J.M. Snyder

Derek Meredith lost his lover of ten years, Tad Archer, in a boating accident. Four months later, anonymous phone calls lead him to a weathered bar on the coast, where he runs into an old friend named Kellen who has, in his own words, found something Derek has lost. Kellen and Derek are both members of a mythical race of sea creatures known as merrows. Friends earlier in life, Kellen had loved Derek from childhood, but a wanderlust filled Derek's heart, leading him to seek life on the shore among humans. Tad was the reason he'd left the ocean behind, and Kellen has never managed to move beyond that rejection. Back in Derek's life again, Kellen offers him an "indecent proposal" -- a night of passion between the merrows for the return of his lover. But complications arise, among them the fact that without his talisman, an item linking his blood with the sea, Derek is unable to return to the ocean and rescue Tad. His talisman was given to his lover on their tenth anniversary as a symbol of his love; in exchange, Tad gave him a gold ring. The metal holds mystical properties for those with merrish blood, and Derek hopes that the power of love that resides in the band might be enough to help him rescue his lover ... without having to succumb to Kellen's sordid desires in the process.

Undertow

His old friend was also missing.Fear seized Derek’s heart—what if this were some cruel joke?If,just when he’d been willing to give himself to Kellen,the merrow saw an opportunity for further exploitation and left,taking Tad and Merla with him,to haunt Derek again at a later date?Derek shot across the debris field,ducking under the plane’s wing,arms outstretched.“No,”he whispered,as his hands closed over nothing but empty water.“No—”


Then his fingers brushed against solid wood.With a sigh of relief,Derek sank to the sand as he patted the soul cage to prove to himself it was still there.Skirting it,he found the knothole he’d opened before,and he pressedhis ear against the opening as he held his breath,hoping,praying,waitingto hear…


A faint sigh,barely there but God,it was a heavenly sound that flooded him with a tidal wave of emotions,leaving him weak with relief,with love.Placing his lips against the hole,he murmured,“Tad,I’m here.I’m going to take you home.”


Chapter 24