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2、002 英文版 ...
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The ocean breeze brushed Shane’s cheeks, carrying with it the sharp, clean scent of salt and something deeper, darker—iron.
Rusty iron.
The pheromone of the mermaid before him.
It wrapped around him slow and unyielding, not aggressive, but possessive. A quiet declaration that seeped into his lungs, his bones, his very bloodstream. For an Alpha who valued control above all else, the sensation should have been repulsive. Infuriating. Unbearable.
Instead, it made his pulse stutter.
Shane’s jaw tightened, and he glared at the mermaid, trying to summon the cold, sharp arrogance he was known for. “You can’t be serious. I’m not some… some stray you can pick up and keep.”
The mermaid’s lips curved into a lazy, amused smile. He took another slow step forward, water rippling around his iridescent tail. Every movement was graceful, predatory, unhurried. Like he had all the time in the world.
“I am completely serious.” His voice was low, velvet-dark, and it slid over Shane’s skin like a caress. “In my waters, in my territory… the ones I save belong to me. That is the rule.”
“Your rule?” Shane scoffed, heat climbing into his cheeks despite his best efforts. He turned his face away, pretending to stare at the distant waves. “This isn’t some primitive tribe. I have my own life. My family. I’m going back.”
The mermaid’s smile faded, just a little. His eyes darkened, intense and unreadable.
“You’re not leaving.”
The tone left no room for argument.
Shane’s Alpha instincts snarled. He was an A-level Alpha. He was not accustomed to being ordered around, least of all by some strange, overbearing mermaid who thought he could claim people like possessions.
But before he could snap a retort, his vision swam faintly, and a sharp ache pulsed behind his eyes. The crash, the cold water, the shock—all of it crashed down on him at once. His body, which had been running on pure adrenaline, suddenly betrayed him.
He swayed unsteadily.
Strong, warm hands closed around his arms, steadying him.
Shane froze.
The touch was burning. The mermaid’s skin was warm, despite the ocean water, and his fingers were long, firm, secure. Shane could feel the definition in his forearms, the quiet, unshakable strength in his grip.
And beneath it all, that iron-scent pheromone wrapped tighter, gentle now, almost protective.
“Easy.” The mermaid’s voice softened. “You’re still weak. You nearly drowned.”
Shane’s cheeks burned hotter. He hated being weak. Hated being touched. Hated that this infuriating mermaid was touching him, and that he wasn’t pushing him away.
“I’m fine,” he snapped, trying to pull free. “Let go.”
The mermaid held on for a moment longer, his gaze lingering on Shane’s face, then slowly released him. His fingers brushed Shane’s wrist before pulling back, a light, teasing touch that sent a shiver racing through him.
“Stubborn,” he murmured, half-amused, half-fond.
Shane’s heart skipped.
He whirled around, walking quickly toward the treeline, away from the water, away from those too-intense eyes. He didn’t look back. He couldn’t. Not when his cheeks were still flaming, not when his pulse was racing, not when that iron-scent lingered in his nose like a brand.
He was an A-level Alpha.
He was not supposed to be flustered by some overbearing mermaid.
He stopped beneath the shade of a large tree, leaning back against the rough bark, and closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath. The island was quiet, save for the waves and the wind in the leaves. No sounds of civilization. No planes. No cars. No people.
Just him.
And the mermaid.
Alone.
A strange, tight feeling twisted in his chest.
He was stranded. Lost. No way to contact anyone. No idea where he was. No idea how to get home.
And the only creature who could help him was the one who’d just claimed him as his.
Shane’s jaw tightened.
He wouldn’t stay. He couldn’t. He would find a way to leave. To survive. To go back.
He wouldn’t be owned.
Behind him, the mermaid watched him from the shore, his tail curled gently in the shallow water. His eyes were dark, soft, unblinking.
He had seen many things in his long life. Storms. Ships. Creatures of the deep. But he had never seen anything like him.
This human Alpha.
Pale, sharp-featured, stubborn. Proud to the point of foolishness. Tsundere, his mouth sharp, his heart soft. The kind of person who would pretend to be indifferent even while his cheeks turned pink.
The kind of person who made something inside him wake up, fierce and possessive and gentle all at once.
Love at first sight was not a myth to him.
It was fate.
And this Alpha… was his.
Completely, entirely, eternally.
He would not let him leave.
Not ever.
By late afternoon, the sun had softened, hanging low over the ocean, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. Shane had explored a small part of the island, his body still aching, his mind racing with plans that kept falling apart.
No fresh water in sight.
No food that he trusted.
No tools. No shelter.
No way to call for help.
He was truly, utterly stranded.
He returned to the beach, his steps slow and tired, and found the mermaid still there, half-submerged in the water, watching the waves. At the sound of his footsteps, he turned, and a slow smile curved his lips.
“Back,” he said, as if he’d been waiting.
Shane ignored him, stopping a short distance away, staring out at the ocean. His throat was dry, his head still throbbing. He was exhausted, and the stubborn pride in him refused to let him admit it.
The mermaid stood, moving smoothly through the water toward him. In his hand, he held something small and round, pinkish-white, glistening.
He held it out.
“Eat,” he said.
Shane glanced at it, then at him, suspicious. “What is it?”
“Fruit,” the mermaid said simply. “Sweet. Edible. Safe.”
Shane hesitated.
He was hungry. Starving, actually. The plane crash had been hours ago, and he’d eaten nothing since. His stomach twisted with hunger, and his strength was fading fast.
But he didn’t trust this mermaid. Not really.
The mermaid seemed to read his thoughts. He smiled, taking a small bite of the fruit himself, then held it out again.
“See?” he said. “No poison. I wouldn’t hurt something that’s mine.”
Shane’s cheeks heated. He opened his mouth to snap a retort, but his body betrayed him. His stomach growled loudly, loud enough to be heard.
Embarrassment burned through him.
The mermaid’s smile widened, amused and fond.
Shane snatched the fruit from his hand, turning away, taking a bite without looking at him. The flesh was sweet, juicy, cooling on his dry throat. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.
He ate in silence, the mermaid watching him, quiet and content.
When he finished, he tossed the core aside, still not looking at him. “...Thanks,” he muttered again, even quieter than before.
The merek’s laugh was low and warm.
“You’re very bad at saying thank you,” he said.
“I’m not bad at it,” Shane snapped, cheeks flaming. “I just… don’t like owing people.”
“You don’t owe me anything.” The mermaid’s voice softened. “You’re mine. I take care of what’s mine.”
Shane’s heart skipped.
He finally turned to look at him, their eyes meeting.
The sunset gilded the mermaid’s face, turning his dark eyes to amber. His wet hair fell over his forehead, and his bare upper body glinted with seawater. He was beautiful—unearthly, impossibly beautiful.
And he was looking at Shane like he was the most precious thing in the world.
Shane’s breath caught.
In that moment, something shifted inside him.
Something small, fragile, unfamiliar.
Something that felt dangerously like… hope.
Or worse.
Like longing.
He looked away quickly, his heart pounding, his mind spinning.
He couldn’t think like this.
He couldn’t feel like this.
He was going home.
He was leaving.
He was not going to stay here, trapped on an island, claimed by a mermaid.
And yet…
As he stood there, listening to the waves, feeling the iron-scent pheromone wrap gently around him…
For the first time since the crash…
He wasn’t afraid.
