she wanted.

  “Worth my while how?”

  Would she do that thing with her tongue? Or maybe suck him all the way to the back of her throat. Or fuck, would she ride his face again?

  He was practically drooling at the possibilities.

  “A lady never tells,” she teased.

  He pressed his aching erection against her belly so she would know what she was doing to him. “You, my sexy mate, are no fucking lady.”

  “I was until you came along.” She sighed. “Now you’ve ruined me. I’m a saucy, wanton, snuppa now.”

  A lusty growl rolled up Huran’s throat and he yanked the collar of her dress, stretching it over her plump breasts to reveal the colorful mating mark that rested along her collar bone. It matched his on his chest. Blue and indigo and shiny black, reminding him of the day she spotted it peeking out from his t-shirt and he realized she was his true mate.

  The lacy cups of her bra were next. He tucked them under so her tits were propped up and on display. Her hard nipples beckoned his tongue. He wanted to lick and suck until she panted with desire. But not yet…

  “Don’t. Move.” He waited for her nod before stalking to the office door and twisting the lock.

  As he prowled back to her, she slowly lifted her skirt to show him she wasn’t wearing panties.

  Naughty snuppa.

  Her fingers inched closer to her pussy and Huran slowed his steps to watch what she’d do next. Her middle finger made a circle around her clit, and he was enthralled by how softly she touched herself. Especially because when they were fucking, she always screamed harder.

  Christienne closed her eyes and moaned, her finger never stopping its circular sweeps. Huran watched, running a rough hand over his beard. He wanted to replace that finger with his tongue and go just as soft, tasting her honey like a decadent dessert.

  He inched closer until he was kneeling before his mate. He moved slow, not wanting to spook her. She grinned when he brushed her hand aside, and he grazed his nose along the crease of her thigh. His mate smelled heavenly. No female he’d had before he was cursed to the lake ever smelled this good. It was like his snuppa was meant to seduce his every sense.

  She squealed when his rough hands gripped her ass cheeks and he slowly, carefully circled his tongue around her sensitive bud. Her hands flew to his hair, tangling there as her orgasm built.

  “Yes, mate. Come so hard on my mouth.” Because the moment she did, he was going to mount her to the fucking wall and take her hard. Like a warrior does. He loosened the zipper on his jeans to give his cock some relief.

  “Huran,” Christienne breathed. “I… I…”

  She was close. He wanted to thrust his tongue inside her opening, but he forced himself to remain gentle. Circle, circle, long sweep. He could feast on her forever if she’d let him. But this was something she didn’t give into often.

  His mate had insecurities that he hadn’t yet conquered.

  It made him want to take up a sword, but just like the goddess Tamsin so many years ago, the enemy wasn’t corporeal.

  Christienne stiffened, her moan catching in her throat, and then she shuddered apart, coming on his mouth just like he’d ordered. He licked and laved until she was limp against the wall and then stood, caging her in with his arms. He pressed his lips to hers, exploring her mouth with her juices still wetting his.

  “I love you,” she whispered between desperate kisses. He loved hearing those words from her. She had a way of making him feel worthy when he was not.

  “You are mine. Always mine, sweet Christy.” It was the best he could do. Had ever done. He didn’t know how to say I love you, but this had always been enough.

  She pushed his jeans over his hips and his erection sprang free. With his hand, he guided it under her skirt to her soaked opening before lifting her legs to settle them around his waist. He found her eyes, those sweet eyes that felt like home, and pushed in to the hilt. Her tightness enveloped him and her nails at his nape spurred him to action, but he couldn’t look away from her eyes. They had always been the thing about her that anchored him to the earth. Some days they were blue like the lake and some days blue like the sky.

  Huran thrust into his mate, counting her blinks, loving the creases at the corners. He felt her squeeze around his hardness, warning him of her approaching release. His back tingled its own warning. He was going to unload everything inside her this time. No half-assed spilling on the ground like he’d been doing lately. Out of fear. Goddamn it, he was a spineless fuck.

  Her hand cradled his cheek, grounding him.

  “My words fail me, snuppa,” he admitted.

  “I don’t need words. Just you.”

  Just him. He wouldn’t hold back today. Couldn’t. She was too important.

  He kissed her, pressing her body against the wall hard enough to steal her breath. He never broke their rhythm, and with her strangled cry, the wave of her orgasm rocked him. He followed her with the next thrust, grunting his release, anchoring her to the wall to give her every drop.

  Stream after stream of hot release sprayed from his cock and he tried to ignore what it could mean for the future. No. He wouldn’t taint this beautiful fucking moment with ancient memories.

  Huran buried his face in his mate’s neck, breathing in her scent and remembering the reason he was here in the first place and not in a grave at the bottom of the ocean like—no. He was here because of her. Because he was strong enough to wait for her. Trust her. Love her. Because she broke his curse.

  Because she loved him.

  They were forever bound, and he wouldn’t break that bond for anything.

  Even if it would be easier.

  Christienne pressed her forehead to his while they caught their breath. “Huran…”

  “Yes, snuppa?”

  “It’s been a long time.” It wasn’t a question, but her tone was asking one. Why hadn’t he marked her with his seed in so long?

  “I know.” He twitched inside her, but wasn’t ready to pull free yet. Not yet.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  He swallowed hard. He had no answer to give her. None that she would understand.

  “You are my everything,” he said, but something inside called him a liar. He ignored it. “You give me a reason to live. Never doubt that.”

  He slid from her opening already regretting the separation. Her fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt as he pulled away.

  “Don’t go yet.” Her voice was quiet.

  He looked away, unable to hold her gaze. “I must. The rentals on the North Shore need tending. And I shouldn’t pull you from your duties any longer.”

  It was bullshit. All of it. He wasn’t going to the North Shore to see to the cabins, though they did need tending. And he wouldn’t hesitate to keep her from her work any other day. But today… today there was something he needed to do.

  Huran pulled her in for one more kiss, lingering just enough to borrow her strength. He would come home to her tonight. Hold her. Remember who he was now versus who he was before.

  But first… he would return to the lake.

  Chapter Two

  Christienne Marshall stared at the office door as it shut behind her mer-mate. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Her body still buzzed from what Huran had done to her. Talk about wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. It wasn’t like him to run away after making love. At least, it didn’t used to be. He usually liked to linger. Even cu
ddle. It was one of the things that surprised her about him in the beginning, the way he snuggled after sex. Like he hadn’t had enough softness in his life and couldn’t get enough of hers.

  But lately, he’d been different. The love making was the same. Passionate. Real. Wholehearted. Everything she expected from her man. It was what happened at the end that baffled her. Several months ago, he started pulling from her body before finishing. At first it wasn’t a big deal. But when it continued and he even started leaving the bed afterward, as if he couldn’t stand to be there… she began to worry.

  It started after their first conversation about having children. She knew from other mated Mer folk, that the males were usually ready to start families as soon as the curse was broken. But she had waited for Huran to bring up the subject.

  Except he never did.

  When she finally mentioned it, he agreed that he was ready for a baby and she was happy. Excited to start a new chapter in their life. But then he pulled away and the crevice between them continued to grow no matter how much she clung to his whispered words of love. Snuppa. My sweetheart.

  She would always be that. He told her so daily.

  Now she was so riddled with doubts she could hardly breathe.

  Christienne dropped a hand to her stomach. A tiny secret lay just under it. A secret she’d been trying to tell Huran about for several months now. A secret that wouldn’t be contained much longer.

  She hesitated to share the good news with her mate out of fear that he wouldn’t consider it good after all. The fact that he withheld himself from her just when they decided to make a baby couldn’t be a coincidence. Could it?

  What if he truly didn’t want a baby with her?

  Christienne chewed her lip mulling over the same questions she’d had for months.

  No, she couldn’t let him walk away. She was going to get this out in the open now, before she lost her nerve.