Page 35 of Drenched

My stomach twisted. I didn’t need to look to know what it meant.

I wanted to close my eyes, to shut him out. But my gaze betrayed me. It followed the sharp lines of his chest, the hard set of his jaw. The water reached his hips, trembling like it feared him. My stomach twisted, a heat curling low that I didn’t want to name. My breath hitched, shallow and uneven.

Why was my body reacting like this? Why now, when everything was wrong? My mind screamed at me to feel nothing, but the heat only spread, wrapping around me like a poison. It made me feel weak. Controlled. My hands clenched into fists, my nails pressing hard against my skin.

I hated myself for it. For the way my body betrayed me. For the way every part of me seemed to tense under his gaze. Fear and something darker tangled together, impossible to separate.

He stepped forward, his feet breaking the water’s surface without a sound. His movements were precise, like each one was part of some ancient ritual. His webbed fingers flexed, claws glinting faintly. They curled as if testing their sharpness.

His lips curved into a slow, cruel smile. It wasn’t human. His teeth, jagged and too many, peeked out, gleaming faintly. My chest tightened, and my pulse felt like it might shatter my ribs.

“You look rather lovely in seaweed.” He drawled, the scorn in his words slicing through the air.

Shame and anger collided inside me. My arms crossed over my chest, trying to cover myself. The seaweed clung to my skin, wet and useless. “Go to hell.”

His smirk deepened and though his tone was soft, it was laced with authority. “You still think you have a say.”

Another step forward, and the cave seemed to shrink. His presence filled every corner, the air pressing against me like a living thing. My back pressed harder against the stone wall as he closed the distance. There was nowhere to run.

I tried to look away, but my gaze flicked back to him. His beauty was sharp and deliberate, like a weapon. Perfect in a way that felt cruel. Every flawless detail made my flaws feel more glaring.

“Why are you here?” My voice cracked. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes.

“You already know.” His eyes moved over me slowly, as though taking in every shiver and every twitch. “You feel it, don’t you? The pull. The inevitability.”

A knot formed in my stomach, twisting tighter with each word. I clenched my jaw, trying to keep the panic down. “I’m just trying to survive… from you!” My words came out sharper than I intended.

His smile faded, and his gaze darkened. “You’re not my enemy, Pearl.” But his tone became softer.. Too soft. “You’re my purpose.”

The words wrapped around me, unshakable. My chest tightened, my pulse racing. I wanted to scream, to tell him he was wrong, but the words wouldn’t come.

He reached to his waist and pulled out a dagger. The blade gleamed faintly, its smooth hilt carved from dark stone and polished until it shone. Sea stones decorated it, their colors soft and otherworldly. It looked ancient and impossibly sharp.

Panic gripped me as he stepped closer. “Why are you giving me that?” My voice trembled. “What if I kill you with it?”

He tilted his head, a cruel smile pulling at his lips. “When the thought crosses your mind, I’ll know.”

His calmness chilled me. This wasn’t a trick. It was real. “Why?” I asked, my throat dry. “Why give me this?”

He gestured to the broken shells and splintered raft behind me. “For your experiments.”

He knew.

He let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating through the air. My face burned, frustration and humiliation twisting together. I stared at the dagger, unsure if it was a gift or a trap. Its weight in my hand would feel like both.

“You’ll take it,” he murmured. “I know you need it. I know you want it.”

My anger flared. “Stay out of my head.”

His smirk widened. “But your mind is so inviting.”

I grabbed the blade from his hand. The cool hilt steadied me, even as the force of his presence seemed ready to overwhelm me. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

“You’ll need it,” he said, his tone softer now. He stepped back, brushing against me one last time before turning toward the pool.

The water greeted him like it knew him, rising to his hips as he stepped in. His legs shifted, merging into his tail with a fluid grace. He sank beneath the surface, only his eyes visible above the waterline, watching me like I still belonged to him.

“Rest,” he commanded. “You’ll need it.”

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