Word Count : 5819

Nearly five years had passed, and the pain had gradually gotten less and less. They had changed their names to Harper Kass Bach, and Celine Miranda St James. Harper was graduating from med school early due to her taking extra course loads and working through summers, and Celie had an amazing job at a graphics art firm. Celie had even started her own website where she taught art lessons and sold her paintings, drawings, and photographs, she was getting popular enough that she was making decent money all on her own. They'd both made new friends, and actually had a nice circle of friends that they would all get together at their apartment and watch movies and have dinner and just hang out. It was strange for them to have friends, it had only been the two of them for years, but they were loving it, no one bullied them here, no one insulted them, or called them names. They were overcoming their fears and insecurities one by one, and it was amazing.

"Changed your mind yet?" Celie prodded, as they lay side by side on their beach chairs working on their impressive golden tans. "Awful lot of tanned, buff, eye candy walking around here. They haven't exactly been hiding their interest in you either."

"Just stop Cel" Harper tried to laugh her off, while checking out the behind of a cute blonde surfer guy hanging around their spot.

"Just get up and saunter down to the water to rinse the sand off your hands. Give him a little glimpse of that booty you work so hard on, I bet you get a date in less than 5 minutes." Celie elbowed her, in all their time in Miami Harper still had not gone out on a single date, and it was driving Celie crazy. "If you at least go down and rinse your hands, I'll make dinner and do laundry for a week. And if he talks to you and you flirt a little, I'll do two weeks, and if you go out on a date with him, I'll do a month."

Harper cracked an eye in her direction, interested, "seriously?" She hated laundry with a passion.

"Pinky swear on the moon goddess." Celie grinned, wiggling her pinky at Harper. She knew she had her, a week of laundry and cooking was nothing to at least get Harper interested.

Harper was incomparably beautiful; she always had been. Celie had never understood why the others called her ugly. She knew why the girls had picked on Harper, plain jealousy, especially Charlotte the Harlot. Charla had managed to convince herself that she was the bomb because all the boys wanted her because she was easy. So Charla hated knowing Harper had everything she would never have and didn't have to do anything for it. Harper had the most gorgeous thick, shiny dark hair, the clearest wide aqua eyes you've ever seen, and the most beautiful smile you could imagine. Flawless skin, high cheekbones, small straight nose, full curvy lips like Hedy Lamar. Celie would kill for those lips of hers. Harper was tall too, around 5'10 with long amazing legs, and a figure to die for. Even though they'd called Harper names, and said she was ugly, every guy in school had watched her when she walked by, they all stared at her when she wasn't looking. Harper just never realized it because the only thing she saw were their smirks, and the only thing she knew was their insults. But Celie knew the truth, she'd seen it with her own eyes.

"Go on, girl, before he leaves." Celie prompted again. "Just stroll on down there and rinse your hands, smooth some oil over your shoulders while you're down there. What can it possibly hurt? If he doesn't come over there and talk to you, who cares? You're not really flirting with him or trying; you're just showing off what the goddess gave you. If he doesn't come over, it's because he's totally intimidated by your stunning beauty."

"Are you going to stop bothering me if I don't go?" Harper asked with a sigh.

"Not for a second," Celie laughed. "And take off your sunglasses, let him get a peek at those aqua eyes of yours. Girl, I'd give anything to have eyes that color, I might have to get myself some contacts that color."

"Whatever. Fine, I'm going, but only for the laundry." Harper sat up, she took off her sunglasses and gave Celie a look as she took the suntan oil Celie held out with a smirk.

Harper squared her shoulders, if she could walk out into the parking lot knowing she was going to be rejected, she could walk down to the water near a beautiful boy and rinse sand off her hands. There was no rejection here, she'd be relieved if he didn't come and talk to her. But she was getting a little more adventurous, she had noticed guys checking her out before, being away from the jerks at the pack was doing wonders for her self-esteem.

The cool water felt delicious on her ankles and Harper stretched for a second before leaning down to rinse the sand off her hands. She didn't dare look back at the beautiful blonde haired guy to see if he was paying attention to her, she didn't want to see his disinterest, she was just proud of herself for taking the bet. At least she didn't have to do laundry or cook dinner for a week. She squirted some oil in her hand and smoothed it over her shoulder and down her arm.

"Hi." A deep voice said behind her, actually startling her and making her jump, she hadn't really believed anyone would talk to her. She turned to see the blonde smiling down at her, his eyes were as deep blue as the ocean and his teeth as white as snow in his tanned and perfect face.

"Hi," Harper said, smiling back at him, her face heating a little, no guys had ever talked to her so now she was nervous. She didn't seem to realize the only reason guys never talked to her was because she walked with her head down staring into a book most of the time, and they were usually waiting for her to look up before approaching.

"I'm Matt." He said, he actually seemed a little nervous.

"Harper."

"Harper, that's a pretty name." Matt said, "I've seen you around a few times, and I've been wondering if you ever have dinner?"

"I usually do," Harper said, smiling at his awkwardness.

"With me, I mean. I was wondering if you'd ever have dinner with me," he said again and laughed awkwardly.

Harper glanced back and saw Celie doing a happy dance in her chair and mouthing YES, YES, YES at her.

"Sure, I'd love to." Harper said, after taking a deep breath.

Matt let out a whoosh of a breath that he'd been holding, relieved she'd agreed, and a brilliant smile lit up his face.

"Awesome, how about now?" Matt said.

"Now?" Harper asked surprised. "I'm a little sweaty and oily, and I haven't had a shower yet today."

"That's ok, I like sweaty and oily." Matt said grinning, prompting Harper to raise her eyebrows at him.

"I'm always sweaty and oily," Matt said and then went on hurriedly, realizing how what he'd just said could be taken. "I'm a beach bum, I mean, that's kinda normal, at the beach. I didn't mean it in a perverted way, at all, I wouldn't want you to be sweaty and oily anywhere else...except...well, the beach, what I mean is...I'm just going to stop talking now."

Harper laughed, his awkwardness putting her at ease, if he'd been Mr. Smooth acting like he was doing her a favor by asking her out she would have been scared, but his obvious insecurity, lessened hers.

"So, now? Where would we go now, being so sweaty and oily?" Harper asked.

"There's a taco place down the street, it has open tables facing the beach, we could grab a few taco's, maybe a margarita, and talk for a bit. Then you can decide if you'd be interested in a real date." Matt said, smiling again some of his nervousness easing. "Why don't you bring your friend? I have a buddy over there, Ray, who's always in the mood for a taco."

Matt turned and pointed to a guy with shaggy caramel colored hair with blonde sun streaks, he was tall and lean but cute.

Harper mind linked her, looking in her direction.

Celie looked over her sunglasses at Harper.

"Sounds great, Cel is always in the mood for a taco too." Harper turned back to Matt and smiled.

**

One Year Later

"Mattie, where are you?" Harper called out as she walked down the wooden stairs toward the spring. She hadn't realized that Matt had such a great place out here all isolated near the park, and when he'd told her he had a spring on his property the connected to the ocean, she'd been surprised. But when he'd invited her out to his house she'd been shocked, it was enormous, and very extravagant, they'd been dating for almost a year and she'd never realized he was loaded, not that it mattered to her.

"I brought the wine." Harper said, when she found him sitting on the steps down to the spring, which had underwater lights installed. He just smiled up at her as she sat down next to him, it was a beautiful night, with the spring lit up and the stars over their heads.

"I have something important to tell you Harper." Matt started, as he took the wine glass she offered him. "It's important, and kinda a big deal. I hadn't mentioned it before because I wasn't sure how things would go with us and I don't usually share this with anyone. I've never shared it with anyone actually."

Harper began to get nervous, was he dumping her? Her heart began to hammer in her chest, another rejection. Goddess, she wasn't sure she could handle it, she loved Matt. She hadn't loved Reese, she'd really disliked him, as a matter of fact. Severing the bond hurt, but losing him hadn't, she'd never wanted him to begin with and he would have never been someone she would have chosen.

"If you're dumping me, just do it, don't beat around the bush or anything. I don't want to hear the 'it's not you it's me' thing, or any other bullshit, just say it and I will leave." Harper said slowly.

"What!?" Matt exclaimed. "I'm not dumping you. Why would you even think that? I love you; I'd never dump you."

"You...." Harper trailed off, staring at him wide eyed. He'd never told her he loved her before, it was her first time hearing it, and it truly shocked her. Deep inside her, Harper was still the super insecure girl who'd run from her pack. The girl who still believed she was ugly, and no one wanted her or would ever want her. Tears started to well in her eyes and she whispered, "You love me?"

Matt smiled at her gently, he brought up his hand and touched her cheek.

"Of course I love you Harper, how could I not? You're perfect." Matt said softly.

They shared a gentle kiss.

"But I have something to tell you, something that may make you dump me." Matt sighed and turned back stare down into the water. "I've never told anyone this, I've never shared my secret, but I think you can handle it, or at least I know you won't share it with anyone, and I can't not tell you anymore."

Harper could tell he was nervous, that whatever he was about to say was important.

"I'm not human." Matt said softly.

Harper was floored, if he wasn't human, what was he? She couldn't really judge him, she wasn't human either, and she hadn't shared her secret with him.

"What are you, Mattie?" Harper asked slowly, he wasn't a wolf, she knew that for sure.

"I'm a siren." Matt whispered, "or something similar to what you might call a merman."

Harper stared at him in shock, her mind not even able to process what he was saying, she didn't think they existed.

"That's why I brought you down here, to show you." Matt then slipped his swim trunks off and stepped off the stair, dropping into the spring.

Harper watched him, his face focused and concentrating and under the water she watch his kicking legs come together and lengthen into one long tail beneath him. When he opened his eyes, the iris' were much bigger than normal and they were a bright aqua blue, just a shade lighter and paler than her own eyes. He smiled, then opened his mouth, and she could see that his incisors and teeth further back were hooked. He raised his head and tilted it so she could see gill slits in his neck just above his collarbone. Then he raised his hands and she could see translucent webbing between his fingers and hooked claws for fingernails. He sank into the water and dove a little which brought his enormous fish tail to the surface for her to see, it was a glittering light blue, the same color as his eyes. He swam slowly around the pool, then surfaced in front of her again, his eyes were intense and filled with nervousness and fear.

"Say something." Matt whispered, his voice had changed it was not as deep as it had been, it was lilting and it had a vibrato in it that made her shiver.

"You're beautiful." Harper said, tears in her eyes, she realized how much courage it must have taken him to do this, to tell her the truth, she wouldn't have had the courage to tell him she was a wolf. He did really love her; he wouldn't have risked telling her this secret if he didn't.

"You're not upset?" Matt asked, surprise showing on his face from her reaction. "You're not repulsed or grossed out?"

"Of course not, Mattie!" Harper said, shaking her head. "You're even more beautiful to me now than you were five minutes ago, and I wouldn't have believed that was possible five minutes ago."

He stared at her for another second before he laughed, it was the relieved laugh of someone who had just had the weight of the world lifted off their chest.

"Now, I have something equally important to tell you, something as equally shocking." Harper started, it was her turn, she couldn't let him share this with her and not share her secret with him. "So I hope you're not going to dump me when you find out."

Harper took a deep steadying breath.

"I'm not human either." Harper said finally.

Matt's mouth dropped open in shock and he just stared at her for a few moments.

"What are you?" He finally asked.

"I'm a wolf." Harper replied, a small smile on her lips. "A werewolf. Please don't freak out. I don't turn into a ravenous monster on the full moon, I don't rampage, and I don't eat people, or kill anyone. I'm not dangerous at all, unless you attack me, then of course, I'll rip you apart." She tried to make a joke. "I'm not a Lycan, some half human, half wolf thing when I shift. I just change into a plain old wolf, well, a little bigger than a regular wolf, but still just a wolf."

"Can I see you?" Matt asked in a bare whisper.

Harper nodded slowly, swallowing hard, she stood and began to strip out of her dress. She saw his eyes light up as he watched her, he'd seen her in a bikini hundreds of times, but he'd never seen her naked, they hadn't had sex, she'd been nervous about it, and he'd never pushed. But then the look on his face turned surprised and his eyes went wide when her bones began cracking and breaking and she slowly shifted into her wolf form and stood looking down at him.

She was indeed much larger than a regular wolf, but even more beautiful, her fur was the same dark brown as her hair, with a slightly red tips on some of her coat on her forehead and around her neck and shoulders. She turned slowly in a circle so he could get a full view of her, then she lay down, resting her muzzle on her paws. She whined softly at him, hoping he wasn't afraid of her.

She watched him turn back into his human form, and he crawled slowly up the stairs from the water. He crouched next to her, staring into her amber gold eyes and reached his hand out to her, she lifted her nose, and nuzzled his hand and he blew out a breathy laugh.

"Oh my goddess." Matt said softly, as he scratched her ears. "You're beautiful Harp."

Harper thought her heart would burst hearing those words, he wasn't repulsed by her, he wasn't scared of her. She began shifting back to her human form and was laying naked on the deck as he crouched naked over her.

"We're really something aren't we?" Matt said. "I can't tell you how happy I am right now. I don't even have words. You accept me, and you're even as unusual as I am."

"Yeah, we're definitely an unusual couple." Harper laughed. "I didn't even know mermen were real. I thought that was a myth."

"I thought werewolves were myths." Matt laughed. "I prefer to be called a siren, rather than merman. That's what we really are, at least that's what most of us consider ourselves. We do have the ability to lure people, and we have aura's that lure people. I've never really tried to use mine, not for anything important, I've used it to hit on girls before. When I was younger, but not often, and then it was only to see if I could, and to learn to control the power. I never took a girl home after using my voice on her, I didn't think it was right."

"How many of you are there? Is the ocean filled with sirens and nobody ever found one?" Harper asked.

"Actually there are not many of us left, probably less than a thousand worldwide, from what we've been able to tell anyway, there may be pockets out there in the remote areas that keep to themselves." Matt said, they were now just lying on the deck, staring up at the sky, neither really paying attention to their nudity. Which would not have been possible if Harper had still thought he was a regular guy, but knowing he was a shifter seemed to make them being naked together ok, since they'd both just shifted forms. "How many werewolves are there in the world?"

"Thousands and thousands." Harper answered, "we're pretty common actually. There are packs that have thousands of wolves, and then there are some that only have a few. I'm not sure anyone knows, but they are in every country on every continent of the world. Do you know of any other supernatural species? I thought us wolves were the only ones, but now I wonder if there are more."

"Not that I have ever encountered. I thought sirens were the only mythical creatures. Does make you wonder now if we are all real?" Matt said. "How cool would that be? Wolves, Lycans, vampires, nymphs, sirens, elves, trolls...creatures that can shift into different animals like cats and bears or something."

"It's crazy to think about, how do we not know about each other?" Harper said.

"This is amazing, goddess Harper, you are so beautiful and perfect." Matt said rolling toward her, putting his hand on her cheek. "I finally found someone I can be me with, someone who can truly be themselves with me. I knew there was something special about you, I knew when I met you that the goddess brought you, I knew you would be someone I could be true with. We are so lucky to find each other."

"You worship the moon goddess?" Harper asked wide eyed.

"Of course," Matt laughed, "are the oceans not ruled by the moon?"

"We are the two luckiest people alive." Harper said, she rolled toward him and kissed him.

"Let's swim." Matt said. "Swim with me, Harp."