EXCERPT

An Excerpt From: CALL OF THE SEA

Copyright © MICHELLE M. PILLOW, 2006

All Rights Reserved

Ceana swam, pulling the man’s unusually heavy weight behind her. He was a big man and she wished for her fins. With her tail she’d be able to drag him much easier. But no, the moon had already changed her legs into human limbs. Grunting for breath, she pulled him behind her as her human lungs burned and her muscles ached. Even when she tired, she did not give up.

“Awaken!” she ordered, speaking the language used by the mainlanders in the area. It was one of the rare gifts in her curse. She spoke whatever language of the shore she was closest to. “Help save yourself. Swim.”

The order revived him some and she felt him kicking his legs in long strokes behind them. They surged forward, making better time now that he helped. The man moaned, the sound sending chills over her, like a voice from her past. But that was crazy. Everyone she’d ever loved was dead. If only she could die and join them, but no. The dangerous creatures of the sea didn’t dare touch her. Not even the sharks would eat her if she bled right in front of them like a willing sacrifice. The sea witch saw to that. Even now, if she were to drown in her human form, she’d suffer greatly and find herself alive in the morning, sick for weeks but very much alive.

“Come on,” she gasped, “wake up! Save yourself.”

The man growled as she dug her fingernails into his skin. He jolted out of her grasp, the force of his body’s weight pulling her under. She floundered beneath the dark surface, trying to grab the flailing man beneath the water before the current swept him away.

Damn human! Stop struggling. Stop it now! I’m trying to help you.

In the breadth of a second, time stood still as they were under the waves. A stream of moonlight lit the area just enough for her to see his face clearly. The man stopped kicking as he stared at her. His dark eyes reflected the moon above, taking on a silver cast. His dark hair drifted around his head and he looked awed more than scared.

Ceana knew she was considered a great beauty to mortal men. The ones she’d passed over the years made their desire for her exceedingly clear. It took her a century, naive fool that she was, to discover that lust and love were two entirely different things. Sure the men on shore said they loved her, were convinced of it, but after they had their way the curse remained. Some even went mad searching the ocean for her. She knew because she followed their ships, hoping they’d catch her, convincing herself if she said she loved them and pretended to mean it they would be the ones to free her from her watery prison.

Later, she came to realize that their obsession with her was just part of her mermaid allure—a magic charm of sorts. Just another ironic twist to the sea witch’s evil curse. She would search an eternity for love strong enough to break the curse, but would only find those enraptured by a spell. No doubt this one would say he loved her as well as soon as she dragged him onto shore.

Ceana looked him over in the moonlight. He was handsome, with a strong face and a nice, tight body. Again she felt a tug of the familiar in him, but maybe she’d just seen too many faces over the years that all human males started to look alike. If she’d seen one, she’d seen them all, or so it seemed.

Her body tingled with the beginning stir of desire. She’d given up long ago being ashamed of her natural responses to the male gender. Her human upbringing taught her that sex was bad. But really, what was going to happen to her that was worse than what had been done?

The man’s eyes started to close. A cloud passed over the moon, darkening the waters once more. Ceana jerked back into action. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up with her, breaking the surface. The man came instantly to his senses, flailing as he gasped for breath. Yellow-tinted eyes found hers and she thought the color a trick of the moonlight and water.

Ceana glanced up at the sky. There was something almost strange and golden to the moon this night. She didn’t have time to contemplate. Her limbs were cold and she was starting to wear out.

“Swim,” she ordered hoarsely, her throat sore from swallowing the briny water.

© copyright October 2005, Michelle M. Pillow

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

 REVIEWS

"5 Angels! A delightful surprise for paranormal readers...job well done!" Jessica, FAR, August 2006

"4 1/2 Stars! CALL OF THE SEA is a hot and naughty version of Arielle, the little Mermaid, meets the Big Bad Wolf.  Ms. Pillow wrote an interesting story with very intriguing characters." Love Romances, August 2006

"4 Tattoos! Call of the Sea by Michelle M. Pillow is a fantastic addition to the Planetary Passions series; the fast paced action mixes well with the beautifully painted world ...I found myself fascinated until the very last page ...I will definitely be looking forward to more stories in this exciting series." Megan, Erotic Escapades, July 2006

"4 Stars! Michelle M. Pillow has begun her new Call of the Lycan series with a story of burning passion and intense emotion." Caye Kim, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

"4 Blue Ribbons! Michelle Pillow is an expert at creating stories that will boggle the mind and tease the senses." Angel, Romance Junkies, August 2006

"4 1/2 Hearts! if you want to read a steamy Werewolf novel, with funny elements and a wicked villainess, you really should get CALL OF THE SEA!" Love Romances, 2007

"4 CUPIDS! a fantastic read!" - Cupid's Library Reviews, 2007

"4 Stars! Michelle Pillow has woven a tale of sacrifice, revenge, strength and courage which climaxes in a race against time. Call of the Sea will pull you in from the first line and allows you to catch your breath only when the last word is read. Enjoy!" - HRR, October 2007

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