The human societal equivalent of the treatment I received would be similar to a welcoming cheer as they regarded me similar to a celebrity. Even so, the suspicion I had made me terrified and tense. My instincts caused me to struggle, and I tried to shout for Dicken. But before I could even utter a word, my mouth was covered by a webbed claw that extended from beneath the water. Both my legs were restrained as well, so I couldn’t move at all. I felt like I was a hunted deer tied to a stick and was about to be cooked over a fire. ‘Dear God, what are they doing…’ I was so nervous that I almost forgot to breathe. I opened my eyes wide as I scanned my surroundings. The cold sea breeze was harsh against my skin, causing me to shiver. A large whirlpool then appeared on the sea surface to my left, and there was a dark shadow floating in its center. Just like a specter in the dark, the scene was strange. The specter’s head was the first to appear. Their strands of red hair were scatte
‘F*ck!’ If it weren’t for someone covering my mouth, I would have cursed out loud. I struggled vehemently, but the mermaids severely restricted the movements of my body. The gears in my mind were spinning rapidly as a question occurred to me. ‘What if I was just naturally this unlucky? Maybe my body was unique in some way that is unnoticeable by humans. Maybe to merpeople, my scent, body shape, or some other particular trait piques their interest, so they identify me as a potential mate? Oh my gosh! Is there something wrong with me genetically? What is it about me that differs from other humans?’ However, I had no time to ponder further upon this question because this merman had started to grope me all over my body. He even leaned into my bare neck and started sniffing there too. I tried my best to lean away to prevent him from approaching my neck. And at that moment, a regrettable thought popped up in my mind. I was hoping that Dicken would come to save me. Although fallin
I sensed Dicken heavily panting like he had rushed here after going through a battle of life and death. He was surrounded by an air of hostility as well as a strong scent of blood. Dicken was injured, and it wasn’t just a scratch. I could imagine winning a battle against such a ferocious pelican eel wouldn't have been easy. My eyes searched his body for wounds. I swear it wasn’t out of concern for him; it was just a habit of mine as a biologist. He seemed to have realized what I was trying to do and bent down, causing his long drenched hair to droop over me and block my line of sight. In the darkness of the night, I felt something cold resting against my forehead – it was Dicken’s chin. With one claw supporting my neck, he pulled my head towards him and buried me into his broad chest. Being this close to him, the metallic smell of blood became stronger. “Dicken, where are your injuries?” I couldn’t help but ask. Dicken didn’t reply. His only response was a low growl comin
“Dicken, wait! You’re hurt, don’t be impulsive!” Even though I knew there was no way I could stop him, I still inadvertently clutched his arm. It was then that I noticed that the long hair cascading on his back had blood dripping from it. It must’ve been a severe wound considering it was bleeding like that. I hadn’t noticed it before because the night was dark, and his hair had concealed the wound.Suddenly, the pain from my wound caused by the pelican eel’s bite flared up. It was either because I was reminded of it from seeing Dicken’s wound or that I was only now able to react. Nonetheless, it was a sharp pain that was difficult to endure, like a dagger had stabbed straight into my spine. The stinging pain caused my back to arch forward as I dug my fingernails into my skin to endure it. ‘What’s going on? Why is it suddenly hurting so much?’ I gritted my teeth to withstand it, and I subconsciously desired Dicken’s saliva to heal me. But how could I ask for that in a situati
Right then, Dicken’s head popped into my line of sight and blocked me from seeing anything else. The next thing I knew, his lips were sealed with mine. The kiss was intense in frustration as Dicken’s tongue pried my teeth apart, conquering the interior of my mouth, causing my chest to start heaving. The sudden kiss took my breath away, and as Dicken whisked away at my tongue, my attention was finally drawn away from the red-haired merman. Just as I was about to oppose Dicken and pull away from this ill-timed violation, he released me. I didn’t expect him to let go of me so quickly. He then narrowed his eyes when he looked at me and turned to glare at the red-haired merman. He looked like an emperor giving a silent warning to a naive trespasser. It was as if he was saying, ‘This is my loot. You can’t snatch her away from me!’ Dicken’s face became more fierce, and his eyes appeared colder. He revealed his ivory teeth which glinted in the moonlight. He was unleashing his murderous i
Seeing the rescue boat lifted my spirits immediately. With all the strength I had, I swam toward the direction of the light. The closer I got, the safer I felt because I could hear the bustling commotion of people on board. I was so relieved that even the stinging pain on my back felt like it had reduced in severity. It was Gary and the others. They seemed to have defeated the pirates in the middle of all the chaos and seized control of the ship. “Gary! I’m right here! It’s my, Linda!” I quickly made my way toward the boat, but I still couldn’t fully comprehend the speed of my swimming. It was as if I had a small motor propeller attached to me. When I finally reached Gary and the rest, they were surprised to see me. “Linda! Oh my god! It really is you!” Gary couldn’t help but exclaim when he saw me. He then immediately extended his arm to pull me up from the water and enveloped me in an embrace. He was so excited to see me that his body was shaking. He wrapped his strong arms
The wound on my back was rather severe. Luckily, Gary found a first aid kit on the ship. I had wanted to treat the injury myself, but it was too inconvenient for me to reach it. I didn’t want to ask Laura for help, so I had no choice but to ask Gary to help me. I laid face-down on the bed as it was not only convenient for Gary to apply the medicine, but it also prevented me from revealing too much skin. “Your clothes are stuck onto the wound. I’m going to lift your clothes up, so bear with it for a bit,” Gary said strictly. I nodded and buried my face into the pillow. I was aware of the situation of the wound on my back, so I bit the pillow and prepared myself mentally for what was to come. But the pain was so unbearable it felt like my flesh was being torn apart. It was so intolerable that my body involuntarily tensed up, and I clenched my fists. I couldn’t help but yell, “Go easy on me! F*ck!” Gary’s face darkened, but he didn’t reply. He just hastened his movements and tor
Gary’s expression suddenly changed. In astonishment, he asked, “You figured it out?” I cackled coldly and said, “Have you forgotten? I’ve always received full marks for military-related subjects. Why wouldn’t I be able to recognize an emblem like that? Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on? And don’t even think that I’ll do anything else for you unless you give me a straight answer!” The awkward atmosphere from earlier had vanished completely at that moment. My abrasive attitude came as a shock to Gary, and he looked at me like he was confirming I was the same person he knew before. After a long time, he finally shook his head and replied coldly, “I can not disclose anything to those who aren’t core members. This is a military mission. I’m sure you can understand the situation I’m in, Linda. But I can assure you that I won’t put you in harm’s way again…” He clutched my hand that was outside the blanket. Then, his breathing became increasingly rapid, and his pupils dilated