Page 10

EIGHT

NEREUS

A s Nereus stalked down the corridor away from Isolde's room, his muscles were coiled tight with restraint.

The taste of her lips lingered on his—a heady mixture of salt and sweetness that threatened to pull him back to her door.

When she had looked at him wide-eyed with those sea-blue eyes, something primitive had awakened in him, something far more ancient than even his centuries-old wolf.

"Damn it all," he muttered, running a hand through his hair as he entered his study.

The large room reflected his dual nature—part refined royal, part untamed predator.

Floor-to-ceiling windows faced the ocean.

Bookcases lined the walls, filled with ancient texts on shifter lore and territory management.

His massive oak desk dominated the center, carved with intricate patterns of wolves and waves.

Nereus rolled up his sleeves as he began pacing the length of the room.

The tall windows revealed his domain—miles of private beach with the ocean now placid and gleaming under moonlight.

No hint remained of the chaos from earlier.

The contradiction of the ocean mirrored his own state—outwardly composed yet inwardly turbulent.

"Three hundred years waiting for her, and now I can barely keep my hands to myself for three minutes," he growled to himself.

He grabbed his phone and fired off texts to Xavier and Damien.

His beta and his royal advisor would be grumpy about the pre-dawn summons, but this couldn't wait.

His Luna had arrived—a human Luna with untapped water powers that had already destroyed a public building.

The implications were staggering to say the least.

Nereus moved to the sidebar and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

He knocked it back in one swallow, the burn nothing compared to the fire Isolde had ignited within him.

The mating pull was stronger than he had expected—not just desire, but a bone-deep need to claim her, protect her, and teach her.

"She has no idea what she's capable of," he murmured, pouring another drink and carrying it to the window. The ocean reflected the full moon, its surface rippling slightly. Was that Isolde's influence even in sleep? The connection between them was already forming, stronger than he had anticipated.

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, wrestling with the wolf inside him that wanted to return to her room, wake her with kisses, and complete the mate bond. The rational prince won out—barely. She needed time. Understanding. Patience.

Patience had never been his strong suit.

"Your Highness?"

He turned to see Mrs. Carlisle, his housekeeper, standing in the doorway in her robe, her gray hair in a neat bun despite the hour.

"Is everything all right? I saw the lights on."

"Fine, Edith. Just expecting Damien and Xavier shortly. And our guest?—"

"The guest suite was prepared with everything a young lady might need. Fresh clothes in the closet and toiletries in the bathroom."

Nereus nodded. "Thank you. Make sure she has a new phone waiting for her when she wakes."

"Of course." The housekeeper hesitated. "May I ask—is she..."

"She's my Luna." The words sent a thrill through him, possessive and primal.

Mrs. Carlisle's eyes widened. "After all this time..."

"After all this time," he echoed. "And I have to move carefully, or I'll frighten her away."

"The ocean responded somewhat to her arrival."

Nereus's laugh was sharp. "That's putting it mildly. She demolished the marine research station with her first surge of power. She's stronger than any Luna I've encountered."

The wolf in him preened with pride at his mate's strength, even as the prince calculated the challenges ahead. Training her. Protecting her. Integrating her into pack life. And all while battling the mating heat that threatened to consume them both.

Several minutes after Edith left him with his thoughts, he heard the familiar cadence of footsteps approaching his study. The heavy oak door swung open without a knock—the only two men in the territory who dared enter his space without announcement.

"This better be apocalyptically important," Xavier growled, his dark hair disheveled, eyes alert despite being pulled from sleep. As beta, he was accustomed to crises, but rarely at this hour.

Damien followed, immaculately dressed despite the ungodly hour, his silver-streaked beard neatly trimmed. As Royal Advisor, he maintained appearances no matter the circumstance.

"I found my Luna," Nereus announced without preamble, watching their reactions with hawkish intensity.

Xavier's eyes widened while Damien raised a single eyebrow. They waited for more—they knew him well enough to sense there was a complication.

"She awakened tonight. Created a tidal wave that destroyed the marine research station on the north point," Nereus continued, tapping his fingers on his desk. "I had to save five human scientists from drowning."

Xavier whistled low. "That's quite an entrance."

"She must be powerful," Damien mused, settling into a leather armchair. "Our pack hasn't seen water control that strong since?—"

"She's human," Nereus cut in, the words hanging in the pre-dawn air like a challenge.

Both men froze. Xavier recovered first, his laugh sharp. "You're joking, right?"

"Do I look like I'm in a fucking joking mood?" Nereus's voice dropped dangerously low, his wolf pressing against his skin.

Damien leaned forward, fingers steepled. "Not impossible, Your Highness, but definitely not traditional."

"How is this possible then?" Nereus demanded, slamming his fist on his desk. The ancient wood trembled but held firm. "Three centuries I've waited, preparing for a Luna from one of the six territories, and the Moon Goddess sends me a human marine biologist?"

"Marine biologist," Damien repeated thoughtfully. "Interesting choice. She already devoted her life to the ocean before knowing her connection to it."

Xavier paced the room, his energy too feral to be contained. "We need her, that's non-negotiable. Without a Luna?—"

"I know what happens without a Luna," Nereus growled. The pack's power would fade without her balancing influence. His power would diminish. The Seafang sovereignty would weaken, leaving them vulnerable to rivals. "But how do I integrate a human who thought shifters were fairy tales until tonight?"

"Perhaps..." Xavier hesitated, then plunged ahead. "What if you ignored this particular call? Waited for a proper waterwolf shifter Luna to awaken?"

The suggestion sent a bolt of white-hot rage through Nereus's body.

His eyes flashed turquoise, a warning growl building in his chest. The mere thought of rejecting Isolde, of sending her away, ignited primal panic within him.

His wolf clawed at his insides, desperate to race to her room, to guard her door and ensure no one took her from him.

"I'd sooner cut out my own heart," Nereus snarled, surprised by the raw emotion in his voice. "She's mine. I've barely known her for hours, and already I can't imagine existence without her."

Xavier raised his hands in surrender. "Just testing the mate bond. You clearly passed."

"The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes," Damien said quietly. "If she chose a human for our alpha, there's purpose behind it. We are all pawns of fate, Your Highness. Sometimes we must wait to understand why things are as they are."

Nereus stilled, his gaze drawn to the ocean visible through his windows. Out there somewhere was the answer to why Isolde had been chosen for him—why after centuries of waiting, his mate was a woman who had no knowledge of his world.

"Leave me," he commanded.

His men nodded, recognizing the tone. Xavier squeezed his shoulder briefly before departing—a rare gesture of affection between alpha and beta. Damien bowed slightly, then followed.

Alone again, Nereus stared at the lightening horizon. His wolf paced restlessly within, drawn to the woman sleeping across the castle—the woman who held his future, his pack's future in her delicate human hands.

He prowled his study like a caged predator for several more minutes. His heart thundered in his chest, and he grunted in frustration. The wolf inside him would not be denied.

"Fine, you win," he muttered, running his hand along the intricate molding of the eastern bookcase until his fingers found the hidden latch.

The secret panel slid open without a sound—the work of craftsmen long dead who had built his castle centuries ago. Nereus had commissioned the network of tunnels when Viking blood still ran hot in his veins, when the need for escape routes was a matter of survival rather than convenience.

Now they served a different purpose. The dim light of wall-mounted sconces illuminated the narrow passage as he navigated the familiar route. His footsteps were silent despite his size—the predator in him had never forgotten how to hunt.

"This is ridiculous," he whispered to himself even as his feet carried him forward. "She's safe. She's asleep. She'll be there in the morning."

His wolf didn't care about reason. It needed to see their mate, to confirm her safety, and to breathe in her scent. All this time waiting, and now, his Luna slept under his roof. The pull was too irresistible.

The passageway curved toward the guest wing, and Nereus slowed his pace as he approached the hidden entrance to Isolde's room. He eased the panel open, slipping into her darkened chamber like a shadow.

His breath hitched at the sight of her. She lay sprawled across the four-poster bed, her blonde hair fanned out across the pillow like strands of gold.

The moonlight streaming through the balcony windows bathed her in ethereal light, highlighting the curves of her body beneath the silk sheets.

She had kicked off half the covers, one toned leg exposed to his hungry gaze.

He moved closer, drawn by an invisible thread that connected him to this woman. His Luna. The fact that she was human seemed inconsequential in this moment—she was perfect.

"I'll protect you," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Her scent enveloped him—ocean spray and something uniquely hers that made his wolf howl silently in recognition. He could detect no fear and no distress in her sleep. Just exhaustion from the day's events.

Unable to help himself, he reached out, brushing a finger down the soft curve of her cheek. Her skin was warm silk beneath his touch. She stirred slightly, a small smile curving her lips, but didn't wake.

He bent down, inhaling deeply as he nuzzled against her hair. The intimate gesture sent a shock of possessiveness through him so intense, it nearly buckled his knees.

"Mine," his wolf growled internally while the man in him stepped back, forcing control.

The ocean outside crashed more forcefully against the shore, responding to his emotions. Nereus froze, suddenly aware that his own lack of control might trigger her dormant powers.

"Sleep well, little one," he murmured. "Tomorrow you'll learn what you truly are."

She shifted in her sleep, her lips parting slightly. "Ocean," she murmured, clearly dreaming.

Nereus smiled, a rare, genuine expression that transformed his usually stern features. Even in sleep, she was connected to her element. She would be magnificent once trained.

With tremendous effort, he backed away, slipping silently into the passage and closing the panel behind him. The separation was physical pain, but his rational mind knew it was necessary.

Back in the safety of the tunnels, Nereus leaned against the cool stone wall, his heart hammering. "Get a grip," he growled to himself. "You've commanded armies, ruled this territory, and negotiated treaties. You can handle one human woman."

But as he made his way to his own chambers, he knew that was a lie. Isolde was not just any woman. She was his destiny, his future—and possibly, if he couldn't guide her properly, his destruction.

In his own bed, Nereus tossed and turned, haunted by sea-blue eyes and golden hair. The scent of her lingered in his nostrils, teasing him with what he couldn't yet claim. How would he teach her? How would he convince a woman of science to believe in ancient magic?

"Tomorrow," he promised himself as sleep finally claimed him. "Tomorrow, I'll make her understand what we are to each other."