The pebbles of the Moonlight Lake's shore crunched under the polished dress shoes of Ambassador Kael as he took a step closer to the soaking wet, shivering couple. The air, usually crisp with the scent of pine and mountain wildflowers, was now thick with a heavy, saline humidity that seemed to radiate from the stranger's skin.
Simon stood his ground, water dripping from his teal hair and running in rivulets down his bare, muscular chest. He held Evelyn against him as if he were trying to merge their bodies into one, his arm a band of iron around her waist. The "Bond Spark" was quiet now, humming with a low, steady frequency a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of the lake.
"You speak of tides and restless kings," Simon growled, his voice still carrying the rasp of the deep water, "but you haven't explained why you are standing on my land, Ambassador."
Kael smiled, a gesture that didn't quite reach his eyes. His eyes were a pale, milky grey, reminding Simon of the fog that rolled over the ocean at dawn. "I am here because your biology has accelerated, Prince Simon. The incident with the Starlight Beta... it was regrettable, but predictable."
Alpha David stiffened, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "Predictable? He nearly turned my Beta into a mummy. Is that standard greeting protocol in the Lagoon?"
"Only when a creature of the deep is trapped in a desert," Kael replied smoothly, turning his gaze to the Starlight Alpha. "You wolves live on the surface. You drink when you are thirsty. But Prince Simon does not just drink. He absorbs. And right now, the air in these mountains is too thin, too dry. It is starving him. If he stays here, he will not just drain your warriors; he will eventually turn on his mate."
Evelyn gasped, looking up at Simon. "Is that true?"
Simon looked away, his jaw tightening. He could feel the dryness returning already, the itch under his skin where the scales had receded. "I won't hurt her."
"Not on purpose," Kael agreed. "But thirst makes monsters of us all. King Luke offers a solution. The Lagoon Kingdom is built within the Great Coral Reef. The water is infused with the mana of the deep. It will stabilize your transformation. It will teach you how to control the thirst so you can walk on land without being a danger to those you love."
Alpha Michael stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on Simon's wet shoulder. "He is the heir to the Moonlight Pack. He cannot just disappear into the ocean. We are on the brink of a shadow war."
"And what use is a dehydrated, berserk Alpha in a war?" Kael countered. "He needs the water, Alpha Michael. And the water needs him. The boat leaves from the Coastal Cliffs at midnight. It is a six-hour drive. I suggest you pack quickly."
The drive back to the Pack House was a somber affair. Simon and Evelyn rode in the back of Michael's reinforced truck, wrapped in thermal blankets. Simon held a gallon jug of water, drinking steadily, his eyes fixed on the passing trees.
"I don't want to go," Simon whispered, the admission rough. "This is my home. I'm supposed to be protecting the borders, not running away to learn how to swim."
Evelyn rested her head on his shoulder, her damp hair soaking into the blanket. "You aren't running away, Simon. You're getting armor. If Kael is right... if you stay, and you hurt someone..."
"I would never hurt you," Simon interrupted fiercely.
"I know," Evelyn said softly. "But I saw your eyes in the clearing, Simon. You didn't know who Mark was. You just saw water. I can't let you live like that scared of your own instincts."
When they arrived at the Pack House, the atmosphere was chaotic. The news of the "Lake Incident" had spread. Warriors watched Simon with a mixture of awe and fear as he walked through the courtyard. He could hear their whispers Scale-skin. Leech. Monster.
He ignored them, keeping his head high, pulling Evelyn along with him.
Inside, Stella was already in motion. The Luna of the Moonlight Pack was a whirlwind of efficiency. Suitcases were open in the hallway, and she was barking orders at three Omegas who were scurrying back and forth with clothes.
"Mom," Simon said, walking into the chaos. "We need to talk."
"No time for talking, Simon Peter!" Stella shouted, throwing a stack of folded shirts into a bag. "I looked up the climate of the Coastal Cliffs. It's windy. You'll need windbreakers. And sunscreen. Do scales burn? I don't know, so I packed SPF 100 just in case. And Evelyn needs formal wear if this King Luke is anything like his mother, Olivia, he'll expect dinner to be a fashion show."
"Mom," Simon said, stepping forward and grabbing her hands to stop her frenetic packing. "Mom, stop."
Stella froze. She looked up at her son, her eyes brimming with tears she refused to shed. "You just got your wolf, Simon. And now... now you're turning into something I don't know how to take care of. I don't know what to feed a merman, Simon. I don't know how to bandage a fin."
Simon pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her familiar scent of vanilla and earth. "I'll figure it out, Mom. I have to."
"I know," Stella sniffled, patting his back with a fierce strength. "You're a Moonlight man. We figure everything out. But you listen to me don't you dare forget us when you're down there in your fancy coral castle. You come back. You hear me?"
"I promise," Simon whispered.
Across the hall, a different kind of goodbye was happening.
Alpha David stood by the window of the guest suite, watching the sun begin to dip toward the horizon. Luna Roseline sat on the edge of the bed, brushing Evelyn's hair. The rhythmic strokes were soothing, but the tension in the room was palpable.
"I forbid it," David said, not turning around. "You are not going to the Lagoon. It is alien territory. We have no treaties with the Merfolk, only non-aggression pacts from fifty years ago."
"I am going, Father," Evelyn said calmly. She didn't flinch as the brush hit a tangle. "He is my mate."
"He is dangerous!" David spun around, his face flushed. "He drained Mark! Mark is still in the infirmary on an IV drip! What happens if Simon gets thirsty in the middle of the night and you are the only water source nearby?"
"He won't," Evelyn said, standing up. She walked over to her father. She looked small next to him, but her violet eyes were steel. "When he was in the lake... when he was fully turned... he saved me. He breathed air into my lungs, Father. He fought his own nature to keep me alive. That is not a monster. That is a partner."
David looked at his daughter. He saw the girl who used to be afraid of the dark, now standing ready to walk into the depths of the ocean. He sighed, the anger deflating out of him, leaving only a father's worry.
"You have the Starlight," David reminded her. "If he loses control... if the darkness takes him... you use it. You burn him if you have to. Promise me."
Evelyn hesitated. She touched the bond in her mind. It was calm now, like a resting sea. "I promise I will survive, Father. But I won't need to burn him. I'm going to save him."
Roseline stood up and handed Evelyn a small, velvet pouch. "Take this. It's a moonstone from the heart of our mountain. It holds a charge of pure starlight. If you are ever in the dark, and you cannot find your own light, crush it. It will guide us to you."
Evelyn took the stone, hugging her mother. "Thank you."
The departure was set for twilight. The SUVs were loaded, the engines idling in the driveway. Ambassador Kael stood by his own vehicle a sleek, silver car that looked like it had been poured rather than built checking his watch.
"The tide waits for no man, Prince Simon," Kael called out. "We must move."
Simon stood on the porch, looking at the Pack House. It was the only home he had ever known. The timber walls, the stone chimney, the smell of the pine forest. He was trading it all for salt and silence.
Michael walked up to him. The Alpha held a long, wrapped bundle in his hands.
"This was your grandfather's," Michael said, handing it to Simon.
Simon unwrapped the cloth. Inside was a sword. But not a normal sword. The blade was made of a dark, rippled steel that looked like running water, and the hilt was wrapped in sharkskin.
"Wave-Cutter," Simon whispered, recognizing the legendary blade from the history books.
"It was forged in the Lagoon," Michael explained. "Gifted to the Moonlight Pack three generations ago as a peace offering. It doesn't rust. It cuts through water as easily as air. Take it. It belongs with you now."
Simon strapped the sword to his back. The weight felt right. It felt like balance.
"Thank you, Dad."
"Go," Michael said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Find your balance, Simon. And bring our daughter-in-law back in one piece, or David will start a war that I won't be able to stop."
Simon walked to the SUV where Evelyn was waiting. She had changed into a windbreaker and sturdy pants, looking ready for an expedition. She opened the door for him.
"Ready?" she asked.
Simon looked at her. He looked at the violet eyes that had anchored him in the storm. "As long as you're with me."
They climbed in. The convoy pulled away, gravel crunching under the tires.
As they wound their way down the mountain roads, leaving the safety of the Moonlight territory behind, Simon felt a physical shift in his body.
The dryness in his throat began to ease the closer they got to the coast. The "Second Pull" in his gut the one that tugged him toward the ocean grew stronger, vibrating like a compass needle finding North.
But there was something else, too.
Miles away, in the deep, dark water of the Lagoon Kingdom, something stirred.
'He is coming,' the voice from his dream whispered, carried on the currents. 'The Wolf is coming to the water. Prepare the gates.'
Simon squeezed Evelyn's hand. He closed his eyes and let the rhythm of the road lull him into a light doze. For the first time in days, he didn't dream of the Void. He dreamed of blue. Endless, deep, terrifying blue.
The drive took six hours. By the time they reached the Coastal Cliffs, it was well past midnight. The moon was high, casting a silver path across the churning black surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
The convoy stopped at a private dock nestled at the base of the cliffs. Waiting there wasn't a boat, but a ship that looked like it belonged in a science fiction movie. It was sleek, white, and completely enclosed, designed to submerge.
Kael stepped out of his car and gestured to the vessel. "The Leviathan," he introduced. "The fastest transport to the Coral City."
Simon stepped out of the SUV. The air here was thick with salt spray. the waves crashed against the rocks with a thunderous roar.
For a normal wolf, the sound would be deafening. For Simon, it was a lullaby.
He took a deep breath, his lungs expanding fully for the first time since the lake. The moisture in the air soaked into his skin, and the scales on his hand shimmered, turning a vibrant, healthy azure.
"I can feel it," Simon whispered. "The power."
Evelyn shivered, pulling her jacket tighter against the wind. "It's cold."
Simon wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his warmth. "I've got you."
They walked down the pier toward the Leviathan. As Simon stepped onto the gangplank, he paused. He looked back at the land—at the distant mountains that hid his home. Then he looked forward, into the black abyss of the ocean.
"Goodbye, Moonlight," he murmured.
He stepped onto the ship.
The hatch hissed shut behind them, sealing them in. The engines hummed a low, powerful vibration that resonated in Simon's bones.
"Dive," Kael commanded from the bridge.
The ship lurched. The water rose up over the viewports, swallowing the moon, the stars, and the sky.
Simon Peter Moonlight was gone. Simon of the Lagoon was descending.
And in the darkness of the deep, the "Second Pull" finally snapped into focus. It wasn't just a direction anymore. It was a heartbeat.
Thump-splash. Thump-splash.
It was Joanna. And she was waiting.