Moonlit Depths Ch. 04

Constructive feedback is helpful and appreciated! Thanks to @kenjisato for editing!

Callisto woke up the next morning, and began to prepare for a full day of meetings and submitting reports. After he got home last night, he couldn't rest, all he could think about was when he could kiss Marigold again. He was pulled out of his thoughts by his phone ringing. Noir was calling. Again.

"Yes, Noir," Callisto answered, while running his hand through his hair, letting a few pieces fall towards his face. She had been calling Callisto all morning, each time he was sending her to voicemail, a failed attempt to discourage her from wanting to talk about last night.

"Brother, are you still mad that that chunky girl was on a date? You're acting like she's your mate."

Callisto stopped mid-stride and fell silent.

Noir had always been conventionally attractive, in a thin, WASP-y sort of way. Men had always flocked to her, even when she wasn't using the art of seduction to make them answer any whim she may have. With all this male attention, she remained single and uninterested in looking for a mate or suitable partner. Noir's first love would always be her career, followed closely by her platonic relationships. Settling down to get married and have children was always something that Noir believed would hold her back, despite the constant pressure from their family.

"What did you just say?" He wanted to address the weight comment, but the puzzle pieces started to connect, as her words continued to repeat in his head. Similarly to

Noir, settling down romantically wasn't on Callisto's radar, especially right then.

However, the pull he had towards Marigold was undeniable, almost magnetic. Ever since he met her in her shop that day, there was not a minute that went by where she wasn't at the center of his thoughts. He simply thought it was lust, or limerence at best.

"I said you're acting like she is your mate."

Callisto sat down in his office chair with the phone still attached, in disbelief. Was he choosing to overlook the woman that the fates had chosen for him? The thought of that made his stomach begin to flip. Marigold was his mate--the woman who was mysterious, enigmatic, tortured, distrustful, but still full of love-- was this the person he was destined to be with?

"She couldn't be my mate, she's a mermaid. She had turned years ago... Right?" He ran his hand down his face, while he laid his head on the headrest. The logistics of this was beginning to overwhelm him. Mermaids and vampires were similar, but vastly different creatures. Marigold still had all of her abilities, including the ability to change, not to mention that he wasn't sure if he could turn her into a vampire, or if she would want that.

For vampires to be fully mated, a ritual must take place where both parties consensually drink from each other. By drinking from each other, it would connect them emotionally, mentally and spiritually, where only death could break their bond. Even in death, many vampires often ended their lives once their mate was deceased. Spending the rest of eternity without the person who was chosen for you, seemed like a form of slow torture that too many chose not to endure.

"I believe that if they stayed human for a certain amount of time, then the fates would allow them to be a potential mate for us."

Noir's raspy voice seemed to be getting further and further away, as so many realizations began to hit him all at once. Finding your fated mate was supposed to be relatively simple and a beautiful experience. But for him, he would have quite the fight in front of him to even have a chance.

"Brother, are you still there? Why are you asking?" Noir asked with noticeable concern in her voice.

"I'll have to talk to you later, Noir," Callisto disconnected the phone call and regrettably sent a text message to his father.

--

Marigold awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. She groaned, as she rolled over to turn it off. She uncovered her head and saw that Judas wasn't in his usual spot.

Cove knocked once and opened the door. "Good morning, my dear Goldie." He walked in with a towel wrapped around his waist, water droplets highlighting his chiseled abs and a mug in his hand. He handed the warm mug to her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You didn't text me when you got home, so I came here to see you in bed. Your neighbor told me a friend dropped you off?" he questioned, as he turned to look at her. "She told me this friend was male and has been here another time or two."

Marigold could feel his intense stare on her as she tried to break his gaze by drinking her tea.

"

The guy from Sushi Galore dropped me off last night...he's also a vampire."

Cove immediately stood up, his towel hanging on for dear life. He turned to look at her with a face drained of color, while giving her an incredulous look. "Have you lost your mind!" Cove shouted, as he began pacing the floor, rubbing his sternum roughly. "That is the dumbest thing you could do, Marigold."

Those words stung a bit for Marigold. She was aware that falling in love with a vampire was not only risky, but a sure way to end up heartbroken, but there was an undeniable pull to him that she couldn't describe.

"I know, I don't know how it happened. But we kissed last night, and I think I have developed some feelings for him," Marigold whispered, as tears streamed down her face. She could feel the rage and disappointment radiating off of his body, without him saying another word.

Cove looked over at her and sat down on the bed next to her. "You know you can't be with him, Goldie. You need to stay far away from him." Cove held her hands in his, and stared at her with wide and fearful eyes.

She knew that he was right, but it didn't make it hurt any less. Another restriction from her clan that she felt obligated to follow, despite them banishing her. There was a part of her that was furious that she continued to allow them to have control over her, but it was dwarfed by the part of her that was desperate to be accepted by them again, even if it meant sacrificing something she desperately wanted.

"Okay," she whispered, as she laid her head on his broad shoulder. She knew that vampires and mermaids shouldn't--and-- couldn't be together, in any universe. But she felt more human than mermaid, at this point in her life. Sure, she still had the ability to change, but she was so far removed from merculture. Here she was again, letting another part of her drift off into the sunset, never to be seen again.

--

Callisto spent the rest of the day thinking about the idea of Marigold being his mate, and it began to excite him more and more. He started to picture his life with her, what their children would be like, what their new normal would be. The one concerning thought he did have was that she was not immortal, so she would die one day, leaving him behind, if she didn't choose to turn. The idea of a mermaid turning into a vampire for immortality was something that was truly written in fairytales. His heart began to ache at the thought of his love dying.

--

Cove's words preoccupied Marigold's thoughts, as she continued to lie in bed. Since their conversation, she continued to replay the last thirty years of her life. She had spent the majority of her human life not wanting to take up space, feeling apologetic when she did. It was difficult to get attached to people or places when, not only would she outlive them, but she knew she wasn't supposed to be there. Guilt and shame had been eating at her for years.

"Goldie, I'm headed in for my shift. I will be back tomorrow morning." Cove peeked in to see his friend still lying in bed facing a wall. No music playing, no television on, just silence, and the occasional sniffle could be heard.

"Okay, have a good night," she croaked towards the door.

Cove closed the door and headed to work. He felt so much sadness for his friend. Life had dealt her a hand from what seemed an impossible deck. But that didn't mean that she could endanger her life by getting involved with a vampire. While watching her retreat into herself was difficult to do, he had to tell her the truth.

After Cove left, Judas jumped up on the bed to Marigold's side and silently lay next to her.

--

Callisto was finally finished with work and was headed to Marigold's house with her sushi order on the passenger seat. He knew there was no way she was going to turn him away if he had sushi. After witnessing her and Cove inhale two sushi boats, it clicked why they would order such a large quantity, they were merpeople after all.

He pulled into her driveway to see her house dark like no one was home. Judas' bright eyes were illuminated in her bedroom window, watching him slowly get out of the car. He tried to listen for anything that may be going on inside the house, but heard nothing. No television, radio--complete silence. Callisto was beginning to wonder if she was home. He began to walk up to the door, to ring the doorbell.

Marigold shot up in her bed and ran to look out the window. She saw Callisto's SUV parked in the front, and felt her heart begin to race.

'Cal is paying you a surprise visit, hopefully it's enough to get you out of bed.'

She rolled her eyes at Judas' comment, but couldn't ignore the butterflies that were beginning to flutter in her stomach, as she watched him saunter up to her front door.

She grabbed a nearby sweater to cover her oversized sleep shirt and bare thighs, and went downstairs to open the door. On her way down, she telepathically commanded all the first-floor lights to come on. She let out a long exhale before opening the door, hoping that her nervousness wasn't as obvious to him, as she thought it was.

There he was, in all his beautiful glory. Leaning over the door threshold, looking down at her with darkened, mischievous eyes. His dark hair was combed back, which allowed his cheekbones to become more pronounced. A large smile spread across his face, showing his canines, as he stared down at her. 'The universe couldn't make this vampire ugly?' she asked herself.

"I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd grab us dinner."

He held up the bag and noticed that her eyebrows shot up and she did a little dance.

He will be gone by the time Cove comes home and this gives me the opportunity to tell him that I can't see him anymore' she assured herself, as she let him in. She gestured towards the couch to offer him a seat, and sat on the opposite side of the couch.

Callisto began unpacking the various assortment of sushi and sashimi for her to enjoy. He even brought a bottle of wine. While Callisto opened the wine bottle, Marigold went to the kitchen for wine glasses.

"Thank you for dinner. I know you weren't just in the neighborhood," she mumbled, with a mouth full of salmon.

Callisto looked over at her and began to laugh. "I wasn't, but I wanted to see you again." He wasn't hungry, but enjoyed watching her eat; there was something almost sensual about the way Marigold ate and enjoyed food that he loved. "I enjoyed our kiss last night, I thought about it all day," he began, hoping that the kiss softened her defenses. "Marigold, I meant what I said last night. I cherish every moment we have spent together and I want more of them. Being around you has made me grateful to have lived this long to meet you."

Marigold looked over at him to find his wide eyes watching her. Panic was beginning to set in as she listened to this man confess his feelings for her. This man, that she promised herself and her clan, that she would stay away from.

"I don't know," she wondered aloud, as she placed her wine glass on the coffee table.

There was a long silence between the two of them.

Callisto felt like they had made so much progress for them to be back at this point. Here he was, baring his heart to her, knowing she must feel something for him, but choosing to deny it. He began to wonder if she would reject his mating proposal; it wouldn't be the first time a woman had broken his heart.

"How about we ask each other questions again? Same rules apply as before," he promised. He saw the hesitancy within her, but let out a sigh of relief when she agreed. Callisto was hoping that she needed a reminder of how easy it was between them and that she could trust him.

"Ladies first."

"Were you ever married?"

"Starting strong I see. No, never married. Vampires only marry their mate and we mate for eternity."

"Do you still go in the water?"

"I can't submerge myself, or I will start the process of turning back. I miss swimming in the ocean so much."

"Do you have children?"

"No children. I do desire them one day. But I can only reproduce with my mate during certain times." Callisto wanted to ask her about if she wanted children or left children behind, but he thought the question would make her close back up.

"Tell me more about being a mermaid--my only reference is the media."

"Well, there are different types of us--shore, deep sea, arctic, etc. We all look different, but can communicate with each other. I'm from the deep-sea clan, so I lived in cool, salty waters. We are omnivores, but mainly eat fish, crustaceans, squids, and so on. We don't look like the redhead from the movies. We have a lot more fins, more scales, gills, and sharp teeth. We also don't wear shells on our boobs...how preposterous would that be." Marigold laughed, as she consumed another row of sushi.

"Do vampires sleep?"

"We don't sleep like humans do. Sleep is mostly used for healing, or to pass time if needed."

"So can you sing as well as Cove, or is that just a him thing?" he asked while pouring her another glass of wine.

"No, all of us can sing and play instruments. Kind of goes along with that whole siren-luring-sailors-to-their-death-thing."

He wondered what her voice sounded like, he imagined it to be amorous and rich, much like a siren would be.

"What do you do for work?" she asked.

"I work as a remote cybersecurity analyst. The tech firm I work for is owned by another vampire." Callisto noticed that she was beginning to loosen up, laughing more, touching his knee when he would make a joke, so he decided to take a chance.

"Why did you let your energetic field down last night?" Callisto picked up a piece of tuna and popped it into his mouth, while waiting for her answer. There was a deafening silence as he watched her shoulders tense.

"Umm, I'm gonna pass."

Passing isn't shutting down, he thought to himself. The next question would determine how the rest of the evening went.

"Were you really jealous of Cove and me last night?"

"Yes," he answered quickly. He had never reacted to seeing a woman he was interested in with another man like that. What he really wanted to do was fly across the table and kill him for being so close to her. But since killing people in public was frowned upon, he settled for a passive-aggressive approach. There was something about Cove that Callisto didn't trust, but he knew that Marigold would defend him to her death, so he held his tongue until he had more information.

"Can I give you another kiss?" he asked, as she emptied her second glass of wine.

She slowly turned her head towards him with raised eyebrows.

"You want to voluntarily kiss me after I have consumed my weight in fish?" she asked in disbelief, with a smirk across her face.

"Of course," he stated matter-of-factly, awaiting her response.

Marigold thought about what Cove said that morning and decided that since this night was going to be her last night seeing him, one goodbye kiss wouldn't hurt.

"Yes," she barely got the word out, before Callisto appeared before her, inches from her face. It caught her off guard. She sat there, eyes wide, taking in the sight of his pillowy lips. Marigold closed her eyes and leaned into him. She could feel him smiling into the kiss.

Their kiss deepened as Callisto slowly pushed her back into the couch. Marigold loved the contrast of his cool skin against hers being warm. She placed her hand on his bicep and squeezed. She felt herself falling deeper into the couch, as his hands began to explore her body. Her hips begin to grind against his muscular thigh.

Callisto grew closer to her, as she opened her mouth to allow his tongue to explore while he continued to grind his thigh between her legs, feeling bits of moisture starting to collect on his pants. He heard her softly moan under him; he pushed her deeper into the couch while trailing small kisses over to her neck. Marigold turned her head to give him more access.

"Can I bite you?" Callisto asked, in a deep breathy tone.

"Please."

His lips began to place kisses along her neck, and then he began to gently nibble on her neck.

Marigold moaned louder, while roughly combing through his tousled tresses. She grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled his head backward; he surrendered a low growl as his lips made his way back to her neck. His mouth opened wider and she felt a sharp pain between her neck and collarbone. She gasped, as he continued to lick and suckle on her. She didn't know being bitten was something that she liked, but the feeling of his cool lips, her warm blood dripping down her neck, and the pain, ensured that she was a waterfall for him.

"Are you okay?" he panted, against her warm skin. His flat tongue danced over the fresh bite.

"Yes," she whispered, followed by a throaty moan.

Callisto sat up;she looked up at his lips, as they were then slightly flushed red. Instead of fear, all she felt was her pussy throbbing for him.

"Do you trust me, Cara Mia?" he asked in a whisper, while running his large, cool hands over her leg; he could smell her desire, teasing him.

Marigold couldn't think straight; all she could concentrate on was how she didn't want him to stop. She nodded her head slowly, indicating to him to continue whatever he had planned to do to her. Callisto grabbed her leg and pulled her towards him. She could feel his breath on her skin.

He leaned in close to her ear. "I want you to let me in again. I want...I want to watch you fall apart." Marigold felt hot all over; she was having trouble resisting him. She let down her field and his lips came crashing down on hers.

His hand that was still on her leg began to travel further, until he reached her inner thigh. His grip became more firm as he began to rub her thigh back and forth.

Marigold was wearing an oversized t-shirt, black-lace panties and a sweater that she had tried to cover up with.

"Cara Mia, I want to taste you, is that all right?" Callisto was on his knees looking at her with pleading eyes. He could smell her arousal, and it was driving him crazy. All he wanted to do was to make her feel good. He kneeled between her thick thighs, he took in the sight of her sepia-toned skin against the black panties she was wearing, and bit back a moan. He began to inch her drenched panties down her thighs, they pooled at her dainty feet.

Marigold let her head fall back against the back of the couch while she released control of her body.

He placed both of her legs on each of his shoulders. He began kissing her inner thighs softly before directing his attention to her naked mound. He began to kiss her lips softly, while he tightened the grip on her thighs. His tongue danced along her wet slit, working his way to her towards her sweet center.

"Fuck," she muttered, as he took two fingers to separate her folds to suck on her clit.

She tasted so sweet and he loved hearing her beg for more. He continued to nibble and suck on her clit while he gently inserted two fingers in her wet cave. Marigold was getting louder the faster and deeper his fingers went. He took his fingers out and went back to sucking on her clit. It was then, he felt her small hands on his head pushing him closer and closer into her. She heard him growl and noticed that he had unbuttoned his pants and was stroking his cock feverishly.