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  Merman’s

  Forever

  By

  Dee J. Stone

  Copyright © 2018 Dee J. Stone.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real life, movies, television, games, or books is entirely coincidental and was not intended by the author.

  Titles by Dee J. Stone:

  Young Adult Superhero Series:

  No Ordinary Hero (Keepers of Justice, Book 1)

  Hero’s Revenge (Keepers of Justice, Book 2)

  Hero Reborn (Keepers of Justice, Book 3)

  No Ordinary Villain (Keepers of Justice, Book 4)

  Villain’s Choice (Keepers of Justice, Book 5)

  Long Lost Hero (Keepers of Justice, Book 6)

  Blue Masked Hero (Blue Masked Hero, Book 1)

  Red Masked Heroine (Blue Masked Hero, Book 2)

  Secret Villain (Blue Masked Hero, Book 3)

  Young Adult Fantasy Series:

  World of Duriell, Book 1: Pardem

  World of Duriell, Book 2: Andrina

  Mark of Platos (Mark of Platos, Book 1)

  Teenage Witch (Teenage Witch, Book 1)

  Young Adult Romance:

  Cruiser (Cruiser & Lex, Book 1)

  Second Chance (Cruiser & Lex, Book 2)

  Forever (Cruiser & Lex, Book 3)

  Cruiser & Lex: The Complete Series Box Set

  Chasing Sam

  Young Adult Paranormal:

  Emily’s Curse

  Paranormal Romance:

  Merman’s Kiss (Merman’s Kiss, Book 1)

  Merman’s Touch (Merman’s Kiss, Book 2)

  Merman’s Bond (Merman’s Kiss, Book 3)

  Merman’s Love (Merman’s Kiss, Book 4)

  Merman’s Devotion (Merman’s Kiss, Book 5)

  Merman’s Forever (Merman’s Kiss, Book 6)

  Damarian (A Merman’s Kiss Novel)

  Falling for the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 1)

  Loving the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 2)

  Keeping the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 3)

  Email the author at [email protected].

  For more information and updates on new releases, check out Dee J. Stone here: https://deejstone.wordpress.com. Or follow on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check us out on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/deejstoneromance and https://www.patreon.com/deejstonefantasy.

  Merman’s

  Forever

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Excerpt from Falling for the Genie

  Excerpt from Mark of Platos

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Mrs. Cassie Sapphire.

  It has a nice ring, doesn’t it?

  It’s funny how many names a person can acquire over her lifetime. Cassandra Price. Cassie Price. Cassie Price of the humans. Cassie of the Sapphire clan. Mrs. Cassie Sapphire.

  My stomach squeezes together, making my legs weaken. I can’t believe this is actually happening.

  “Ouch!”

  “Sorry,” the woman crouched by my ankles mutters, some pins between her teeth. “You were fidgeting.”

  It takes everything I have not to rub the spot she poked me.

  “Cassie,” Mom says, her eyes shining the brightest I’ve ever seen. “That dress is just breathtaking on you.”

  Leah, who sits next to her on the chair a few feet away, nods, her eyes also shiny, though there’s no mistaking the emptiness in them.

  For the hundredth time since I’ve tried on this dress, I look at myself in the mirror. Breathtaking, Mom said. Honestly, I don’t care much about my wedding dress. Obviously I want to look good, but all that matters to me is that Damarian and I will be bonded for all eternity the human way, surrounded by everyone we love.

  A year has passed since Damarian proposed to me. We thought we’d wait a little longer to tie the knot, since we both are still very young, but why wait? We’ve been bonded the merpeople way for two years now, have been through so much together, grew as close as we ever could. It’s time we make it official on land, too.

  The dress is very poofy at the bottom, since I’ve dreamed of wearing a poofy wedding dress ever since I can remember. The bodice doesn’t dip too low and it has intricate designs from the top to the bottom. One word to describe the dress? Elegant. Regal. Perfect.

  “There she goes spacing out again,” Leah says with a laugh.

  I laugh, too. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”

  Mom comes over and plays with my hair, tossing it over one shoulder, then spreading it down my back. “I’ve been through this twice, and I’m telling you it’ll take a long time until it finally hits you. My daughter, getting married!”

  She and Louis got married four months ago. I never imagined I’d be so emotional as I watched my mother declare herself to the love of her life. It’s not everyday kids have the chance to celebrate with their parents on the happiest day of their lives. I did feel a small pang in my chest when I thought of my father and how much I miss him. How much regret I have that I couldn’t do anything to save him, my stepmom, and all the other sea serpents. But like I tell myself almost every day, I need to move on. My dad wouldn’t want me to cry over him for the rest of my life. It’ll be a long journey, but I know I will get there one day.

  “All right.” The seamstress straitens up and scans me from top to bottom. “Perfect.”

  Now Leah stands before us, too, watching us with a certain look in her eyes. I know what it is. Not jealousy, exactly, but more like hopelessness. After what happened with Jace two years ago, she hasn’t fully gotten back on her own feet. She’s trying really hard to move on.

  “You look like a princess,” she says, then rolls her eyes. “Ugh, that sounded so cliché.”

  “But it’s true.” The woman circles me, satisfaction in her eyes. “Some women search and search and can’t find the right dress. You, young lady, have found the right dress.”

  My cheeks heat up. I’ve never liked being in the spotlight. I know all eyes will be on Damarian and me in two weeks, but I don’t really want to think about that.

  Once the seamstress makes sure the dress is perfect and gives me permission to take it off, I go to the back room. Leaning on the door, I close my eyes and gulp in a few breaths of air. Someone please pinch me.

  Damarian’s face appears before my eyes. All the nerves in my body dissolve. I know that as long as I have the merman of my dreams with me, I can get through anything.

  “Cassie!” Mom calls. “I need to be at the meeting in twenty minutes.”

  I carefully slide out of the dress, pull on my shirt and jeans, then leave the room. The seamstress promises the dress will be delivered to my mom’s next week. Mom still believes the groom seeing the dress before the wedding is bad luck, though I wonde
r if it counts when the groom is a merman.

  “Now that the dress is done,” Mom says, “the only thing we have to worry about is the caterer, and then everything will be perfect.”

  I swallow. “I’m glad.”

  Leah gently slaps my arm. “What are you so worried about? You and Damarian are basically already married.”

  I nod, though my throat is still tight.

  “Wedding jitters,” Mom says. “Don’t worry, we all get them. Do you want a lift home, Cassie?”

  “We want to grab something to eat,” Leah tells her. “A new seafood restaurant opened on the beach.”

  Mom kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you later.” She gets in her car and drives away.

  Leah and I settle in hers. “I really don’t know why I’m so nervous,” I say. “It’s ridiculous.”

  “Not really.” She pulls out of the curb. “When you and Damarian ‘married’ the merpeeps way, it wasn’t planned or anything. It just happened. The wedding preparations are probably scarier than the actual thing.”

  “Yeah, maybe.”

  “You’re not worried he’ll ditch you, are you?”

  “Well…”

  “Oh don’t you start, Cassie. That fishman loves you to death. He’s practically given up his merman life to live with you on land.”

  I’m about to protest, but she holds up her hand. “When was the last time you even visited his home?”

  I press my lips together. “It’s not easy when I’m at school. But now that it’s summer, I want us to spend as much time with his family as we can. In fact, we’re leaving to the sea tonight.”

  Leah parks the car in the lot and we make our way to the restaurant. The sea water-filled air hits me as soon as I step foot on the beach, beckoning me to leap into the ocean, shift into my mermaid form, and swim around with the fish and dolphins. Considering it’s been a while since I dipped a toe in the sea, it takes everything I have to push the feeling away.

  Leah and I choose a booth in the back. No more than a minute passes before a waiter comes over with menus.

  “What to choose, what to choose.” Leah runs her tongue over her lips.

  “I know what I’m choosing.”

  She gives me a face. “Let me guess. Fish, fish, and only fish.”

  “We are in a seafood restaurant.”

  “Yeah, but there are lots of other things to choose from other than fish.”

  I love all different kinds of seafood, but I always crave fish. I guess you can take the mermaid out of the ocean but you can’t take the ocean out of the mermaid.

  We give our orders to the waiter.

  “So,” Leah says. “How does Damarian feel about all of this?”

  I laugh. “You keep asking me how he feels.”

  She shrugs. “It’s not like the merpeople have weddings in the ocean, do they?”

  “Sort of. They’re called mating ceremonies. It’s basically just a party thrown by family and friends, just like we have here. And the couple is supposed to mate that night.”

  “And that makes them bonded for all eternity. I guess it’s not that different from humans. And his family is going to come on land?”

  “Damarian’s not sure yet. His dad and mom, Doria, and Kytero might come on land, but everyone else will watch from the ocean, close to the shore. That’s why we’re having the wedding on the beach.”

  She keeps her eyes on her empty glass. “Will he be there?” She glances up at me for half a second before focusing back on her glass.

  I let out a small sigh. “I can’t not invite Kyle, Leah. But I’ll ask him to stay in the ocean, if that’ll make you feel better.”

  She lowers her glass to the table and leans back, waving her hand. “Nah, let him come on land. I really don’t give a damn.”

  I bite my lip. “Leah…”

  “What? I’ll have Sexy Guy with me, so it’s not like I’ll be pining over him or anything.”

  “You’ve seriously got to stop calling him Sexy Guy. What’s his name again?”

  She gives me an innocent look.

  “Leah!”

  “Come on, don’t judge me.”

  “You can at least know his first name,” I say.

  “It’s one of those hard ones I can never remember. Arnold or something. No, that’s not it...”

  “Isn’t it like Armon?”

  She snaps her fingers. “Armando!” She sighs dreamily. “He has the hottest accent.”

  I wish I could tell her how concerned I am over her. She met the guy two months ago and isn’t serious about him at all, which I guess isn’t a problem since he’s not serious about her either. She hasn’t had a stable boyfriend since Jace. I don’t know if I should beat the crap out of Kyle, because I have no idea what happened between the two of them. Leah refuses to talk about it, and since she’s my best friend I’d rather hear her side before hearing Kyle’s. What I do know is that they fought every time he came on land to see her. It’s obvious she’s scared to commit to another relationship.

  “Oh no,” Leah says. “You’ve got that look again.”

  “What?”

  “The one where you’re going to act like my mom and tell me to pull my life together. I’ll have you know that I’m seriously considering going to law school.”

  “That’s great!”

  “I don’t need a guy to make me happy.”

  “Of course not.”

  She narrows her eyes. “Okay, tell me how you really feel.”

  The waiter comes with the food. And might I say my fish looks delicious.

  Leah puts her hand over mine so I can’t reach for my fork. “Uh uh. Not until you tell me how you really feel.”

  “Are you sure you want to hear it? Because it seems you’re more content with distracting yourself with all the Arnolds of the world.”

  “Armando!”

  “Whatever!”

  She snaps her mouth closed, her eyes on her crab salad. “I just…I just don’t want to feel anything.”

  I turn my hand over to slide my fingers through hers. “Talk to me, Leah. What happened with Kyle?”

  She snatches her hand away. “What’s there to say? He’s a fish and I’m a human. I’m no way in hell turning into a fish. No offense.”

  “None taken.”

  “What do you expect, Cassie? For me to throw my life away and have little tadpoles in the ocean?”

  “Tadpoles? Leah, you do know we’re not frogs…”

  “I get how cool you’d think it would be for the two of us to be mated to mermen and swim in the ocean—”

  “What? I never said—”

  “—but that’s not me. I’m never going to have the kind of love you have with Damarian. You told me that even the merpeeps said it’s rare to have such a deep bond like the one you guys have. So why bother? Why bother about anything?” She sweeps her hand across her eyes.

  “Do you love him, Leah?”

  She blinks at me. “What? Of course not!”

  “Do you?”

  “How can I love him? He’s a fish.”

  “Okay, that I take offense.”

  She throws her hands up. “I don’t love him, Cassie. I can never love him. I don’t think I can love anyone. Don’t you get it? He ruined love for me. Why did I meet him? Why did I let myself fall in love with him?” The tears rain down her cheeks. “He messed me up so bad. No matter how many shrinks I see, I’ll never get better. And then I have to watch everyone around me find love and live happily ever after with their soulmates. And mine turned out to be a monster who almost killed my best friend and wreaked havoc in the ocean. And look at me, two years later and I’m still not over him.”

  I swallow my tears away. Some of the other diners are staring at us. I don’t care. Let them stare. It’s not like any of them can understand what Leah’s been through. Even I can’t.

  My phone buzzes with a text from Damarian.

  Is it considered bad luck to text the bride when she is sampling her wedding
dress?

  “Is that Damarian?” Leah asks.

  I tuck my phone back in my bag. “It doesn’t matter.” I clasp her hand in mine. “Leah—”

  “Sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean you and Damarian. I’d give my arm or leg for you and Damarian to keep your happily ever after. I just meant other people.”

  “You can blow up on me whenever you want. I don’t mind.”

  She snorts. “What a wonderful friend I am.” She wipes her eyes. “I’m sorry for ruining our meal. I don’t like dragging my issues into every aspect of my life. I’m over him. I need to be over him.”

  I get up from my seat and walk to her side to give her the strongest hug I can muster. “I love you, Leah. I just wish I knew what to do to make you feel better. If I were able to go back in time—”

  “No, Jace had to die. I’m fine with that. I just hate myself for giving my heart to him.”

  “Do you wish you never met him? If you were able to go back in time and stop yourself from meeting him, would you? He would still turn into a sea serpent, but you wouldn’t fall for him.”

  She blinks a few times as I return to my seat, her jaw slightly hanging open. “I…” Her lower lip trembles. “No. I’m happy I met him. I wouldn’t want to change that.” She shakes her head, a resolute expression on her face. “No, I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

  I squeeze her hand. “Maybe now that you’ve realized that, it may make it a little easier for you to move on.”

  She nods, but by the look in her eyes, I know she doesn’t believe it.

  Chapter Two

  “Cassie, my love!” Damarian scoops me into his arms and spins me around in the living room. “How I have missed you!”

  I giggle as he splatters my face with kisses. “I was only gone for a few hours.”

  “Yes, but every moment I am apart from you feels like eternity. Even after being mated to you for twenty four moons.”

  I give him a heartfelt, passionate kiss. “I feel the same way.”

  With me still in his arms, he carries me into the kitchen. “May I ask how it went at the dress shop?”

  “Don’t worry about Mom and her superstitions. You can ask me anything you want.”

  “All right. But she stated she would, ‘Do some serious damage to my manly parts if I were to lay eyes upon the dress before you walk down the aisle.’ She could not have been serious, could she?”