Tentacle Island Read online

  Tentacle Island

  Drake LaMarque

  Grey Kelpie Studio

  Copyright © 2020 Grey Kelpie Studio

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

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  Any similarities to people living or dead is purely coincidence, this is a work of fiction and fantasy.

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  Published by Grey Kelpie Studio

  Tentacle Island

  Dreaming? Was I dreaming?

  A voice, deep and comforting, a strong pair of arms, lifting me out of the water.

  “You can breathe now.”

  I pressed my head against his collarbone, unsure of everything except that he’d protect me.

  * * *

  I woke up parched.

  I was lying prone, sprawled, really, on the warm sand of a beach. The sun above beat down on me, and I opened my eyes to find some shade.

  My throat was rough as if I’d swallowed seawater. I sat up with some difficulty, my head swirled with the heat and my thirst.

  “Where on Earth am I?” I said out loud, my voice hoarse and as dry as the sand.

  I looked around, shielding my eyes from the sunlight with my hand.

  It appeared I was on a white sand beach in the middle of the ocean. I could see neither ship sail nor man-made building. The island seemed to be of the tiny atoll kind. An island perhaps in size a little larger than the ship I had until recently been on. There was a palm grove, and precious little else.

  Putting my back to the island I looked out to sea. A gentle wave lapped on the sand near my feet, but beyond that I could see the coral reef and far stronger waves dashing themselves against it. The atoll had created a gentle lagoon with the island in the centre.

  I was stranded, for sure. Stranded alone on the beach of an atoll - which raised a question. How had I safely got past the coral reef?

  I tried to take stock of things.

  My name… yes, I knew that. Edward Winthrope. Gunner in the Royal British Navy.

  I couldn’t remember how I’d got here, though, onto the island. The last I remembered was… Oh yes. Pirates attacked our ship.

  I looked down at myself. All that remained of my fine Naval uniform was salt-stained breeches, a torn shirt and my belt. There was no weapon, no jacket, my hat was also long gone. I reached up to touch my hair and found the ribbon was still wound there, holding it back in a matted and ruined ponytail.

  My chest had a nasty scrape on it, which hurt when I tentatively touched it, but I didn’t seem to have broken any bones or worse.

  Very odd.

  I hauled myself to my feet (bare, my boots obviously hadn’t made it).

  Pirates had attacked our ship, and I had fought, I thought. I remember my captain shouting orders, I remember seeing the name of the ship and feeling fear flood me - The Devil’s Whore - captained by a fearsome man who had taken the name of Satan himself.

  I must’ve fallen overboard in the fray.

  How humiliating.

  Well, at least I was still breathing. I took a deep breath of clean sea air to reassure myself of this. I made my way unsteadily up the hot sand and into the shade of the coconut palms. My legs weren’t feeling entirely sturdy, although I hoped it was because of the uneven sand and nothing more.

  Perhaps somewhere on this island, there was a spring or a small stream…

  Then I saw movement - a person, here on the island with me.

  “Hello there!” I called out. “Did you survive the battle as well?”

  Only after I saw him tense and look my way did I realise he may not be a friend. What if he was one of the pirates off the Devil’s Whore? What if he intended to kill me, or worse, torture me for fun?

  I swallowed. I was still dazed and not thinking straight. I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious, after all.

  The man, for I could see now, that he was a man, was walking towards me. He was tall, very muscular and he was wearing the briefest piece of cloth over his nether regions.

  His skin was pale, almost translucent, and around the curve of his chest and the indentations of muscles around his stomach he seemed to have a golden, almost orange tinge. Very strange, indeed. His hair flowed long and wavy down his back, as pale a blond as the sand on the shore. His eyes were dark though, which gave him an eerie sort of look. Beautiful, but eerie.

  “Ah, are you…” I started to say, then bit my tongue. What had I been about to ask?

  “You’re awake,” he said. The deep, melodic voice was familiar. From my dream?

  “I’m awake,” I said, a little foolishly. “Who are you?”

  He walked closer still, a smile played over his lips, which looked lush and kissable.

  “My name is Paz. I pulled you from the water, it didn’t look like you’d survive otherwise.”

  I blinked at him. Something in the back of my mind supplied a word that seemed relevant to this moment: merfolk

  “Are you one of the merfolk?” I blurted, before I could think it through.

  Paz smiled, and it made my heart flutter - which I hadn’t expected.

  “I am. I’m Paz, and this is my atoll.”

  “My name is Edward, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” I said, automatically.

  I tried to think back on what I’d learned about the merfolk… there was precious little. Naval basic training covered what to do if you chanced upon a colony and that was to run away.

  I swallowed. “Your colony is here?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m of the reef octopus variety, we’re very solitary. Unless it’s mating season.”

  Mating season.

  I looked down his muscular body to the scanty bit of old ship sail that covered his nethers. Then looked back up at him. My skin burned with embarrassment as I imagined what he must look like without the fabric.

  “Fancy that,” is all I said.

  “I suppose you’re wondering why I saved you.” Paz moved closer to me, a certain sinuousness to his gait that caught my attention all over again.

  I swallowed once more. I really was in need of a drink, and his appearance and apparent friendliness was simply enhancing my need.

  I suppose I ought to have considered why he rescued me. Merfolk were well known to eat sailors who fell into the water. They were more dangerous than sharks, less dangerous than the greater sea creatures. I remembered that from basic training as well. In all honesty, I’d found it fascinating stuff. One of my most enjoyable subjects was that of the zoology of the ocean itself.

  But that didn’t get one promoted, and it wouldn’t help in the day to day business of the ship so I had set it aside.

  “Quite, yes,” I said. I shook my head a little. I had to concentrate on what was happening right there, in front of me, not what had happened in the past. “Why did you rescue me? I assume I wasn’t the only one to fall into the water.”

  “You weren’t the only one, but you were the prettiest.” He raised his hand, and gently, ever so tenderly, he stroked the back of his fingers down my cheek, tracing my jawbone.

  I felt my body respond to him.

  It wasn’t as if I’d never had sex with anyone before. I’d had shore leave in Singapore, after all, but those encounters weren’t… well. For one they were largely wordless, as the men I’d hired didn’t care to speak to me aside from to give their prices and their names. The sweltering humidity, the dark bars, the warm flesh. It had been a means to an end and little more for both parties.

  Never before had a man looked me in the eyes and told me he thought I was attractive.

  And never had I looked at a largely naked man in broad daylight and felt myself respond in this manner.

  “Thank you,” I said. Flushing further when my voice cracked on the second word. “You’re very attractive yourself. As in, astoundingly so.”

  Instinctively, I pressed my cheek against the palm of his hand, enjoying the soft warmth of his skin on mine. It made me feel… delicate somehow? Treasured?

  A pleasant feeling to be sure, and one I wanted more of.

  He moved closer still, leaned his head down to mine and tilted it to the right. I leaned in and kissed him on the mouth.

  Such a kiss I’d never shared with anyone. The men in Singapore would sometimes kiss me, but I found I didn’t enjoy it much and thought perhaps that part of the lovemaking process wasn’t to my taste.

  Now I realised I had simply been kissing the wrong men. This kiss …

  Paz’s mouth was salty like the ocean, but I could also taste his saliva and somehow it was like a quenching drink. His mouth was firm on mine, taking but also giving in return. I moaned softly, pressing my chest against his as he kissed me further. I felt my tongue sucked into his mouth and deliciously teased.

  Like an ocean wave he surged forward suddenly, pushing me back against the trunk of the nearest tree. My feet stumbled in the sand, but his arm around my waist kept me upright. Pinned between the tree and his hard body, I felt my head spin with happiness and need. I wanted him. I wanted more.

  His lips left mine, and I gasped for air, finding it difficult to catch my breath as he trailed kisses down the stubbled line of my jaw.

  I had been thirsty when I woke up, but now I was consumed with a different kind of hunger. A need to be fulfilled demanded urgency
.

  Of course, I was well aware that I was likely in danger of fainting if I didn’t drink something soon.

  “Paz,” I gasped. He paused, his lips on my throat. I felt like my pulse must be throbbing under his mouth.

  “Yes?”

  I hardly knew what it was that I wanted to say. A moment’s interruption allowed my head to clear somewhat. My body was still responding to Paz, my arms were tight around him and my cock was pushing uncomfortably against the canvas of my trousers, but I felt I had to regain some form of control over myself.

  “We don’t have to uh, you know. Right away?”

  Paz straightened up, and I immediately longed for the touch of his mouth on mine again. “You don’t wish to mate?”

  His expression looked so crestfallen I felt guilty, I hurried to correct him, rubbing my hand on his waist as I spoke.

  “I do, very very much wish to mate with you. It’s just it’s been some time since I had a drink, and it’s very hot out here. I need some water, do you know if there’s any fresh, drinking water here?”

  Paz’s eyebrows raised and his sad expression melted into understanding. “No, no fresh water here, but I could get you a coconut? They have milk inside.”

  “Oh, uh, yes please. That sounds perfect.”

  * * *

  A while later, I’d watched Paz climb a tree, apparently, it was very simple with hands and feet, although when he got to the top of the tree, a tentacle-like appendage appeared from … somewhere. I couldn’t quite make out from my position on the ground. It seemed as if it sprouted from his lower back. It appeared, wrapped around the trunk of the tree and held on tight, allowing him to use both hands to pull a coconut off and drop it to the ground. He removed several of the huge nuts and then came back down the tree, the tentacle seeming to curl back into his body and leaving the skin of his back smooth.

  I wonder what else he can do with that thing...

  I banished the thought as I helped Paz to prepare the coconut - husking it, cracking it open on a sharp rock, and finally, I drank the sweet milk inside it.

  My body yearned for Paz’s touch, but I knew that drinking the milk and eating the coconut’s flesh was more important for the moment. We sat opposite each other in the shade of the palms as I ate.

  Soon enough I was done and Paz and I eyed each other.

  His smile was at once wicked and alluring and I bit my lip, wondering how to proceed from here. I need not have worried.

  “Would you like to mate now?” Paz asked.

  A diabolically immoral thought occurred to me and I licked my lips.

  “Yes, but what do you say about showing me what you can do with your uh, tentacles?”

  Paz’s smile widened, showing rather pointed teeth that I hadn’t noticed before.

  “I should love to, but… we’ll need to get into the water. I dry out too fast on land and it’s an unpleasant feeling.”

  “Oh, yes, that makes sense.” I hadn’t had a lot of time to study sea creatures, but I knew this at least. I got to my feet and offered him my hand. He took it and got up himself. He didn’t drop my hand as we made our way down towards the beach again.

  With the coral reef, the waves weren’t too big at all, which should make what we were about to do easier, but I was concerned about what else might be lurking in the water.

  “Paz, is there anything else, or uh, anyone else around?” I gestured with my free hand out at the waters of the atoll.

  Paz shook his head. “Nothing that will harm you. I’m the only merfolk who lives within a league of here, and I’m territorial, no sharks or eels would dare come near you while you’re with me.”

  I felt reassured, and my heart sped up as I came to realise I was really about to do this. For a moment I wondered what the society people back home would think, or my shipmates… but best not to think on them at all. Instead, I turned to Paz and kissed him again, letting him know how enthusiastic I was through the longing that was in it.

  He kissed me back, bending me back a little, his hand in the small of my back, lowering me down onto the damp sand.

  “You may wish to remove your clothing,” he said, leaning over me and smiling with hunger this time. I nodded as he pulled back and waded into the water.

  I busied myself with removing my shirt and trousers, laying them out on the sand higher up so they’d remain dry.

  Then I watched as Paz waded deeper, until he was waist-high in the clear water. He turned to look at me, a question in his eyes.

  “Are you sure this is what you want, Edward?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I’m sure,” I said. “I’ll say if I change my mind.”

  He nodded. “That’s good.”

  It took almost no time for him to change into his merform. I couldn’t see a lot of difference from the waist up, except that his skin took on a warmer golden orange tinge, and I saw patterns dappling his skin. Patches here and there, on his shoulders, forearms and his back, the familiar markings of an octopus.

  I swallowed the last bit of caution my body felt and waded into the water, naked and willing. My cock led the way, clearly I wasn’t put off by this beautiful man’s true form, although I couldn’t quite see him under the water’s surface.

  The ground under my feet was sandy and soft, and the water was warm as a bath. I walked to him, my eyes on the swirling movement below the surface.

  Apparently impatient, Paz dived under the water and swam towards me. Under the water I could see the huge, golden orange tentacles streaming out behind him, splaying out and then pushing him forward, tentacles pressed together.

  Playfully he swam around me in a circle before surfacing in front of me. He tossed his hair over his shoulder, letting the water stream down his back. “What do you think?”

  “It’s incredible, truly,” I said. “Is it all right if I touch you?”

  “More than all right.” He spread his arms wide, inviting me in. “Touch me, Edward.”

  I moved closer, shivering as I felt one of his tentacles brush against my leg. It was eerie, but not at all unwelcome. In fact, it set my nerve endings on alert, and I wanted more.

  I started with my hands on his waist, slick and damp from the water, and then slid them slowly down to feel where the hard muscle and smooth skin gave way to softness - there were still muscles underneath, but they were shifting and moving, keeping Paz upright in the water.

  * * *

  My hands stroked over the skin leading down to his tentacles. His soft skin formed a sort of skirt, or webbing, between the tentacles, and one hand slipped under the skirt and located his large, hard cock.

  He moaned softly, letting his arms drop down, one of them reaching for me. “I’d like to suck you,” I said, my voice husky. “But I won’t be able to hold my breath that long.”

  “Later,” he said, shaking his head. “I want to come inside you, first.”

  I fought back a pout and stroked his cock with slow, long movements. “All right, I’d like that.” I leaned closer to kiss him again, and then frowned. “Only I don’t have any oil to slick the way…”

  “Leave that to me,” he purred. One of the tentacles wrapped around my right thigh, coiling as if it were a snake, or a rope tightening.

  “Oh- of course.” My breathing was getting faster, and I could feel my own hardness pressing against his soft skin. It was velvety and felt wonderfully sensual against me.

  I let my other hand roam back up his body, feeling the muscles of his abdomen and up to his chest, teasing at his nipple with forefinger and thumb.

  “Oh, you like to tease, do you?” His voice had dropped lower still, more intimate, his lips on my ear. “Do you know what I do to teases?”

  I shook my head slightly, feeling my body thrill even more at the promise in his words.

  “If you want to find out, by all means keep doing that to my nipple,” Paz purred.

  I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, so I pressed my finger and my thumb together harder and twisted ever so slightly. Paz groaned and I felt the cool embrace of another tentacle. This one wrapped around the forearm that was slowly stroking Paz’s cock.

  Gently but firmly, the tentacle moved my arm back and away. I let go of his cock and let my arm be moved where Paz wanted it. He pulled my arm behind me. I watched, entranced, as another tentacle rose out of the water and wrapped around my other wrist, and I didn’t resist at all as it pulled my other arm behind me.