Of Fangs & Fins

Chapter Eleven

SR: Timmies ft Shiloh - Again

eleven.

Eryn.

"Stop using your powers on me," I snapped, yanking on the silver chains. 

"I'm sorry." 

Apologies are something that people so quick to give out. It's almost as if the thing they're sorry for has to magically go away. The ones who let it go away are the ones that will be hearing much more apologies in their life. It's a vicious cycle. 

"I wanted to tell you something, but I wanted to wait for you to calm down," Marina replied. She had a worried expression on my face and I narrowed my eyes in curiosity.

 I lifted a brow, wondering what took so long for her to tell me. We spoke for hours, revealing parts of me I didn't normally tell anyone. "What is it?"

"I think someone ransacked your apartment. I went up there earlier and the door was open," Marina responded, giving me a worried stare.

I chuckled dryly, already knowing who it could be. "Arlo, perhaps. Maybe he didn't believe that I wasn't feeding on you. Only he would be stupid enough to go through my apartment." Perhaps it was those vampires from earlier. I wouldn't be surprised. The quaestor thought they had a right to be in my apartment. I had no idea what they were looking for but I knew I couldn't go back.

"What about those people from earlier?" she suggested, reaching around behind me. Her chest was in front of my face as she untied me.

I ignored what she said, unable to keep my gaze away. There was no way I could tear my eyes away from her sun-kissed breasts.

I wanted to shove my face in her voluptuous bosom. To grab them and caress them. I craved her n*****s in my mouth. I ached to have her hands pulling on my hair in reckless abandon. The image of her naked body squirming under me splayed across my thoughts. Her throat in my hand and my fingers on her--

"Eryn?" her kissable lips formed my name.

"Do you think we can have a happy ending?" I asked as she pulled the chains off me. She threw them to the side and trained her gaze to me.

Marina's eyes enlarged and she stumbled backward, her butt slamming hard onto the stage. I burst out laughing, shaking my head when I realized the absurdity of my question. I knew more than her that there was no way we could be together in the way she wanted. Vampires weren't mean to fall in love. 

"I uh, don't--" Marina's cheeks grew flush. My heart thumped harder in my chest when she blushed. I was starting to like her blushing. I grasped her hand and gently pulled her to me. 

"Don't worry about what I said," I murmured, my finger under her chin and tipping her head upwards. I tried to tune out her heartbeat as best as I could. It sped up, the sound of every beat reminding me of how fast her blood was pumping through those delectable--

I caught her mouth with mine, trying to shut out my aches and desires. I tugged on her bottom lip. A whimper came from her and I slid my hand down, grabbing a handful of her gorgeous ass and squeezing it. She pressed herself against me tighter and my arms wrapped around her, lifting her slightly as I hugged her. 

Marina nuzzled her face into my chest, the grip she had around my waist tightening. I sharply inhaled, and the smell of sandalwood and rose encompassed me. I don't remember the last time I received a hug like this, I thought.

It felt... nice.

"Perhaps we should go back to my apartment," I cut the moment short, detaching myself from Marina, "you know to check on your friends. I have to see Ally as well." It would be best to move them from there. It wasn't safe, I thought.

Marina nodded, stumbling over a chair that was overturned. With lightning-fast reflexes, I seized her by the waist and held her up against me. She chuckled, tugging on her sleeves. "Sorry."

"Clumsy?" I raised a brow, throwing my arm over her shoulders. We walked out of the club and I shut the door behind me, hearing the lock click.

"A bit weak-kneed," Marina squeaked while we jaywalked across the street. I slowed my movement and saw her ass jiggle as she walked. I smirked, swatting my hand against her left asscheek.

She gasped. "Eryn!"

I rushed a bit ahead of her, hearing her chasing me. "How are your knees now?"

She giggled, "better, no thanks to you."

I smirked, pulling her close to me as we stepped onto the sidewalk.

In an instant, the stark stench of mermaid blood hit me like a truck. I could feel there was something odd going on. I turned and noticed there wasn't anyone in these blocks. No one was around my club and I couldn't hear a soul in my apartment building. And yet, I could smell so much blood.

Approaching the front door with caution, I glanced at Marina.

"See! I got here," Marina tittered, bumping into me. She frowned and peered up at me. "Erynn, your eyes are red again."

I put a finger to my lips. Her eyes widened and she nodded, moving closer behind me. Her heart began to pound louder, making it harder to focus.

"Take slow deep breaths," I whispered, listening as her heartbeat slowed.

I breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be able to concentrate more.

We stepped into the hall and I monitored intently for a sign of anyone. I couldn't hear anyone in the building, except a distant heartbeat that wasn't Marina's. "There's no one here."

Marina grasped my arm tightly. "My friends?"

I didn't say a word. Instead, we headed towards the emergency stairs and I headed down quickly, leaving Marina behind. The smell of blood grew stronger as I saw my storage door was open. Drops of blood were leading out from it. I rushed towards it and looked inside, my eyes searching.

Fresh blood pooled in front of me as if there was a struggle. The cot I kept on the side was haphazardly thrown to the side. There was a heartbeat coming from the right side of the room. The coffin was shut closed. I hesitantly neared the lid and pushed it open. The loud scraping sound made me wince.

I sighed in relief when Ally was laying inside. Her brows were furrowed as if she was going through a nightmare. I felt a connection to her immediately, a good sign that she was turning. "Ally," I brushed my fingers against her arm, sliding into her subconscious. A myriad of emotions flooded into me, jolting me back. A low hiss came from the back of my throat and I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself.

Marina's gasp caused me to turn around. "Where are they?" She looked around the room and stepped out of it. I could hear sobs coming from out of the room. Frantically, she walked back in. "I was only gone for a few."

I pressed my lips against my teeth tightly, hoping she wouldn't see my fangs as I spoke. She didn't have to see my fangs more than she already did. "They've been taken, but they're not dead."

"How do you know that?" she cried incredulously. 

"Because their bodies would've been left here, Mari. For now, your friends are safe."

From afar, I could see her hands trembling. "This wasn't how anything was supposed to happen. I should've been here to help fight against whatever took them."

A pang of hurt made its way into my chest and I chastised myself. She didn't mean you, you bloody pansy, I thought. "It wasn't your fault. I doubt you being here would've made a difference. The good news is that I think I know someone that can find your friends."

"Who can help with any of this? My friends are as good as gone!" Marina shrieked, hurting my ears with the sharpness of her tone, "we need to find them, Eryn!"

"And we will, but I need you to be strong for them. I know this is painful for you, but your emotions are only going to get in the way," I lashed out, sick of hearing her freak out.

Marina stood silent for a moment, her eyes glued to Ally. "She isn't safe here."

"You're right, but with this early in her transition, it isn't safe for her to be awakened. I'm not sure what happened here, but I'm pretty sure she heard all of it," I explained, approaching the coffin. It wasn't my first time turning someone. It was my first time turning a mermaid, though. I had no idea if it was going to work. I never heard of a vampire mermaid either. I hope she wouldn't lose connection to the sea. It was devastating for mermaids to be excommunicated from their kind.

"She can hear us?" Marina asked me with a sniffle. 

I winced, immediately regretting that I told her. "Somewhat. She can hear us, but I doubt she'll remember though. Turning gets worse before it gets better." I pulled out my phone ready to text someone for a pickup.

"Will you love her?" Marina questioned, "I, uh heard of sire bonds being romantic."

"No, I won't. Where are you getting all your vampire facts from?" I lifted a brow in confusion. Realization settled in shortly after and I felt like an i***t for even asking, "s**t, sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

 "It's fine. Neri would tell all of us stories about vampires. Growing up, they were scary enough to give us nightmares," Mari's eyes teared up as she spoke.

"Your sister Neri?" 

"Yes. She was here a couple of years ago, which is why I'm here now," Mari smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "we were all here for her."

An image of a taller version of Marina made its way to the forefront of my mind.

Nerissa. 

Somehow that name seemed so familiar to me.