Sharkbait Down Under

We rested and had cut lunches out of the cooler as we transited to the next dive location, a reef teeming with sea life. We didn’t see any big sharks, but it was still a beautiful dive spot. I didn’t envy Linda; editing this visit to just 39 minutes of television would be tough. It would be a good episode, great if she finished it with this shot of Nicholas peeling his wetsuit down to expose his ripped abs.

“Who has the hotter mate between us,” I sent to Amy as I started to drool.

“Your man is hot if you like that bulging muscle thing,” Amy countered. “Kai has that lean swimmer look I can’t get enough of.”

“I do like those muscles, but I love how he uses that body to make me scream. I used to think you were kidding about how good it was. It’s incredible.”

Amy started coughing as she tried not to laugh, getting up to hand out drinks from the Esky. “One more night for you to know the wonders of mated life before we head to Singapore.”

I didn’t want to focus on that right now, not while I was riding the high of a dive day and holding my mate’s hand. I leaned back and let the ocean breeze dry my hair as the boat returned to port.

I liked this area, even if no other werewolves lived here.

We arrived back at the pier at dinnertime, and Linda went back to start editing while we joined Matt and Nicole for dinner at their home.

Terry and Tina arrived shortly after, making it six wolves and four mermaids for dinner. Matt grilled jumbo prawns on the barbie while Nicole made rice and steamed vegetables to go with it. After talking about our day, Terry talked about what he had done. “I’ve made contact with the heads of the thirty-two Mermaid families in Australia,” he said. “They were intrigued by the idea of joining your Pack, but they aren’t sure what that means for them quite yet. They were unanimous in their agreement to sign a treaty with you. As I said, we don’t want any trouble, and both our species have lived here for centuries.” He pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across to me.

Nicholas and I looked at it; it was a simple non-aggression treaty, each side recognizing the other, promising to resolve disagreements peacefully. “I have no issue signing this,” Nicholas sent to me.

We both signed, then two mermen signed on lines for their families. “I will have to circulate this among the other families to get their approval before I can give you a copy. Unlike your Pack structure, each family group is an independent entity.”

“Pretty much how we operated until we found out what an Alpha was,” Nicholas said.

We talked a little more about my production company and plans for the future. Since they were mermaids, they didn’t have to be SCUBA qualified to operate underwater cameras as long as everyone on the boat was supernatural. “I’d still like them to be open-water qualified and have camera experience since some expeditions involve university teams or other humans,” I said.

“Won’t your bodyguards be doing that for you?”

“We haven’t gotten that far,” I said. “I had bodyguards because I was an unmated Mantled Alpha and a celebrity making public appearances. I’m mated now, and I’m going to focus on my productions instead of modeling after my contract ends next year. I should be fine traveling with my mate or other Pack members.”

“And who knows what will happen with the three of us,” Amy said. “Our mates are military men, so we can’t move down under with Vicki. We might fly in to shoot a documentary, but that’s about it. I’m getting out of the modeling business, too. Kai and I want to start a family once he’s settled on a Team.”

“We might keep modeling, but we have to turn our mates first,” Makani said. “Nothing is for sure with that.”

Matt smiled at them. “You are young, enjoy your youth while you have it,” he said. “You leave in the morning?”

“Yes, we have a flight at ten to Singapore,” I said. “We should be going. We haven’t been getting much sleep lately.”

“Neither have the people in the rooms around you,” Amy teased.

“You weren’t any better!” I rolled my eyes as the mermaids laughed. “New mates are insatiable.”

We said our goodbyes and caught a ride back to our hotel. Our group was just inside the lobby when Fiona froze. “Vampires,” she warned.

“Ah, Miss Lawrence, Mr. Corcoran. Congratulations on your engagement,” a man said as he walked out of the bar. He looked to be in his late twenties, with that perfect look and expensive suit I’d expect from a Vampire Master. He stopped and extended his hand; I could see another vampire on a couch in the lobby lounge, while a third was waiting in a chair by the door. “My name is Allesandro Molari. Miss Emily asked me to look you up, as she wasn’t able to travel to congratulate you in person. She asked me to communicate some things to you privately in her absence. Please, allow me to buy you a drink.”

“He won’t try anything in public,” I sent to everyone. “A friend of Emily is a friend indeed,” I said as I grasped his hand firmly before Nicholas shook it. “You guys head back up, we’ll be fine,” I told the other girls. Fiona and Carly stayed to watch their counterparts in the lobby and near the bar entrance. I held Nicholas’ hand while Allesandro led us to the quiet booth in the back he’d taken.

We sat at the large table; after ordering drinks, he got down to business. “I want you to know that I speak for Emily and Cyprian. If you doubt this, please, call either of them, and they will verify.”

No Vampire would dare speak for the Supreme Master and a Vampire Master without their authorization; it would be a quick way to lose your head. “That won’t be necessary. How are my friends doing?” I didn’t know how much he knew of my relationship with the Master Vampire of Boston, or the Supreme Vampire of North America. I didn’t know how many vampires knew I had killed Master Alexander, the previous Master of New England.

“They were shocked and pleased to see your engagement on the news,” he said. “No one expected you to find a husband down under.”

“I certainly didn’t, but I’m thrilled it turned out this way,” I said as I leaned into Nicholas’ shoulder.

“She’s an amazing woman,” Nicholas agreed. We paused our conversation while the waitress brought our drinks.

When she was gone, he continued. “You understand that Cyprian had hopes that you would eventually swing the Council to a more cooperative relationship than we have enjoyed as a people,” Allesandro said.

“I share his sentiments. I understood he was making a long-term play by befriending the next generation of our leaders. Your view of time is considerably different than ours, and the current Council is resistant to change.” I hadn’t talked in-depth to my mate about my vampire interactions, so I was explaining for Nicholas’ benefit too.

Allesandro nodded. “Resistant is an understatement. Coral reefs grow faster than your Chairmen do.” I had to laugh at that; coral reefs took decades to mature. “He believes recent events place you in a unique position to force a change.”

“How?”

“By taking advantage of our isolation and the trust you have in others.” He pulled a napkin over and took a pen out of his jacket pocket. He drew a diagram of the North American Werewolf leadership, from the Council Chairman, through Regional Chairs, to Pack Alphas. Next to that, he drew the Vampire Council, with its Supreme Vampire and regional Masters down to Covens. Below those two, he drew the ‘flat’ organization of mermaids, with family leaders in loose affiliation.

“Put lines between them that no one dares to cross, and you have it,” I said.

“This is what you left,” he said. “And this is what you have here in Australia right now.” He drew Nicholas and I over our Pack, Allesandro over his Coven Leaders in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, and the decentralized mermaid families along the coast. “No lines,” he said. “There never have been.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t look at me. I didn’t know about either of these kinds until this week,” Nicholas said.

“Because our history in this Colony was different than the Americas, or Europe,” Allesandro said. “I grew up and was turned in London in the seventeenth century. My leader sent me here; I arrived in Sydney in 1805. I met Philip Corcoran once; he didn’t know what to make of me, and I didn’t react to him. He was the only one of you I met, and I kept track of him and his descendants until now. None of you showed any hostility, so there was no need to enforce borders and treaties. I set up in the growing cities, while your ancestors fled for new territories every time it started to get crowded. The others were the same, mostly mariners who settled here. They preferred smaller fishing villages and didn’t cause any trouble. The continent was big enough for all of us to live our lives as we wished.”

“No border wars, no treaties,” I said to myself. “I’ve signed a treaty with the others; it’s a simple non-aggression pact. I would be happy to extend the same to you, and I could introduce you to their leaders.”

“Thank you, but Cyprian has a bigger plan.”

I didn’t know what to think of that. I was an eighteen-year-old Alpha female with a new and untrained Pack, a full day’s flight from my home Pack. What could I do? “What kind of plan?”

Allesandro smiled and picked up his pen. He took the picture of the Australian order, drawing a big circle around the three groups. “I’ve heard you are under a lot of pressure right now, Vicki. The North American Council desperately wants you back under their authority, while the European Council would like to steal you away to spite their rivals. Neither group wants what is best for you or your family. What Cyprian is proposing, and I agree with, is to throw away the old order. We create an Australian Council. My people, your people, their people. All united under a single banner, claiming the Australian continent for ourselves. No supernatural of any kind would enter without our agreement, and no foreign Council could do a damn thing about it.”

My jaw dropped, and I sat back, amazed at the elegance of the plan. In one act, we’d cut out the legs of the Werewolf Councils and set in place an example of cooperative governance that would shake up the rest of the world. “It’s brilliant,” I said. “There is a lot of work to get there, especially to bring all the Mer aboard. Still, I want this to happen.”

“Cyprian and Emily have promised to assist in any way they can,” Allesandro promised.

“I’ll work on it while you are gone,” Nicholas said. “I can work with Matt and Terry, who are already working on getting the treaty approved.”

“Christmas break,” I said. “Nicholas and I are getting married in Port Lincoln over Christmas; if we could gather all of us in one place, we could make this happen by the end of the year.” I looked over at Nicholas. “We’ll send you a wedding invitation.”

“I look forward to it,” Allesandro said. “I can see you are tired, and I know you leave early tomorrow. Here is my contact information; call me anytime.” He got up and walked out, his men following him to his luxury car.

“You can’t do it all tonight,” Nicholas said as he held his hand out to me. “Let’s get you to bed.”

That sounded damn good.