With eyes wide, Isla peered at me in shock.“What do you mean?”
I was too lost in her—her scent, her touch, her essence. The barriers between us felt thin, almost nonexistent.“I mean this.”I released her hair and trailed my nose down her throat, sealing my lips over my mark.
She responded with a ferocity that took me by surprise, gripping my hair, her legs wrapping around me, her feet hooked under my dorsal fin. Every motion, every grind against me ignited an inferno that threatened to consume us both.
A hot pulse of desire surged through me as my hearts thundered in my chest. The scents and sounds of Isla so close tempted the very core of my being. The rhythmic cadence of her heartbeat was an intoxicating song that drowned out all other sounds.
Her fingers tightened around my hair, pulling me closer, our faces mere inches apart. The warmth of her skin mingled with the coolness of the water, creating a tantalizing contrast. She ground against me, lost in the throes of passion, and I couldn’t help but respond.
A fierce need took root.
Her response, her closeness, it all made my instincts roar to the forefront. I felt a hunger, a deep-seated need not just for pleasure but for connection. It wasn’t just physical—it was emotional, spiritual even.
I was the beacon of hope she yearned for, craved—the one she trusted the most, with her life. But the anguish that would follow my departure was a looming shadow.
When I pulled away, our mingling breaths came out ragged and uneven. My gaze bore into her half-lidded eyes.“It can’t be…”
She blinked.“What can’t be?”
The sight of her mark, pulsating gently, had changed something between us. My intimate act had unknowingly created a deeper bond, a tether neither of us had anticipated.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to find the words.“It’s not what I intended. The bite is supposed to be simple. Purely nourishment. But with you…it’s different. Everything’s different.”
She swallowed hard, her eyes searching mine.“What’s different?”
“The mark…It was supposed to be a sign of trust, of mutual need. My people will take on the mark during times of war when a comrade is in dire need of healing—something to show others that you’ve sacrificed your life force to help another. It earns you protection in turn if you ever needed it. But it wasn’t meant to be…this.”
She seemed to tremble, her voice quivering.“What’s wrong?”
I pulled her closer, hoping my body could communicate what words could not.“I did not expect this. Our mark is not just any mark. It has bound us, perhaps more deeply than I ever thought possible, especially with a human.”
Her breath caught, and she shivered against me.“Bound us? How?”
I sighed, choosing my words carefully.“In my species, such a bond is not formed lightly. It links the souls on a level deeper than friendship, beyond mere intimacy. It’s a connection that defies all. Usually shared only between mates. I don’t know how it happened, Isla, but we are. You and I, we are now irrevocably linked. It means that I will feel you, no matter where you are…and you will feel me, too, if we seal it.”
She looked down at her mark, now understanding its significance. Her hand gently caressed it, and the sudden jolt of emotions bursting from her made me shiver, too.“But…you said it was just for feeding.”
“It was.”A growl rumbled from deep within me.“But somehow, I’ve anchored you to me. And no matter where I go, no matter the distance between us, I will always carry a part of you with me. Your lifeforce will always be a part of me, connecting me to you.”I searched her face, trying to find the right words.“Your spirit called to me in ways I’ve never experienced. Your life force…It’s different. Richer. More potent. I can’t explain it. I fear if I taste it again so soon, I won’t stop.”
Her realization was swift, her body disentangling from mine, pulling away. Fear flashed in her eyes, and I could see the mental walls she was erecting to protect herself.
“I’m sorry,”she whispered, a hint of fear in her voice.
Reaching out, I touched her cheek, my thumb brushing against her soft skin.“I won’t harm you,”I promised, my voice gentle but firm.“I promise. I can control myself. The bond between us is stronger than I realized, and I won’t risk losing myself—or you. I just need…some space and time. If I weren’t trapped in here, things would be different…”
Isla’s eyes searched mine, and she nodded slowly, her gaze still wary.“I understand.”
The silence between us buzzed with intensity as I felt a turmoil of emotions rising within me. Watching her, I wondered what I could do to calm her…to make her understand that I didn’t mean to mark her in the way mates did.
As she pulled herself out of the tank, water cascaded from her, each droplet reflecting the ambient light of the room, casting luminous patterns on her pale skin.
She hugged her knees to her chest, radiating vulnerability. Her delicate form glistened as she sat on the edge of the tank, her gaze a blend of uncertainty and defiance.
It was a look I was becoming all too familiar with.
“Isla…”My voice broke, heavy with the weight of regret, reaching up to touch her foot, hoping to bridge the widening chasm between us.“Why do I feel like I’ve made a grave mistake?”
She didn’t meet my gaze, the rhythm of the water dripping from her the only sound filling the void between us. Her vulnerability, the way she sat there with her hair plastered to her back, her eyes downcast, was both beautiful and haunting.
