Page 18

FIFTEEN

ISOLDE

I solde closed the door to her guest suite and leaned against it for a moment. Her thirtieth birthday was definitely one she would never forget. Magical water powers awakening inside of her, a devastating tidal wave, and the most passionate sex she ever had.

The plush carpet cushioned her bare feet as she padded across the room to the enormous bay window overlooking the moonlit ocean. The water looked deceptively calm now, betraying nothing of the chaos it had caused at midnight—the chaos she had caused.

She pressed her fingertips against the cool glass. "I can command and manipulate water," she whispered to her reflection. "All because I turned thirty."

The ridiculousness of the statement hung in the air. Yet she couldn't deny what she had seen on the beach today—her power coaxing the ocean water to rise and to heal that injured seal—with Nereus guiding her every step of the way.

Nereus. Her body flushed hot at the memory of him on the beach, water droplets sliding down the hard planes of his chest, his hands confident on her body. She had never been so bold with anyone before. Something about him made her feel both reckless and safe at the same time.

Another sudden and unexpected memory surfaced—Lorelei's strange behavior after her thirtieth birthday nine months ago. The way the earth seemed to shake around her at her birthday party. Those comments months later about "finding her power" and her whirlwind romance with Draken.

Isolde grabbed her new phone from the nightstand and entered Lorelei's number into the keypad. She hesitated for a few seconds, then hit the call button before she could talk herself out of it.

Lorelei's familiar voice came through after three rings. "Hello?"

Isolde sank onto the edge of the bed. "Hi, Lorelei, it's Izzy.

I lost my phone yesterday, so I'm calling from this temporary one I got.

" She half-lied so that she wouldn't send Lorelei into immediate panic.

"I'm sorry for calling at this hour. I just..

. something weird happened and I thought of you. "

"Weird how?" Lorelei's tone sharpened with interest.

"Well, there was this freak wave that hit the research station yesterday. Completely destroyed it." Isolde twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "I was there when it happened. Someone rescued me."

"Are you hurt?" Alarm colored Lorelei's voice.

"No, I'm fine." Isolde bit her lip, suddenly uncertain how much to reveal. "But something's happening to me. With water. It's like—" She paused, searching for words that wouldn't sound completely insane. "It's responding to me somehow."

The silence on the other end stretched long enough that Isolde checked to see if the call had dropped. Then Lorelei exhaled audibly.

"It started at midnight on your birthday, didn't it?"

Isolde's heart skipped. "How did you know?"

"Because the same thing happened to me, Izzy. With earth and plants instead of water." Lorelei's voice softened. "Remember all those weird growth spurts in my garden when you saw me three months ago? The plants that shouldn't have survived but thrived? That wasn't just good gardening."

"So I'm not losing my mind?" Isolde pressed her hand to her forehead.

Lorelei laughed. "Definitely not. I had the same freak-out. But it gets easier, I promise. You learn to control it."

"How?" Isolde demanded, leaning forward. "How did you figure it out?"

"Draken helped me." Something in Lorelei's voice changed and became warmer. "He understood what was happening to me before I did. He showed me how to channel it. To use it when I need it rather than having it burst out when my emotions run high."

Isolde thought of Nereus earlier today near the ocean, his steady hands guiding hers as she manipulated the water. The instant calm she felt when he was near. The way the ocean seemed to respond to them when together, their powers combined into one stronger force.

"Izzy?" Lorelei prompted. "Are you somewhere safe? Do you need me to come get you?"

"No, I'm safe." Isolde glanced around the luxurious suite. "I'm staying with... a friend. Someone who's helping me figure this out."

"A friend, huh?" Lorelei's tone turned teasing. "Must be some friend if you're trusting them with this."

Before Isolde could respond, a muffled voice called out on Lorelei's end.

"Sorry, Izzy—Draken needs me for something. Pack business." Lorelei sighed. "Let's talk more soon? I want to hear everything."

"Pack business?" Isolde repeated, the word triggering something in her memory.

"I'll explain more later. Just—trust your instincts, okay? And your... friend. If they're helping you control this, they probably know more than they're letting on."

The call ended before Isolde could ask more questions. She stared at her phone, her mind racing with connections she was beginning to make.

Luna. Pack. Powers awakening at thirty. It couldn't be a coincidence that Lorelei had experienced something so similar.

Isolde flopped back on the bed, her heart pounding in her chest. The water in the decorative fountain across the room rippled in response to her agitation.

She took a deep breath, trying the centering technique Nereus had shown her earlier.

The water calmed within seconds. She smiled, a small triumph in a day filled with revelations. Maybe she could do this after all.

Five days later, Isolde scrunched her toes into the wet sand, focusing on the gentle push and pull of the tide. Several days of intense practice had strengthened her connection to the water, but mastering control was like trying to harness a wild stallion – thrilling yet frightening.

"Again," Nereus instructed from behind her, his deep voice carrying over the crash of waves. "This time, try to separate the water into three distinct columns."

She inhaled deeply, centering herself before extending her hands.

The ocean responded immediately, rising in a single impressive wall before trembling and dividing into the requested columns.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as she maintained the formation for thirty seconds before releasing it with a gasp.

"I did it!" She spun around, her face flushed with triumph.

Nereus's usually stern expression softened, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Impressive. You're progressing faster than expected."

His praise warmed her more than it should have. Their physical connection had been explosive from the start, but these small moments of approval felt just as intoxicating.

Their training session was interrupted by a pack member jogging down the private beach path. The young man's eyes flickered to Isolde before addressing Nereus directly.

"Your Highness, the pack meeting can't proceed without you."

"I'll be there shortly," Nereus dismissed him with a curt nod.

The pack member departed with a barely concealed glare at Isolde. It was the fifth such interaction she had witnessed today alone.

"They hate me," she murmured once they were alone. "Every single one except Xavier and Damien."

Nereus wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his hard chest. "They fear what they don't understand. Once I formally announce you as Luna and we complete the mating ritual, they'll recognize your place."

She bit her tongue against the obvious follow-up question: when exactly would that happen? The uncertainty of her position and future was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"I sense your frustration," he said, tilting her chin up. His blue eyes studied her face with unnerving intensity. "Your thoughts are practically screaming at me."

"Mind-reading too? That's cheating." She attempted to lighten the mood, not wanting to push him like she had on her birthday.

His thumb traced her lower lip. "Tomorrow, I'm taking you somewhere special. Just the two of us, no pack business, no interruptions."

"Where?" Excitement bubbled up inside her.

"It's a surprise." He leaned down, capturing her mouth in a commanding kiss that made her knees weak. "Consider it part of your training."

When he pulled away, she noticed the waves had risen around their ankles in response to her arousal. Nereus smiled knowingly.

"Your power responds to all strong emotions, not just anger." His hand slid down her back possessively. "Remember that."

As they walked back toward the castle, she watched a group of pack members dispersing ahead of them, their whispered conversations falling silent at her approach. The walls they built against her were as palpable as physical barriers.

Nereus must have sensed her unease. His arm tightened around her shoulders, and he pressed his lips to her temple. "Patience, little Luna. Everything worth having requires time."

She nodded, but inside she wondered how much longer she could remain in this limbo – neither fully accepted as Luna nor free to return to her former life. Tomorrow's surprise couldn't come soon enough.

The next morning, Nereus led Isolde through a dense stretch of forest in his territory, his hand warm and firm around hers.

The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden streaks.

Isolde's curiosity buzzed beneath her skin, but Nereus had been tight-lipped about their destination, only offering her a sly smirk when she pressed him for details.

"You're really not going to tell me where we're going?" she asked, her voice teasing as she stepped over a gnarled root.

"Patience," he said, his tone low and amused. "You'll see soon enough."

After a while, the trees began to thin, and the sound of rushing water grew louder. They emerged into a small clearing, and Isolde’s breath caught. Before them was a cave entrance, partially hidden by a curtain of ivy. The air around it was warm and humid, carrying the faint scent of minerals.

"A cave?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "This is your big surprise?"

His lips curved into a wolfish grin. "Trust me."

He pulled aside the ivy and gestured for her to step inside.

The cave was dimly lit by sunlight filtering through cracks in the rock, but as they ventured deeper, the space opened into a breathtaking chamber.

The walls glistened with moisture, and in the center was a natural hot spring, its surface steaming gently.

The water was a deep, inviting blue, and the air was thick with warmth.

"Oh," she breathed, her eyes wide. "This is… beautiful."

He stepped up behind her, his hands resting on her hips. "I thought you might like it. It's one of my favorite places in the territory. The water's infused with minerals—good for healing and relaxing. And it's completely private."

She turned to face him, her heart skipping a beat at the intensity in his gaze. "Private, huh? What exactly are you planning?"

His hands slid up her sides, sending a shiver through her. "I think you know."

She laughed, a soft, breathy sound. "You're impossible."

"And yet, you're here with me." He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear. "Take off your clothes, Isolde."

Her breath hitched, but she didn't hesitate.

There was something about the way he commanded her that made her want to obey and to give herself over to him completely.

She reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head, and then stepped out of her shorts.

He watched her with a predatory gaze, his eyes darkening as she stood before him in nothing but her bra and panties.

"All of it," he said, his voice rough with need.

She unhooked her bra and let it fall to the ground, then slid her panties down her legs.

The air was warm against her skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat of his stare.

He stepped closer, his hands skimming over her curves, and her body responded instantly, a flush of desire spreading through her.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, his fingers tracing the curve of her hips. "Every single inch of you."

She reached for the hem of his shirt, tugging it up. "Your turn."

He let her strip him, his muscles flexing as she pulled his shirt over his head and undid his pants.

When he stood before her, completely bare, she couldn't help but admire him—the broad shoulders, the defined chest, the powerful legs, the…

large throbbing member. He was every bit the alpha male, and it made her pulse race.

He took her hand and led her to the edge of the hot spring. "Ready?"

She nodded, and he stepped into the water, pulling her in after him. The heat enveloped her, soothing and invigorating at the same time. She sank into the water, letting it lap at her skin. He soon pulled her close, his hands roaming over her body.

"You're mine, Isolde," he said, his voice low and possessive. "Mine to protect, mine to cherish, and mine to pleasure."

She shivered at his words, her body leaning into his touch. "Nereus…"

He kissed her then, deep and demanding, his tongue sliding against hers. She moaned into his mouth, her hands gripping his shoulders as he pressed her against the edge of the pool. His hands were everywhere, exploring her, teasing her, until she was trembling with need.

"Please," she whispered, her voice breaking.

He didn't make her wait. He lifted her, positioning her so she could wrap her legs around his waist, and then he was inside her, filling her completely.

She cried out with pleasure, her nails digging into him as he began to move.

His thrusts were slow and deliberate at first, drawing out her pleasure.

But as her moans grew louder and her breathing more ragged, his thrusts became faster and harder.

The water rippled around them, responding to the intensity of their connection. She clung to him, her body trembling as pleasure built inside her, sharp and sweet. His breath was hot against her neck, his growls sending shivers down her spine.

"That's it," he murmured. "Come for me, Isolde."

Her climax soon hit her like a freight train, her body convulsing around him as wave after wave of pure ecstasy washed over her.

He soon followed her, his own release shuddering through him as he held her close.

For a moment, they stayed like that, their bodies pressed tightly together and their breaths mingling like one.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes were soft, a rare vulnerability in his gaze. "You're everything, Isolde. Everything I've waited for all this time."

She smiled, her heart swelling with emotion. "And you're everything I never knew I needed."