Return to the Deep: Mountain Mermaids: Sapphire Lake, #3

By P. Jameson

Huran found his mate, his cursebreaker, his beloved, long ago. His happily-ever-after should be in the bag. But he's been keeping a secret from her: the curse that turned him into a finned wonder was never completely broken. Magical kisses be damned, something holds him to the water. And he's not sure how long he can keep his lingering Mer-tail from the people he loves.

Christienne knows Mer lore like she knows the shape of her mate's abs. But something is very wrong with Huran. When she catches him sneaking out to the lake at night, she suspects his secret is bigger than she can handle. Somehow, she must find a way to meet her merman in the depths of his despair if there is any hope of them making it to their next mate-aversary.

But she has a secret of her own, and no guarantee that Huran will be by her side when the truth comes out. There's only one thing to do now…

Fight for love and hope it's enough.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paper Zombie Press
• Release date: Sep 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223681359

P. Jameson

P. Jameson is a USA Today Bestselling author who likes to spend her time daydreaming, and then rearranging those dreams into heartstring-pulling stories of trials and triumph. Paranormal is her jam, so you're sure to find said stories full of hot alpha males of the supernatural variety who fall hard for strong, sassy women. She lives next door to the great Rocky mountains with her husband and kids, who provide her with plenty of writing fodder. For news on all of P. Jameson's books, copy and paste the following link to your browser and sign up for the newsletter: https://bit.ly/pjnlsignup OR visit her website at www.pjamesonbooks.com

Book preview

PROLOGUE

The wind whipped the sails of our ship like a woman shaking out a stiff blanket. Huran of Brigantes gripped his sword, looking for an enemy to slay. The sound thundered along with his pulse as the sky lit up with Tamsin’s electric display. The witch was angry and looking for revenge. She meant to make them all pay for the betrayal of one man. Even the most innocent among them.

Huran looked at his son across the slippery wooden deck. Arne was only ten rotations alive, but old enough to be called a man. This was his first voyage of exploration as well as his first battle.

Huran feared it would be his last.

The only comfort was that the boy wouldn’t be alone. If he’d left him in the homeland, he would have no one. His mother was long gone. As were any grandparents to speak of. Better that they both die here, now, than the boy be left to his own at such a young age.

The ship rocked and the lake churned with the witch’s powerful magic. Above them her bodiless voice could be heard chanting a spell.

"A love so true, the earth rejoiced.

A betrayal so cruel, the stars cried.

Those that chose to ignore my pain,

Will forever be bound to the bounty they

Tried to steal. My heart is shut to their

Cries of pain. Your souls will twist in

The mud below just as the fish dig for food.

You’ll suffer as I have under each full moon.

Until such time that you find your true love…"

They couldn’t fight this kind of enemy. One without substance who existed as air and power. Their swords were useless, their war cries pointless.

The ship bucked and across the deck Huran saw Arne’s weapon clatter to the floor. Hold on, boy! Huran shouted as their boat swirled and dipped in the violent wake.

But his words didn’t make it across the ship in time. Arne reached for a rope but lost his footing just as another vicious wave hit the bow. Huran watched in horror as the boy slid down the sloping deck, desperately grasping at anything to hold on to. He snagged the leg of a wooden bench with his fingertips, and Huran’s breath caught in relief. But at the last second, a loose rope caught wind and whipped Arne in the face causing him to lose his grip. One more crash of water dipped the ship, and Arne went overboard.

Noooo!

Huran shoved men aside as he crossed the deck. Angry and heartbroken, he peered over the side searching the choppy waters for his son. There was no sign of the boy, but he had to have hope. Arne was a good swimmer. He was strong for a boy of ten. Perhaps he would make it to shore.

Huran didn’t get to contemplate it further.

A chill ran along his spine as a wave of magic surrounded him. He let off a growl and twisted, sword ready to battle the source the only way he knew how. It was the scream of his fellow men that told him they were already defeated. The terrified sounds of battle hardened warriors who were scared of nothing. Fear didn’t exist in their bones. Not when war was all they’d ever known.

He watched, half horrified half in wonder, as one by one men fell to the deck, their legs twisting together in a swirl of green and purple magic. Such colors reminded him of the treasure that they pulled from the bottom of the lake. Colorful gems and stones.

Huran felt his own legs giving way as he toppled to the floor. Something was happening. Something was very wrong. Pain. So much pain. Skin ripping. Flesh mending.

Transforming.

He gasped for air, but his lungs didn’t work the way they should. He tried to move, to stand, but it was impossible.

Looking to see what had captured his legs, he found the source of pain. They were no longer legs. They were… he was…

He looked around at his fellow warriors, but their condition was the same.

In the place of human legs, there was now a colorful scaled tail, complete with a wispy fin. Huran smacked it on the deck with an angry thud. With what felt like his last breath, he cursed Tamsin, cursed the skies above and the water below. Cursed the Old Gods.

All in vain. Because with a rumble that felt like the great earth shaking, the ship began to sink.

The last thing he saw as he fell below the waters of Sapphire Lake was the mast of the ship break apart and come to life as a giant dragon-like serpent. And he knew in his heart, there was no hope for his son.

Arne was gone.

CHAPTER

ONE

"Y ou shouldn’t look at me like that, snuppa . With those pretty eyes batting and those soft lips pouting." Huran of Brigantes pushed his delicious mate up against the wall of their office cabin and watched her eyes glaze over with lust.

Why not? Christienne murmured playfully, and his cock grew even harder at the sound of her voice. Silky. Sultry. Like a stroke of velvet. It only got that way when she needed him to fill her.

You know why. He dipped his head low to kiss her mouth, plying her with his tongue before pulling back to watch her face go soft. Oh, he loved that part. Watching her submit to his wiles. He loved every part.

He loved her.

Damn, he really did. His curvy little human, with her spunky attitude and her ability to tame his roughness. The one who broke his curse.

Almost.

He wouldn’t think about that now.

The door isn’t locked, she warned. Anyone could walk in at any moment and see us.

They would die, he