Chapter 4
Grayson
Huge. The Mer were huge. Their speedboat captain, Jaime, had warned them that his Alpha mate would be meeting them at the docs, but nothing could have prepared him for the sheer size of the dark-scaled Mer waiting on the dock.
He had deep emerald scales, which gave way to a paler hue on his face, chest, and stomach. Coal black fins ran the length of his forearms and sprouted from the sides of his head. His tail was so long, it dragged on the ground when he walked toward them.
“Welcome to Miami,” he said. His voice was so low, Grayson could feel it in his chest. He gingerly accepted the proffered clawed hand and stepped down onto dry land. Behind him, the Florida Sea stretched to the horizon, its peaceful surface concealing the destruction beneath.
The first change Earth had undergone when the Mer landed in the oceans was the flooding. Water levels steadily rose until every coastal region was submerged. Then, their islands appeared—little land masses with alien soil and flora, perched atop the drowned remains of human cities.
Grayson had seen human Miami in old photos, and he had to admit the Mermade version was objectively superior.
Sand like tiny diamonds met gentle, blue waves, and strange, alien plants grew thick.
The shades of maroon, purple, lilac, and everything in between made Grayson wonder if Loaish, the Mer language, had different words for the many variations.
“Okay, kids,” Jaime said as his mate helped him off the boat. “Vuos is going to chauffeur us to your new residence. Should be about fifteen minutes once we’re all loaded up.” The gaggle of awed Omegas trailed after their guides, staring around at the extraterrestrial ecosystem.
The islands were supposedly cloned fragments of Usoi’s actual surface, with plants, minerals, and soil identical to the Mer’s homeworld.
When the Mer themselves rose from Earth’s ocean floor, they began building.
Mermade cities more or less resembled human cities, with some Mer-friendly alterations.
The familiar skyline just beyond the trees felt comedically mismatched.
“Everyone on the shuttle bus,” Jaime called out. “If you have a big bag, put it underneath. If you have a really big bag, start crying and Vuos will come help you.”
The group tittered, eying the monstrous Mer with both interest and apprehension.
“Are we all headed to the same place?” Jenna asked, jamming her leopard print suitcase in the storage under the bus.
“Two places,” Vuos replied. “Half of you will be living at Sandpiper Park and the other half have been placed at Coral Landing.”
Jenna hopped on the bus after Grayson and nudged him. “Which one are you at?”
“Uh.” Grayson glanced down at his phone. “Sandpiper Park.”
“Awesome, me too. I wonder if it’s divided by workplace.”
“It is,” one of the younger guys said. “All the Ilithyia Birthing Center people are going to Coral Landing.”
Jenna nodded thoughtfully. “Who all is going to Brighid’s Well?” she called out. Three tentative hands went in the air. There was Jaeyong, a fresh grad who looked extremely nervous about his life choices, Tara, an easygoing pixie of a woman, and Aureliano, a reserved, seemingly introverted man.
“Did you guys see the apartment photos?” Tara asked, wide-eyed. “They’re so fuckin’ nice.”
“My last place was a dorm,” Jaeyong said. “I dropped my phone when I saw them.”
Jenna patted her backpack. “I went to Lush and bought about a million bath bombs when I saw the tub.”
“Dammit, why didn’t I think of that?”
That warm, fuzzy feeling was growing stronger in Grayson’s stomach by the second. He could have a community here—people he would see every day who knew what he was and didn’t care. Coworkers, neighbors, and maybe even friends.
“Grayson, give me your number,” Jenna said, handing him her phone. “I’m making a Sandpiper group chat.”
He tapped it in, noticing she’d set his name to “Grayson Violets.”
“Everyone ready?” Jaime stood in the central aisle, grinning at them. The Mer, Vuos, sat in a strangely shaped seat which included a gap for that massive tail.
“Fifteen minutes to Sandpiper Park, then another five minutes to Coral Landing.”
The bus shuddered into gear and began crawling from the parking lot.
“Everyone know where they’re headed?” Jaime asked.
Scattered nods.
“Any questions about the area?”
“Luae, please sit down,” Vuos rumbled. “It is dangerous to stand while we are moving.”
Jaime rolled his eyes but perched himself on the edge of a seat. “Wait till all of you meet your Alpha. Overprotective cetaceans, all of them.”
“Got any coffee shop recommendations?” Tara asked. Instantly, every eye was on Jaime.
“Lucky for you, the Mer love coffee. You’re on your way to americano central. If you’re a latte person, like me, Belly Flop Bean Stop is the best place for coffee to-go.”
Grayson couldn’t hold in the snort of laughter.
“Okay, the name isn’t great,” Jaime conceded, “but the coffee is fantastic. If you want a place to sit and chat, definitely try Butterbell Bakery and Cafe. They have a raspberry ribbon croissant I would commit crimes for.”
“What about a bar?” someone yelled from the back. A general murmur of agreement traveled through the group.
Jaime stroked his chin. “Well, as you may or may not know, Mer are lightweights.”
“I think you mean Mer react poorly to being poisoned, like most living things,” Vuos countered.
“Hush, lightweight. Anyway, there aren’t quite as many bars as cafes, but there absolutely are a few good options…”
By the time their shuttle pulled into Sandpiper Park, Jenna had a whole page of notes on places to visit in Miami.
“Alright, Sandpiper folks, off you trot. Don’t forget any bags you may have stashed under the bus.”
Grayson filed off the vehicle with his four new companions and helped Jenna extract her overstuffed suitcase.
“What the hell did you pack?” he wheezed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
“I told you. One million bath bombs.”
With a final wave, Jaime got back on the shuttle and left them to their new home.
Sandpiper Park was a little complex of four buildings, each only seven floors high.
The outside was coated in smooth, cream stucco, and each apartment had a wide balcony with artistic, pale blue railings.
The Earth palm trees that swayed in the courtyard were off-puttingly green against the lavender grass.
“Damn.” Tara whistled. “This place is fancy. Which building are you guys in?”
Grayson squinted at his phone, the screen dim in the bright sun. “Looks like… Building A?”
“I’m in B.” Jenna peered up at the buildings. “Oh, it’s that one, to the left. Anyone else in B?”
Jaeyong raised his hand, and the pair of them started off across the vibrant courtyard.
Tara waved and disappeared through the nearby entrance to building C.
“I’m in A, too,” Aureliano said. “C’mon.” With the extroverted girls gone, silence fell.
“What floor are you on?” Grayson asked, unable to think of anything more interesting to say.
“Sixth. You?”
“Oh yeah, me too. I’m 604.”
“602. Guess we’re neighbors. “A small smile cracked through the solemn exterior of Aureliano’s face.
Grayson was quick to return it. “This is all so different from home. I don’t even know where to go grocery shopping.”
Aureliano laughed. “Me too. Small town boy through and through. Maybe we could go out and get the lay of the land after we’ve unpacked a few things? Maybe grab dinner?”
“That would be amazing.” Grayson held out his phone. “Can I get your number?”
“Sure thing.” Aureliano tapped his number into the new contact field. “You can call me Aureli, by the way. Full name is a mouthful.”
Grayson chuckled. The small lobby area on the first floor was paneled with whitewashed wood, and little potted plants lined the window sills. Already, it felt more like home than the run-down cabin he’d grown up in.
The elevator’s gleaming doors opened on the sixth floor, revealing terra cotta tiles and vibrant yellow walls.
“Woah,” Aureli said, tugging his suitcase over the little gap. “This looks like my abuela’s house.”
There were only four doors on the entire floor, and the short hallway ended in a floor to ceiling window. Just beyond the coastal road, Grayson could see the ocean shimmering under afternoon sunshine.
“This is nothing like my family’s home,” he muttered. His apartment was on the left, with odd numbered units on the right.
Aureli offered a half wave. “Good luck settling in, see you in a few hours.”
“You too.” Grayson slid the keypad open and punched in the default code. He paused to take a slow breath before pushing the door open.
Sunlight streamed into the apartment from the sliding glass door beyond the living area. The floors were smooth, glossy tile with a faux wood grain, though the center of the living room was set apart by a blue rug.
Grayson didn’t dare blink as he slipped inside.
The door swung shut behind him and beeped a cheery tune as the lock clicked back into place.
There were pale wood cabinets and a matching door on either side of the entryway—storage and a coat closet.
When Grayson rounded the corner, a beautiful kitchen came into view.
A long, slender island separated the living and walking space from the polished granite counters and gleaming appliances.
Everything was done in pale cream hues, amplifying the natural light pouring in.
When he got closer, he realized the rug was dozens of shades of blue, the pattern mimicking ocean waves.
The leather sofa opposite the wall-mounted TV was a pleasing aqua that brought out similar shades in the rug.
The three barstools at this side of the kitchen island were upholstered in the same shade.
Even the blown glass light fixture overhead mirrored rich ocean blues and greens.
Abandoning his duffle bag in the living room, Grayson ventured down the hallway, which opened between the kitchen and living areas. The two doors on the right were open, allowing light to flood into the windowless hall.
The first was a guest room, sparsely decorated, but with clean birch furniture and blue-green linens. The second…
Grayson stepped into his new room. It was bathed in sunlight, cascading through a wall of windows at the far end. A king-sized bed occupied one wall, and an elegant desk, the other. The attached bathroom boasted that enormous bathtub he’d seen in the photos. It was somehow larger in person.
Grayson’s legs folded in on themselves, and he half-fell to the floor.
I did it.