41.Alin
Alin
We swim swiftly to the surface, accompanied by my mother, father, Bay, and three guards who will stay with us until we reach the shore. We navigate near wild pod cities, the guards’ eyes fixed on the path as I lead them to the beach where I agreed to meet Luca.
As the land approaches, anxiety outweighs my excitement. I hope the brothers have handled everything. Who am I kidding? It’s Luca. He wouldn’t make a mistake unless it was intentional, I think, boosting my confidence in our plan.
In the shallow waters, I lift my head and spot Mariano on the shore, standing between the rocks with a large bag. My parents don’t know they’re waiting for me, and I pray they won’t cause any problems. I scan the beach to ensure it’s empty. Why am I worrying? They probably handled it.
I breathe a sigh of relief and wave to Mariano, easily catching his attention.
He’s been waiting for me like a hawk, never taking his eyes off the water.
That’s the Spallo family for you. I smile and signal to my family that it’s safe to come ashore, pointing to the rocky area and indicating to the guards that we’ll continue alone from here.
My family starts swimming to the shore, but not before I swim ahead quickly, overtaking them and being the first to step onto the beach.
“Did you organize everything?” I ask Mariano quickly as my tail transforms into legs.
“The Spallo family never cuts corners. Everything is arranged perfectly for their highnesses,” he laughs, giving an exaggerated mock bow, but his face turns serious the moment three more merfolk emerge from the water, his gaze following them.
“I’ll never get used to this... I still think I’m hallucinating...” Mariano mutters quietly as he watches my parents, their bodies adorned with colors as magnificent as their status.
“How much gold do you have that...?” Mariano turns to me with a question but immediately looks away, closing his eyes when my naked body is revealed on the sand.
“Are you trying to get Luca to castrate me? I have a wife at home and need to produce an heir,” he throws out, along with a string of unintelligible curses.
“Oh, shut up,” I reply impatiently, full of stress, and snatch the bag from him.
“Mom, Dad, hurry up, I’ve got clothes for you,” I hand them the bag and quickly put on a light pink summer dress, tossing an identical one to Bay.
Mariano is making a great effort not to be his usual sarcastic self around my parents, and I silently thank him for it. It’s not easy dealing with such knowledge and sights, even without all this pressure in the air.
“Mom, Dad, this is Mariano. He and his family supported and helped me the whole time I was on the surface,” I introduce Mariano to my parents as they stand in front of him, now dressed in the summer clothes we arranged for them.
I struggle to suppress my laughter at their unusual appearance and hope there won’t be too many inquiries about the Spallo family.
“Very nice to meet you, I’m Mariano Spallo,” Mariano immediately extends his hand and addresses my parents formally, the familiar business look of the Spallo family shining on his face. He’s doing an excellent job.
“Very nice,” my mother replies tersely, her tone laced with nervous dryness. She knows mingling with humans is too much of a risk. My father looks at her and sighs as she ignores Mariano’s outstretched hand.
Luckily, my parents are familiar with human gestures. As much as they can, at least.
My father steps forward and shakes his hand in return.
“Nice to meet you, Mariano. I’m Clarion.
Thank you for taking care of my daughter until now.
I assume you also organized the event?” my father asks, and I pray that the questioning ends here.
I’m on the verge of pulling my hair out from the tense atmosphere in the air.
“With great care,” Mariano answers with a sly grin.
I’m surprised when a satisfied smile spreads across my father’s face; it seems he appreciates Mariano’s approach.
Okay, the situation is improving. You can breathe, Alin. Breathe!
Now that my father is relaxed, my mother will also ease up a bit, increasing the chances of the plan’s success.
“Mom, try to be nice, please. You need to thank them, not punish them,” I whisper close to my mother’s ear, trying to maintain a calm atmosphere as much as possible.
After a few seconds that feel like an eternity, my mother sighs heavily and thanks Mariano, introducing herself.
I shoot an apologetic look at him, but he seems unfazed. It feels like he’s in his element. The human business world probably isn’t that different in its approach. I owe him big time if the plan goes well.
“We’re ready!” Bay shouts excitedly, now fully dressed.
Bay has never been on land before, and she still needs to get used to the whole leg thing as she zigzags toward us like she’s drunk.
This helpless sight is so uncharacteristic of my family that I struggle not to grab Mariano’s phone and take a picture for posterity.
To laugh at them later. A small giggle escapes me, and my mother shoots me a questioning look. You mustn’t laugh, Alin!
I look at Mariano to calm the wave of laughter threatening to overwhelm me and take a deep breath.
“I parked the van nearby,” another familiar voice comes from the other side, allowing me to relax. Pedro has joined us.
“Mom, you all will wait here for Zale and his son with Pedro, and then he will take you to the arranged location,” I inform them, and my father agrees, sitting down on the sand.
“Be careful, and once Zale and his son arrive and transform their tails, send them with another guard and make sure they sit in the back seat, alone . I don’t want them having direct contact with anyone,” I whisper to Pedro, instructing him, and signal to Mariano to proceed to the vehicle with me as he nods.
“Now I understand what kept you here for so long. Look at him, a walking god,” Bay teases, staring at Mariano, her voice playful. Of course, Mariano laughs—another boost to his ego, as if he didn’t have enough already.
“Bay!” I warn, and she falls silent but continues to giggle to herself, throwing glances at Mariano.
“Relax, he’s married,” I whisper to her. This girl has no filter; she’ll only embarrass me today.
I walk beside Mariano once I see Bay can walk straight by herself.
“I’m a magnet for women,” Mariano whispers in my ear, his smile still plastered on his face.
“Don’t get excited; Bay hasn’t seen a man in a very long time... at least not one she didn’t have to hunt,” I retort, bringing his ego back down to where it belongs. For a moment, he looks horrified.
“Bay, I need you to stay here with my parents just in case. Pedro will drive you,” I tell her as she follows Mariano’s ass like a duckling after its mother.
Disappointment spreads across her face, but she silently returns to sit next to my parents on the sand.
“This wasn’t as hard as I expected,” Mariano says with a chuckle after closing the driver’s side door. I get in on the other side and fasten my seatbelt.
“Yeah, because I did all the work. What did you even do? Bring a bag of clothes?” I tease him with a laugh.
“It seems the stress is making you more sarcastic than usual. Don’t worry, we handled everything just like the Spallo family always does,” he says confidently, calming me down.
“So, does Bay have powers too?” he asks curiously, looking somewhat concerned.
“She had powers,” I begin, seeing his curiosity spark. “It’s a long story, but after she was exiled to the hunters’ pod, they took it from her, leaving her with only her voice. She could turn any existing liquid into crystals or gemstones.”
His mind races, and I laugh, sharing more details about my parents’ powers and what happened to Bay. “My father controls sound waves, and my mother has powers similar to mine. As everyone says, the younger version of her.”
When his questions finally stop, my gaze shifts to the window, recognizing the familiar path to the Spallo family’s luxurious building.
Please, let this day go smoothly. How do the brothers live with this adrenaline all the time on their missions?
I’ll have a heart attack and die before thirty at this rate.
“We’re here,” Mariano says, pulling me out of my anxious thoughts as he turns off the car’s engine. “Pedro will arrive in ten minutes with your family; he’s taking them around the block a few times so we have time to get ready.”
I nod and step out of the car, my heart pounding with anticipation
“What about Zale and his son?” I ask, just to be sure.
“They’re with Mateo. He seated them in the back, just as you requested,” he updates me, and I finally let out a breath. The brothers did a good job.
I run excitedly to the familiar elevator, knowing who’s waiting for me upstairs on the other side.
When the door opens, revealing my man’s captivating smile, I rush to him, jumping into his arms for a hug as if we hadn’t seen each other in months.
He lifts me up as I wrap my legs around his back, and I hear his relieved breath near my ear.
It seems I was right; he too wasn’t sure if I’d make it back or if everything would go smoothly. Now that I’m with him, I feel much more confident about the success of the plan. With him by my side, I’m not letting go.
“Alright, let’s get to work!” I shout to Mariano with a laugh, and Luca carries me, still in his arms, to the apartment balcony.
I’m stunned when my eyes land on the garden created on the balcony. The place looks like a royal courtyard, filled with golden and red fabrics draped elegantly from above, reminiscent of our royal dining room back at the castle. Wow.
In the center of the garden is a beautiful round table adorned with shells and corals painted in golden hues, with a red cloth cascading to the floor.
“How did you do all this?” I ask, realizing my mouth has been agape the whole time.