I had to laugh when I saw a post the other day on a blog site with the cover of Stealing the Wind, a snarky comment about a “boob grab” (and what’s wrong with that, may I ask?) and the author was wondering how mermen have sex (she didn’t quite put it that bluntly, but hey, it’s a valid question, right?). Which, of course, inspired me to write about it. Because if you want to know how I see mermen having sex, you’ll find out in Stealing the Wind. But I’ll give you a little taste of it first.
The mermen in “Stealing the Wind” are shape shifters. They exist in two forms: human and merfolk. They can survive indefinitely on land or in the water, but they cannot survive away from water for long periods of time. If merfolk can live indefinitely under the water, then it stands to reason that they can also mate in their merfolk form. Which led me to the question (because I love sexy stories): how would mermen have sex? To answer that question, I had to ask myself a few other questions.
Question #1: What do mermen look like and how are their bodies (and parts of their bodies) put together? I loved this question, because the answer was that I could do whatever I liked. It’s my imagination, right? Of course, I wanted to base my mermen on merfolk lore, and I needed them to have certain “human”…er…attributes. So I started by looking at marine animals, and especially at marine mammals. Whales are a bit too big, so I naturally chose dolphins as my “template” for the beast half of my mermen.
In “Stealing the Wind,” Taren Laxley
has known nothing but slavery all his life. He doesn’t remember his parents–all he knows is that he was sold as a baby. Taren discovers his dual nature after he’s taken prisoner aboard the merfolk ship, Phantom, and her captain (Ian Dunaidh) shows him what his body has hidden. Suddenly, he is half-man, half-beast, with a powerful tail, a dorsal fin between his shoulders, webbed fingers, and has fins with sharp tines on his hands and wrists. Then he realizes that his “manly” plumbing is internal.
Dolphin sex organs are internal (makes sense – don’t want them getting all shriveled in the water). They have “folds” – two each. The male penis is hidden inside, so the fold acts as a sheath (similar to dogs). Which led me to question #2.
Question #2: How do mermen have sex? I had no doubt that I wanted the mermen in the story to have sex in their merfolk form, so I needed to figure out what kind of sex organs they have when they transform. “Thank the goddess,” as Ian would say, for the internet. Did you know there are tons of dolphin sex vids? No joke. Apparently dolphins are very sexual (not particularly monogamous, unlike my two mermen) and tend to “perform” at aquariums (to the delight of children and the mortification of their parents!). Here’s a link to one of the vids I watched. You’ll see some of the behavior reproduced in the excerpt.
I watched several videos to get a sense of how dolphin sex works. They’re very playful, nipping and rubbing against each other. And yes, dolphins get erections, exposing the hidden penis for sex. Only problem I saw: dolphin penises are pretty small. Smaller than human penises. Enter my imagination. How about dolphin anatomy, but a human sized penis? No need for foreskins, either, in this form. And what if certain other orifices are a bit more sensitive even, than in humans? (I think I had way too much fun figuring this all out!)
One other logistical question I had to deal with: how do merfolk communicate under the water? The answer? Telepathy or thought-reading. As you’ll see, they do make some sounds, but their speech becomes thought when they are in their merfolk form.
So what follows is an excerpt from Stealing the Wind. Definitely NSFW, 18+. Enjoy! And if you haven’t heard already, Stealing the Wind is up on the Dreamspinner Press website for preorder! -Shira
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Burb:
Mermen of Ea: Book One
Taren Laxley has never known anything but life as a slave. When a lusty pirate kidnaps him and holds him prisoner on his ship, Taren embraces the chance to realize his dream of a seagoing life. Not only does the pirate captain offer him freedom in exchange for three years of labor and sexual servitude, but the pleasures Taren finds when he joins the captain and first mate in bed far surpass his greatest fantasies.
Then, during a storm, Taren dives overboard to save another sailor and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by Ian Dunaidh, the enigmatic and seemingly ageless captain of a rival ship, the Phantom, and Taren feels an overwhelming attraction to Ian that Ian appears to share. Soon Taren learns a secret that will change his life forever: Ian and his people are Ea, shape-shifting merfolk… and Taren is one of them too. Bound to each other by a fierce passion neither can explain or deny, Taren and Ian are soon embroiled in a war and forced to fight for a future—not only for themselves but for all their kind.
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Excerpt from Chapter 16
WARNING: NSFW, 18+ only please!
They continued to float, Taren’s face pressed against Ian’s chest. Taren could sense Ian’s physical desire for him, but Ian waited patiently and held him close. The feeling of peaceful repose settled deep within Taren’s heart, and Taren became slowly aware of how much he wanted Ian. Not a new feeling, but this time Taren’s doubt had fled with the onslaught of Ian’s embrace.
Taren reached up and kissed Ian. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected of the kiss. He’d never kissed anyone under the water. Ian’s mouth felt hotter than before. The saltwater caused Taren’s mouth to vibrate with sensation, as if Taren could taste Ian’s desire. Ian’s scent was powerful and primal, more like those of the other creatures Taren had smelled beneath the waves. No longer human. Taren’s body responded to the scent even more strongly than to Ian’s touch. The stirring inside his body felt both strange and wonderful. They swam side by side a few feet above the sand.
Taren’s heart beat a steady tattoo, and his body heated under Ian’s intensely possessive gaze. Taren’s need to submit was primal and demanding. Ian flicked his tail and moved to nuzzle Taren, brushing against Taren’s skin in a sensual and dizzying dance. Around and around they swam, spiraling, their bodies always in contact. Without thinking, Taren nipped at Ian’s neck. Ian swam on his back, exposing his neck to Taren’s mouth and teeth. Taren continued to bite and lick until Ian hissed in reply. The sound was like a soft whistle, audible through the water.
“Goddess!” Ian’s voice in Taren’s mind was a husky growl. “Where did you learn to do that?”
Taren had no answer except that his body knew this. He floated just above Ian, their bellies now pressed together, tails propelling them in unison. They moved in a slow, languid line above the sand. Taren nearly laughed to feel Ian’s cock hard against his own, where before they’d been hidden inside their bodies. He stopped moving and reached down to clasp it, surprised at how human it felt, hard and veined. He wanted to taste it, to learn its secrets with his lips.
Ian gazed down at Taren and stilled so Taren might better explore his body. Taren wrapped his arms around Ian’s tail and hooked his own tail around Ian’s body so they floated as one, their bodies rocked on the gentle current. With a quick glance upward at Ian—Ian’s expression was serene, even vulnerable—Taren took Ian in his mouth.
Ian’s cock was long and thick. Taren licked around the tip, flicking his tongue in tiny circles until he felt Ian’s body shudder with pleasure, then swallowed Ian’s erection until it tickled the back of his throat.
Ian moved his tail just a bit, sending them spinning again as Taren continued to explore with his tongue, reveling in Ian’s sweetness. How strange it felt to hear the surf as he coaxed Ian’s body to the brink. Stranger still, Taren’s mind filled with images from Ian’s thoughts, as if by giving his body over to Taren’s attentions, Ian had given all of himself to Taren.
Through Ian’s eyes, Taren saw the waves buffet the Phantom and felt joy stir in his heart as the mighty ship rode the crest of a wave and fell, the spray cool on his face. He saw himself asleep on Ian’s bed, his head in Ian’s lap as Ian stroked his hair and spoke softly to him. He felt Ian’s concern for his welfare, Ian’s need to reassure himself of Taren’s well-being. He felt the freedom of Ian’s transformation, the power of Ian’s body as it cut through the water and chased dolphins in the surf. He felt his own lips on Ian’s member, his mouth hot and hungry, and Ian’s climax as it exploded through Ian’s body. When Ian finally spent himself in Taren’s hungry mouth, Taren experienced Ian’s climax as if it were his own. Taren’s orgasm sent him over a cascade of emotion and physical sensation.
Yes, there’s more to the scene, of course! But you’ll have to read the book to see how it ends. -Shira
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