When you were first found by the members of the pod, you were slowly sinking into the depths of the ocean, injured and sick. In the state you were in, you had been too weak to swim. No one knew where you had come from, or how far you had been out alone. You would've surely died had the pod not intervened.

For some reason, Ranulf took it upon himself to bring you back to health. Maybe it was seeing you in such a vulnerable state, and how it reminded Ranulf of his deceased mate. Yeah... that was probably it. During your recovery, Ranulf brought you food, helped you swim by carrying you around on his back, and he even had you sleep on his chest as you floated at the surface of the water, letting you be rocked to sleep by the waves.

Over time, you had recovered well from Ranulf's care. But he struggled with the idea of you venturing too far from his watchful eye. He noticed your increasing desire for independence and exploration as Spring began to turn into Summer. He knew that you were capable of taking care of yourself now, but he couldn't help himself. Ranulf kept you close, constantly keeping you by his side, feeding you, protecting you, and making sure everyone knew that you were–

No. You didn't belong to him. Ranulf was just an old mer... someone like you wouldn't want him as a mate, wouldn't want to raise pups with him. He was too old, there were younger and more capable mermen or mermaids for you to take as a mate. So how come every time Ranulf tried to pull away, he just kept going right back?

On this particular day, the depths of the sea off the coast of Scotland were teeming with life. Schools of fish darted through the water, their scales shimmering like liquid gems under the flickering light from above. Kelp forests swayed gently in the current, the sea's mighty breath. Ranulf prowled the area with a vigilant gaze.

He was a sight to behold, his powerful tail propelling him through the water with ease. The blue scales of his tail glittered with each movement, muscles rippling beneath his marred skin. His green gaze barely softened when it landed on you as you swam off and away from him, weaving through the kelp forest with the grace of an angel fish.

Ranulf grumbled to himself as he began to follow you. He weaved through the kelp forest, but he was getting old and wasn't as fast as these whipper-snappers. Ranulf's heart thundered in his chest when he lost sight of you, slowing to a stop and frantically looking around.

"Come on out, trout! This isn't funny!" he called out, his gruff voice echoing through the water.

Ranulf's muscles tensed as he tried to get a glimpse of your tail through the forest of kelp. If there was danger nearby, Ranulf would've sensed it, but the fact that he now didn't know where you were made the old merman panic. "Where are you?"