Waaah almost five hundred reads! Thank you guys so much :-) I'm happy to see people still like what I write. It means a lot to me!

Enjoy this chapter!

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Jumping Out and Burning Up

The next two hours were fun, the family first just talked and hung out a bit and then Clara brought out some altered board games. With pawns filled with water so the guys could move them from a distance. Though the dice held absolutely no water and were rolled in a bowl that they passed around, to prevent cheating I bet.

It was near midnight when the whole gathering wound down a bit. I hung with Dev on one side of the pool while Orly and Mariana were sort of snuggled together in a more dark corner. With Orly still half in the water and Mariana dried up and in clothing sitting on a pillow, Orly's head in her lap. They were talking softly together, laughing occasionally while Mariana toyed with his ears or his gills down the side of his neck. They looked entirely in love and cozy together.

At the end of the pool nearest the land tunnel entrance Matt and his dad were deep in conversation about something again to the point of almost arguing. With Clara curled on her side on a blanket, clearly dozing nearby. Thomas was holding one of her hands and never once raised his voice to prevent waking her.

Then Dev nudged my shoulder, "Come on lets go swim. This is getting boring." He didn't wait for my reply but slipped underwater and out of the cave as quiet as a shark. I didn't know if it was safe yet for me outside but I figured Dev wouldn't put me or himself at risk and it had been hours now. I slipped, slightly less quietly underwater and followed him out.

Dev had waited for me right outside and together we started out, darting through the reef, having fun chasing each other. Then Dev suddenly gave chase to a rather sleepy looking large fish that turned out much faster than it looked and I had to fight to keep up. As a result I was nearly out of breath by the time I managed to get hold of Dev's tail and he spun, dislodged me and then had me pinned into the sand at the bottom of the ocean floor in the blink of an eye.

He was grinning widely and let me up shortly after and when he did I used some powerful pushes with my fin to get me to the surface. I was gasping for air when I got up and drew in a few greedy lungfuls. I was filled with excitement, I was having so much fun.

Then everything turned upside down, quite literally. Matt surfaced like a breaching shark and landed on me heavily and the two of us went spinning to the ocean floor. I was panicked for a moment, not experienced enough to get us out of the twist or out of his grip on me. I was also feeling rather disoriented and sort of tingly throughout my body.

Matt however got us righted and then with his arm around my waist lugged me back at high speed to the Moonfell. Everything was still sort of spinning around me so I had a hard time focusing on what was happening but I thought I caught Dev swimming after me. I tried to help swimming but every time I moved my tail the tingling in my body intensified until I was starting to think something was seriously wrong with me. Instead of fighting with Matt I held on tight to him instead, feeling like his sleek skin and strong body were the only thing that helped me feel normal.

When we surfaced inside the cave Matt let go off me immediately and pushed me away with enough force that I slid through the water and hit the nearby ledge. I could barely hold on to it and keep my head above water. Matt gave me one long look, clearly spitting mad and then spun on Dev who just surfaced into the cave looking worried and a little confused.

"Are you out of your mind? Did you want her so bad you had to go and drug her to get your way?" Matt yelled and I frowned, drug me? Want me? What the hell was he talking about? But when I tried to talk my tongue felt thick in my mouth and I couldn't get a word past my lips. I felt suddenly too warm, like I was on fire.

"What are you talking about? We just went for a swim, moon's gone isn't it?" Dev shot back, clearly angry himself now. "I have no designs on your girlfriend at all, you can stop being jealous!" "The hell I'm jealous, look at her!" Matt pointed at me and Dev's eyes flashed to mine. "Shit," he muttered which lead me to conclude something bad was going on with me. Did I still get influenced by the moon? Because I was a first gen mermaid it affected me stronger they'd said, but what the effect was they hadn't said... It certainly didn't feel good.

"That was not my intention Matt, you know I wouldn't do that to a girl!" Dev was now sounding extremely defensive. "Oh yeah? Then why did you feel the need to swim off with her when the moons barely gone down enough for you yourself not to be affected by it? Did you also forget that she's got no goddamned gills and needs to get air every fifteen minutes? Or did you figure you could ease her burning should it happen?"

"Matt!" Dev growled out, "I have no interest in her that way! I forgot okay?" "How can you forget! How can you not want her! Look at her!" Matt shouted and waved at me again. Dev's eyes went back to me and slid over my body and then he squared his shoulders and looked his older brother straight in the eye. "I don't want her because I got a boyfriend, I'm gay. Got it? I don't like girls that way. I forgot and I shouldn't have, I put her at risk but I had no intentions other than to go for a swim. Satisfied now?"

Matt visibly deflated at Dev's explanation and groaned, rubbing his hands over his face before looking at me again. "Shit man, I'm sorry, I just got worried," he said to his brother at last. "Mitch?" he asked then and when Dev bit his lip and nodded, turning a little red in the face, Matt suddenly started grinning. "Well I guess you should invite him for a swim then huh?"

I was still feeling really uncomfortable, hot and tingly and it focused on my breasts and the spot that I'd have called between my legs, if I'd had legs. It was like I was kind of horny except it hurt to feel that way and it made no sense at all.

Still Dev's revelation hadn't been a big surprise to me and now that the two brothers had stopped arguing I realized that Orly and Mariana were still in the cave. The picnic stuff however was gone and so were the McLaren parents. Mariana was staring at me with a worried frown on her face while Orly was staring at Dev with a speculative look on his. As if he was trying to readjust his image of his little brother now that the guy had jumped out of the closet.

"You mean that Matt? You think I can tell Mitch what I am?" Dev asked and then looked at Orly, "Is dad going to be okay with that? He already knows somethings up, he's so smart he's noticed but he hasn't asked and I know he'll keep our secret!" Orly shrugged and nodded, "Sure squirt, we've known Mitch since forever, we can trust him." The oldest McLaren brother paused a moment and tilted his head, "I'm glad you're with Mitch, he's a good kid."

For a moment everything seemed to have calmed down and devolved in some kind of sappy happy moment. With Matt and Orly reaching out to each hug Dev and tell him that it didn't matter one way or another what kind of person he wanted to bring home, he'd be their kid brother regardless. Then a wave of heat traveled up my body and I couldn't stop a groan from slipping from between my lips.

Immediately Matt focused on me, coming over and settling on the ledge he'd dumped me on and then without comment pulling me into his arms. "Sssh, you silly girl, see what you got yourself into this time?" he murmured but he sounded really gentle and concerned. The feeling of his body pressing against mine, his arms wrapped tightly around me eased some of the heat rolling through me. Enough for me to lift my head and look him in the eye, "What's happening Matt? Why am I still affected? What's going on with me?"

He hushed me again and tucked my head under his chin, "It's the mating heat. The full moon brings it out in us. Makes us a little crazy if you get a full dose, you only got a little bit of the after effect so you should just feel really hot and flushed. Nothing to do but ride it out."

"Or to relief it," added Mariana with a grin directed at Orly. "Or to relief it," Matt echoed, "But that's not an option." "It's not?" I croaked, feeling another heatwave roll through me that had me arch my back, pressing me closer against Matt's strong body. His tail had somehow gotten half wrapped around mine, pinning me to him but it still didn't feel like I was close enough. I wanted to rub myself against him, wanted him to rub against me and the thought was so unlike my own that I froze which made the next heatwave extremely painful.

When I let out a pained moan Matt cursed, "Shit. No it's not damn it. I'm sorry darling, you'll hate me in the morning if I help you now." Because he was holding me so tight we weren't anchored to the ledge and slowly floated to the center of the moon pool, him on his back, me somehow draped across him while he kept us afloat.

"We should get her to a bed, let her sleep it off," Orly suggested. "I'm fairly certain enough time has passed for all of us to safely travel. Mom and Dad are staying at the lodge on the island. If we get her into the boat she doesn't have to swim and we can get her to your place yeah?" "No, I'll carry her home, she'll need the physical contact and the water will cool her down too," Matt answered but I was having trouble following exactly what they meant.

The trip back to the coast was a blur. I know that Matt held me on his back, my arms slung around his neck which he held onto so I couldn't drift off if I forgot to hold on myself. He'd occasionally surface to let me breathe but otherwise swam at breakneck speed. Dev and Orly flanking us.

There was a moment where I was dragged up a beach, unable to assist and so hot that I was murmuring over and over that I was on fire. Though no one seemed to care about that and willing to put out the flames. Then I was suddenly without a tail but half naked on my own two legs, kneeling in the sand and Mariana was hurriedly tying my wrap around my middle. That was an awful part because I was all alone, Mariana's hands on my skin hurt really bad.

Then Matt had me in his arms and then in his car, the ride was a blur and I only realized where I was by the time Matt and Mariana were dragging me up the stairs in the back of the Stonefish. There was the impression of a messy bedroom and then they had me lying down on a bed with slightly rumpled sheets. I immediately rolled onto my side and curled my body around my belly, "Burns. It hurts."

"I know darling," Matt said while he sat down next to me and ran his hands over my back. That felt good so I arched into the sensation like a cat. I wanted him to touch me all over, everywhere but especially in the places I burned. When I rolled towards him and made a grab for his pants he slid away and paced around the bed, out of reach. "Shit, I can't stay. I'm not a fucking saint Mari..."

"You better get lost then Matt, tell Orly I'm staying with her," a female voice said but I had no name to the face or the voice. There was the sound of a door slamming and then a moment later somebody lay a cool cloth on my forehead. It helped some but not enough, I wanted Matt to come back here and make me feel better.

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Woah, was that intense or what? I did promise didn't I? :-)

Did you guys like it? I'd really love your feedback.

Much love,

Robin