The silence seemed to stretch endlessly between them as Nereus's concern for his Luna grew exponentially.
Finally, the young woman with the head wound looked up at him. "No. This is everyone who was on shift tonight. Just the night crew."
The older scientist he'd just rescued nodded in agreement. "Everyone who signed in is accounted for. Though the building is—" he gestured weakly at the demolished research station.
Nereus turned and stared out at the now placid ocean. The water had calmed again, mirroring the star-filled sky above as if nothing had happened. No hint remained of the tidal wave's fury except for the completely demolished marine research station, broken trees, and debris scattered across what had once been a pristine beach.
But Nereus didn’t care about the damage right now. Property could be replaced. What concerned him was the fact that his Luna was somewhere nearby—he could feel it in every cell of his being—yet nowhere to be seen.
"You're absolutely certain?" He turned back to the scientists, his eyes narrowing. "No visitors? No one walking the grounds?"
"Just us, sir," the middle-aged man answered. "It was a quiet night until..." He trailed off, gesturing at the destruction around them.
"The security logs would confirm it," added the young female scientist, "if they weren't now at the bottom of the ocean."
Nereus stared back at the water, that pull deep within his chest was stronger than before. The ocean itself seemed to be calling to him, an invisible tether tugging him toward the horizon.
"She's still out there," he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" asked the older scientist.
Nereus ignored him and quickly headed for his truck to grab his phone. "I'm calling for help," he announced over his shoulder. Once at his truck, he called emergency services. The call was brief and precise—his centuries of alpha leadership made crisis management second nature.
"Ambulances are on their way," he informed the scientists once he made his way back to them. "Stay together and keep warm. Help will arrive soon."
The young woman frowned. "Where are you going?"
But Nereus had already turned away, striding back to the ocean’s waters with purpose. The tugging sensation grew more insistent with each step.
"Hey!" called one of the men. "You can't go back out there. It could still be dangerous!"
Nereus laughed darkly. He was the most dangerous predator these waters had seen in centuries. "I'll be fine."
Without another word, he dove into the surf, his powerful arms carving through the water with effortless precision. The ocean welcomed him like an old friend, the saltwater sliding against his skin with familiar comfort. With each stroke, the pull grew stronger, drawing him farther from shore.
He swam and swam, following nothing but the insistent tug in his chest and the ancient magic that bound him to his mate. The shoreline faded behind him, first becoming a thin line of lights, then disappearing altogether. Still, he pressed on.
"Where are you taking me?" he growled at the ocean around him.
Only the gentle lapping of waves against his shoulders answered. The moon above cast silver light across the endless expanse of water, marking a path that seemed to lead nowhere.
After so many centuries, Nereus felt something unfamiliar stir within him—uneasiness. The Alpha of the Seafang pack was swimming blindly into the Atlantic, following an instinct he couldn't explain to find a mate he had never met.
"This is madness," he muttered, treading water for a moment and scanning the empty horizon. Yet the pull remained, urging him onward.
In three hundred years of ruling his territory, Nereus had never felt so compelled by something he couldn't control. It chafed against his alpha nature to follow instead of lead, and to react instead of command.
The water around him shifted suddenly, currents swirling in unnatural patterns. His mate's magic—untrained but powerful—was still at work in these waters.
"Playing hard to get, are you?" he said to the empty ocean.
With renewed determination, he dove beneath the surface, his powerful legs propelling him deeper into the Atlantic's embrace. He would find her no matter what it took.
Before long, Nereus broke the water's surface, gasping for air. He had been swimming for miles, following that inexplicable magnetic tug that hummed beneath his skin. The moonlight gleamed across the water as he scanned the horizon again, and that's when he saw her.
A woman clung to what looked like a broken piece of wood, perhaps part of the research station's dock. Her blonde hair spread across the improvised raft like seaweed, her body limp but somehow maintaining a precarious hold on the floating debris.
"Finally," he growled, swimming toward her with renewed vigor.
