Chapter 85

Renee

I found myself feeling lighter the next day. Whether it was the sound of the waves or the warmth in the air that had done it, I felt better.

The rhythmic crash of the waves filled my ears, steady and calming like a heartbeat that belonged to the sea itself. The salt air was sharp, but not unpleasant, and the breeze was just cool enough to make the warmth of the sun feel like a gentle embrace. I dug my toes into the fine sand, letting it sift between them as I sat on a small dune, far enough from the edge that the rolling tide couldn’t reach me.

I’d never been to the beach before, and though the idea of being in the sea freaked me out, watching it and soaking up the sun was nice. Brightclaw and the surrounding territories had lakes and rivers, the deep forests and rough terrain, but it was often cold and a bit dreary. The cliffs were always enclosing you like giant walls. But Mountainhowl was totally different. There were mountains, yes, but there were on the other side of the territory, making it hard for people to come into the territory as you had to drive through the mountains to get to the shore. Most of Mountainhowl was actually coastal. The world felt open, wide and endless. The ocean stretched so far it seemed to blur into the sky, and for the first time in weeks, I felt something that almost resembled peace.

In my past life, the yacht had set off from one of Brightclaw's neighboring territories from a cold water beach no one could swim in. Of course, I wasn’t truly alone. Mountainhowl security had been trailing me at a respectful distance since Arielle had cajoled me into a swimsuit and out the door. The guard's presence was discreet but unmistakable. I appreciated the sense of privacy and protection.

Part of me wondered where Arielle had run off to.

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, letting the air fill my lungs until my chest ached from how foreign that kind of freedom felt.

I was still staring out at the water, trying to steady my breathing, when something moved in the corner of my eye. The air shifted. That strange pull in the center of my chest stirred. I recognized it and wished it wasn't so exhilarating to know what it was. A presence brushed against my senses like a shadow falling across my skin.

I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

Dominic.

I turned just in time to see Dominic walking out of the ocean. The air seemed to change with him, heavier and thinner at the same time, as if the world itself paused to acknowledge him. Each stride closer cranked the heat rising in my gut a little higher.

My breath hitched. He wasn’t in one of his perfectly tailored suits this time. Instead, he wore a full wetsuit, water glistening off the dark fabric as it clung to him, outlining every hard line of his body. His hair was damp, slicked back, droplets trailing down his temples. He looked like something pulled straight out of some wild romance novel. Incredibly powerful, raw, sensual, and forbidden.

Is it though? I could hear Arielle wheedling me.

I stood quickly, intending to head back toward the path and avoid him, hoping he hadn't noticed me. I wasn’t ready. Not for him. Not for any of it.

"Renee," he called, his voice soft. It stopped me in my tracks, but I didn't turn around.

“Did Arielle send you?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.

“No…” His tone turned wry. "My assistant did."

I frowned and turned to look at him. He hadn't gotten much closer, but he was smiling at me.

"Then a healer said jump in the ocean." He chuckled a little. There was a roughness to his voice, like he hadn’t spoken much that day. “I needed... to get some air.”

"I… didn't think you were a beach person."

“I’m not.” His lips curved slightly. “But no one goes against good advice."

I cleared my throat. "Well… I'll let you --"

"Renee," he said softly, voice low but insistent. “Don’t run from me.”

Before I could stop myself, I folded my arms tightly across my chest, trying to create distance where there was none. “I’m not running.”

He raised a brow and I huffed. I threw up my hands. "What do you want frome me?"

"… we need to talk.”

“No, we don’t,” I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended. “I don’t want to talk about Vivian or Tyler or --- or —”

“Neither do I.”

I blinked, startled into silence. The wind whipped between us, stirring the damp air, making my skin prickle. His eyes burned into mine, fierce and conflicted, but determined.

“I don’t want to talk about Vivian,” Dominic repeated, softer this time. “The last person I want to talk about is her, or Tyler, or the court case. Alright?”

I didn’t know what to say to that. There was too much between us. Too many unspoken words, unfinished arguments, half-swallowed feelings neither of us seemed ready to confront. I definitely wasn't ready.

He looked out at the water. “It’s beautiful here.”

I nodded.

He inched closer. "You look more rested."

I looked down. "Arielle is… convincing."

He laughed. "Convincing, right."

I glanced up at him. But I realized it, Dominic was already in front of me, his body heating the air enough to feel it. The weight of his gaze made my throat tighten. My pulse quickened as I tried to steady myself, but I couldn’t seem to pull my eyes away from him.

"Are you… a diver or something?" I asked, trying to fill the silence. I gestured to the wet suit. "Seems like you're… really prepared."

"I swam a lot when I was younger… colder waters. And you? Not even dipping your toes in the water?"

I shuddered at the thought. "No. I'm… I didn’t think I’d feel safe near the ocean, but I'm not that close to it."

He nodded.

The wind tugged a strand of my hair across my face, and before I could brush it away, his hand reached out gently, fingers sweeping it behind my ear. The brief contact sent a shiver down my spine, far more intense than the cool wind ever could.

I didn’t pull away.

He didn’t either.

We just stayed there, with the sound of the waves between us, and a weight neither of us wanted to name.

"Y-You mention a healer? Are you sick?"

His chest rose and fell slowly, and for a long moment, he didn’t say anything at all.

"I'm beginning to think so."

I blinked. "You probably shouldn't be out here then, right?"

"Healer's orders…" He turned and gestured ahead of him. "Can we walk?"

I nodded, grateful to have something to do with myself even as my feet sunk into the sand with every step. We wandered away from the shore up to the boardwalk and further into the town like area of the resort. We didn't speak. I didn't know what to say, but it didn't feel exactly uncomfortable.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked.

"Oh… no. Not really."

"Have lunch with me?"

I bit my lip, but nodded, agreeing despite the awkwardness still hanging in the air. We stopped off at a little shop. He bought me something in a bowl that was at least half meat. It was amazing, and whatever he had smelled good. He smiled and offered me a spoon.

"You've been eyeing it."

I bit my lip and opened my mouth. The heat in his eyes felt dangerous, but good, exciting. He fed me all the same and looked like he wanted to stick his tongue in mouth to taste it to.

Taste me.

My face heated and I turned away, the image the thought inspired was almost too much. I glanced around, but no one seemed to notice anything. We kept walking until we found a loungers under a parasol. I could tell that he was going to let me have the seat, but for some reason, he thought better of it and sat down, before pulling me down beside him.

There was more than enough space, but I still felt too close to him. Then he moved closer.

"Renee," he said, his voice a low rumble beside me.

"Y-Yeah?"

He chuckled. "Are you nervous?"

My stomach jolted. "Well… it's just… you're not acting your usual self."

"I'm sorry," he said, meeting my gaze. "I… It's been too long since I had the chance to act… the way I wanted."

I blinked at that. Arielle's words ringing in my mind. My whole body too warm, and a low aching pain settling in my stomach. Yearning questions, desire and…

"What… would you do if you could…"

I should’ve moved. I should’ve told him to stop. But I was frozen, heart hammering in my chest as he closed the remaining space between us. His hand rose slowly, hesitating for the briefest second before his fingers brushed against my cheek, cradling my jaw with a tenderness that made my breath hitch.

And he kissed me.