The Call Of Thalassa

“Ocean separates lands, not souls..”

-Munia Khan

His yellow eyes closed in delight as he felt his mates’ fingers gently caressing his long blonde strands. His head was tucked on the side of her swollen belly as he felt his son’s movements inside his mother’s body. His purple tail was tangled with her smaller blue one –a loving act of compassion and protectiveness among merfolk soulmates. He let himself relax in her arms, knowing that these precious peaceful moments wouldn’t last for too long.

The infamous kingdom of Atlantis may have been merpeople’s safe haven for the last couple of decades, but its glorious days were covered by a dark shadow. After the mauled bodies of the two unfortunate mates had been found, King Neptune had turned the golden city into a powerful fortress in order to protect his people from this unavoidable threat.

There were always soldiers of the royal family guarding the borders and checking out who enters and leaves the underwater capital. Fear had settled in the hearts of the Atlanteans, who didn’t dare to swim outside of the city’s safety and remained close to their mates and family members. Osmond let a sigh escape him as the events of the last couple of days replayed in his mind like a broken record.

People started to disappear from Atlantis without a trace, only to be found a few days later in front of one of the borders’ gates. Their bodies were almost unrecognizable when they found them and their tails were detached from them every time, signifying that the murderer was always the same.

He hugged his mate tighter to his body at the thought of the butchered mates –the memory of their joined hands still haunting his mind. Only a sick man would murder in cold blood his own kin –two soulmates that desperately tried to protect one another.

“Osmond?”

Thekla’s sweet voice reached his ears, taking him out of his dark thoughts. He hummed in answer and let a small kiss on the side of her protruding belly. Feeling the baby kick on the spot he touched with his lips, he couldn’t help but let a bright smile.

“Is my brother okay?”

His glowing eyes snapped up to her silver ones, taking in the worry that was swirling inside of them. Thekla tucked a strand of long black hair behind her ear and let her pearly teeth nibble on her lower lip. The merman could only groan at his mates’ beauty and suffer silently from the sight. This woman was going to be the death of him.

“Why wouldn’t he be, my love?“, he questioned quietly, transfixing his gaze upon her round stomach.

The beautiful mermaid just shrugged her shoulders in answer, not voicing her worries out loud. She watched as her soulmate touched gently and let soft kisses upon her belly, enjoying the look of adoration and bliss in her merman’s eyes. Osmond was going to be an amazing father –a loving and caring one. The man loved the child with his whole heart and it wasn’t even born yet.

It was pretty obvious that her pregnancy had brought the softer side of him to the surface as well as his overprotectiveness. He barely let her out of his sight and he gave terrifying snarls and growls to whoever dare touch her precious belly. She rolled her eyes at his bipolar behavior, trying to convince herself in vain that she didn’t like his behavior.

“Your brother is happy, Thea, and he has every right to be.”

Sparkling silver orbs met glowing yellow ones.

“He found his mate after a terribly long wait. And she has accepted him, even though she is a human”, he gave her a small smile, adjudging himself on the huge bed to lie beside her.

Turning around to face him, she let her right hand caress his strong cheekbones. She let her small palm slide to his forehead and thick eyebrows, below his mischievous eyes to his chin and his soft inviting lips. His bigger hand grasped carefully her own to stop her movements and gain her attention.

“Our Have has finally found his soulmate, Thea”, he gazed deeply into her familiar eyes, “Aren’t you happy for your brother?“, he asked confused.

Thekla felt her eyes filling with tears, but did not let any of them escape her. She leaned closer to her mate, letting a sweet kiss on top of his forehead. Osmond closed his eyes in utter blissfulness, tightening his arms around his mate’s body. He let his tail give hers an encouraging squeeze as they became once again a tangled mess of scales.

“Mates fall like flies these days.”

She buried her head in the crook of his neck, seeking the comfort she so desperately needed. His body tensed at her words, knowing very well the breaking truth hidden behind them. He felt his gums hurt as his sharp teeth started to break to the surface, but he tried to calm himself for her sake. He didn’t want to upset her in her state.

“I don’t want to see my brother hurt again, Osmond”, she let her tearful gaze meet his, “He waited so long for her –he went almost mad in her absence. I don’t want to imagine what he will do if something was to happen to her.”

He let her head fall on his hard chest, hoping that his familiar scent and strong heartbeat would calm her down. His webbed fingers combed through her silky dark locks slowly as he shushed her gently.

“Shhh, my love”, he kissed the crown of her head, “Nothing will happen to him.”

She gazed into the yellow eyes that she loved so much and couldn’t handle it anymore. All her worries and dark thoughts –her fears and silent plead came finally to the surface. All the desperation and anguish that she felt these past few days every time he wasn’t by her side washed over her like an unstoppable tidal wave.

Osmond’s eyes widened as he watched a pearly tear escape her silver orbs and slowly falling down her pale cheek. He quickly sat up and made a move to wipe the evidence of her internal pain away, but she moved away from him.

His hand fell trembling to his side in a tight fist as he watched her put distance between them. He didn’t like to see her this way –he felt like someone was squeezing his lungs and he could no longer breathe. She was torturing him with her falling tears, but she was murdering him by not letting him near her. He needed her to be in his arms, where he knew she will always be safe.

“Thea...“, his voice was trembling as he watched her swim around the room slowly.

“What about you?“, she asked him, making him look at her in shock.

He didn’t expect this question.

“What if something happens to you? What am I supposed to do then?“, she whispered silently.

The words tasted like ashes in her mouth, but the possibility of losing him had never before seemed so realistic. She prayed to Selene constantly about it, begging her to not take her soulmate away from her. Alas, it was not her decision to make.

“Thea...“, he slowly swam towards her petite form, taking her shaking figure in his embrace.

“I promise to you, my love...nothing will happen to me.”

She pushed him away with force as her vision was blurred by her constant tears. She felt her sharp nails and razor teeth making their appearance, while she viciously snarled at him. Her eyes glowed brightly and her irises turned into thin slits as anger and panic clouded all of her thoughts. Osmond felt his heart shatter at her reaction, wanting to hug and kiss her until she forgives him.

“How dare you make promises you cannot keep?“, she growled lowly after a few moments of silence.

She let a warning snarl escape her as he made a move to approach her.

“Do you know how I feel every time you leave and I don’t know whether you’re going to return back or not? What it is to worry if your mate is going to return back to you whole or into pieces?“, she gulped loudly as a traitor sob almost escaped her.

He boldly swam towards her, not bearing to see her like this any longer. Her tail moved quickly before he could react and pushed his chest with force, sending him a few feet away from her.

“I have to watch you every single day leave this room, knowing that perhaps you won’t return back to me ever again. The Tenebris’ attacks have become more regular than before! My uncle has somehow returned back for revenge! Dead bodies of our people are constantly found near the city’s borders! And you expose yourself to danger each and every day!”

Osmond bowed his head at her words, understanding her worries. He understood her need to keep her mate close and safe since he was bombarded by feelings of overprotectiveness and anxiousness himself. But she had to understand that this was beyond them.

This threat was a danger not only to them but to their whole kin, and someone had to do something to protect them. As second in command of the future King and commander of his forces, he had no choice but to help this kingdom. Even if it meant leaving his mate behind and going in the front row of battle.

“It is my duty”, he muttered lowly, averting his gaze from her hurt eyes.

Thekla knew so much and respected him for his braveness and noble actions. However, the frequent attacks and the looming danger that was threatening to take her mate away from her didn’t leave her much space to breathe. She had tried to remain calm and restrain her worries, not wanting to pressure him and worry him even further. But all the emotions she had bottled up blew up like a volcano inside of her -she could do nothing to hold them any longer.

“Don’t you want your child to meet his father?“, she whispered with tears falling from her eyes.

His yellow orbs softened at her words, completely understanding her worry for the future. Thekla wasn’t an egotistical and self-centered woman; she would never impose her wants forcefully on anybody. But right now, Thekla wasn’t just a mate worrying about his wellbeing. She was also a mother, terrified of her child growing up without a father. She had to take care of another being inside of her body and had every right to be distressed about finding herself alone with a child in the future.

“Thea...please”, she let him stand before her, “... don’t do this to me.”

He let his hand caress the side of her neck as his yellow orbs looked deep into her eyes. All the hurt, stress, and fear that were swirling into them made his heart ache.

“Don’t make me choose”, he murmured to her, letting a kiss on her forehead.

A loud sob escaped from inside of her without her permission. And then, another and one more. Her sobs were uncontrollable as they fell from her mouth, fueling more of her precious tears to escape from her pools of silver.

Osmond took hold of his crying mate, not carrying of her claws cutting his skin up as she tried to move away from him. He shushed her gently, feeling her frantic moves stop and her body giving up every fight. He let his chin rest on the crown of her dark hair as he felt her head rest upon his shoulder.

“You know I hate seeing you cry.”

His voice was thick with emotions as his eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Then, don’t make me.”

They looked at each other, recognizing the desperation and fear that they both were feeling inside of them. Osmond slammed his lips on her soft ones forcefully, feeling his whole body lightening up with delicious sparks from her touch. Thekla responded to her mate’s kiss with favor, letting her arms circle his broad shoulders as he hugged carefully her pregnant belly.

When they parted they were breathing heavily, but they refused to let their eyes wander onto anything else. Osmond let his hand touch her swollen stomach, while his yellow eyes looked with determination into her silver ones.

“I won’t let anything happen to you”, he vowed to her, “That I can promise.”

Thekla let a tearful smile brighten her face. Her small palms touched his cheeks lovingly.

“I love you, Osmond”, she whispered to him.

“I love you, my Thea”, he answered to her truthfully.

And then, the door of their room opened with a bang.

Osmond quickly put Thekla behind him, covering her body with his larger one. A vicious snarl escaped his lips as he transformed into the beast he truly was.

“General!”

A guard appeared on their doorstep, his eyes searching frantically for him. His breaths coming out in numerous small bubbles at his disheveled state.

“You need to come quickly!“, he managed to say.

Osmond tensed, having a terribly bad feeling about this.

“What is it?“, he demanded.

The soldier shook his head in denial.

“We are doomed!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 22!!

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Until next time!!