Hunter
Fred and Hannah helped me choose a wedding ring for Blue. It was a round solitaire diamond stud in a
platinum ring, a little out of my budget but looked really beautiful. My bank account was almost empty,
but it was worth it. Blue deserved this and so much more. I kind of wished I had enough money to
move into a bigger house where there was a lawn, a fence, a room for when Blue and I decided to
have kids.
I dreamed of it, about having my own little family.
I’d never thought this was possible in my wildest dreams, that I’d find a woman who’d love me enough
to want to marry me.
The phone in my pocket began buzzing. It was from an unknown number. I pressed answer.
“Hello Mr. Brantley, this is Gracie. I’m a wedding planner. Your mother told me you wanted to discuss a
few things.”
“Hi Gracie, please call me Hunter.” I spoke on the phone while walking out of the jewelry store towards
the parking lot across the street, “I’m looking for simple wedding decorations, I’d like to discuss about
this. Are you free around three p.m? We could talk it over lunch and—”
A loud blare of the honking stopped me dead in my tracks and I turned to look. I wanted to run but my
legs weren’t moving. I was glued to the place.
A car was moving towards me in high-speed and there was absolutely nothing I could do.
I saw it that time.
Death was coming for me.
Blue
Adrian had tried convincing me that marrying Hunter was a bad idea. And then he’d given me another
alternative that I knew would make Hunter really furious. Adrian suggested that I could marry him
instead and visit the Land often to meet Hunter.
In other words, he didn’t mind me having an affair with Hunter on land as long as I married Adrian in
our world. I’d told Adrian that he could stop talking and that I wasn’t going to have an affair with Hunter
because I intended to marry him.
I’d been napping with Leslie when I got one of those bad premonitions that something was going to
happen. Since then I couldn’t sleep and paced around the apartment. I tried calling Hunter’s number
but he didn’t answer it and that gave me even more anxiety.
Adrian was reading a magazine upside down, a magazine he’d found discarded in a box within the
depths of the storage room. The magazine had a naked woman on it. I didn’t know how I felt about
Hunter going through this one. Adrian was merely leafing through the pages, his face masked with
interest.
I tried texting Hunter.
Me: Why aren’t you answering my call?
I called him several times but each time it hit voicemail. Thirty minutes and forty texts later, I decided to
call Hannah. When she answered the call she was sobbing and that was a clear warning that
something was wrong.
“Hannah, I’ve been trying to call Hunter but he’s not answering my phone. Is he with you?”
“Blue...well, Hunter got into an accident. A car almost ran over him.”
My heart almost stopped beating, “What?!” It took me an entire minute to collect myself. “Is he alright?”
“He’s in the hospital.”
“I want to see him.” I said urgently.
Hannah told me that she was sending a car and a chauffeur to take me to the hospital. When I hung up
the call, Adrian’s expressions clearly said ‘I told you so.’
“You still have time to stop the wedding.” Adrian suggested.
I gave him a sharp look, “I can’t ask Hunter to do that. We both love each other.”
“Is that love any use of if either of you end up being dead?”
I hated that he had a point.
What if something happened to Hunter before or during the wedding ceremony? We still had a week
ahead of us before we got married.
We argued back and forth in Greek. I felt helpless and angry at my situation, like there was nothing
else I could do against the laws of nature.
“The boy is hurt for today, and he may come back home looking prim and fine, making those promises
about lifelong love but it’s going to be your selfish nature that will get him killed one day.” Adrian
pointed out bitterly.
“You know, I wasn’t so sure before but I think I understand now.” I said, keeping the venom out of my
voice.
“What do you understand?” He asked, still looking through that vile magazine filled with naked women.
“I think you’re jealous of Hunter.” I said finally.
Adrian looked at me, “And what if I am?”
“It doesn’t matter, Ade. I’ve made my decision. It would make me the happiest in the world to marry
Hunter, if my situation doesn’t allow me, then I won’t marry you either or anyone else for that matter.” I
completed. “So there’s absolutely no reason for you to be jealous.”
“Our parents and elders arranged our marriage to be fulfilled when we were old enough...” Adrian said,
“Mermaids marry mermen. That’s our law, Blue—”
“I’m aware of the mermaid law.” I snapped. “I’m different than other mermaids. I will take Hunter as my
husband and no one else.” The last part came in a choked voice, tears were threatening to spill out any
moment.
“There’s a price to pay for every law that’s broken.” He completed.
“I’m asking you to give up convincing me to go with you because I will not.” I said.
“Human lives are short, even if he lives a full healthy life, it won’t be enough, Blue. You will watch him,
your children, your grandchildren, and everyone else you care about grow old and die while you stay
the same.” He said vehemently. “Do you want to spend the rest of your eternity alone?”
“I’m not thinking of that possibility.” I said. “I would still be hurt if I left and watched him marry and have
children with someone else.”
Adrian had a expression of resignation on his face, it looked like he was giving up convincing me.
I dressed up quickly in a casual t-shirt, jeans and sneakers and waited until Hannah texted me
that the car was parked outside the apartment building. Throughout the entire twenty minute car ride, I
recalled each and everything that Adrian had said.
No matter how much I loved Hunter, I valued his life above everything else.
It was my first time coming to a hospital, and the atmosphere around made me ill. A stretcher occupied
by a boy was wheeled away, a mother crying as she followed it. Another accident. There was a lot of
blood.
I felt sick all of a sudden. The place was giving me a very sad feeling. I couldn’t ignore the scent that
lingered around me.
The scent of death.
I spotted Hunter’s older brother Ryan speaking with a nurse. I walked towards them and found Elaine
standing outside a room and knew that it had to be Hunter’s. She wrapped me in a warm motherly hug.
“Is Hunter alright?” I asked.
“He’s doing okay, honey. Thank god nothing serious happened to him. Fred and Hannah are on their
way. You go see him now.” She said sweetly, “I’m sure he wants to see his fiancé more than anyone
else.”
I felt guilty looking her in the eye and lying so openly. The lies about everything, about who I was,
where I came from and what I had done to put him in the hospital. She loved her step-son, and I’d
almost gotten him killed because of my selfish behavior.
I entered the room and saw Hunter lying on the propped up hospital bed, and when he saw me, he
flashed me a huge grin, the one that I loved.
It was probably the relief I felt when I saw him safe and smiling that a sob escaped my lips and I began
crying. His eyes widened, “Oh, Blue...sweetheart. Come here.”
His hand was bandaged in a white looking thing, and he was sitting shirtless. A patch of bandage
covered his upper torso. He told me to sit beside him on the bed.
“Does it hurt?” I asked touching his heavily bandaged arm.
“It’s fractured. It did hurt when it happened and all I remember later is waking up in the hospital with the
bandages.”
I covered my mouth with my hand and cried, “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“What? This isn’t your fault. You weren’t even—” He stopped talking and I saw his expressions register
why it had happened.
Certainly this was no co-incidence.
“Call off the wedding.” I said firmly. “Adrian’s right. This was a bad idea.”
Horror crossed his features, “What do you mean this is a bad idea? What are you planning to do?”
“I’ll go back home with Adrian.” I said. “I can’t lose you. I can’t watch you die.”
“This is your home, and you’re not going anywhere.” Hunter said.
“I’ve been foolish to assume that I could live peacefully here with you, and look what happened. It’s
best if I left.”
Hunter touched my face with his good hand, his silver eyes were intense, cutting through mine like a
bolt of lightning, he said the next words slowly, “I’m going to marry you, Blue, and no one’s going to
stop me. I won’t let anyone or anything come between us. I’ll move this entire fucking universe on its
axis. Fight with god himself if I have to.”
I was already deeply in love with him, but when he said that with so much conviction, I believed him.
His eyes, they told me he’d make good on his word.
“I love you and I can’t bear the thought of losing you, Hunter.”
“I love you more than you could ever imagine. I’ve loved you for a long time.”
I couldn’t argue with him, this brave man. He was ready to sacrifice his life in order to marry me.
“You still have time to think. Take your time.” I said.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
“Let me see your arm.” I touched his arm softly, trying not to cause any pain.
I hadn’t done this since years so maybe I’d lost practice but I needed to try. I wrapped my fingers
around his elbow, holding his arm in place and closed my eyes. I began chanting softly in whispers,
and seconds later I felt the burning sensation in my body, the glowing beneath my fingers. A feeling
that something was being lifted off Hunter. As I continued to whisper the words, the heaviness was
leaving his body.
I heard Hunter whisper ′what’s happening? I ignored him and continued.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Hunter giving me a weird look, he was grinning. “What was that about?”
“Try moving your arm now. Do you still feel any pain?”
Confusion was clear on his features, but he did what I’d asked him to and began moving his arm.
“I feel...better. I think...” He gave me a surprised look. “I think my arm isn’t fractured anymore.”
I touched his torso where he’d been injured and repeated the same thing. When it was done, I slowly
peeled off the bandage and the part looked smooth like he hadn’t been hurt there at all.
Hunter stared at me in awe, “how did you do that?”
I giggled, “Powers, but shhh...don’t tell this to anyone.”
He brought my face down to his in a long lingering kiss. It felt so good to have his plump lips on mine. I
moaned literally and forgot that I was kissing him openly in a hospital room.
Someone cleared their throat, and we pulled away abruptly.
Wyatt, Hunter’s father was standing in the the doorway looking amused, “sorry to interrupt you kids, but
the doctor says Hunter will be discharged from the hospital tonight.”
My cheeks were flaming. What would his dad think? That I couldn’t even wait until Hunter was okay
and had shamelessly started kissing his son when he was in a hospital bed.
“Dad, I think I’m ready to go home.” Hunter said gleefully, “I don’t feel any pain at all. I think my arm
isn’t fractured, the doctor probably made a mistake.”
Mr. Brantley narrowed his eyes, looking between me and Hunter in confusion, “are you sure there’s no
pain, son?”
“I’m positive.”
“I’ll talk to the doctor to re-examine you.”
The door closed after him and we broke into secretive giggles. Hunter touched my cheek and ran his
fingers from my lips down to my breasts, just kept his hand there on my bosom, slowly he squeezed, I
gasped. “The the pain in my arm has lifted and transferred to another part of my body.”
I laughed, “where has it transferred? I’ll make it okay right now.”
That ear-splitting grin remained, he moved his mouth close to my ear and whispered, “it’s transferred to
my balls.”
“Hunter...in order for me to take the pain away from your...well, balls...whatever that is. I need to see
that part.”
Hunter’s balls. How strange. I never knew that part of the male anatomy. I knew about footballs,
basketballs...
“No magic can make it go away.” He said, I had the impression that he was teasing me. “I have had this
issue since I rescued you from the beach.”
“Oh.” I said. “Well, if not with magic...can I help any other way?”
Hunter watched me intently, “You can help me after we’re married, that is. You can make the pain go
away.” He laughed again.
“I see. Can I see it at least?”
“On our wedding night. I promise you. I’ll show you everything.” He laughed, and I noticed Hunter
blushing for the first time. He rarely blushed.
“Everything?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He said. “Everything that you were so curious about.”
My eyes strayed to the tent in his denim and I was surprised how excited I was to see Hunter fully
naked.
“As your wife I can touch you and see you naked whenever I want?” I asked.
“I’ll be yours to do whatever you please with me.” He said with humor.
“I can’t wait.” I said truthfully.
“You horny woman, you’re making me blush.” He said, “Do you think you want to get married the day
after instead of waiting next week?”
“Yes. Yes. I would love that.”
“I’ll see what I can do to hasten the preparations.” He grinned happily.
I pecked his lips, “Do you know where the bathroom is?”
I told Hunter I would stay with him until he was sent back home. He’d insisted that I should leave but I
refused.
I made a run to the bathroom, closed the door and puked into the commode.
Blood. The dark red mermaid blood that looked almost black, a little different than human blood.
Taking Hunter’s pain away, and repairing his fractured arm had taken a toll on my body. I’d had a
burning feeling in my stomach since but I didn’t want to trouble him because he looked so happy.
I splashed water on my face. The white basin spotted with dark spots. I touched my nose and my
fingers were smeared with the blood.
I pulled paper towels and dabbed it.
I’m going to be fine, I told myself.
There was nothing that was going to stop me from marrying Hunter Brantley.
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