Hey all, here's the new update ;-) I hope you like it and if you do, please vote or follow.

Much love,

Robin

*

Matt and I were returning from scouting out student housing options a few weeks before I'd start at uni. We were both dissatisfied with what was available but time was running out. Truth was of course that neither of us liked the idea that I'd be in another city for the coming years while he was running the Stonefish in Conningsby.

"I'll be back for every single full moon though, and you can visit and I can visit," I was repeating for the millionth time. Matt sighed, "I know all this. I just didn't realize how much I'd miss you when I told you to go." His dark eyes were serious as he glanced at me before they returned to the road. "I'd feel better if you were sharing a place with Mitch and Dev but so far none of the places we saw made that possible."

Scooting over I leaned my head on his shoulder, "I know, me too. I'll ask my dad for some help okay? I know we said not to but I think... I think this is important enough." My dad had offered to buy a condo for the three of us to stay at and we'd declined as none of us wanted to just take his money like that.

When Matt's mouth lifted into a smirk I realized he'd been thinking the same thing. "I'd feel better knowing you're in a house with two guys in the know, if you accidentally transform..." Yeah, I'd been thinking that too and when I missed Matt, those two would fully understand as well. Or when I missed swimming as much as we'd been doing all summer.

"Okay, I'll give him a call then."

Right on cue, Matt's phone started ringing and we both laughed at the absurd timing. He fished it out of his pocket and handed it to me and as I saw the caller ID answered with a cheerful, "Hello Fishboy."

Dev however didn't respond with a cheerful insult back though; deadly serious his next words chilled me to the bone. "The Corenths ship has fallen off the radar." I thumbed him to speaker and said softly, so Matt would understand. "You think the Corenths are heading our way?"

At my side Matt's body turned to stone, his knuckles going white around the steering wheel. We'd just driven into Conningsby and were almost at the Stonefish and I could see Dev standing in front of the bar, near the parking. Waving at us. "Yes, hurry! Family meeting inside."

We rushed out of the truck together hand-in-hand and into the bar, a closed sign declaring the place off limits for customers despite it being rush hour normally. The whole McLaren family was spread out into various chairs, with the patriarch, Thomas leaning up against the bar. His face was grim beneath dark brows that Matt's were an exact match too.

To my surprise Thorne was behind the bar with his arms crossed and an angry glare ready for Matt and I the moment we'd closed the door behind us. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about these assholes Matt?" he demanded and for a brief moment I wondered if the redhead was talking about Matt's family. His next words cleared that up, "I'd have gone and hunted them down for you if I'd known they were after our Dani."

Matt gave his friend a sharp nod, "I know you would have Thorne... Just... Six to one isn't a fair fight even with your skills." Thorne snorted, "You mean my werewolf skills?" He nodded at Dev, "My werewolf skills picked up on his phone call just fine."

The rest of the McLaren's shifted around in their chairs, looking surprised, all except Dev who seemed to look rather guilty. I headed his way to give him a hug, "Yeah, you can't underestimate his sharp hearing. Not like you knew, at least I'm guessing?"

Thorne shrugged his shoulders and nodded at Thomas, "I've already apologized for barging in on the meeting. I've got a right to protect my family and that includes Matt and Dani. I'm not leaving." Matt headed behind the bar and started pouring his dad a shot of whiskey, eyeing his mom and then pouring her one too.

"So, did Thorne explain that to you guys? That he's a werewolf? Or was that the first mention," he eyed each of his family, each of them shaking their head; saving Dev for last. The youngest McLaren burst out indignantly the moment Matt looked his way. "That is so cool! Why didn't you tell me?"

Thorne reached across the bar to pat Dev on the shoulder, "Because it was my secret, just like he never outright confirmed any of you were like him. Except Dani, she came up and told me." He shot me a grin and then turned serious as he looked at the McLaren Patriarch. "I understand you received a call from their last place of berth that they went to sea two days ago but they haven't made an appearance anywhere yet?"

Thomas nodded, "Correct, it's not a very long time of course. But it's normal to let someone know where you're heading out to sea. They didn't, and given the situation with Dani, it worries me. They could easily anchor out far off the coast and then swim in to kidnap her." I shivered in worry at the terrifying prospect. For the first time since I'd gotten my tail starting to wonder if this kind of hassle, this kind of danger, was worth it. Not just danger to me obviously, but to all the McLaren's and Thorne because they were the ones taking the risk, choosing to protect me.

We threw around ideas for a while about how to tackle this problem but nothing made me feel comfortable or happy. Especially not with the prospect of moving out of town and away from Matt for the time being when uni started in a couple of weeks. None of the things we could think of were feasible long term. Not in anyway I wanted to contemplate. I couldn't stand the thought of having to have one of the guys at my side at all time, like a diva needing a bodyguard.

When Thomas' phone rang we all shushed, especially since he frowned heavily when he noted the caller ID. Matt had me under his arm where we were sitting in nearby booth and hadn't let go once, instead clutching me tighter and tighter to him the more worried he was getting. Thomas looked Matt's way once before answering the call so I could feel how Matt was holding his breath.

"Josh, why are you calling?" Thomas said and I thought all in all he sounded far more reasonable and calm than any of the other guys present would have managed. Given the fact that Josh was one of the middle aged Corenths, the childless brother of Dave. Granted, he'd been the only one not to bother me that night but he'd still played a part in distracting the McLarens.

Apparently the phone was on speaker because I could clearly hear the reply, "Thomas, I'm calling in warning. My brother is coming for the girl. Hide her if you don't want her to go through what Beryl went through."

For a moment I thought he might be threatening me but then I realized the odd sound to his voice was a kind of lisp he hadn't spoken with last time. When Thomas said nothing, Josh continued, "We tried to stop him but George and I were no match for Dave and his other sons..."

Now Thomas cursed, "Where are you? When did you last see them? Do you and the kid need help?" Matt's tattooed arm around my shoulder meant I was pressed forward along with him when he leaned toward his dad. "Do you need medical assistance?" he asked.

Josh was quiet a moment before saying to Matt directly, "Matt, it's no excuse of course but I didn't know their intentions that evening. I swear I thought they were just going to talk to her." Matt didn't reply but some tension left his body at the words and he shared a look with me that was full of affection. "It's not me you need to apologize to Josh."

The older man made a choking sound on the phone and then said, "You're right of course. George is still out, we're holed up in a motel but we'll manage. I last saw my brother a couple hours ago when I realized what our heading was. We fought and then George and I were forced to abandon the ship. I would have called sooner but George was unconscious and I was focused on getting us somewhere safe..."

Thomas made a cutting motion with his hand that Josh obviously couldn't see and then said, "I understand, thank you for warning us. We'd already heard news the Berylia was no longer docked."

Clara now made herself known, leaning around her husband to speak directly into the phone. "Listen Josh, if George has been out for hours he could have a very bad concussion, you need to get him to a doctor." Josh made a sound again, "You know why we can't Clara." The sadness in that voice struck me and for the first time I realized just how difficult that was. Due to our differences we couldn't risk normal medical care. That hadn't sunk into me yet.

"Then you get him here, asap," Clara demanded. "At least let me take care of the boy." After a hushed silence Dev added, "Come on Josh, George is my friend too."

With a sigh the man on the phone conceded, saying he'd have to arrange for a car to make the drive but that he'd head our way. With what was obvious grief in his voice he added, "It's not like we have anywhere to go."

After Josh hung up we sat in silence for a while, my heart was racing as I thought of all the possibilities. How were we going to stop the remaining Corenths? What would stop them from coming after me ever again? Why did it matter so damn much that I was a mermaid? Thomas had happily married a woman without a tail and so had Orly.

"I could suggest Dani and I drop off the radar, go on the run," Matt said quietly eventually. "But I'd rather face them, they don't get to force us to put our lives on hold." His words echoed how I felt about it all but that didn't mean I felt comfortable with what we possibly had to do.

"What if they never stop?" I said, eyeing Clara and Mariana in the hopes that they understood my question. What if we had to stop them with lethal force? I wasn't sure I could live with that but at the same time... I knew that if it came down to it of course I'd fight for my survival. I understood why we couldn't involve the police in some way but that made the risk to ourselves, to the people in this room, all the greater.

"We do what we have to," Thomas said firmly in his low, commanding tone of voice. It silenced everyone immediately and had my eyes jump to the patriarch's face. With a dark look in them, brow furrowed he said, "We let Dave and his father get away with far too much when he married Beryl. Even though there's so few of us, we won't let history repeat itself. We do what we must. The sea hides all."

*

So what happened to Beryl? And who's curious about what happened with Josh and George?

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Much love,

Robin