Chapter 2: Catch of the Night

They say merfolk always get caught on the hottest nights of the year—when the air’s thick and the moon’s high, and nobody sleeps right.

That’s when they go into heat, and their defenses drop. I’ll never forget the night they brought Theo and Silas in.

They dragged them in, two monsters in a mesh net—bleeding, wild-eyed, tails thrashing against the linoleum. One glared fire, the other just stared, heartbreak in his eyes.

Silas—red eyes, silver hair—looked like a fallen god. Even bloodied, he radiated this untouchable fury. He fought every second, claws flashing, teeth bared, daring anyone to come closer. Guns didn’t scare him. His presence was magnetic and terrifying all at once.

He was the weaker one, physically, but his gaze said king.

Theo was different. He didn’t struggle. He just lay tangled in the net, gazing up at me with those deep, ocean-sad blue eyes.

A capture team guy got too close—Silas slashed him. The dude’s Kevlar vest tore open like tissue paper. Pale, shaking, he scrambled back and jabbed Silas with a massive syringe.

Enough tranquilizer to take down a horse only made Silas drop his arms. His glare never faded. He refused to drop.

"Dr. Morgan," the team member called, pointing at Theo, "I’d go with this one—he’s way more chill."

He shot a look at Silas, still rattled. "That one took three teams. Get close, you’re dead meat."

Lucas lounged nearby, giving Theo’s tail a little kick with his boot.

"Dr. Morgan, I’d go with this one. He’s a real catch, huh?"

I hesitated.

Truth was, I had seniority in bio research here. That’s why I got first pick of these rare merfolk.

The other—well, if nothing went wrong—would go to Lucas.

Lucas is a waste of a lab coat, but worse, he’s a sadist with a head full of sick ideas. I’d seen too many creatures ruined by his hands.

Any merfolk he got—well, I could guess their fate.

My eyes kept flicking back to Silas. I knew he was dangerous, but something about those eyes pulled at me. Like gravity.

Then something brushed my foot.

Theo, blue-eyed, somehow managed to reach out to me, even drugged to the gills. He looked up, lips moving, whispering words I couldn’t understand. But I felt it—a plea.

Lucas watched, grinning.

"This one’s so banged up, he won’t last long. Smart, though—begging already. If he dies, I’ll just cut him open."

My skin crawled as Lucas reached for Theo’s hair, his eyes hungry. I stepped in, heart pounding.

"Wait."

"I choose the blue-tailed merman."

I chose Theo. Left Silas behind. I told myself it was the right call. But every time I close my eyes, I see Silas’s burning, betrayed stare.