The Merman's Prize: The Mermen of MerLand Kingdom, #4

By Meghan Alexis Moore

AN EARTH WOMAN / MERMAN ROMANCE.

Twenty-year-old Angela Braithwaite has grown up with parents who are both Rastafarians. Born rebellious, she knows that she cannot be like her mother and meekly submit to male leadership as the religion purports.

And instead of being attracted to the men of her own race as a dutiful daughter, she's had an eye for tall, blond men; the very last type of men that her parents would allow her to date or marry.

Lucas Archer feels battle weary and exhausted from the events that have occurred over the last six years. He was lead guard responsible for ensuring the safety of the future King of MerLand and had failed miserably.

He redeems himself by capturing the traitor and bringing him to justice. He's rewarded handsomely for his efforts but is left still feeling dissatisfied.

Then he sees Angela realizes that she is his Intented mate and a prize just waiting for him to claim.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SpreadEagle Publications
• Release date: Mar 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224050680

Book preview

THE MERMAN’S PRIZE

(The Mermen of MerLand Kingdom, Book 4)

Meghan Alexis Moore

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher or author, except for brief quotes used in reviews.

Copyright © 2023 by Meghan Alexis Moore

Published by SpreadEagle Publications.

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

THE MERMAN’S PRIZE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

EPILOGUE

THANK YOU

Also By Meghan Alexis Moore

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Heartfelt thanks to:

All my wonderful readers.

DESCRIPTION

AN EARTH WOMAN/MERMAN ROMANCE.

Twenty-year-old Angela Braithwaite has grown up with parents who are both Rastafarians.  Born rebellious, she knows that she cannot be like her mother and meekly submit to male leadership as the religion purports.

And instead of being attracted to the men of her own race as a dutiful daughter, she’s had an eye for tall, blond men; the very last type of men that her parents would allow her to date or marry.

Lucas Archer feels battle weary and exhausted from the events that have occurred over the last six years.  He was lead guard responsible for ensuring the safety of the future King of MerLand and had failed miserably.

He redeems himself by capturing the traitor and bringing him to justice.  He’s rewarded handsomely for his efforts but is left still feeling dissatisfied.

Then he sees Angela realizes that she is his Intented mate and a prize just waiting for him to claim.

PROLOGUE

Twenty-seven-year-old merman Lucas Archer was beyond furious.  Six years ago, he and his twin Lucius as young men approaching the physical prime of their lives had been sent to live on Earth to provide protection for the then King’s eldest son Seth, heir apparent to the Kingdom of MerLand.

Such an honour was only bestowed on the finest warriors.  A distant ancestor of theirs had been the best marksmen with bow and arrow and had been given his surname by the ruling monarch.  Since then the Archers have had a proud tradition of ensuring the safety of the King and his family.  They also guard the borders of the Kingdom, equipped with arrows that can cover great distances.  Long ago, MerPeople had discovered the fibres of a tree that was both strong and elastic, and when used in bows, it propelled arrows extreme distances.

What gave the Archers the edge over other mermen were their broad shoulders and big biceps.  The combination gave them phenomenal power.

The assignment on Earth guarding Seth had been scheduled to last four years.  His father, the King, had planned to retire just after his 55th birthday.

Usually the heir apparent worked closely with the reigning King in the years before he was crowned, but Seth had decided to sow his wild oats before he became tied to the throne and unable to leave the Kingdom.  He’d promised to return and work diligently in the last year before he became King.

He’d never been given the chance.

His younger brother Adam, ‘the spare’, had had to assume the role of heir apparent and all the duties that came with it.  In everyone’s estimation, he’d done an excellent job of it.

After Seth’s death, the twins had been tasked with staying on and guarding Rufus, who had been 4th in the line of succession at the time.

Neither of the brothers had warmed to him.  Though laidback and always at his ease, Seth had commanded attention and respect wherever he went.  Rufus needed to throw his weight and his status around to be noticed.

The twins had never forgiven themselves for being too ill to guard Seth on the night he had been murdered by eight Earth men just two months after coming to the planet.

Earlier today, Lucas and his twin had been ordered by Seth’s youngest brother Jacob to arrest Rufus and march him back to MerLand.  On the way there he had explained that his cousin had added just enough arsenic to the oysters they and the other guard had eaten for dinner to make them violently ill.

It had come as a total shock that Rufus had sabotaged them and prevented them from guarding Seth that night, but the knowledge that they’d been deliberately impaired hadn’t stopped Lucas berating himself.

Though he was the older of the brothers by a mere seven minutes, he shouldered the full blame.  He had been appointed Head Guard and should have put certain contingencies in place.

He could kick himself for not appreciating the extent of Rufus’s dangerous envy of his cousin.  It didn’t matter that he hadn’t prepared for the threat coming from inside rather than outside the safety of the highly-secured house.

He had never worried about the food they had consumed, both the housekeeper and the maid had been mermaids and trusted members of the King’s own staff.

But Lucas should have been suspicious that evening.  Rufus had never been one to be helpful in any way.  Lucas should have realized that he was plotting something when the man had offered to help bring in the dishes, claiming that he couldn’t wait to sit down at the table and eat.

The most annoying thing was that after failing to prevent Seth’s death, Lucas and his brother had guarded Rufus with extra vigilance, even though he had been too far down in the line of succession to likely be crowned King.

Today, Rufus had once again proven that he had no honour.

On the way to MerLand, he had quietly submitted while they were on Earth as Jacob had ordered him to, but once in the water, he’d made a desperate bid for freedom.

It had been a carefully calculated move.  Even as a child Rufus had flouted authority and had swum out to areas that were considered unsafe by the elders.  He had