My Human Mate novel Chapter 32

"Bend at your knees more and stick your arms out for balance!" I cupped my hands around my mouth to project my voice so Michael could hear me over the crashing sound of the waves breaking into the relaxing water.

About 20 minutes ago I ditched my board up on the beach and settled for standing in the white water to "guide" Michael as he attempted to stand up.

As the afternoon progressed and as night time approached, there were a couple of last minute surfers who joined us in the water to catch one last session before the sun disappeared. Michael and I had slowly started moving down more and more to the left so we could get out of everyone's way, much to Michael's disgust. "Why can't they move for us?" he rhetorically grumbled every time I told him to move left.

I stifled another laugh as Michael fell straight off the back of the board and into the water once again. "This is ridiculous," he muttered as he waded over to me. "How the fuck do you manage to stay on your feet?"

"Practice buddy, lots and lots of practise." I grinned. "All though, we've been at this for about an hour or so. You should be standing up for at least a couple of seconds instead of falling off straight away," I teased. Michael mumbled grumpily something under his breath and I lightly shoved his shoulder out towards the deeper part of the ocean and told him to try again.

"Why don't I go in and you still surf? I'll watch" he suggested.

"You're giving up?" I asked smugly.

"No, I'm simply postponing mastering the activity." He said with a straight face.

"So in other words, you're giving up," I smirked at his change of words. "You loser." I joked.

"Loser?" he questioned in an amused tone, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, a loser." I smirked. "You're a loser because you suck at surfing and you're giving up, I teased him playfully.

"Alana," he growled in warning.

"Loser."

Another growl.

"Michael is a loser," I half sang in a teasing tune multiple times, watching him in amusement as he slowly started getting more and more irritated with each time I sang it. I knew it was cruel to purposely piss him off, but it is great entertainment.

"I'm not a loser." He frowned, eventually sick of the song after a couple more times repeating it.

A shooting pain shot down my neck and I had no clue on what I was supposed to do.

I could only focus on the pain in my neck, the huge headache and the burning sensation in my lungs. I flapped my arms around trying to swim to the surface but was once again met with the sand. The water still tossed and turned me and I could feel the panic rising. My head was starting to get dizzy and I tried changing my direction away from the sand but it wasn't working. It was like I was incapable.

My eyes were open to try and help me figure out where I was but from the breaking wave the water was murky and I couldn't see a thing. Some small grains of salt got in my eye, but because of the pain I was already in, it felt like only am irritation instead of a constant soreness. The burning in my lungs grew more and more intense and I slowly felt myself losing consciousness.

A dull feeling was on my shoulder, like something was pressing on it, and only when I broke the surface of the ocean and gasped for air did I realise it was a hand.

Coughing and spluttering, I couldn't be sure of it was water from the ocean or tears running down my face. Slowly the burning in my lungs started to disappear but a worried voice started filling my ears.

"Alana!" it shouted. "Alana, love, are you alright? Can you hear me? Talk to me." The voice was familiar and when I opened my eyes, I was met with the dark brown eyes that I've came to know, filled with worry and concern. Still coughing, I nodded my head saying I was alright, but when the ache in my head started again I pressed my hand there.

There was blood, and plenty of it.

I'm assuming the fins from the mal made a gash in my head and that got my blood pumping.