Page 31 of Drenched

Caves like this took centuries to form. Water slowly carved the stone, shaping smooth walls and hidden pools over time. The scientist in me should have appreciated that. But right now, all I could think about was how the walls felt like they were closing in. My fingers trailed along the wall, finding it smooth, unbroken, no cracks, no weakness, no escape. The panic I'd been fighting rose higher, making it hard to breathe

I was trapped.

“Shit.” I slid down the wall, my wet clothes sticking to my skin. The cold seeped deeper, making me shake. I hugged my knees tight but it didn't help, This wasn't just physical cold, it was in the silence, in the cave itself, in the knowledge that I was a captive of a sea creature who seemed to have claimed me made it all the worse.

I ran shaking fingers through my hair, grimacing as cold droplets splashed against my face. My clothes weren't drying in this damp air, and the chill was getting dangerous. Something inside me, maybe that survival instinct they talk about, knew I had to get warm. But peeling off wet clothes meant being exposed, vulnerable. In this place, that thought terrified me more than the cold.

Minutes passed as I debated, each shiver making the decision more urgent. Finally, practicality won out. I'd freeze if I stayed in these clothes. With trembling hands, I pulled off my shirt and jeans, wringing out as much water as I could.

That's when I heard it, a splash.

I froze, every muscle locking as I turned toward the water. Ripples spread slowly, as though something beneath was stirring. My breath caught as the surface parted, and he emerged.

Rynar.

Water streamed down his body, tracing the hard lines of his chest, broad shoulders, and powerful arms.

His tail shifted as he rose, splitting smoothly into legs. The movement was unnaturally fluid. He took silent steps toward me, each one measured, deliberate. The next instant, I saw a basket. A dark reed basket dangling from his hand.

Did he bring food?I thought as my stomach growled.

But right then panic hit me as I realized I was exposed. My hands scrambled for anything to cover myself, my gaze darting to the pile of seaweed near the edge of the pool. I grabbed it, wrapping it hastily around my chest and tying it in place. The rough texture scratched against my skin, but I didn’t care. I twisted another strand around my hips, securing it with shaking hands.

When I glanced up, Rynar was watching me with an amused expression on his face. unreadable.

“You don't need to hide yourself.” His voice resonated through stone and bone, tinged with amusement. “There's no shame in your form.”

Terror and anger churned in my chest. “Stay back,” I managed, hating how my voice wavered.

His mouth curved into a faint smile. He set the basket down within reach but didn’t move closer. “As you wish.”

“What do you want?” My voice cracked. “Why... why are you keeping me here? Are you going to eat me?”

“You believe me a monster?” His laugh was low, revealing rows of needle-like teeth. My stomach turned cold. No human smiled like that.

“I'm not here to harm you,” he said, his tone almost soothing as he gently placed the basket beside me.

He brought me food. But what kind? I tried to ignore the hunger clawing at my insides and turned away from the basket. Wrapping my arms tighter around myself, I tried to make my voice steady. “Right. Because kidnapping is so harmless.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Hunger sharpens your tongue. Eat.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “I’m not hungry,” I lied.

Rynar crouched, lowering himself to my level. His gaze moved over me, lingering too long.

“Such fire.” His hand drifted toward my face but stopped just short of touching my skin. “You should eat. That day, when you fought me in the water... I enjoyed the softness of your form. I'd hate to see you waste away.”

Softness. Was my body some kind of fetish for him? My stomach churned.

Something snapped inside me. I swung my hand, scattering the basket’s contents across the stone. Fruit rolled into the shadows.Fish slid wetly away.

“Don't you dare talk about my body,” I spat, trembling with fury.

For a moment, Rynar’s expression flickered with surprise. Then it shifted, his amusement bleeding away to something darker, more focused.

“You test my patience, Pearl,” his voice was low, like the calm before a storm. “Defiance has its limits.”

“Then do it,” I spat, my chest heaving. “Kill me. I don’t care.”

---