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Marina laughed, the sound tinkling like wind chimes. "Oh, I've had centuries to acquire nice things." When Isolde raised an eyebrow, Marina winked. "I'm joking. I just have expensive taste."

Marina disappeared into what must have been her bedroom, returning moments later with two bikinis. She handed the blue one to Isolde. "This should fit your curves perfectly. The bathroom's through there if you want to change."

The bikini was a deep shade of turquoise that matched Isolde's eyes.

As she slipped it on in the bathroom, she noticed how perfectly it fit, accentuating her fuller breasts and curvy hips.

For a moment, she wondered what Nereus would think if he saw her in it, then pushed the thought away.

This was her time, and she wasn't going to spend it mooning over a man who expected her to bend to his expectations.

When Isolde emerged, Marina had already changed into a black bikini that contrasted beautifully with her pale skin.

"You look stunning," Marina said, her eyes appreciatively taking in Isolde's figure. "Now, let me get those drinks started while you settle into the hot tub. You look like you could use some relaxation."

The hot tub was located on the upper deck, bubbling invitingly against the backdrop of the blue sky. Isolde slipped in, sighing as the warm water enveloped her body. This was what she needed—warmth, comfort, and no expectations.

"One margarita, extra strong," Marina announced, returning with two salt-rimmed glasses. She handed one to Isolde before sliding into the water beside her. "To new friendships and unleashed powers."

They clinked glasses, and Isolde took a generous sip, the tangy sweetness of the drink dancing on her tongue. "This is delicious."

"Secret recipe," Marina smiled. "So, tell me more about this hot alpha wolf of yours. Is he as domineering as he sounds?"

Isolde felt heat flood her cheeks that wasn’t due to the hot water. "Nereus is... a lot of things. Everything about him is larger than life. His presence fills a room before he even speaks."

"And in the bedroom?" Marina raised her eyebrows, refilling Isolde's already half-empty glass with a pitcher she had brought up.

"Incredible," Isolde admitted, the alcohol loosening her tongue. "Like he knows exactly what I need before I do."

Marina laughed. "Men like that are rare. Though they can also be exhausting." She swirled her drink thoughtfully. "Always expecting, demanding, and taking."

"It's not like that," Isolde found herself defending Nereus again despite her frustrations. "He gives too. It's just—his pack doesn't want me around, and I feel like I'm constantly trying to prove myself worthy."

Three margaritas in, Isolde's head was pleasantly fuzzy, her body completely relaxed as she and Marina swapped stories and laughed under the setting sun. It felt good to have female companionship and to talk without having to defend her choices.

"You're carrying a lot of tension," Marina observed, setting her glass aside. "Turn around, let me work on those shoulders."

Something about the suggestion felt oddly intimate, but Isolde was too tipsy to question it. She turned, exposing her back to Marina's cool hands.

"You poor thing," Marina murmured, her fingers expertly finding knots of tension Isolde hadn't realized she was carrying. "Everyone wants something from you, don't they? The wolf, the pack, the ocean itself."

"Mmm," Isolde mumbled, her eyes fluttering closed as Marina's thumbs worked circles along her spine. The sensation was heavenly after days of stress and training.

"Drink up," Marina encouraged, reaching around to hand Isolde her refreshed glass. "You deserve to relax completely."

Isolde took a long sip, then another. Something tasted different—sharper, more bitter—but she attributed it to the alcohol content. Almost immediately, a wave of dizziness washed over her, more intense than mere tipsiness.

"I don't feel right," she mumbled, her tongue suddenly heavy in her mouth. She tried to turn around, but her limbs refused to cooperate.

Marina's hands tightened on her shoulders, no longer soothing but restraining. "That's because I don't need you to feel anything at all, my dear."

Alarm bells rang distantly in Isolde's foggy mind. "Wha—what did you do?"

Marina's laughter had lost its melodic quality, turning cold and cutting. "Did you really think you were the only one with magical water powers? I've spent centuries perfecting mine, and now yours will make me unstoppable."

Isolde tried to summon her powers, to make the water respond, but her connection to it seemed muffled and distant.

"Don't bother," Marina hissed, her beautiful face transformed by malice. "The drug blocks your connection temporarily. Just enough time to get you where I need you."

Through growing darkness, Isolde watched Marina leave the hot tub and return with rope, which she wound efficiently around Isolde's wrists and ankles.

"The ocean responds to you in ways I've never seen," Marina continued conversationally, as if she weren't in the process of kidnapping Isolde. "With your powers added to mine, I'll control every creature and every current. The entire seaboard will bow to me."

"Nereus—" Isolde managed to mumble.

"Oh yes, your wolf prince." Marina smirked. "He'll come looking, of course. Men like him always do. But by then, it will be too late."

Marina half-dragged, half-carried Isolde off the boat and toward the parking lot where a black SUV waited. The windows were tinted, but Isolde could make out shadowy figures inside.

"My associates," Marina explained, opening the rear door. "Not all wolves are loyal, you know. Some can be bought—or persuaded."

As consciousness slipped away from her, Isolde glimpsed four hulking men in the vehicle, their eyes glinting amber in the fading light—wolf shifters just as Marina had claimed. The drug pulled her under before she could process the betrayal.

Her last coherent thought was of Nereus—his blue eyes, his warmth, his absolute certainty that she belonged with him. She had run from that certainty, and now she might never see him again.

The darkness claimed her completely as the SUV pulled away, carrying her toward an unknown fate.