On Board

Mariana POV

I didn't know that a human can go that pale in an instant. Logan looks thoroughly afraid of what I said. Yeah, I take it it's not easy to hear that you might just be able to change shape all of a sudden. I didn't exactly know how to tell him, so I opted for 'saying it out loud', because I had no idea how to break it to him. I can't just go like 'Surprise! You can also turn into a fish!' Last time I did something like that, I ended up hurt and alone.

Logan is still holding on to me, for dear life if I take in account how tight he's holding me. "What do you mean my 'first shifting'? He asks me again. I sigh loudly, already feeling defeated. " This is going to be a really, really long explanation. We have to go back to shore for this." I tell him. He nods his head, unable to say anything. Ryan is still in the cabinet he climbed into. I'm surprised he can even fit into someting so tiny. Why he didn't just go inside the cabin with the sleeping pirate, boggles my brain. I guess he's a little on the odd side of life too.

Logan lets me go and I walk towards the cabinet and knock on it three times. I have to jump back not to get hit by the door when it swings open faster then I can say a 'knock knock' joke. Ryan's head pops out and his eyes wonder around until they land on me. "Is it over?" He asks. I tilt my head to the side, "Is what over?" He blows out a puff of breath in relief. "I assumed you might want to kill my best friend for the stunt he pulled."

I just shrug my shoulders in response. "As far as I can remember, you both took a step back, including Carlo." I say and turn on my heels and walk away. Let him think about that for a moment. I hear him rush out of his hiding spot and walk up to me. "Yeah, I did do that and I'm sincerely sorry about it. We could have reacted better. Or at least try to understand." He says. It's thoughtful of him to apologise, but he and the others have nothing to apologise for, I brought that whole scenario upon myself.

Logan goes to wake up the pirate, he knocks on the window and the man jerks awake. He's startled for a minute and when he notices me his eyes buldges out of his head. "Where the heck did she come from?!" He yells. "Passing boat. Dropped her off here. She's a friend of ours." Logan tells the man, but I didn't miss the lie he told. 'A friend' he said. He hasn't accepted the bond yet. Well...it is best not to rush anything but I'll keep my hopes up that I can win his heart over, in time.

"We have to go back to shore. The search is over." Logan tells the pirate. He turns around, not looking at me and walks to the front of the boat, manning the sails. I lower my head, feeling a little dejected. A big shadow looms over me and when I look up, I see Ryan staring down at me. He lifts his huge hand, that can easily pass for a baseball glove, and cups my face. "He'll come around, he just needs time to adjust. It won't be long, though. The way he worried about you is definitly a sign that he cares, besides he is a little bipolar, his mood is like the ocean." Ryan whispers the last part to me, almost emphasizing how much we are meant to be together.

The boat finally roars to life and we head back to shore. South side, where we had the party, where the shit hit the fan. Oh, gods below, I'm starting to talk like these surface people. They have foul mouths and so does my sister, Miley. I miss her, so much, and I might never see her again. Not to mention that Neptune said Mary was missing. I might never see any of them again. My father, mother, my four sisters and my adorable little Hillgriff, Billy 'Blue' Gordon, or just 'Blue' for short. He's a type of octopus, one that has been around even before Neptune, the time of his father, Poseidon. How a Greek god and a Roman princess were meant to be together has my mind reeling. But, that is a story for another day.

Right now, I'm focusing on the most important part of my life, Logan. I walk to the side of the boat, where I threw him onto from the ocean, I feel bad about that too, he didn't deserve such behaviour. I turn my head in his direction. Ryan has taken a spot next to him, talking softly about whatever it is they talk about, and in this moment, I would give anything to be in Ryan's spot. Sadness overwhelms me and the ocean reacts to it, jerking the little sailboat from side to side. Both of them turn to look at me and I shyly hide my face behind my hair. I hope I would have some nerves left once we reach the shore. I'm not looking forward to this conversation, at all.

Explaining to a human that because they are mates with a mermaid means that they too would be able to shift after the first encounter, would be really hard for them to understand. We did meet twice but only the second time did we come in contact with each other. That is the first step to sealing the bond. First to recognize each other, than the sight, then the shifting and then...the part which makes me really nervous, the mating. The human counterpart is the one who ignites the want, the want to seal the bond with intimacy. Just thinking about it has my face light up and yet again, causes the ocean to rock the boat side to side. Sometimes I really hate my power...

I honestly can't wait to be with my mate for the rest of our lives, hell, when I didn't meet my mate at the ceremony I was so heartbroken I didn't speak to anyone for months. Now I finally found him and we aren't even talking. But it's also bullshit, I can't be the only one making an effort, relationships are a two way street, everyone should be giving and receiving.

Arg, I cannot be mad at him. I don't know him or his struggles, his past, any of it. He just found out about mermaids for goodness sake. Telling him that we are already in the process of making it official would only freak him out more. I think. I don't know. Logan is new territory for me, plus like Ryan said, Logan is a little bit different, bipolar. I have to find out what that means. It doesn't sound good to me. Like he has a bunch of man mood swings. I take my chance to sneak a glance at Logan, only to be met with his eyes and oh boy, he's coming this way.

I feel like a nervous wreck right now. What do I do? What do I say? I'm kinda awkward in situations that put me in the limelight. Logan stops right next to me and I can feel the heat coming from his very sexy body. I shake my head, nope, this is progressing too fast. I can tell that he feels the same. We already share a mind so it is inevitable that we'll start sharing feelings. His hormonal level is skyrocketing and then it comes down, it's like a seesaw, up and down. He doesn't know what to make of himself and neither do I!

"Is it normal to feel each other's feelings?" He asks and I swear his voice makes my knees weak. If I haven't been holding on to the rail, I would have collapsed. "Um...", I try clearing my throat, and not to sound like an orca and take a deep breath. This man affects me so damn much, it's unbelievable. We haven't even been acquainted for a week! "Yeah, it's normal. But...it will get worse up until a point where..." I can't bring myself to finish that sentence.

He leans his body lower, bringing his head closer to mine. He is definitely reacting to the bond and he can't for the life of him control himself. It is like he doesn't even want to. "A point where...what? What would happen? Would I...urgh...would I want to...be with you..." Aaa! He can't even say it! Let's face it, we're a lost cause...

"Okay, I'm just gonna spit it out and put it out there for the both of us...cause I can't take it anymore. Will we be mating as people or as fish?" He says in a hurry. Oh...my...ANCESTOR! Why! This whole thing is too much, so I opt for doing the only thing I know when things get too much for me. BAIL! My mind can't unhear what it did. He asked it, straight to the point. I hurriedly leave his side and speed walk into the cabin with the pirate. My emotions are causing big waves on the ocean, I need to calm down. That's it! I have just lost all the nerves I had left. And...we haven't even reached the shore. My head falls on my knees and I let out a pitiful groan.

I'm so not looking forward to this...