"Dad?" Rowan said with his fingers through the letterbox, so he could see into the hallway. "Dad!" he yelled louder, pressing his mouth to the metal. "We can talk like this. You don't have to open the door!"

Rowan peered back into the hallway. He watched the entrance to the kitchen, wondering if his dad was in the garden and couldn't hear him. A face popped around the kitchen door, and his dad stared at his son with his fingers shoved through the letterbox.

"Dad!" Rowan yelled before he disappeared.

"Rowan, you can't be here!" Michael hissed stepping into view a little more. His jeans were already covered in mud from the garden.

"I have questions you need to answer. I'm not talking over the phone again."

"Alright," Michael agreed. "Is your... soulmate with you?"

"No," Rowan frowned. The word soulmate made him shiver. "He went to the sea until I'm back."

Michael tilted his head and crossed his arms. "Are you still working on removing the bond?" he asked and his son's eyes pointed away.

"No. We don't think there is a way now."

"Oh." Michael looked disappointed. As long as his son was bonded with a Thalassic Mortal, they couldn't be near each other. "So, you're accepting the bond?"

"Dad," Rowan sighed. "I don't know what we're doing. I'm here to ask questions."

Michael nodded and edged more into the hallway.

* * * * *

Kaerius was circling the shallow water. Rowan said he would be a few hours. Kaerius had watched the sun and judging by how much it moved, Rowan should be back soon.

Kaerius dipped under the water, swam to the bottom, then back again to check if he could see the human walking along the sand. The beach was bustling. Kaerius' eyes looked for a tanned and tall teenager with blond hair. Rowan usually walked along the beach with his t-shirt off and flip flops in his hands. Rowan was built big, but his muscles were not as defined as Kaerius. Rowan didn't spend his days swimming and only eating fish.

When Kaerius couldn't see him, his angry gaze turned to the kids playing on the rocks. Usually, the rocks where Rowan and Kaerius met were empty. Today a group of five kids jumped into the rough water when waves crashed against the rocks. A lot of them had skid burns from getting dragged across the rough surface, but it didn't stop them from doing it again.

"Stupid humans," Kaerius mumbled. He rippled the water with his tail before diving under a wave. If he didn't have Rowan to wait for, he would go hunting for a bigger surf.

Kaerius only had to wait ten more minutes before he saw Rowan sprinting across the sand. He knew it was him because he could feel him. It was like Rowan's soul was already inside of him, shaking and pulsing when he was near.

The Thalassic Mortal flicked his tail with excitement when Rowan approached the rocks. The waves crashed against them, so Rowan approached with care. When he opened his mouth to speak, Kaerius thought, "Don't. small humans will hear you."

Rowan climbed around the rocks to where he usually sat. A group of kids, maybe 10 years old, were jumping into the waves.

"Rowan!" a boy said excitedly.

"Hey," Rowan smiled, knowing most of the kids from the surfing club. "It's a bit rough out here to be on the rocks."

"Well, what are you doing here then?" the boy asked, holding onto Rowan when a big wave pushed their backs into the rocks.

"I'm going swimming."

Kaerius watched Rowan climb higher and place his flip flops and t-shirt away from where the waves could reach.

"Careful Rowan," another kid said, trying to jump over a wave. "There are ugly sea creatures in there!"

Rowan glanced at Kaerius, and he had to stifle a laugh. "Yep," he said. "They're hideous. I've seen one. He's called Kaerius, and he'll eat you all for lunch if you don't leave the rocks soon."

"What!" the kids cried, gripping one another in fear.

"It's almost his lunchtime. You better go back to your parents!" Rowan said with a devilish grin. He stared at Kaerius who drifted in the ocean looking very, very offended.

The kids all scrambled back over the rocks. Most were laughing, knowing that Rowan was joking, but they joined in with his game. If only they knew there was a real sea creature only metres away. Though Kaerius would never harm a human for no reason. The most he could boast about was punching a basking shark who sneaked up behind him. Even then, the sea creature wasn't in any real danger.

Kaerius glared at Rowan. His thick black brows pointed harshly into his darkened eyes.

Rowan didn't let any words fall between them. He timed the waves perfectly and jumped into the water, landing right next to Kaerius. When his head surfaced, he shook the water from his ears and shouted, "It's cold! Let's go to shroud island. We can talk about what my dad said!"

"You can't swim all the way there," Kaerius thought. "It's miles away!"

"Then take me there. I'll hold my breath." Rowan pushed his blond hair from his eyes and swam to Kaerius. He wrapped arms around his shoulders. The warmth grew instantly. Whenever they were close, the outside world muffled. Suddenly, Rowan wasn't so cold anymore, and the waves weren't so loud.

"How long can you hold your breath?" Kaerius thought. His hands touched Rowan's lower back.

"About a minute."

"Okay," Kaerius said and pulled him closer quick enough for their chins to touch. "Hold breath."

Rowan concentrated and after a few deep breaths, he inhaled as much as he could, filling his lungs almost to the max. He pressed his face into Kaerius's shoulder, moments before they disappeared under the water.

Rowan closed his eyes and clung tight. Thalassic Mortals could move as fast as bullets in water. He felt the water streaming over him like he was standing under a waterfall. Kaerius's tail was strong enough for them to travel unnaturally fast. This time, Rowan wasn't laced with poison, and he could enjoy the ride, and trust Kaerius enough to take him to shroud island.

It felt oddly normal to be swimming that way with a Thalassic Mortal. Rowan enjoyed the thrill and tried not to think about the night that almost ruined everything.

Rowan was almost ready for air when they reached the small island. Kaerius surfaced a few metres away, to avoid getting smashed into the island by the strong waves.

"Okay?" Kaerius asked.

"Yeah," Rowan breathed, gasping at the air. The cold didn't make it easy.

Kaerius had flashbacks of the night he and Rowan met. He felt guilty about the way he treated him, but he thought Rowan was a hunter, just like the rest of the humans on the boat.

Rowan climbed up the side of the island, but Kaerius couldn't get up high with his tail. "Oh, here, let me help," Rowan said, sliding back down the seaweed and putting his hands under Kaerius's armpits. He dragged the sea creature onto the island and away from the waves.

Kaerius's cheeks were a little pink when Rowan sat next to him. "Rowan," Kaerius said, shifting on the seaweed until he was comfortable. "I not ugly."

Rowan chuckled. "I know you're not. I was joking."

"Kaerius pretty."

"You are," Rowan smiled, and Kaerius's cheeks only deepened in shade.

"What dad said?" Kaerius asked. He saw the way Rowan looked at him. His bright green eyes glinted with something that shuddered the sea creature's fins.

"Well, I voice recorded everything." Rowan unzipped his shorts pocket and pulled out a small, thin, white device with buttons down one side. "It's my mums, so it's waterproof. I would have taken you with me if my dad didn't claim that Thalassic Mortals are so dangerous for him to be around."

Kaerius tapped the white device. "That records voices?" he thought. "How?" Technology only existed in Kaerius's dreams when he was underwater.

"I don't really know how to explain how it works. I'll just play it so you can listen to our conversation," Rowan said, holding the voice recorder between their ears. Rowan clicked the button, and his voice was loud enough to be heard over the waves.

'Dad, tell me why you're not allowed near Thalassic Mortals?' Rowan's voice boomed from the speaker.

'I've been cursed by the sea goddess herself. I know that sounds ridiculous, but you asked, so I'm telling you.'

'Um... okay. Why?'

'Because I broke up with her estranged daughter.'

Rowan and Kaerius looked at each other. Their heads leaned closer to listen.

'Wait the sea Goddess' daughter? Is this before or after you broke up with mum? Did you cheat on mum? Are you telling the truth? This sounds like you're not.' Rowan's voice sounded confused, even over the voice recorder.

'Um... Rowan, I don't think-

'Tell me!'

'Because-' Michael stalled, and the boys were reminded that they were sitting on the island when the seagulls screeched above them. 'I'm talking about your mother. She's the estranged daughter of the sea goddess.'

Rowan lowered the voice recorder. Kaerius was staring at him in utter disbelief. He looked like he was struggling to understand. "I know my dad's lying, which is why I turned this off and came back to see you. There's no way my mother is the daughter of the sea Goddess. Like, has he met mum? She mainly hunts Thalassic Mortals for a living. Why would the daughter of a Goddess be living in England as a human? It makes... no... sense."

Kaerius continued to stare. He could feel Rowan's stress. "That doesn't make any sense, but why would he lie to you?"

"He wouldn't." Rowan pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his knees. "I thought he wouldn't, but this just sounds insane. How can he expect me to believe it?"

"He did say you had Royal Thalassic mortal blood in you. I'm annoyed that it's not me, but I don't have Royals in the family. I thought I had done something bad to be paired to a human. Maybe the curse has come from your side, and I'm just dragged into it. I don't know," Kaerius thought.

"This isn't a curse," Rowan said, connecting his eyes with those beautiful purple ones who always looked back with equal curiosity. "We have to stop thinking like that if we're going to be together forever. I don't know what's happening, but I'm not alone in this. I quite like the thought of never being alone again."

Kaerius didn't break the eye contact. He saw the trust. It might have only been a few stitches holding together the world, but it was a start. "Okay, so maybe neither of us have done anything wrong, and this is purely fate because you have Royal sea creature blood in you, and this is what happens to Royals, they find love for the rest of their lives. But what have I done to deserve the love?"

Rowan shrugged. "I guess that's not such a bad thing." Rowan had already started to think rationally about his situation. He could still go to university, but he could no longer travel far from the ocean unless Kaerius were with him, and they always had to have access to saltwater. It wasn't ideal for a human to live that way, but Kaerius's life was changing too. They were in this together now with no option of turning back.

"I guess not," Kaerius thought. "It could be worse. I could've been paired with that gross omega wolf."

Rowan nudged him. "Hey, that thing was incredible. The way it totally deformed from a human was something my eyes can't unsee, but it in a good way, you know?"

Kaerius shook his head. "You're very... I don't know. You're different from any human I've ever met."

"Well, you're basically the only Thalassic Mortal I've properly met. You're moody and very judgemental, and you make some horrible choices, but you're not that bad. I feel your guilt every time you look at me. I know you regret what you planned to do. I know you're sorry. Sometimes, it takes real guts to admit you're wrong. You're trying to make it up to me by trying to deal with this bond. I do appreciate that."

Kaerius shuffled a little closer. Rowan's voice soothed him. "I'm tired of trying to fight it. Jaiker's right. I am lucky to have a soulmate bond. My uncle has loved so many sea creatures and has always ended up broken-hearted. At least I'm guaranteed to never feel that. Laiken says a broken heart is worse than breaking a bone. Healing it isn't as simple, and it could take years to feel better, and even then, you're not guaranteed a full recovery."

Rowan stared at his perfect skin. He had felt a spot forming on his chin and caught Kaerius looking at it this morning. "It's nice to be able to talk to you like this."

Kaerius nodded. "I agree," he said out loud, and it was more pleasing for Rowan to hear his deep voice out in the open.

"Can we sit here for a few hours more? It's easier to think."

Kaerius nodded again. Rowan was at his calmest when surrounded by water. There was something special about him. It wasn't so hard to believe that Rowan was a sovereign of the sea, whatever that meant. Rowan had his own bond with the ocean, one that only Thalassic Mortal's had. The ocean respected him. Kaerius felt it.