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Author's Note:
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Greetings, everyone!

No, you don't have sand in your eyes; it's really an update! At last, I have risen from the deep, dark depths to give you this brand new chapter of Captured. I know a lot of you have been waiting for this one to start up again, and your prayers have finally been answered! I've gone through all the past chapters and edited them to my liking, so if you'd like to give the book a quick reread, feel free to do so. I'd really appreciate it, but if you don't want to, that's fine too! I'm so sorry this took as long as it did, but I'm so glad you guys stuck around. I really am so lucky to have such lovely readers. Well, that's all I had to say. I won't take up anymore time.

~Enjoy the Story~

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•Y/N: Your Name
•S/C: Skin Color

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Your POV:
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A hand raises to my eyes as I step out of the car to block the sun from my gaze while walking up to the house holding my father's greatest secret. I saw no reason to put on my sunglasses, since I'd be inside in a matter of seconds. I feel a bit strange, though, honestly. Today is my promised date with the strange sea creature I had grown up looking after, and I truly don't know whether to feel excited or uncomfortable about it. I care for Neil a great deal, after all; of course I'd feel strongly about him, but on the other hand, he isn't human— even though he may share a few features with our species.

I did make that deal with him, though. I will be strong to continue denying these feelings for him, since I know they aren't right, but I feel so guilty for having to break his heart I just had to give him a chance to impress me in some kind of way. I did not lie. If he does somehow manage to convince me, I will become what he wants me to. It just won't be easy. I bet he's thrilled, though; in fact, there's no doubt. I pull out the keys from my bag and unlock the many locks on the front door before coming inside and locking them again.

'I wonder if he just still hasn't grasped the concept of friendship yet and is mistaking his feelings for what he'd feel towards a mate,' I wonder, creating excuses even though I'm sure Neil is very capable of understanding his own emotions. It actually makes sense that he'd end up this way, considering dad took him from the ocean a long time ago, which would've been the only place for him to find a member of his own species to mate with; instead, the only female he's been in the company of for years has been me. I wish I could make him understand that we're much to different for this to actually work, and besides, I don't want to keep him locked away in this house forever. I want him to live freely in the ocean, where he belongs and can do whatever he pleases, but if I'm supposed to be his mate, I can't possibly go with him. What am I supposed to do in a situation like that? I can't live in the water, not to mention how dangerous it is. I just don't see it ending well for either of us. I prep myself with a deep breath before opening the door to his enclosure and am immediately greeted by a cheerful chirp from the merman as he swims in circles while chanting,

"Day-ate! Day-ate! Date!" I giggle at his enthusiasm while crouching in front of the pen, giving the creature a smile as he comes to the ledge and raises himself up to grin at me.

"Ready to go, I see." He chirps and nods vigorously, his tail splashing like wild behind him, spraying water all over. I laugh again and stand up, waving my hands up and down in a motion that tells him to settle down. "All right, I know you're excited. I just need a minute to get everything ready, okay? You all right with skipping breakfast for now? There'll be plenty of fish out in the ocean to munch on while we're out."

He nods, smile never fading in the slightest as I walk over to the cabinet to grab a bucket. After filling it with water from his pool, I leave the room and go out to the garage, where my father's white pickup truck is parked and sigh upon seeing it. It's old, and he would often tinker with it in his spare time whenever he wasn't busy researching. It was given to me in his will, but I have only driven it a few times since his passing. It's the only way to get Neil to the beach inconspicuously.

In the back, there's a little, plastic pool meant for little kids to play in, which is what I use to take him there. It's about big enough to fit his torso, but I only really need a part of his tail to be wet. It's not a long drive, but Neil will dehydrate quickly otherwise. I fill it with saltwater from the bucket, which is hardly enough, so I go back to his pool for another trip until there's enough for him to lie in without a bunch of liquid sloshing around. It should be enough to last him the ride.

With that done, I head back to the fish-man, leaving all doors leading to the garage open to make things easier on myself. "Okay, bud, you ready?" He chirps and splashes around as I enter the pool, standing to my knees in water by the stairs before patting my lap to call him over. Neil swims by and flips over to float on his back so that I can pick him up. I stretch my arms a bit before crouching down and scooping him in a way that'll be comfortable for him and not so hard on my back.

I grunt and squint my brows as I lift him from the water because of how heavy he is and hurriedly make my way out of the pool to be done with this. To keep from getting dropped, he clings to me, but is, thankfully, careful about using his nails as he nestles against the crook of my neck while giving a high-pitched purr. It isn't easy waddling up the steps with his tail partially dragging and wetting the floor, but I manage to get him to the truck in one swift trip. Once he's settled in the bed of the vehicle, I stop to catch my breath as he adjusts his tail to be in the pool. He rolls his tongue in concern while tapping the top of my head, and I give him a gentle smile while catching his hand.

"Just catching my breath. It's a lot of work getting you out of the pool. I'm not as strong as you." No kidding. If I were like him, I'd probably be able to flip this whole truck over with the swipe of my tail. Good thing he knows how to control himself, otherwise I'd be getting thrown around like a rag doll every time he wants to play. "You remember what I told you last time, right? You gotta be quiet?" I hold a finger up to my lips, and he does the same before attempting to say the word.

"Quy- Qui- Qui-et."

"That's right." I smile proudly at him, getting more and more excited with every word he learns to speak. I may be able to better understand him because of this. "Good boy." I lay a hand on his cheek, which makes him purr in delight, which in turn, causes a pinch in my chest.

He's so special, I can't even describe it. I pull away and grab a blue tarp to throw over the back of the truck bed and fasten it well to keep from getting any accidents. "You all right in there?" He gives a chirp as I open the garage door before slipping into the driver's seat. Moving as slow and as carefully as I could be without looking suspicious, I set out, hoping that the dock will be clear since it's early on a weekday.

I nearly cursed when I saw an old couple preparing their boat, but wave to them as I step out. They wave back and go back to taking their sweet time setting off, so in the meantime, I put the things I have brought into my docked boat. I have a cooler with refreshments, a sunhat, a blanket and sunscreen, since I plan to be out for a long while today, and I'm not trying to shrivel up in the sun like a raisin. Thankfully, by the time I have done everything I could to waste time, they had left, and no one else is around to witness what I do next. I quickly lift the tarp and receive a joyful smile from the man underneath, who seems a bit dizzy from the ride.

I smile back and move aside for him to crawl along the truck bed before he launches himself into the ocean. Some of the water from the little pool tipped out in the process, but I didn't fuss over it. He pokes his head out from the sea with shimmering eyes as I point out to the distance in the direction I want him to go, and he doesn't hesitate to obey. He would wait for me to park the truck and start the boat. It doesn't take me long to get out there, away from where anyone might see us before checking below to see if I can spot my tailed friend.

It isn't long before he shoots out of the water and practically flies above my boat before diving back into the deep blue. I chuckle and cheer out for him, amazed by the majestic jump which earns me a few chirps when he surfaces. After deeming that we're at a safe distance I stop the boat and am thankful for the steady waters. It seems like it's the perfect day for a boat ride. I hear a splash and look over to find Neil, big eyed with a large fish in his mouth as he grabs onto the side of the boat, making it rock a bit. I tilt my head as he thrusts out a hand before a small shell is dropped into the ship. "For me?" I ask knowingly as I bend down to pick it up. He coos in delight, the sound getting muffled by the fish he bites down upon as I examine the pretty pink shell. Seems like he's awaiting praise so I smile and cautiously pat his head. It really isn't wise to do such a thing when there's food in his mouth but it didn't seem like he'd bite me then. Neil coos loudly and jumps back into the water the second I pull my hand away. I place the shell in my bag for safe keeping before taking out the sunscreen to lather it all over my S/C skin. It's a bit toasty out today with the sun blaring down on me so I'm sure not to miss a single spot.

"Y/N," I hear from behind, so I peer over my shoulder to meet pleading eyes that are peeking out from the water. Webbed fingers stretch out to me, bringing a smile to my face as I lean down to grab his hand and receive a light tug, his way of asking me to come swim. I am unsure, even though I had known he would likely ask me to do this.

"Now, Neil, you know how I feel about swimming in the ocean." The creature whimpers and pulls on my arm again, this time with two hands, while his puppy-dog eyes somehow seem to enlarge. I smile a bit wider at him. I know he's well capable of keeping me safe out here, especially after last time's demonstration, and I'm sure he wouldn't let me drown if something were to happen. Again, I have thought this over earlier. I always knew I was going to have to swim with him today.

"Okay, okay, you win. I'll be just a moment." The fish-man beams and lets me go in an instant in order to swim circles around the boat in excitement as I slip out of my clothes to reveal the swimsuit underneath. "Here I come!" I announce before plunging into the cold waters and gasp once I surface before pushing back my wet hair. When I open my eyes, I find myself face-to-face with my companion, who seems to give a distorted giggle before disappearing under the water.

I gasp as I feel his claws grasp the bottoms of my feet before swiftly pushing up, sending me rocketing out of the ocean. I give a surprised shout as I plummet back down, creating a big splash when I hit the surface. I laugh and grab ahold of his arms while kicking my legs to stay afloat. The merman smiles and affectionately rubs his nose against my own before going under again. Feeling carefree, I swim around, staying close to the boat, while Neil plays his little games by splashing me and putting me on his belly as he floats. After a while, though, my limbs begin to ache, so I decide it's time for a small break.

"Can you help me into the boat, please?" I ask while grabbing the creatures hand and pulling him towards the device. Understanding what I want, he chirps before diving down and going under my feet again. This time, he gives me a boost by having me stand on his tail so that I can easily jump in. I give a content sigh as I sit and squeeze out my hair as he watches me closely from the side. Knowing he would only continue to stare as long as I'm in the boat, I give him a request. "I'm going to take a little break now, so I can eat. Why don't you go find me some more shells to take home? Pick something really pretty." The man flashes his teeth in a smile and sets out on his mission, while I lean back and grab a fruit punch from the cooler.

'That should keep him busy for a while.'

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Author's POV:
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Excited eyes roam the sand in search for shells as Neil swims gracefully along the sea floor. All the fish he swam by payed him little mind as he came across a small forest of kelp and weaved through the plants with ease before pausing every now and then to sift through the soft minerals. He was dissatisfied with his options, though, since so many shells had scratches or cracks in them, and if they didn't, they were occupied by some sort of creature. Then, suddenly, a rather potent smell enters his nostrils and made him pause as he looks around. He sniffs as it grows stronger, more intoxicating, when the cause of it gets closer.

It was odd, though, like nothing he had ever smelled before. Neil quickly went on alert as something large rushed through the kelp, hidden in the shadows of them, though he still caught a glimpse of shiny black and emerald green scales. He bared his teeth, not knowing if what was coming was a threat, and yet, that sweet scent did its best to incapacitate him. Slowly, a figure emerged from the kelp, holding a set of large, pitch black eyes that stared back into his own. In their slightly parted mouth is two sets of sharp, jagged teeth as their nose scrunched with each curious sniff they took. A massive mane of blackish-green hair waved in the water, much like the kelp, and they had skin the color of the sand, which had allowed them to blend well into the environment with little effort.

'A female,' he thought, surprised to find such a beautiful creature without even trying. Immediately, he shook the compliment from his head, recalling his previous task of searching for shells. Ignoring the woman, he turns away, narrowly avoiding flicking her face with his massive tail that made her eyes light up in amazement. The way the light bounced off his scales made them practically glow, and in response her pheromones, they actually had turned a few shades brighter than before. Each flick of his tail made him blend into the water, the black acting like a shadow that made him look similar to a wave.

Never before had she seen such a magnificent male, especially with such short hair. She was captured. Not letting this opportunity go to waste, she catches up to him only to still be ignored as he sifts through the minerals in search of gifts for the one who has his heart. She wondered what he could be digging up.

Cooing, she swims closer to examine his beautiful tail and affectionately rubs her cheek against it before stretching her long fingers up his back. How strong the muscles were, and oh, how they moved as he dug through the sand. Neil felt a chill up his spine in annoyance and quickly slipped away while growling menacingly at the woman. This made her pause and tilt her head before she came in closer to place her hands on his chest.

His torso stiffens under her touch as her claws move upward to his neck and onto his face. When she leans in to place her forehead against his, Neil suddenly rips away and darts of to return to Y/N. He thought that would be the end of it, but to his dismay, she excitedly followed after. He tries to shake her off, but to no avail. She thought he was playing a game and that she had to catch him. It was a part of bonding to play games.

Huffing in frustration, he decides just to surface, unaware of just how surprised the human would be after discovering his unwanted company.