The Mermaid's Mate (6 page)

Timber sucked in a deep breath. Warm air reverberated through his muscles and down to his toes.

Marian had betrayed him. The thought tore through his stomach and wrenched on his heart. But he couldn’t deny what he felt when he was with her, when she was wrapped up in his arms.

He
loved
her.

Whether he was going to forgive Marian’s betrayal or not—hell if he could think about that when Ryder was posturing in front of him—Timber had to stop Ryder from getting the stone. He couldn’t let the main pack suffer because of one rogue wolf’s greed and stupidity.

Readying himself for the coming fight, Timber stretched tall. His gums lifted, exposing his tingling fangs.
A
debt is a debt
,
Ryder
,
and I swear to you that I’ll be a part of this pack until you release me.
But I won’t let you steal the Mer stone without a fight.

As Ryder growled, Timber lurched forward and attacked, biting into Ryder’s neck. He thrashed, trying to dislodge Timber’s fangs. He shook his massive body, flailing muscle and limb. They careened into the wall. Slammed into one another. When Ryder shook free from Timber’s hold, he took a single swipe of his claw to Timber’s nose, then bolted out the opening behind them that led to the edge of the mountain. Timber trailed, but as he burst out of the opening, he tripped.

Sapphric was curled up on the ground, bleeding through a gash in his neck. He was breathing, barely holding on to the thread of life.

Timber howled, a deafening war cry meant for Ryder to hear as he bounded away.

Shifting back to human form, Timber instinctively knew why Ryder bolted out the entrance and into the cloak of night: if they’d continued their fight, Ryder might’ve lost, but there was no way Timber would turn his back on Sapphric, who was weak and dying at his feet.

For now, he had to let Ryder go.

“It’s all right, Sapphric, I’ve got you now.” Timber carried the healer into his den and set him on a wobbly table in the corner. He sifted through cabinets, unsure what the devil he was looking for, and came out with a roll of gauze and an unopened bottle of water. “I’m gonna fix you right up.”

Sapphric groaned as Timber wet the gauze and dabbed it against the gaping wound. Making an irritated grunt, Sapphric swiped Timber’s hand away and pointed to the shelf on the far wall. His arm drooped off the table, revealing a large pool of blood on his chest.

The old man was losing too much blood and wouldn’t last long. But there had to be something here, some sort of magic concoction that could stop the bleeding, heal the wound and save him.

Moving quickly, Timber sifted through the bottles on the shelf. “There are too many. Which one do you need?”

“Black for me,” Sapphric groaned. “Silver for you.”

Thinking of nothing but saving Sapphric, Timber snatched the lone black vial on the shelf. Popping the top, Timber brought it to Sapphric’s mouth, and let the yellowish liquid gather on his lips before it finally seeped in. How long would he have to wait, watching over Sapphric while he healed, before he could leave and warn Marian that Ryder was coming for her and the stone?

“How long?” Timber asked, leaning over Sapphric, watching his skin pale. “How long until the serum heals you?”

“Won’t heal me.” Sapphric sputtered the words, and seemed to choke on his tongue. “Will...end suffering.”

Timber gasped, ripping the vile away from the old man’s lips. “Sapphric, no!”

“You and she,” he whispered, his voice fading in and out. “You take the silver vial...use it to go down and breathe. I’ve been working on it for years...in secret. You...” He gasped for air. “...need it now. Bring her back. You and she come back. Live...
here
.” As the final word left his lips, Sapphric’s body went limp. His lips parted, the hint of the serum still lingering upon them. He expended his final breath, leaving Timber reeling.

If he hadn’t come here seeking Sapphric’s help, none of this would have happened. He couldn’t even fathom taking Sapphric up on his offer to bring Marian back here and live together. Not now, not when thoughts of Marian’s betrayal tainted every other thought in his head.

The silence of the antechamber was heavy and stifling—a noose tightening around Timber’s neck. But he had a job to do. A new mission: he’d have to stop Ryder from stealing the Mer stone. He couldn’t turn his back on Marian and her Mer colony. And no matter what happened beneath the waves, he couldn’t fail.

Chapter Nine

She’d been traipsing along the perilous edge of Were Mountain for over an hour, judging by the way the sun had skid across the sky. She should’ve been to her territory by now. But every time she thought she would turn a corner and spot the majestic waterfalls surrounding Mermaid Bay, she spotted more ridges of bleak, gray rock.

To make matters worse, Marian could sense someone behind her—a wolf, from the smell of him. He was closing in with each passing step. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, stop to figure out if it was Timber. She couldn’t afford a slipup when she was this close to her territory. What if she was wrong and someone else had caught scent of her trail?

She’d lead the wolf into the heart of their territory and reveal all their secrets.

As the moss-covered trail ended, fading from dirt to rock, Marian breathed deep. Using her hands to steady herself, Marian stepped over the stone, her bare feet cold against its unforgiving surface. Climbing to a higher point, she peeked over a large boulder and froze, tears stinging her eyes.

Home.

Mermaid Bay was huge, a few hundred yards long with matching width, surrounded by chunky rock that rose up out of the sea. It was impossibly deep, giving credence to Mer legend that eons ago, a meteor had crashed into Feralon, carving a massive hole out of this side of the isle. The seawater was turquoise, rippling with golden specks of sunshine, making Marian long to slice through it and feel the silky warm waves on her skin. As if the sight of her homeland couldn’t be more breathtaking, magnificent waterfalls covered three-quarters of the rock ring that circled the bay, leaving one rock wall on the far western edge that blocked the view of a grainy, pebbled beach.

It was paradise.

She’d only been gone a few days, but it’d felt like so much longer. She’d missed this place so much.

A branch cracked somewhere over the ridge behind her. Maneuvering across the rock, so that nothing but her toes teetered over the edge, Marian craned her neck around and searched behind her. An ashy-gray wolf slinked over the stone, crouching his massive body so that he was nearly flat. The wolf had caught up to her and he definitely wasn’t Timber. Something inside Marian—a sixth sense she’d never felt before—warned that the wolf was Ryder.

As their gazes collided, Marian knew he was about to attack. Another second, a reactionary leap, and he’d be on her. Sucking in a sharp breath, Marian sprang off the ledge.

The wind cut through her hair and rushed across her skin, meshing with the sea spray that kicked off the waterfall. She spread her arms wide, chin lifted high, her back arching to form a perfect swan dive. Marian’s heart thumped wildly as she anticipated the glorious feel of the water enveloping her body.

She was close. So close. Another twenty feet...ten.

Mist from the waterfall coated her skin, soaking her through and through as the bay closed in. Seconds before she hit the water, she thrust her arms over her head, kept her chin down, and rippled her feet in a swift kicking motion. From the hip down, her skin flattened to scales as blue as the sky. Her pants ripped down the middle as her legs meshed together and her tail fin unfurled.

She hit the water like a rocket and seamlessly soared below the waves as the shirt covering the upper half of her body tore away. The water was as tepid as she expected; she sighed as it blanketed her body in welcoming warmth.

Marian continued to dive, and when she approached twenty meters, her tail fin kicking hard, propelling her onward, she came to the Curtain. Layers of water waved and shook like an iridescent flag, preventing anyone from seeing the enchanted world that lay beyond it. Acting like a mirror, the Curtain reflected the upper part of the sea in all its brilliance—including its wavering colors of violet, azure and emerald.

Beyond the Curtain lay sanctuary for the Mer people.

If she waved her hands in front of her, Marian would watch the Curtain part. If she swam through, a tiny antechamber would seal her in and the sea would drain out. She would be able to shift back to Mer form and walk into the Emperor’s temple. They lived in an enchanted bubble with a sheer, undulating surface and deep chasms around its sides. With water above them and all around the sides of their world, they were completely protected from the dragons and werewolves on the isle. Twenty meters below the surface, there was air. There was talking and walking and normalcy that other shifters didn’t expect. Though her people were Mer, it didn’t mean they had to live as mermaids one hundred percent of the time. It simply meant they could shift if they wanted or needed to.

She should’ve passed through the Curtain and gone straight to her Emperor to report what Ryder and his rogue pack planned to do. It was the sole reason she’d rushed back home.

Why, then was she hesitating? Why were her thoughts dwelling on Timber and the sincerity of his words?

He’d take the fall with Ryder and the rogue pack.

She’d never see him again.

Guilt wrenched Marian’s stomach, twisting and tightening until she felt ill. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t betray him. There had to be another option—a way to protect the stone
and
have Ryder take the fall for the plot, while keeping Timber out of it.

Acting on impulse, Marian changed course and veered right along the uneven edge of Were Mountain, swimming parallel to the Curtain without passing through it. Marian swam as fast as she could, cutting through the water with fluid ease. When she reached the far edge of the bay, she dived straight down, shadowing the rock wall. The chasm ran deep, leading her down, down, down, into the dark. It was a good thing the bubble they lived in—though she’d hardly call a massive colony housing hundreds of mermaids a bubble—had opaque sides. The chasm was deep and private, allowing Marian to swim into its depths without being seen.

When the water grew cold and the rock wall’s surface transitioned from jagged and rough to eerily smooth, Marian knew she was close.

On the surface far above, hard-hitting vibrations rocked the water, sending tiny echoes of movement brushing against the scales on Marian’s tail.

Shivers blanketed her body as realization crashed over her; the only thing that could cause the water to pulse and throb so that she felt it all the way down in the abyss, was sudden impact.

Someone had jumped from the mountain. Ryder was already here.

Swimming with renewed vigor, Marian dove straight down, her body rolling through the water and gaining speed. Up ahead, a large crack that split the rock came into view through the dark. Marian slipped inside, her tail fin slapping the rock above and below with each curl and thrust. When the rock passage widened and finally gave way to a large underwater chamber, Marian swam upright, keeping her body as still as possible so as not to disturb the dirt covering the floor.

Gems sparkled from ceiling to floor, covering every inch of the chamber. Emerald and sapphire jewels as big as Marian’s fist were piled against the wall. Buttery citrine crystals were sprinkled to her sides, mixed with amber, amethyst and jade. It was a rainbow of precious, priceless color. It was stunning. Breathtaking.

Suddenly, Marian knew what she had to do: the only way to keep Ryder from stealing their stone was to steal it first. She’d hide it, take it deep inside their colony, and report to her Emperor that Ryder alone had planned to rob them of it.

Marian searched through the pile to her right, her fingers skimming over the smooth edges of the gems. She continued searching along the wall and floor. Each precious stone was more beautiful than the last, causing Marian to pause and admire them, even though she knew there wasn’t time to do so.

This
, Marian realized, was the Emperor’s security system. This maze of magnificent gems prevented anyone from dashing into the trove and running out with the Mer Stone. She could search for hours. Days.

Which one was it?

Scraping sounds echoed through the water. Someone large was squeezing through the rock passage.

Heart in her throat, Marian did the first thing that came to mind. She clutched the gem closest to her—a large gold stone with flecks of onyx—and spun around.

* * *

Timber could see Ryder’s feet paddling through the water ahead of him. The bastard had to be an excellent swimmer, didn’t he? It was as if Ryder had been practicing for this moment. Maybe he had.

The water was freezing. The deeper they swam, the less Timber could feel his fingers and toes. Much longer down here and he wouldn’t be able to feel his arms and legs, either. His lungs tightened as if they were having trouble sucking oxygen from the water.

Removing Sapphric’s silver vial from his pocket, Timber brought it to his lips and tipped it back. The small valve on the top made it impossible for any of the liquid to leak into the water. Timber couldn’t afford to waste a single drop, and now, thanks to Sapprhic’s clever bottle top, he’d be able to save some for his return trip to the surface.

Instantly, his lungs filled more easily and energy returned to his sapped muscles.

Sapphric had been a genius to keep liquefied bits of the Mer Stone hidden in his den. Timber wished he could thank the healer. Unfortunately, fixing this whole damn mess was the only thing he could do.

When Ryder veered to the right, shadowing the rock wall before disappearing, Timber pushed through the water, sheer will and determination propelling him faster than before. Reaching a natural crease in the rock where Ryder must have vanished, Timber thrust himself through.

He wasn’t fast enough.

As he emerged into some sort of small cavern on the other side, Ryder had Marian from behind, a thick arm strangled around her neck. Marian’s eyes were glossed with fear, her mouth parting as if she wanted to speak, but couldn’t breathe.

No
,
no
,
no!

Rage blasted through Timber’s veins, making every muscle in his body seize. Timber shook his head and threw up his arms in a notion of surrender, though he planned to do everything but. Ryder was a madman. Did he really think he could sneak into this trove, find the Mer Stone among all the other beauties in the stash, and slip out without another mermaid being the wiser?

As if on cue, Ryder showed his true plan. He ripped the golden stone from Marian’s hand and shoved it into his pocket.

How could stealing the Mer stone be so easy?

Tightening his hold on Marian’s neck, Ryder maneuvered around the cavern, his back to the wall, his gaze glued to Timber’s.

You won’t get away with this.
Timber’s lungs heaved with hatred as he willed the words to seep from his brain to Ryder’s ears.
I’ll die before I let you leave this cave with my woman.

Timber ached to pounce. To rip Ryder’s arm off his body so he’d never be able to touch Marian with it again. But with Marian held so tightly against him, Timber was at a disadvantage. One solid squeeze and Ryder would kill her.

Timber shadowed Ryder’s every move as an idea rooted: there was no way Ryder would be able to swim through the crack in the rock with Marian in his arms; the space was far too narrow.

When Ryder circled the cave, and approached the exit, his lips twisted into a sick smile.

Bastard.

As Marian dangled in Ryder’s grasp, her azure tail whipping in front of her, Ryder reached into the front pocket of his shirt and removed a tiny corked bottle.

Diamond chips.
He needed air before ascending to the surface.

Ryder popped the top with his teeth, then shook one of the diamond chips into his mouth.

Seeing an opening, Timber acted fast, and kicked off the wall behind him. He drove his body toward them hard and fast. Marian saw the hit coming and buried her head in the crook of Ryder’s arm. Timber’s strike was slowed by the water, but it still struck true, right to Ryder’s nose. Holding onto Marian, avoiding the blow and grasping the bottle of diamond chips proved to be too much for Ryder to handle. He dodged first—typical for an egomaniac, and precisely what Timber was counting on—and dropped the bottle of chips. He scrambled to catch them as they swayed to the floor. He loosened his hold on Marian’s neck. And left himself wide open for another attack.

As Timber struck again, this time to his throat, Ryder let the chips go and fought back, pile-driving Timber into the wall behind them. Their movements were slow, but no less lethal. Ryder punched Timber in the gut, erasing the air he held. Timber retaliated, clocking Ryder in the side again and again, desperate to weaken his ability to breathe.

From out of nowhere, Marian struck Ryder in the back of the head with something dull and blunt. Ryder’s irises shook, then rolled back, disappearing completely behind fluttering lids. He sagged to the floor at Timber’s feet, unconscious from the blow.

Marian and Timber faced each other, out of breath and wavering in the wake of rolling current.

Clutched in Marian’s tiny fist was an ugly brown rock—the only grime-covered, jagged-shaped rock in the glittering grotto.