Galene felt his warmth everywhere… his body heat… his hard chest as he leaned in and nibbled her ear… warm breath on her skin. The hunger was contagious, and she wrapped her hands around his neck and allowed him to explore with his mouth. He nipped her throat before sliding up her shirt—his large hands easily cupping her ribcage. Welcoming Stralath's touch felt like coming home. She lived in a world devoid of physical affection. Although her human parents loved her, she'd also felt like an outlier, grateful for any attention that came her way. She'd never dated at school—the kids had viewed her as the eccentric weirdo and must've sensed that she was different. Aside from Liam, Gelene didn't have any friends and never let anyone close. Until now. Stralath's touch felt like bliss, and she lifted her arms as he pulled off her shirt. He stilled, and she took in his intense stare. His reverence gave her joy, and she watched as he gently traced a finger along her lacy lavender underwear.
“Drusdor and Cleona found Vigtor's land lair.” Coco handed Stralath her tablet, and he scrolled through the footage. "Vigtor has good taste." Stralath approved of the sprawling villa, which offered privacy, surrounded by high walls."Pacific Palisades is a sleepy town in comparison to Los Angeles." Coco rose from her desk and reached for a file. "His sprawling mansion also has good security. How long do you want him under surveillance?""While Vigtor chooses to remain on the land." Stralath passed the device back to Coco, and she handed him the physical file. "He has to decide on the fate of his pod before he swims back to fisheri territory. We'll send over a few obvious drones—let him know we're watching him.""Alien drones?" Coco grinned. "Your favorite toys?" Stralath returned her smile and suppressed a yawn. He hadn't slept well after dropping Gale back home. And he'd then spent the whole day at headquarters. He glanced at his watch—seven in the evening. A NIRL surveillance team
"I need my legs! Hurry." In full panic mode, Galene hefted herself onto the rocks. She couldn't hear the conversation this far off, but she knew from Stralath's aggressive stance that the fisheri were not here to play. "Calm down." Miro crouched beside Galene. "Deep breaths.""Don't give me that zen bullshit! What do I do aside from dragging this heavy-ass tail meat out of the water.""Visualize the transformation.""I'm visualizing so hard my brain is about to explode. Go and help him?"Miro grinned. "Help who? Stralath or Darghelm.”"Being an indecisive bitch isn't a joke." Galene jabbed a finger at the beach. "They're about to declare war.""I won't leave you unprotected during a shapeshift.""Fine." Galene could do this. She closed her eyes and focused on having legs. All she could hear was a buzzing in her ears. Nothing worked, and Galene tried not to freak out. At Stralath's war cry, her eyes snapped open. He would shapeshift any second.Without thinking, Galene rolled herself
Stralath watched from the other side of the fence. Galene now sat in a distant rock pool, and he'd given her space. She'd seemed upset earlier, and thanks to his sharp Mesophinean senses, he'd knew Galene had spoken with her human father. Should he approach her or guard her from a distance? Feeling restless, he scanned the periphery for danger. Stralath sensed dark energy coming from the water, and mind made up, he leaped over the fence and jogged towards the rocky shore. The high tide had filled rock pools and crevices, and Stralath wound his way to his target. Approaching from behind, he paused to take a breath. This lost siren unnerved him, and Stralath had never felt this way before—even with females from his species. "Stop hovering." Galene waved a hand. "I need your help—I'm freaking out."She'd know he was there—her fisheri senses had grown in strength. Stralath swallowed hard and walked to her side."I have a tail." Galene looked mortified. Stealth's eyes widened, peering
Kalder watched from his BMW as Galene climbed the low fence, hopping onto private land. The intel he'd received over the past week had confirmed his curiosity. The Norvegious family was now on out of the ocean—all vulnerable to attack by the vibrio pod. Both an injured daughter and her rebellious sibling who refused to swim away to safety. Would that mark the end of Norvegius's rule? And now that Galene had begun to heal, Kalder had picked up on her silent energies. Her invisible siren aura vibrated with the same pure energy as her sister. He wondered if she'd make a full recovery—or would the pale-haired fisheri forever be banished to the land. To Kalder, that was a fate worse than death. He enjoyed spending time out of the water—taking advantage of capitalism. But the salty depths always called his name. Instead of walking along the sand, Galene made her way to the rocky water line, and Kalder decided to take a closer look and would approach her from the sea. He left his phone an
“My brother is coming over.”Galene nearly dropped her knife as her gaze shot to Harper. “What? I thought he’d gone back to your parents.”“Relax. Kevin is staying with friends on campus.” Harper closed the fridge and eyed Galene’s sandwich. “What’s with the sudden tuna obsession?”“I’m not comfortable around him.”“Well, he’s not here to see you. You can’t stop me from seeing my brother in my home.”“Fine. I’ll leave. When will he arrive?” Galene felt annoyance at having to evacuate the premises. After a long week, she craved her bed and the familiar.“In about thirty. Let Kevin apologize and forgive him. He’s getting professional help.”Galene’s stomach turned. He scared her on some level, and she’d rather avoid contact. It’s a beautiful evening—I’ll head to the beach.”“You know I hate the smell of fish,” Harper grumbled. “You baked sea bass last night. What’s that?” She pointed at the Halibut defrosting in the corner. “Tomorrow’s meal. I don’t tell you what to eat.”“Yeah—but fis