Share
Chapter Seventeen
"You can't get out—we've reinforced the windows. We're not going to hurt you. Galene." Her panicked whimper escaped, and Stralath slowed the SUV and shifted to the right lane. "We're meeting someone on a private beach—her name is Coco, and we've been friends for decades. I think you'll like her."
"You're crazy—both of you. Are you even a collector? You're a sex trafficker. Oh, my God! I was right." Galene banged on the window, ignoring the pain in her wrist.
The man at the back sniggered, and Stralath shot him a glare.
"I'm the same as you," Stralath confirmed. "Not of this planet."
Silence fell as she dropped her arm.
Not of this planet.
What did that mean? Same as her, how? Did he know of her weird skin—how, during her younger years, it had changed when she was scared. Did he know she was a freak? Like at eight years old, when she'd severed a finger when washing a glass. <
Related chapters
Tidal Souls Chapter Eighteen
Covering her naked body was her first priority. Miro Norvegius waited behind the rocks, watching as two humans intimately touched lips. The moonless night didn't affect her vision, and she clamped down on impatience as she eyed the large piece of cloth beneath the lovers. Aside from what they learned in basic training, Miro knew a little of the human world. In the past—as an adolescent—she'd come to shore to search for Zalo after the storm. Unfortunately, Darghelm had followed her and dragged her back to the ocean before she could begin a proper search. Now, as an adult fisheri, Miro knew how to avoid her father's scouts. This time she'd have time on land to search. Perhaps her father and Darghelm were correct in assuming that her sister had died in the sea that day. The ocean was a dark place, and many fisheri had succumbed to rough weather in the past. Massive storms generated high waves, fi
Tidal Souls Chapter Nineteen
Stralath stood by the bedside, watching Galene sleep. The NIRL doctor had injected a sedative that stopped her pain. The almost gray tinge to Galene's lips had Stralath continually checking on her condition. Although her hair was still damp, she now wore leggings and a soft shirt. Why did he feel like he'd contributed to her agonizing attack? And what was wrong with her? Was she sick? With a human disease or a fisheri ailment? Was it curable?She looked so young, curled up in a large duvet. Reaching out, Stralath nudged a silver tendril from her forehead and tucked it behind her delicate ear. On close examination, he could see her differences from humans. Her white-blonde hair shimmered—almost like a prism—and he leaned forward. His hand flexed. "Bobby has arrived."Coco's voice brought Stralath to an upright position, and he rubbed his palm on his jeans. "Good. Good." Stralath folded his arms. "Did he come willingly?""Only because he's scared
Tidal Souls Chapter Twenty
The doctor was back and hovering at her bedside. The ridiculous tale they all told made no sense in a sane world—stories of aliens and mermaids. Galene was both? They all watched her as if she would implode. Stralath seemed to choose his words carefully, and his caution added to her startling terror. In just twenty-four hours, her world had fallen apart.And then the young stranger in the room called Bobby had shown her his deformities, claiming that she had the same? Hell no. Galene rubbed the scar on her wrist, convinced this was all a nightmare. The more they spoke, the quieter she became. And then Coco mentioned cutting into her. The wealthy woman sat beside her on the bed like a concerned mother. Galene barely knew Coco and suspected a hidden agenda. Why would they help her? Nothing in this life came for free."You'll need surger
Tidal Souls Chapter Twenty One
He'd followed her for two days. Had she lost awareness of danger as soon as she'd found her legs? Darghelm sneered at Miro's naivety. Her father had always been overprotective of his daughters, and he'd failed. One child was dead, and the other walked amongst humans—two lost princesses. Miro had begun the search for Zalo. Darghelm could drag her back to the pod—again—but she wouldn't give up. So now he played bodyguard, watching as she caught up on human language and culture. Humans weren't hard to understand or mimic—elemental creatures with lower intellect. Darghelm had walked on land many times. He knew the language and the nature of the enemy. Thanks to his fisheri brain, learning English took only a day or two. He hated humans but liked their simplicity. Darghelm knew Miro's next step would be calling for Zalo. The fisheri could communicate like whales but at a much higher frequency. The average adult human can hear sounds between 20 - 20,000 hertz, and a fisheri's
Tidal Souls Chapter Twenty Two
She'd returned to Oregon. Just days before her exhibition, she'd abandoned her studio to get answers. Sleepless nights had led her back to her parents. And as Galene stood outside the front gate and considered turning away.Perhaps there was a reason for her scars that didn't involve her family. Maybe, her mermaid pod had turned against her during the typhoon? And she'd swum to the beach to escape. Did she have underwater enemies?Galene shook her head at her ridiculous thoughts—she wasn't a freaking mermaid, and Stralath and his team were not aliens. That was bizarre. They were con artists trying to scare her. But, she'd seen that Bobby kid's transformation. And he'd also shown her how he turned invisible—camouflaging himself in a background. She'd done that before when she was a teenager, and it had scared her to the core. But, lately, she'd lost that ability. Subtle changes in her appearance had been the most worrying. Her hair and eyes kept ligh
Tidal Souls Chapter Twenty Three
Stralath had left the team in California and followed Galene to her family home. Her lack of awareness at the airport had concerned him. She'd commuted in a trance, not noticing she was being followed. Her predatory instincts weren't just asleep; they were comatose. He watched when she reluctantly entered her parent's home, and he watched when she ran from the house.So her father must've been the culprit? The one who sliced away her spores?Sobbing, Galene descended to the beach, and Stralath forced himself to remain in place.Don't go to her… don't go to her…She disturbed every cell in his body, and he despised the attraction. If the vibrios decided to kidnap her, Stralath would watch over her and step in w
Tidal Souls Chapter Twenty Four
“How long will you be gone?” Liam watched Galene pack her paints into a zip-up bag.She swiped the back of her hand over her forehead, feeling drained. She’d pulled an all-nighter, finally completing the canvas collection. All that was left was working in the gallery space and mounting her finished works on the stark white walls. She’d deal with that challenge after her surgery.“I don’t understand. You have tumors?”Galene almost winced at her deception. Liam seemed genuinely concerned and had hovered in her space all morning. She resisted the urge to touch her neck.“It’s just an exploratory procedure. You’ve seen the scar on my wrist—the docs are going back in to make su
Tidal Souls Chapter Twenty Five
Stralath raced up the stairs. The front door stood open, and he charged into the living room. She hadn't answered his calls since replying to his text, and he'd broken numerous traffic laws in the last minutes to get to Galene. He didn't trust humans—one of the most unpredictable species. Voices came from a room down the passage, and Stralath headed that way. The broken door had his pulse accelerating.Galene knelt on the floor in the bedroom, her face pale as she cradled her hand. Her bike lay on her bed, and a vase lay broken on the floor. Stralath zoned in on the second occupant in the room, assessing the threat. A woman with long auburn hair babbled, almost begging Galene."I swear, Kevin's always been quick-tempered, but he has a gentle heart. He's just a kid.""Harper… He's twenty, and he broke down my door and wanted to hurt me.""But, he didn't. He has some social challenges and—""Where is he?" Stralath barked out the
Latest chapter
