Page 19 of Drenched

Relief surged, then evaporated.

The water thickened around me. A sense of dread curled tight. I felt it before I saw it, the creature’s attention shifting, zeroing in on me.

A shimmer of silver caught my eye. The tail emerged first, massive, sleek, slicing through the water with slow, deadly grace. Then his chest came into view, broad and sculpted, bioluminescent skin rippling like living metal. Clawed, webbed hands glided through the water as he swam toward me.

Then I met his eyes.

Pitch black. Bottomless.

They locked onto me, swallowing everything. The world faded, leaving only the pull of his gaze. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t just looking at me, he was inside me, prying into my thoughts, holding me in place, unraveling me piece by piece.

His claws slid over my exposed waist, cold seeping through my skin. His other hand cupped my face, the touch firm but careful, like he was deciding whether to break me or hold me together.

My lungs burned, the need for air turning desperate. His eyes never let go. He leaned in, his cool lips brushing against my neck. Not a kiss. A claim. Then his teeth sank in.

Pain flared white-hot, a shock that jolted through my body. Heat chased it, spreading like fire through my veins. My back arched into him, the scream in my mind swallowed by the way my body gave in, wanting more.

My vision blurred. My limbs trembled. I started to slip away. Then his mouth found mine. His lips sealed over me, and he breathed into me. Salt and something raw filled my lungs, electric and alive. My chest expanded, the rush of it rewiring something deep and primal.

His claws traced my sides, glided to the back of my neck. He tangled his fingers in my hair, tilting my head. His lips brushed the other side of my throat. The second bite went deeper, pain blurring into something sharper, almost unbearable. The water thrummed around us, vibrating with whatever he was doing.

I gasped weakly. His mouth crashed onto mine again, the breath he gave searing through me. My hands pressed against his chest, useless, trembling. He didn’t let go. He held me there, his grip unrelenting.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes met mine. Dark. Possessive. Endless.

Shadows moved behind him, something massive shifting just out of reach. He loosened his hold, letting me float away. Not because I escaped, but because he allowed it.

I broke the surface, gasping. Hands grabbed me, Trevor, Kim, hauling me onto the deck. Their voices blurred, far away and muffled. My fingers found the marks on my neck, warm with my own blood.

But the pain wasn’t what stayed with me.

It was his eyes. Those black, endless eyes. Eyes I knew too well. Eyes that had haunted my dreams. My nightmares.

Chapter Seven

We walked back to the inn in silence. My fingers wouldn’t stop touching my neck, tracing the marks he’d left. They tingled, a constant reminder of how close he’d been. Jaime limped beside me, jaw tight, pretending he wasn’t struggling. Kim kept glancing around nervously, her hands twisting together, but she didn’t say anything. Even Jonathan, who always had something to say, stayed quiet.

Blood dripped steadily onto the floor as I rolled up Jaime’s pant leg. The gash was deep, jagged, and ugly, the kind of wound that would leave a scar. Jaime’s knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the chair, his face pale.

“Pearl,” he started, his voice uneven, “what we saw down there… that thing… it had me. I couldn’t, “

“Don’t.” I cut him off, forcing myself to focus on the first-aid kit. “Let’s just fix this and move on.”

Jaime nodded stiffly but didn’t say anything else. The words hung between us, heavy and unsaid.

Kim perched on the edge of the table, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her shoulders hunched like she was trying to disappear. “Its eyes,” she murmured, barely audible. “Like staring into nothing.”

“Shut it!” Jonathan barked, pacing by the window. His boots dragged over the worn floorboards, each step erratic.

“Then what the hell did this?” Jaime snapped, his voice cracking as he motioned to his leg. “And what about the marks on Pearl’s neck? If it wasn’t real, Jonathan, then explain that.”

Jonathan’s mouth opened, then shut. For once, he didn’t have an answer.

Trevor sat hunched in the corner, a cigarette burning low between his fingers. His hand trembled as he exhaled smoke. “We can’t stay here,” he muttered, his tone sharp. “Not after what we’ve seen.”

Jonathan spun around, his eyes darting wildly. “He’s right. We’ve got to go. We’re not safe here.”

Jaime flinched as I tightened the bandage around his leg. “I’ve got the samples,” he said through gritted teeth. “Two of them.”

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