Page 46 of Drenched

Chapter Seventeen

It wasn’t just the ocean floor. It was like a kingdom, one meant for sea creatures.

Structures towered from the seabed, coral and stone twisted together in impossible shapes. Arches rose like delicate spires, intricate and sweeping, as if carved by something beyond nature. Bioluminescent algae clung to every surface, casting everything in a soft, unearthly glow. Smaller forms dotted the landscape, organic and deliberate, like forgotten shrines left by ancient gods of the deep.

I stared, my mind struggling to process the sheer magnitude of it. This place wasn’t meant for humans. It wasn’t human. The city seemed alive, breathing, pulsing, as if every glowing surface carried a heartbeat I couldn’t quite hear.

“This is home,” Rynar said, his voice breaking through my awed silence.

“Home?” The word felt strange in my mouth. “For who?”

“For us.”

We drifted down to a clearing, the sand beneath us smooth and shimmering with a soft luminescence. Rynar’s grip loosened, letting me float freely while he descended. His silver tail curledgracefully, sweeping patterns into the sand with each controlled movement. His hands traced delicate lines, the glowing algae responding to his touch, illuminating the designs as they took shape. Spirals and curves unfurled, spreading like ripples, intricate and mesmerizing.

He moved with an ancient rhythm, a dance woven from the depths themselves. Every sweep of his tail and flick of his fingers felt deliberate, meaningful, like he was speaking through the motion. The patterns expanded, glowing brighter as his movements quickened. The clearing seemed to hold its breath, watching, waiting.

“What is this?” My voice was barely a whisper, trembling with awe and confusion.

“A declaration,” he answered, his gaze fixed on me. His eyes held a quiet intensity that made my chest tighten. “For you.”

“For me?” The words slipped out, shaky and disbelieving. My hands hung at my sides, useless, my fingers twitching with the urge to reach out. The glow from the sand reflected on his face, softening the edges of his features. For a moment, he looked less like a predator, more like something… sacred.

“Yes.” He glided closer, his tail brushing against my legs in a gentle, lingering caress. “You are mine, Pearl. And tonight, you’ll understand what that means.”

My heart thundered in my chest, so loud I wondered if he could hear it. His hands found my arms, his fingers cool and steady. A shiver ran through me, unbidden, as my body leaned into his touch. I wanted to fight it, to hold onto the anger that had kept me safe. But my defenses crumbled, too brittle to withstand him.

“You didn’t ask,” I said, my voice thin and raw. “You just take.”

He tilted his head, his gaze steady and unwavering. “Some things aren’t asked. They are known.” His fingers slid up my arms, featherlight but sure. “You are mine, and I am yours. The ocean knows this. The depths know this.”

“I don’t,” I whispered, but the words faltered on my tongue.

His lips curved into a faint smile, the kind that made heat bloom low in my belly. “You will.”

He cupped my face, his touch reverent, almost fragile. He leaned in slowly, his lips brushing mine in a whisper of a kiss. It wasn’t a demand. It was an offering, waiting to see if I would accept. My breath caught, my body poised between fight and surrender.

I didn’t pull away. His lips pressed more firmly, cool, and smooth, igniting something deep inside me. A soft sound escaped me, my hands lifting to clutch his shoulders. His tail coiled tighter, drawing me closer, his hands sliding down to trace the curve of my back.

“You are beautiful,” he murmured, his voice trembling with something raw. “Every scar, every breath, every thought... Beautiful.”

My throat tightened, a strange ache blooming in my chest. His words felt like a confession, a worship, and I didn’t know how to process it. All I knew was that my hands gripped him tighter, and when he kissed me again, I didn’t stop him.

The glowing patterns beneath us pulsed brighter as Rynar guided me lower, his tail coiling to cushion my descent. The sand beneath me was warm, soft, and alive with the samebioluminescence that illuminated the water around us. His hands never left my skin, trailing over my arms and shoulders with a touch that was both gentle and possessive.

I gasped as something brushed against my chest, an almost tickling sensation, delicate and unexpected. My gaze darted downward, and my breath caught at the sight of two glowing starfish. A wet brush against my chest made my breath catch. I looked down. Two glowing starfish latched onto my nipples, their bioluminescent arms curling, suction cups sealing tight. The first pull was sharp, a sting that sent heat racing through my veins. Their mouths clamped down tighter, teeth like tiny needles scraping the swollen peaks.

Pain flared, hot, and immediate. My body jolted, back arching instinctively. The suction deepened, pulsing in a rhythm that blurred pain and pleasure. My nipples throbbed, the raw ache building, twisting into something unbearable, and yet, perfect.

Rynar’s tail wound tighter around me. The smooth, scaled length coiled around my waist, snaked over my thighs, and wrapped around my wrists. The cold pressure pinned me, arms trapped at my sides. His grip made sure I couldn’t escape, not even if I wanted to.

He slid his claws up my neck, fingers spreading over the gills he’d carved into my skin. The touch was light, almost gentle. Then his hand closed, sealing the gills shut. Panic bloomed inside me. My lungs seized, my body convulsing as it fought for breath.

The starfish pulsed harder, their teeth biting down, tugging with maddening pressure. My nipples burned under their assault, pleasure spiking with each pull. My body shook, trapped between the pain on my chest and the suffocating grip on myneck. My wrists flexed against the tail’s coils, muscles straining, but there was no give. I was locked tight, every inch of me under his control.

The lack of air turned everything raw, every nerve exposed. My thighs trembled. The scars on my stomach and wrists, the gills he’d claimed, throbbed as his tail pressed them shut. Every breath, every escape, denied.

Black spots swirled at the edges of my vision. My body screamed for oxygen, panic clawing at the edges of my mind. The suction on my nipples grew sharper, the starfish tightening their mouths like they wanted to tear the peaks away. Pleasure and pain fused, the lines between them lost in the haze.

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