How to Catch a Fish (ManxMan)

Original Chapter Eight: More Complicated Than True Love's Kiss

~Chapter Eight: More Complicated Than True Love's Kiss~

"Not anymore."

I want to ask what he means, but something about the sudden quiet that settles over the others sitting at the table and the feeling of wrongness cue me in that something I will not like is about to happen. Abruptly rising from my seat, I make for the exit at a fast walk. The sound of another chair scraping against the stone floor alerts me that I am being followed.

"Atasah, stop," Nero orders from almost directly behind me, but I only walk faster.

When I reach for the door, a blindingly-hot hand closes around my forearm to stop me. I yank free with a startled hiss, slamming my back loudly into the door because of the suddenness of my action. Bewildered, I stare at my arm, almost expecting it to be on fire. But when I realize it isn't, my gaze goes to Nero's hand, which is definitely not on fire. The temptation to reach out and touch him just to make sure it was not a trick of the mind appears.

There's no way that's possible...

"Are you listening?" Nero suddenly asks, drawing my attention away from his hand and up to his face. It takes me a second to realize that he had been talking the entire time. I merely shake my head, which prompts a sigh from him, "You can't leave. The law forbids it."

Instead of answering, I give into the urge to touch him and press my hand against his cheek, which causes him to stiffen in surprise. Like his hand, Nero's face is extremely hot, like touching fire. Not the fire that burned me back in the prison, but the fire that I can summon to my hands at any given time. The fire that chases away the cold.

I found my cure.

Without hesitation, I use my hand on his face to pull him into a kiss, as just touching is not enough. Whether it is surprise or revolution, he does not kiss me back, which is why I pull away after a couple of seconds and drop my hand. I feel like I should apologize, which is exactly why I don't. Instead, I say, "Mer law doesn't apply to me."

Snapping himself out of whatever was going through his mind, all he offers me is a blank stare when he replies, "Yesterday, we formed a bond. As my soul mate, you are considered a part of the Mer royal family, and thus, have to follow our laws."

"I didn't sign any papers or agree to any of this," I point out. Despite disagreeing with him, I desperately want to touch him again. Just being near him is enough to make the curse vanish almost completely, and I blame adjusting to the prison's warmth for not noticing it sooner. Physical contact might not be necessary, but I definitely want it.

Nero crosses his arm, "You did the moment you offered to sleep with me."

"But you didn't tell me what would happen," I protest. However, even if I could go back and change it, I wouldn't. While I would prefer not being forced into the Mer world, having Nero – finding my cure – is worth the trouble it brings.

That is, if he even wants me.

"There are no laws that say you have to," he says, though there is a hint of guilt in his tone that reflects on his face for only a second. "Besides, I wasn't sure it would actually happen. The Attraction could have just disappeared instead."

I cross my arms, though it is less for the reason of looking peeved and more for the reason of not pulling him into another kiss. "Still my right to know," I argue, more for the sake of proving a point than the actual desire to start something.

Thankfully, Nero does not look angry. "I should have, but like I said yesterday, I didn't want to scare you off," he admits. When I cock an eyebrow at him, he puts up his hand in mock surrender, "Doesn't make what I did right, and I understand if you are angry, but-"