MERMEN (The Mermen Trilogy #1) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

conceived here like the rest of us. And like everyone else, she called you back to serve. Do not deny you felt her flowing through your veins, pulling you home.”
    What he’d felt was a sense that something bad was about to happen. And it had. Now it was time for him to leave. With Liv. Even if that meant calling his ship and bringing men back to take her by force.
    “I listened. I chose. I want my cell so I can call my people,” Roen growled.
    “Aren’t you going to stay and place a claim on the lovely woman? I hear she has twenty suitors fighting for the pleasure of bedding her this evening.”
    Every cell in Roen’s body filled with rage. The thought of anyone touching her made his blood sizzle.
    “The island brought her here,” Naylor added, “which means she’s special and makes her quite the catch. It’s never happened before. Not once.”
    That made no sense to Roen, but nothing here did. “If anyone lays a finger on her, I’ll kill them.”
    “One man against us all? I think even you, Roen, recognize a battle you cannot win. And if you plan to leave and return with some of those men from your ship, think again. The island’s defenses go far beyond a few hundred very cutthroat men. You’d need ten armies to overtake us, and by the time you return for Liv, she will have spent the night enjoying another man’s cock between her legs and possibly have his seed in her belly.” Naylor pointed his finger at Roen. “The moment for killing and fighting will be tonight.”
    So they’re all a bunch of ocean-hugging rapist psychopaths who enjoy killing each other. Roen wanted to light a match to this entire hellhole of an island.
    Roen rubbed his lightly stubbled jaw. “I have to thank you. Because before I found this place, I believed I was one fucked-up, heartless sonofabitch. But after meeting you gentlemen, I feel like a goddamned saint. Of course, you set the bar so low given how you’re all serial rapists, but still. It’s nice to feel like the good guy for once.”
    Naylor laughed. “I’m going to enjoy watching the island tame you, Roen. You’re like a wild beast begging to be broken in. But you’ll come around. The island always gets what she wants. As for the female, I assure you that Liv will be in the giving mood for the man who wins her. I bet she’ll give nicely too once she’s recuperated a bit. Maybe I’ll take a run for her myself since I hear that she looks like she knows her way around a hard cock.”
    Roen swung and landed his fist on Naylor’s jaw, knocking him to the ground.
    Naylor grunted as his head hit the ground with a thump and Roen jumped on top to wrap his hands around Naylor’s neck. “I’ll fucking kill you!” The men from outside burst into the room.
    “No!” Naylor held up his hand. “He’s still a weak landlover. He’s not hurting me.”
    He wasn’t?
    Roen squeezed with all his strength, but the man’s neck felt like solid rock. “What are you?” he whispered.
    Naylor grinned. “Same as you, Roen. We are the sons of the sea. We are mermen.”
    Roen jerked his head. Mermen? “You’re fucking insane.”
    “We may have lost our tails, but that doesn’t change who we are, Roen.” He glanced at the men. “Remove Mr. Doran and show him to the shore.”
    “Why?” one of the men asked nervously.
    “He says he wants to leave—” Naylor flashed a wicked grin “—so let the man leave. He can swim home.”
    The men grabbed Roen and yanked him to his feet.
    “I’m not leaving without Liv,” Roen grunted, trying to yank back his arms.
    Naylor nodded, and the men dragged Roen outside through a short stretch of forest to the rocky shore. It was so dark he couldn’t see his own feet.
    “Get the fuck off me!” Roen roared.
    They tossed him onto the wet sand. “Enjoy your swim, asshole,” one of them said, the rest laughing. They quickly disappeared back into the forest. “Oh, and watch out for the maids. They have sharp teeth,” one called out