I had to think of Dev with the pic above ^.^

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Visitors

The next morning I was woken up by my phone ringing in combination with the doorbell ringing loudly. Fumbling for my phone I answered with a growled "What!" without checking caller ID. It was Dev and he told me he was at the gate and I needed to let him in because he had some important news.

He sounded rather anxious so I kicked myself into gear slipping on a robe so I could go downstairs and buzz him in. Then I went back upstairs and did a quick, awkward wash up balanced half on the bath edge after which I dressed in the first shorts and shirt I could get my hands on.

Downstairs Dev had run the coffee and pulled out the breakfast stuff, by now already well at home at my house. "Sit down," he gestured while he placed a toasted and buttered bagel down in front of me and poured us both some coffee. I did as he told, my hip was still a little stiff but I figured a good swim later today would take care of that issue.

"What's going on Dev?" I asked around a mouth full of bagel and my friend sighed. "Well here's the thing. My ancestor wasn't the only one changed, it was like four of them, best friends... So there's four families with the fish gene that we know off plus you now." Okay, I frowned not expecting the sudden history lesson on mermen.

"Well, uh we're the only ones living near Sharkfell where it all started but the others visit from time to time. Which is why there's the guest house on the island you know?" I could guess where this was headed, we had visitors incoming but I didn't understand why that was such a huge emergency that I had to be woken up at eight on a Saturday morning.

Dev continued at an even more subdued tone of voice, "It's uhm proven that for some reason our families only seem to get sons. So uh it's kind of extremely rare to see a female mermaid." I felt a chill go down my spine, guessing where this was going and not liking it one bit.

"Are you saying we're going to have those other families come here just so they can stare at me?" I heard how high pitched my own voice was, tight with a kind of fear I couldn't explain. I didn't want to have other men stare at me, I didn't want all this male interest just because I was the only one who could grow a tail like them. Shit wasn't this part of why I thought Matt and I wouldn't work and now Dev was saying a whole horde of them was about to descend on me?

"I'm sorry Dani, they're already here..." Dev said a little helplessly. "That's why I came here to tell you. We didn't know they were coming, it's only one family, the Corenths but that's six men with tails more than you're used to. They're the roughest bunch of us too, so it's better if you don't run into them on your own."

No it certainly didn't sound like fun to run into six unknown men with a hard on for me. I could already imagine how that would go over, running away from five girls intend on beating you up was one thing. Being cornered by six grown men... I wouldn't stand a chance if they got it in their heads they wanted to do more than talk.

"Alright I'll stay inside today, they don't know where I live right?" at my question Dev slumped in his chair a bit more. "No they shouldn't. They're not all that bad though. I used to go swimming in the summers when they'd visit with the youngest all the time. That's George, he's cool."

He spend a few minutes describing the Corenths for me at my request. Apparently one was in his eighties and didn't go for long swims anymore. Then there was two brothers around the same age as Dev's dad of which one had had three sons. The three guys were all closer in age than Orly, Matt and Dev were so they were between eighteen and twenty two. The oldest was called Gavin, then there was Clay and the youngest George.

They had a sailboat they lived on most of the time that they traveled with and Dev wasn't entirely certain what they did for a living. Probably also something that required diving and swimming because really that's what they were good at.

Unlike with the McLarens, who had Clara and Mariana in the family to balance out the males. The Corenths had no females, apparently the mother to the three latest additions to the family had passed away shortly after George was born. She had also been a rare mermaid and Dev said that she'd been a third generation mermaid from one of the other two changed families.

We'd passed maybe an hour together hanging out in my backyard and just talking when Dev got a call on his phone. When he hung up he looked a little worried, "That was my dad. Apparently they're planning a swim for this afternoon with a picnic dinner on the island. We both have to attend."

I wanted to say that I didn't have to attend anything if I didn't feel like it but I figured that this meeting was all about me anyway. Those guys had come here to see me and they wouldn't leave until they had. If I didn't attend, maybe they'd come look me up on their own and I didn't want that. Better I meet them while all the McLarens were present too.

Orly picked Dev and me up around three that afternoon and drove us to the McLaren house from which we'd take our swim. I could tell that the oldest McLaren son was as troubled as Dev was and he warned me twice to stick close to one of them just to be sure. When I asked if he thought they'd force their attentions on me if I ended up alone with one he raised a shoulder, "I don't want to believe that of them but the truth is we haven't seen them in several years. I don't know."

Not exactly confidence inspiring and I felt my chest tighten with worry even more. An anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. As if I didn't have enough on my plate dealing with Matt and his dickish behavior last night or my dad's total avoidance of me.

At the house I saw two unfamiliar cars parked in the drive and Matt's rusty old truck. Of course he'd be there and I wondered if I felt better or worse knowing he was, so far he'd always made me feel safe and cared for. Now that he'd been gone two weeks and our only exchanges had been curt and short since that last time he'd dropped me off... No I was lying to myself if I denied wanting him there, even if he didn't like me anymore, he'd still watch out for me. Though it hurt to think that he'd watch over me out of obligation, not because he cared.

Like last time when we gathered here for the full moon gathering, we just went around the house to the back yard. I could immediately see a whole group of unfamiliar men standing or sitting around, Mariana and Clara walking back and forth to supply them with drinks. Matt was standing to the side, arms crossed over his chest, wearing only swimming trunks. He was cutting a intimidating figure with his impressive frown and dark tattoos. While Thomas McLaren looked calm but firm where he sat on a chair in between an old man and a man similar in age to him.

Matt was the first to notice our approach, his eyes sliding to me and going tight in the corners, his lips pinching into a thin line. I thought though that this time he looked more worried than angry per say at me. He even gave me a respectful nod, certainly an improvement over last night.

Then conversation halted and everyone present focused their eyes on me. One of the two middle-aged newcomers stood up from his seat next to the McLaren Patriarch. He was tall, as swimmer fit as every single one of them was, courtesy of the fish gene I bet, or maybe just the fact that they all swam so much. With sandy blonde hair and wide smile he seemed like a nice person until you noticed the calculating glint in his blue eyes.

"Is this her? The white whale for us mermen?" he said while gesturing at me. Orly and Dev who'd been flanking me had dispersed but I noticed that Matt had somehow moved closer and was standing sort of half in front of me.

Sticking up my hand I waved, "Yup, that's me, since about a month I grow a tail on hitting the water. Nice to meet you, name's Dani." Though I didn't really want anything to do with them I figured I'd better get the introduction part over and done with.

The man pointed at himself, "Dave Corenth, that's my brother Josh and our pa, Clayton. Then there's my three boys, Gavin, Clay and George." Dave pointed at each guy in turn and I nodded and waved at each of them. Noting how especially the three guys close to me in age were staring very intently. They were all the spitting image of their dad, blonde and blue eyed though the middle one, Clay was by far the biggest and most muscled guy.

"You seeing anyone Dani?" asked the oldest of the Corenth's, Clayton. He was more gray than blonde but relatively unwrinkled and still in good shape and spry looking, I'd have given him sixty sooner than eighty. He had shrewd eyes he settled on my face, as blue as the rest of the family and maybe the sharpest of them all.

Matt chose that moment to shift a little more in front of my body and that influenced the way I answered the question. Had he not done that, or not been present at all I probably would have fudged the truth and made it seem like I was sort of in a relationship. I could tell from the tension rolling off all the other McLaren's that they'd prefer it if I lied.

Because Matt was right there and shifting closer and closer to me, as if making a claim on me in front of the others I found myself shrugging. "Not currently." I regretted the cavalier answer immediately when I noticed the excited gleam in especially Dave's eyes and the way he shared a look with his eldest son Gavin.

I didn't mean to but I drifted a little closer to Matt myself and raised my voice a little to add, "Not officially at least." But I was completely ignored by everyone except Matt who cast me an angry side long look as if to say: you brought this on yourself. "The hell I did," I told him in an angry whisper, "You've been gone two whole weeks. Then acted like an ass, I'm not pretending to be yours."

His thick black brows lowered dangerously, "Damn it Dani." He hissed at me in a low whisper, "Those guys don't play around. If it's up to them they'll drag you to their boat and you'll be barefoot and pregnant the rest of your life. You don't want their interest." I was certain he was exaggerating but still felt a cold shiver go down my spine, they did seem to have a rather odd reaction to me. I couldn't let it slide though that Matt was implying I might want their attention. "I don't want anyone's attention. I'm pretty sick and tired of the males in my life right now." And with males in my life I was definitely talking about him and my dad.

"Fine, I read you," Matt shot back, "Just stick close to me in the water okay? For your safety." I wasn't stupid enough not to do that, I didn't want to give those Corenth's any chance at me at all. "I swear I'll do my best to stay close to you." I eyed the knife he had strapped to his left upper arm, the handle pointing down for easy access. Dev often swam with a similar knife and he said it was to help cut rope or plastic or netting should he get stuck or notice an animal in distress. The way Matt was wearing it now made me think he was entirely willing to use it on one of the Corenth's if necessary.

"I'll get you a diving knife as soon as I can darling, I wish I could give you mine but the sheath will never stay on your arm..." Matt said softly, suddenly sounding rather gentle and worried. "Maybe Mariana has hers with her, I'll ask." Wow he really didn't trust those guys if he actually wanted to arm me with a knife. "It's okay Matt, I wouldn't know how to use it anyway..."

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So what do you guys think about Matt's behavior? Dani being an idiot for not pretending to be his girl?

Next update on Friday! :-) I hope you vote and comment if you liked it. Follow if you want to be reminded when I update!

Much love,

Robin