Chapter Nine

'Stupid! Stupid, stupid idiot!'

Sonic swam as fast as he could away from the moonpool, keeping a hand to his head where Shadow had hit him with the rock. Fortunately it didn't break the skin, but it would definitely bruise, but that wasn't his main concern right now.

Shadow knew what he was now… and he had attacked him.

'Dammit, I thought I was better than this!' He screamed at himself, still tasting the blood from Shadow's shoulder. 'I guess I really can't control my instincts after all.'

He sighed and pulled his hand away from his head. Things were really going to be tense between him and Shadow in the morning. He could only hope that his rival was smart enough not to talk about it to their friends.

He shook his head and kept swimming. He couldn't think about that now. His mind was focused on finding Ryn and making sure she was ok.

He swam to an open clearing of the coast, stopping just by the edge and smiling in fondness at the sight before him.

The Sirens of his colony, both human and Mobian. They were swimming together, the females checking out the males, picking and choosing, preparing for the mating rituals tomorrow and the rest of the week.

Everyone was here, including the Alpha. But as he looked over the merhogs, Sonic frowned in deep concern. Ryn was not among them. This did not help his paranoia. Not one bit. He kept trying to convince himself that he had no reason to be worried, but all together, his mind started thinking about what Shadow had said.

Or do you?

He shook his head of the thought, and hoping to get some answers, he swam towards his colony, making his way to the Alpha, the mermaid Tia.

'Tia!' He called with his merhog voice, signing to her in their language.

The mermaid turned to look at him, her black hair flowing beautiful around her pale face as her bright blue eyes stared at him. 'Sonic. I was wondering when you would show up.'

'Tia, where is Ryn?'

'Don't worry yourself about that now, you must join the males and prepare yourself for the season tomorrow.'

'My seed belongs to Ryn and Ryn alone.' Sonic frowned at her.

Tia hissed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. 'You are a male. You do not get to make that decision.'

'No, but Ryn does. So I'll ask again. Where is she?'

Tia huffed and looked away. '... We don't know.'

'What?' Sonic was shocked. 'What do you mean you don't know?'

'My guess is that she's dead. Dead like her sister.'

'Don't you dare say that about Donna!' Sonic hissed in anger, unpleased with the topic of Ryn's sister coming up again. 'Why would Ryn be dead?'

'She was caught in a net.'

'What?!'

'We saw her get taken. Few hours ago.'

'And you didn't think about helping her?!'

Tia hissed at him. 'And what were we supposed to do Sonic?!'

'I don't know! Cut the net?!'

'With what?!'

Sonic was silent. Tia was right. Even though their spears were sharp, they were not sharp enough to cut through rope. And if their spears weren't sharp enough, then nothing in the sea was sharp enough.

Tia sighed and placed a hand on his back. 'Look Sonic. I know you care about Ryn. She was your best friend, and she always talked about mating with you when you two became of age. But she's gone now. You can't change that. And it's time to grow up and do your part to the colony. You must stay and mate with the female that chooses you. No more going to the surface. Your place is here and here alone.'

'... No Tia.' Sonic frowned. 'You're wrong.' He swam away from the Alpha's comforting grip. 'Ryn is not gone. I know she's not. She wouldn't let herself just be captured like that. Not unless it was a trap. Someone has her, and I'm going to find her.'

He turned to swim away, but just as he was going to, the mermaid grabbed him by his arm.

'Sonic I forbid you from going up to the surface world! Mating season is upon us and you need to be here for it!'

'And I will be once I find Ryn.' Sonic hissed, yanking himself away from her. 'I'm going to the surface world and I'm going to find her!'

'Sonic, if you leave this colony now you will not be welcomed back.'

Sonic's ears pricked up in surprise. '... You're going to banish me? For going to rescue one of our own?'

'She is dead, Sonic. There is nothing you can do for her.'

'You don't know that!' Sonic screeched. His outburst caused everyone in the colony to stop, turning to look at him and the Alpha in curiosity.

Tia huffed in exasperation and towered over the smaller Siren. 'It's not just that, Sonic. One of these days, your little expeditions between worlds are going to lead a surface dweller to our colony, and then we'll all be in danger.'

'That's ridiculous! I've always been careful to make sure I'm not followed. Nobody even knows that I'm a Siren.'

'Oh yeah?' Tia challenged. 'Then where did you get that bruise from?'

Sonic frowned and placed a hand back over his head, hiding the wound Shadow had given him.

'You smell of blood too.' Tia sniffed. 'A surface dweller's blood. Someone from the surface world saw you and you attacked and killed in defense, correct?'

'No, I didn't kill him. I have more control over my instincts than you ever will, Tia.' Sonic hissed. 'Do you know how hard it was to convince everyone that the fisherman you killed was a victim of a shark attack?'

'He should've thought of that before he caught me in his net.'

'He was just doing his job, you heartless monster!'

Tia screamed and slapped across Sonic's face, her claws leaving a few scratches on his cheek. Sonic backed away in shock, holding his hand up to his burning cheek.

'You watch what you say to me, boy!' She snarled. 'Like it or not I am still your Alpha and you will treat me with respect.'

Sonic huffed and looked around at the other Sirens. They watched him and Tia, discreetly signing to each other in gossip and nosiness. They were talking about him, he knew they were.

He turned back to Tia and fixed her with a hard glare. 'Fine. Banish me if you want to. But I'm going to save Ryn. And once I do, you'll be begging me to come back.'

The two Sirens hissed at each other, baring their razor sharp fangs in frustration. With a final hiss, Sonic turned and swam away, going back to his moonpool to start his search for his best friend, not even caring if Shadow would still be there or not.