The Merman Rebel's Forbidden Mate

Anya Reyes

On my twenty-first birthday, I ran headfirst into the man who would change everything.

_ _

It was just the second week of Uni, and I was already late for the third time.

Professor Martinez was probably ready to gut me alive in front of the whole class. So, I flew down the east hall as fast as I could. I turned a corner and then...

BAM.

I collided with something.

It was like hitting a wall, except the wall was warm and wearing a black hoodie. The air rushed out of me, and I staggered back, ankle catching on the sidewalk. My tote bag swung around, and a storm of loose papers burst free. I dropped down to grab my research papers before they could turn into a soggy mess. My jeans soaked instantly from the puddle.

“Can you at least watch where you're going?” I exclaimed with all the rudeness I could muster.

There was no response, though.

I looked up, ready to give whoever it was I had bumped into a glare that could melt steel, and then stopped when I saw who it was.

Kaelen Blackwater.

The ridiculously handsome transferee and the new captain of the swim team. Tall, broad-shouldered, dark hair messy like he didn’t care, and a jawline sharp enough to cut glass. His eyes met mine, and for a second, I forgot to inhale. His big cerulean eyes locked into mine as though he could see straight into my soul.

And in that look, there was something almost like longing. Or maybe I imagined it, because right alongside it was pure indifference. The kind of cold detachment that said he could walk away right now without a second thought.

Which he did.

I stared at his back as he vanished into the crowd. “You’re welcome!” I shouted, scooping up the last of my papers.

My knees were wet, and my pulse was still too fast from the collision. Somewhere behind me, the clock tower chimed the hour.

Sh!t. I'm definitely late now.

Happy birthday to me.

By the time I reached the lecture hall, the professor had already started. I pushed the door open quietly, but the hinges squealed loudly. Every head turned to me, and the professor stopped mid-sentence.

“Miss Reyes,” he said. “Nice of you to join us.”

“Sorry, sir,” I mumbled, keeping my eyes on the floor as I hurried to my seat.

“This is the third time this month,” he said. “If your mornings are so… eventful, perhaps you’d like to explain them to the class.”

My face burned. “No, sir.”

“Then sit down and keep it from happening again.”

I slid into the empty seat next to Ethan, who was already raising an eyebrow like he’d been waiting for this story.

“You look like you ran a marathon,” he whispered.

“Almost,” I muttered, pulling my damp papers from my bag and smoothing them.

“What happened?”

I hesitated. “I collided with someone. Or more like… bounced off him. He just stood there, watched me scramble, didn’t say a word, then walked away.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened for a second. “Sounds like a great guy.”

“Yeah,” I said with a smirk. “Real gentleman.”

When class finally ended, I joined the line to hand in my assignment. I dropped them on the stack and went on my way.

Ethan was waiting at the door. “Do you want to have lunch?”

“Absolutely.”

We took a table by the window at the café. I got pasta; Ethan got a sandwich. No one knew it was my birthday, except maybe my mom. I didn’t care as I was not a party person, but still, I hoped the day would be decent.

For a bit, it was. Ethan just existed beside me. With him, there was no pressure and expectations. He didn’t try to fix things or force a smile when I wasn’t feeling it. He was the closest thing I had to a safe place on campus, and I was grateful for that.

After lunch, we split at the courtyard. Ethan waved goodbye as I dragged my feet to the salt pool for my last period today. Swimming.

I hated swimming, particularly the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I looked more like I was drowning.

The salt pool was exactly what it sounded like. It was a section of ocean enclosed by concrete, complete with ladders, lane dividers, and a tiled floor, but it was filled with real seawater as it was connected to the ocean.

By the time I arrived, the class was already gathered. The swim team was there too, in their own section on the far side.

And of course, the captain of their team, Kaelen.

He leaned against the pool wall, water slicking back his hair, talking to a teammate. Then his gaze slid across the pool and landed on me. He gave me that same intense and focused look. Like I was a puzzle he didn’t want to solve but couldn’t stop staring at.

I turned my head, pretending to study the floor tiles. Nope. I won't give him the satisfaction.

“Alright, everyone,” the instructor called. “Warm up with two laps.”

The next hour was a blur of splashing, gasping, and regretting life choices. Salt water stung my eyes, my arms burned, and my legs were jelly. Meanwhile, the swim team moved like they were born in the water.

When the whistle finally blew, I was halfway out of the pool. Most classmates were gone by the time I reached the changing area. I was about to step onto the walkway to the lockers when the wind picked up.

The sky darkened fast, and a low rumble rolled over the water. I glanced toward the open ocean, and my stomach dropped.

My eyes widened at what I saw. The waves were bigger. Much bigger.

The first wave slammed into the pool wall, sending spray into the air. I stumbled back on the wet tile. Another one hit, stronger, spilling over the wall and rushing across the deck.

“Oh, god!” I shouted, but my voice was swallowed by the roar.

The third wave crashed over the pool entirely. Cold slammed into me, knocking me off my feet, dragging me toward the open side where the tiled edge met the ocean. My hands clawed for something, but the current was too strong.

Salt water surged into my mouth, stinging my throat, choking me before I could even scream. My nose burned, my ears filled with water. My arms and legs felt like they were made of stone as the ocean yanked me down into its cold, black gut.

Seriously? Dying on my twenty-first birthday?

I kicked and fought against the weight dragging me under, but every movement was weaker than the last. My lungs screamed, my vision fractured into dizzy bursts of light. The surface was gone, just endless darkness spinning around me, and I was sure that I was going to die.

And then, out of nowhere, strong hands reached for me. They clamped around my waist, pulling me tight against a body that moved with terrifying speed, slicing through the current like it wasn’t even there.

Who are you? I wanted to ask, but couldn't.

The grip tightened, dragging me upward, and for a heartbeat, I thought I saw one massive fish tail slicing through the water just before my vision went dark.