Sharkbait

I froze under my Alpha’s anger. “What?”

“All three are mermaids,” he said. The crew looked just as shocked.

I stepped in, my training as to be a good host kicking in, and it was MY boat. “As I said, I’m Vicki Lawrence, and I rented the ship,” I said with a smile.

Captain Thomas quickly recovered. “Welcome aboard the Good Times, Miss Lawrence. My wife and your chef and housekeeper, Lynette.”

She was smiling broadly as she shook my hand. “I love your work,” she said.

“And my daughter and First Mate, Loretta.”

I shook her hand; she looked a little older than me, with a deep tan and long blonde hair. “Let me introduce my guests,” I said. “My Alpha and Luna, Steven and Carolyn Dauntless of the Three Sisters Pack in Oregon.”

The Captain nodded respectfully to the Alpha pair. “Welcome aboard, sir. It is an honor,” he said as he extended his hand.

“I’m sure,” Steven said as he gripped it. Carolyn was friendly as they greeted the ladies, but tensions were still high.

“My parents, Brent and Liv Lawrence, Betas in the Miesville Pack in Minnesota.” My parents weren’t in on the Alpha’s communication and showed no hesitation in their greetings. I introduced Amy, Susan, Makani, Noelani, and Luke, all of us gathering in the covered area at the stern of the ship.

Captain Thomas got our attention as we looked at the beautiful boat’s amenities. “I thought we could start with a quick tour, and you can drop your bags off where you will be sleeping,” he said. “We can finish with a safety brief and then get underway shortly afterward.”

“That would be fine, Captain,” I said. He pointed out a few things in the outdoor lounge area, and then we went inside to the large salon. Luke and Susan left their bags in the chairs, two of which folded out into single beds. The living area was large and comfortable, with a big television and bar. I was impressed by the small dining area and the kitchen, which was compact but well-equipped. A bench and table were on the far side, then the enclosed pilothouse.

“The stairs lead down to the staterooms or up to the weather deck,” the Captain said as we looked at the ship’s wheel and controls, all the electronics up and running. He led us down the stairs to the master suite.

“This is OFF THE HOOK,” Amy said as she walked in.

“Per your request, two extra beds are here,” Thomas said.

There was plenty of room, and the bathroom was nice and big. We left our bags and went forward to the other two staterooms; both were smaller but well-appointed. Going back up, we continued to the Flying Bridge. It has the same controls to operate the yacht as the pilothouse but was higher up and exposed to winds. Behind it, there was a bar and mini-kitchen surrounded by storage benches. The 2-person hot tub and the motor launch Zodiak boat were in the sun at the stern end. “If there is anything you need, ask any of the crew, and we will provide it,” the Captain said as he finished. “Are you ready for the safety brief?”

“I think we should talk about the elephant in the room first,” Alpha Steven said. “You three are Mermaids, and our group is all Werewolves. Forgive me if I don’t trust you.”

Captain Thomas stood with his hands clasped behind him, and his head bowed respectfully. “That was a shock to us as well, but it makes no difference to the crew. Would it be helpful if I told you about us?”

“It would,” Alpha said.

“My family lives south of Los Angeles, near Laguna Beach. We moved there twenty years ago when we couldn’t financially keep our fishing business afloat. My wife and I started hiring on as yacht crews, piloting vessels from forty to two hundred feet long for the rich and famous.”

“That has to be fun,” I said.

“It has its moments. Our reputation rests on our competence and discretion. It doesn’t matter whether we like the client or not; our job is to operate safely and attend to their every need. I rarely see supernatural beings, but I will treat you like my other clients. You will have no complaints about your cruise when I return you to shore.”

The Alpha and Brent were thinking about it, but I had the power here; it was MY charter, and these people worked for me. “I’m happy to have such an experienced and capable crew, and since no humans are along, it gives us a freedom we otherwise wouldn’t have,” I said. “As I mentioned on the phone, I intend to lease this boat for a year and potentially buy it. I’d like to spend as much time as I can with you, learning how to operate it properly.”

“Of course, Miss. We are thrilled to have a charter that shows interest in more than just partying,” he said smoothly. “Now, the safety brief.” He went over where the lifeboats and life jackets were, where to assemble if someone fell overboard, and other precautions. Soon, Loretta and Lynette were taking in the mooring lines, and he showed me how the thrusters and engines could work together to move us away from the dock. Turning the yacht in place, he set course for the harbor entrance.

Makani, Noelani, and Amy had already taken off their cover-ups and were lying on the padded cushions on the bow. They were garnering a lot of looks as we passed the other boats. The adults stayed upstairs in the lounge area behind the flying bridge as Lynette brought out cocktails and trays of snacks. Luke and I sat in the chairs on either side of the Captain, watching and asking questions. He explained what he was doing and why. There was a lot to consider; rules of the road, buoys and markers, winds, currents, and the seas. “Do I need a license to operate my boat,” I asked.

“Technically, no,” he said. “I would not recommend it without proper training, though. Driving this around without the knowledge and experience could lead to disaster.” He talked about his Captain’s License from the Coast Guard. “It is well worth it to bring on an experienced person until you’ve completed the course and are comfortable with operating it yourself. Even after you are capable, you should understand that piloting a big boat like this requires your full attention. You can’t be a host and drive the boat. That is why most owners of large yachts employ crews like ours. It lets them enjoy the time and be with their friends and family.”

Once we were out on open waters and the traffic lightened, he set the autopilot on a course for Catalina Island and called Loretta up to watch the bridge. “Let me show you the engine room,” he said. It was interesting, and Luke and I learned a lot about the boat as he showed us how it worked. We made our way back up to the upper deck right when Lynette was bringing up lunch. The Reubens were fantastic, and I spent more time relaxing with my family as we transited the Pacific south.

We tied off to an anchor buoy at Two Harbors, and the four girls all went to get our dive gear. Loretta drove the inflatable for us, heading into Isthmus Cove and anchoring above the reefs. The twins were snorkeling, while Amy and I stayed under for minutes at a time with our free-diving gear. Amy was able to see what she looked at now, and that made all the difference. I was disappointed when my Mom told us to come back and get ready for dinner.

The mood on the boat was much happier by the time we showered and changed, joining everyone in the salon. “What happened while we were gone,” I asked my parents.

“The Alphas and the Captain spent a lot of time talking and found out they had a lot more in common than they thought,” Dad said. “There’s been very little interaction between our kinds, and it has been that way for centuries. They stay in small family units, rarely interacting with others of their kind, and blending in among the humans. They stay on the ocean because it is their safe space, just like the woods are for us.”

“The ocean is my safe space, too,” I said.

“We both believe in the Moon Goddess, but we call her Luna while they call her Atargatis. Oh, and we both don’t trust vampires.” I had to chuckle at that. “If you think the scratch n sniff is bad, they don’t have anything like it to find their mates. The males have to travel from home to home when they can afford to look for a mate.”

“That would suck for them,” I said.

“More so because there are only a few hundred mermaids out there. Their females are fertile only once every one to two dozen years, and few families have more than two children. They can’t change by bite as we can, so there are no human mates. They can reproduce with humans if there isn’t a merman around; that’s the source of the stories about mermaids seducing sailors. They have to kill them to protect their secret.”

I didn’t understand the hostility; I liked the three I’d met. With my love of swimming and the ocean, I had to wonder if the Moon Goddess had mistakenly given me fur instead of fins. “Are you guys having fun?”

“We’ve been relaxing, drinking and telling stories. That’s old people fun.”

That was great news. Dinner was a lot of fun; the older crowd ate in the salon dining room, while the young ones ate outside at the table by the stern. The weather was perfect, with cool ocean breezes. Lynette had made a seafood feast for dinner, and it was spectacular. We had a great time after dinner, watching the sunset up top before retiring to the salon to relax.

We got underway late the next morning, taking a short run and anchoring in Moonstone Cove. Here, we got everyone in the water and having a good time. We dove another three places around meals, finally getting underway after dark and heading for La Jolla. It was a little different sleeping while we were moving, but it was very comfortable. When I came up the next morning, we anchored near a remote free-diving spot. The water was too deep for most, but Amy and I could free-dive down fifty feet or more.

That night after dinner, I gathered everyone in the salon and told them about the plans I had for not just this boat, but my career. I used the television and my tablet to show them what I’d researched. “The show I would produce would be a reality show based on our lives and our adventures,” I said. “Modeling, diving, and education would all be represented. We’d start as we leave on our Bodyglove World Tour, then use this boat as a platform for filming additional episodes over the next few months. I think we can put together a season of quality hour-long programs with significant financial upside.”

They had a lot of questions, but we had a lot of answers. Dad was happy we were talking an all-female crew, but Carolyn wanted the majority to be werewolves for protection. I told them I would look for people in the Packs, but the specific skills needed probably didn’t exist among them. Alpha Steven was concerned we didn’t have enough adult supervision.

“This isn’t about partying, this is business,” I said. “I’m putting my money on the line because I believe in this, and I won’t let anyone derail it. I’m bringing in a director, crew, underwater photographers, and everyone else I need. It costs too much money to mess around,” I said. “In between episodes, this will be our home. We can dock outside Vampire territory, and I can have all the security and visitors I need.”

We talked about it for hours, then went to bed without an answer.

Our parents and our Alphas agreed to support my plans before we docked at the marina in Coronado on Friday morning. I was the last one out, locking up the boat behind me. I’d called my accountant on the ride in and told him to execute the one-year lease.

I thanked Captain Thomas and Lynette, then told Loretta goodbye. She’d been great with us; if she were a werewolf, I’d have hired her and her Mom on the spot. The crew got into their rental car while we piled into the two cars we’d left in the lot.

It had been a great time, and I was sad to see everyone head back home.

We had a lot of work to do if we were to make this all work.