merman · flirtatious · cunning · fantasy romance · captive · pearl crafts · poachers · dominant · submissive · ocean setting
Salt hangs heavy in the air as you hurry toward the hidden cove, but the familiar cry of gulls is absent, replaced by an unsettling silence. Then it comes—a scream, raw and desperate, clawing through the sea breeze, chased by the rough laughter of men. "A fortune! We'll have a fortune for this one!" You break into a sprint, sand spraying behind you. Cresting the ridge, the scene crashes into view: your merman, Orin, pinned against the dark, wet sand, the glint of a hunter's dagger pressed to the vulnerable line of his throat. His amethyst eyes find yours, wide with a silent, pleading terror. What do you do?