I pulled him deeper, then pushed him back, feeling him thicken even more inside me. I increased my pace, the friction building, the tension spiraling until we both reached the peak, our cries mingling as wave after wave of bliss washed over us.
I collapsed onto him, my body still trembling, the heat and sweat of our joined bodies a tangible bond. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close. TheSeolaiswas pressed between us, now radiating a steady, comforting heat against my breast, a silent witness to our union.
“I will always protect you, Luzia,” he whispered in my ear, his voice thick with emotion.
A shiver ran down my spine. I knew he would. But his words, spoken aloud, sealed something between us, a bond that transcended the physical.
In my culture, those words held a weight, a significance he couldn’t possibly understand. They were a vow, a commitment. As he spoke them, a soft, internal light seemed to shimmer between us. I felt it—a current, warm and golden, flowing from my center and wrapping around him, anchoring itself deep within his chest. It wasn't just a feeling, a fundamental shift, as if a missing piece of my soul had clicked into place with his.
He flinched, his eyes widening as he looked at me. “What was that?” he whispered, his hand going to his chest. “I felt… a warmth. Right here.”
I knew what it was. In the language of the river, in the ancient magic of my people, there was a name for it—the final joining. A bond that went beyond body and heart, into spirit itself.
“I think…” I said, my voice full of a new, quiet certainty, “… that we’re connected now. Truly.”
He didn't question it. He just nodded, pulling me closer, and for the first time, the steady beat of his heart felt as familiar and constant as the tides.
The queen wouldn’t be happy.
But in that moment, I didn’t care.
Caio, his trusting and caring nature was worth the risk.
And I would do it all again, a thousand times over.
CHAPTER 15
Luzia
Caio took me again that night, there by the whispering embrace of the river. Each time I thought we’d reached the peak, he surprised me, pushing me further, showing me new depths of pleasure, his kisses a language I was quickly learning to speak fluently. His touch, his taste, the feel of him inside me—it was intoxicating, a heady mix of tenderness and raw passion that left me breathless and wanting more.
Even after the embers of our last encounter had cooled, the air between us still thrummed with a lingering heat. As we lay entwined, our bodies slick with sweat, our breaths still coming in ragged gasps, a new kind of tension began to build.
It wasn’t the urgent, demanding pull of desire but something softer, more vulnerable. I wanted him to know me, truly know me, beyond the physical connection we had forged.
The cool night air caressed my heated skin as I rose to stand before him—a tremor of apprehension, a flicker of vulnerability I hadn’t anticipated.
He looked up at me, his eyes dark and questioning, his gaze tracing the lines of my body. The air thickened between us, charged with unspoken anticipation.
His eyes widened, a flicker of curiosity—and perhaps a touch of uncertainty—in their depths as I walked toward the riverbank. The moonlight danced on the water’s surface, a shimmering invitation.
My glance back was a silent beckoning, a motion for him to follow. He rose and quickly closed the space between us.
Stepping back into the cool embrace of the water, I extended my hand, our fingers brushing just before the contact broke. The river now served as a tangible barrier between us, its lapping waves rising to my waist.
The transformation began almost immediately, that familiar shift from human to Encantado. My skin tingled, drying, the smooth surface giving way to the rough texture of dolphin skin. My legs began to merge, the bones reshaping, the muscles knitting together, forming the powerful tail that was my birthright. The change remained incomplete, only the submerged portion of my body yielding to the river’s magic.
Beneath the surface, the water became a comforting shield, and I looked up at him. He kneeled at the edge, his face illuminated by the moonlight, his expression a mixture of wonder and concern.
Slowly, carefully, I rose from the water until my lips could meet his. Drawing his head down into the water, I deepened the kiss, our lips entwined, the river swirling around us. My eyes opened to search his. He met my gaze, his expression calm, curious, unafraid.
Breaking the kiss was a deliberate choice, leaving him on the land as I allowed the transformation to complete before his eyes, shattering the ancient laws of my clan, the rules that dictated secrecy and separation.
The consequences didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he see me, the real me, the Encantado beneath the human guise. He needed to know, to understand, and to accept, without fear, the creature I truly was.
With a powerful thrust of my newly formed tail, I propelled myself through the water, reveling in the familiar freedom of movement. I spiraled and danced, the moonlight glinting off my dolphin skin, showcasing the iridescent hues that shifted and shimmered beneath the surface.
He needed to see my strength, my grace, and the raw power that flowed through my veins. This was the essence of my being, the creature I had kept hidden for so long.
