Page 17 of Ocean's Whisper

She couldn't tear her eyes away as Nereus's magnificent wolf form began to shimmer and shift. Fur receded, paws elongated into hands and feet, and the powerful canine frame stretched and reformed into the sculpted male physique she had admired earlier. Where the wolf had stood moments before, Nereus now straightened to his full height, completely naked under the full moon.

Her throat went dry. Every inch of him was perfectly proportioned—broad shoulders tapering to narrow hips, powerful thighs, and everything in between. Heat flooded her cheeks, but she couldn't look away. The moonlight cast dramatic shadows across the planes of his muscles, highlighting the raw power contained within his human form.

"See something you like?" His voice carried a teasing rumble.

"I—" Isolde swallowed hard, her body temperature rising despite the cool night air. "You're very... confident."

Nereus chuckled, making no move to cover himself as he strode toward his truck. "When you've lived as long as I have, modesty becomes pointless."

He reached into the truck bed and retrieved the same bag as earlier. With efficient movements, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a white cotton shirt. Even clothed, he looked like something carved from marble—too perfect to be real.

"Come with me," he said, not a question but a command. He extended his hand to her, and she found herself taking it before she could overthink the gesture.

As they approached the massive oak doors of the castle, they swung open seemingly of their own accord. Two uniformed staff members stood at attention in the grand foyer.

"Your Royal Highness," they murmured in unison, bowing their heads deferentially.

Isolde blinked. Royal Highness. This wasn't some elaborate story—he truly was royalty among his kind.

"Prepare the azure suite for my guest," Nereus instructed, his voice shifting into something more formal and commanding. "And bring up a late meal."

"Right away, Your Highness." The taller attendant moved swiftly up the sweeping marble staircase.

Isolde felt suddenly small in the cavernous entryway with its vaulted ceilings and ancient tapestries. The events of the night crashed over her like another wave—the tsunami, nearly drowning, being rescued by a wolf that was actually a man, discovering she somehow controlled water, and now standing in a literal castle with someone who was apparently wolf royalty.

"This isn't really happening," she whispered, swaying slightly on her feet.

Nereus's arm slid around her waist, steady and grounding. "You're exhausted. Tomorrow will be soon enough for more explanations."

She nodded numbly as he guided her up the stairs. The physical contact sent that now-familiar current racing through her body, making her simultaneously drowsy and hyperaware of his proximity.

"Here we are." He paused outside ornate double doors. "The suite has everything you might need. If not, simply ask."

"Thank you," she managed, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears.

She stepped into the doorway, then turned back to face him. Nereus was studying her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. Without warning, he closed the distance between them, one hand cupping her cheek while the other settled possessively at the small of her back.

"Sleep well, Luna," he murmured, his breath warm against her lips. Then he kissed her, not with the desperate heat of their earlier kisses but with something deeper and more claiming.

Her body responded instantly, melting against him as if it had found its natural resting place. The kiss was over too soon, leaving her breathless and staring up at him with wide eyes.

He stepped back, his expression unreadable. "Until tomorrow."

As he strode away down the corridor, her body hummed with an unfamiliar longing. She watched him disappear around a corner before stumbling into her suite and closing the door.

"What is happening to me?" she whispered to the empty room, pressing her fingers to her tingling lips.

Every cell in her body seemed to be calling for him, pulling her in his direction like the moon pulled the tides. She had never felt anything remotely like this—this instant, overwhelming connection that defied all logic and reason.

She sank onto the edge of the enormous, canopied bed, her fingers clutching the silken coverlet. Nothing about this nightmade sense, yet somehow, the most confusing part wasn't the tidal wave or his wolf transformation.

It was how desperately she wanted to run after him.

The scientist in her brain struggled to make sense of it, cataloging her symptoms: elevated heart rate, flushed skin, and heightened awareness. But no clinical assessment could explain the bone-deep certainty that had settled within her—a feeling that somehow, against all logic, she belonged with him.

"This is utterly insane," she whispered, pressing her palm against her chest where her heart hammered. "I've known him for what—three hours? And half that time he was either naked or a wolf."

Yet the connection felt ancient, as familiar as the ocean she had devoted her life to studying. Every time Nereus touched her, it felt like coming home to a place she didn't know she had been homesick for.

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