··· Assyria Widimer ···

I remember the first time I phased. It wasn't pretty. I was ten years old, the exact age that our kind phase at. It was my birthday and I remember playing outside in the garden with my older brothers, all six of them when the transformation started. My second oldest brother spilt a whole jug of water down my back as a joke and that's what kicked off the change.

I fell to the ground as the water burned my clothes, it wrapped itself around my bottom half in a cocoon and the pain was unimaginable. It started off at the very bottom of my spine and ran all the way through my legs, I remember screaming as my brothers rushed around frantic. The pain rose to the rest of my body, my whole body felt like it was set on fire but my legs were the worst.

It lasted for five hours. Five hours of screaming and not being able to escape it. When it eventually the pain stopped and my father told me what had happened, my family had never left me thought the transformation.

''You're a mermaid Assyria.'' My father had explained to me with kind eyes. I frowned confused. I didn't know what he meant, mermaids weren't real?

"Like the little mermaid?'' I asked and he chuckled lightly.

"Yes Assyria just like the little mermaid but with a few more perks.''

He explained to me about the family secret, that we're all Mer. A creature of the ocean, the top part mortal and the bottom part fish. My family couldn't of been more proud of me.

We moved around a lot, but making sure we always lived directly on a beach. Being a Mer, we're of course attracted to water. Kinda like a magnetic pull, you just can't get enough.

The only thing that kinda sucked was we all had to be careful when around water in public. The slightest drop of water will change us instantly and we can't stop it, we have around a minute to run until we change. Also we only fall in love once. Yeah this part totally sucks, it's not like we have mates or anything like wolves which by the way the exist too, it's just the way it is with our kind . So we don't stay around a lot, being part of a shoal always keeps you on the move. That's what a group of Mer are called, a shoal, like a shoal of fish but with a human half.

It's not like being a mermaid sucks, it doesn't, I mean we all come with special abilities. Some more than others, depending on the amount of time you spent during your first phase. The average is one hour. Mine was five. If I had any more abilities I would of found them by now, but alas, no. I'm just stuck with your usual heightened speed and senses, hypnosis, sonar and of course the ability to control water. We all also have the same unnaturally bright blue eyes if that's a super power. We girls also have like the legend says long, flowing hair down to our waist. The boys not so much.

The amazing thing is we are all blessed with astonishingly good looks, my father says its a Mer trait that we all get just like the bright blue eyes. He told me that centuries ago it was to lure sailors in and fall in love but that would never work out as they would end up accidentally killing them as their ships crashed on the rocks. Oops. But hey it could be worse, I could be human. Now that's just plain boring, I don't know what I'd do without my tail.

''Right you lot out of the car.'' my mother, Meredith called to the lot of us. We were a big family so I ran out of the car and into the house, sorry mansion, to call dibs on the biggest bedroom but naturally one of my brothers beat me to it. My oldest brother Merrick was lying down on a huge four poster bed in the room, the place we'd bought this time was already furnished and my parents had decided to go all out this time. The room itself was huge, it had tall white walls and huge windows letting in all the light. I glared at Merrick.

''What are you doing here? Get out!'' I yelled at my brother he glanced at me and smirked.

"Nope, sorry sis, this rooms mine.'' I narrowed my eyes at him for a split second before giving him my best puppy dog eyes. He looked up at me again and his face fell.

''Ri, you can't give me the eyes that's not fair.'' He pouted using my old nickname. I wobbled me lip a little and tried my best to look sad. He groaned and got off the bed to hug me.

''Fine you can have the damn room!'' I beamed up at him and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks Meri!''

''Come on let's go help unpack.''

~*~

''Mum when's dinner coming?'' My brother Marlowe whined, we were all currently sitting at the table whilst my Mum and Chloe, Merrick's girlfriend were cooking from the kitchen. I sat next to Conway, Marlowe's twin whilst Amy, Conway's girlfriend put my hair into plats.

Let me introduce my large family, first off I have six brothers in total, the oldest called Merrick is twenty—three years old. He'll take over my fathers post as leader of the shoal after he steps down. His girlfriend Chloe lives with us as well. All my brothers decided to bring they're girlfriends with them. It's not like they have a choice it makes the Mer physically incapable of being away from the person you love, especially since we only fall in love once.

Morgan, my second oldest brother had found his girl. She's called Amy and she's pretty funny. She moved in with us around a year ago and her and Chloe are best friends.

The twins Marlowe and Conway are both twenty, Conway is the only one out of the two with a girlfriend not that Marlowe would mind. He's a bit of a player but he's my brother so I've got to love him. Conway's girlfriend is called Lucy and she's the same age as him. He's best friends with Caitlyn, my brother Irvin's girlfriend.

Irvin is nineteen and both Lucy and Caitlyn moved in the same time. They were best friends since childhood and came to live with us three or four months ago. The two were in separable but the boys didn't care. Love at first sight remember?

Lastly is my brother Zale, he doesn't have a girlfriend and out of all of my brothers he is my favourite, well aside from Marlowe who I seem to get on with more. We were both born on the same year apart from he is nine months older than me, my parents must of been really trying for that girl.

All the girls know about our secret and that is partly why they all moved with us. It's nice to have girls around as my brothers can be extremely over protective of me at times. I'm not even aloud to date. How sad is that? I did have a boyfriend once but that was a year ago and it didn't last long. Yeah, I've kissed my fair share of guys when my brothers weren't looking but it never went any further, and if it did my brothers made sure it didn't.

Being Mer, we are all very protective of the ones we love by nature, we only get one shot so we have to get it right.

My Mum Meredith is a mermaid like us, she found my Dad Arlyn when she ran away from her other shoal and an arranged marriage her father organised between a neighbouring shoal. They have been happily married ever since.

So you see not all Mer fall in love with mortals. I have yet to find my guy. I'm not all that bothered about the whole thing if I'm honest. Yeah it would be amazing to find him but if not oh well, I'm only eighteen, I have the rest of my life to find him.

''Here we go.'' Mum said coming through to the dinning room with pizza in one had for the girls. Chloe came out with a large platter of seafood, what can I say — Mer like fish.

''We couldn't be bothered cooking so we just bought these on our way here.'' Chloe said with a shrug as she followed Mum in and took a seat next to Merrick.

''We aren't the only guys here.'' My dad said said clearing his throat. I looked up excitedly.

''There's another shoal here?'' My father shook his head and looked at all of us.

''No there is a pack of werewolves that are currently operating this territory.'' He said in a strong voice, this was his warrior side. My father used to fight along other Mer in battles over territory in the ocean a long time ago. He always goes into this mode when there the slightest threat in the area. Conway automatically brought Lucy closer to him as if to protect her.

''Which pack is it?'' I asked curiously.

''The Blood Moon Pack.'' I swallowed turning my attention back to my pizza. The Blood Moon Pack were known for they're strong fighters and long line of fearless alphas. The current alpha is supposedly pretty rutheless however we've never came into contact with wolves, you don't exactly get them out in the middle of the sea.

''So you know what this means, more training and research on everything about the Blood Moon's.'' My dad told us taking a bite of a prawn. We all groaned.

''But Dad, they don't even know about the Mer, there is practically no threat in the area.'' Marlowe complained. My Dad's eyes narrowed at him.

''This is not up for discussion Marlowe.'' He said and we all groaned again.

It was true, the only other supernatural race that werewolves know about are vampires and they're both just as bad as each other. They are constantly at war with each other.

''Daddy can we go out for a swim tonight?'' I asked in my sweetest little girl voice. He beamed at me.

''Of course Assyria.'' Marlowe snickered at my full name. I rolled my eyes at him, yes I had a very long and confusing name.

Assyria Maris Nerissa Widimer, it sucks trying to fill out just a simple form with a name like mine. Being Mer we all have to have names that have meanings, it's tradition apparently.

Assyria is where the first Mer was sighted by mortals, one of our ancestors swam to close to the shore and kicked the whole mythical mermaid thing off. Maris my middle name is Latin for 'ocean', we are have to learn Latin as its a big part of our culture. Nerissa my second middle name means 'daughter of the sea', which actually fits quite well if you think about it, you know being a mermaid and all. Lastly Widimer is Latin again for Mer. My brothers don't have middle names. Apparently me being a girl I got to have more, I think my Mum just couldn't pick only one name.

Merrick's name means 'ruler of the sea', the Mer don't actually have a king, we have independent shoals that stand on their own. When my brother comes of age at twenty—five he will take over the shoal and become leader.

Morgan's name means 'circling seas', he's only twenty—one years old and is probably the closest to our mother then anyone apart from Dad of course.

Marlowe and Conway the twins, are the pranksters of the family, especially Marlowe. His name means 'holy lake' and Conway's means 'holy river'. my Mum thought that if she was going to have twins they would need to have twin names.

Irvin's name means 'lover of the sea' which is appropriate being a mer and all. Lastly there's Zale who'a name means 'sea strength

''We can all go'' My Mum Meredith said nodding along. Her name means 'protector of the sea', my Dad's name Arlyn means 'sea warrior'.

''But Meridith'' Lucy whined to Mum. Lucy hated swimming with us simply because she was human and she was stuck with piddly little human legs which we all teased her about relentlessly.

''You know we can't swim that fast'' I laughed as we all grinned at her words. Yeah she really can't stand going swimming with us, all we do is tease her until Conway get's annoyed and defends her.

"You'll be fine we'll just play about for a bit then'' My Mum smiled at her and she's nodded. I couldn't help but feel that this stay would be different somehow.