Chapter 5

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Sylvia asked as she eyed the price list at the ticket counter.

“No kidding,” the squirrely guy behind the counter said. “That’s the price.”

His eyes remained on Sylvia’s tits, only leaving them long enough to check out Penny’s. He was a creep and Penny couldn’t help wondering what kind of animal he might shift into if he had the ability. Lizard she decided. He was definitely a lizard.

“You owe me big time for this one,” Sylvia said. “I passed up a date with that guy Mick too. Did you see the size of his muscles? He could have lifted me up and sat me down on his pole so hard…”

The ticket salesman’s eyes shot open wide like a horny teenager overhearing a conversation going on in the girls’ locker room.

“Don’t listen to her,” Penny said. “She’s always like this.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he said.

“All I’m saying is for the price of this damn thing, you and I both better get laid tonight,” Sylvia continued to complain.

“Don’t worry,” Penny said. “I’ll buy your ticket.”

That calmed her friend down.

“Okay then,” Sylvia said. “I’ll get the next one. And by next one I mean I’ll buy you a drink at a bar because I damn sure ain’t paying for anything this pricey.”

With their tickets in hand, the two sassy and single women made their way toward the yacht, their high heels clip clopping against the wooden deck beneath their feet, as if they were two horses prancing into the party. Most of the men walking ahead of them wore dress shorts and loafers without socks. The women all seemed to wear dresses with slits up one side. Penny wondered if they were all tourists or if this was how the Australian locals got down on the weekends.

Once aboard the ship, Sylvia snatched two champagne flutes off a waiter’s tray and handed one to her bestie.

“So, what’s the plan?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Penny admitted. “I guess I’m supposed to wait and the guy will find me.”

“How does he even know what you look like?”

“Good question,” Penny said. “Maybe Gerri snapped a picture of me when I wasn’t looking? I don’t know.”

Slinking into Sylvia’s shadow as she did most of the time when they went out together, Penny surveyed the ship and tried to pick up on anyone who might possibly be watching her. It seemed nobody was paying her any attention. Most of the guys seemed to already be involved with someone and that didn’t seem to sit well with Sylvia.

“This is what your matchmaker had in mind?” she said. “Unless this is one of those swinger parties, I don’t see either of us getting anywhere anytime soon. These guys are all taken. It’s like you signed us up for a couple’s cruise.”

The motor roared to life and Penny couldn’t help thinking it was telling her friend to shut up and enjoy the ride. The sun shone down from above, but a canopy kept everyone in the shade, smooshed together in a way that suggested they start getting to know one another. This trip was meant for mingling, finding new friends, and as Sylvia had not so eloquently put it, it was meant to help people get laid.

This wasn’t a couples’ cruise. It might have seemed that way at first, but the music suggested different. Each song was a modern, laid back twist on a popular hit from sometime in the past. The super chill beachy vibe had everyone sipping drinks and sliding to someone new every minute or so, almost like high seas speed dating.

A black-haired beauty, with one dark red highlight which hung down at the corner of her eye, wore only a bathing suit top and silky white pants. She charmed two potential suitors, using her tits the way a flute player might mesmerize king cobras. The two men seemed fascinated with her. Penny looked down at her own top, which revealed some cleavage but covered way more than any bikini top would, and she wondered if she should have shown up in something more fitting for the occasion. The woman’s blue eyes locked on Penny’s, and the girl passed her a wink. Was she Russian? Swedish? The woman was absolutely stunning, and she understood why the men were so into her.

“I need what she has,” Penny said to Sylvia.

She received no reply from her friend, so she turned to see that her buddy had already been pulled to the side by one of the men aboard the ship. Sylvia and her new beau stood at the yacht’s railing, beyond the safety of the canopy, where they were forced to drink up the sun. The man’s grey shorts sparkled in the light and his white dress shirt was unbuttoned at least one button too far. She couldn’t help remembering Rico from the skating rink.

“I hope he turns into a ferret,” Penny said silently to herself.

She didn’t mean it. She would never wish anything negative for her friend, but sometimes she wished Sylvia could experience at least a little bit of the failure Penny did, not to suffer from it, but to at least be able to feel some empathy. Sylvia’s answer to everything was, “Fuck it. Move on. Use your body, use your tits, and fucking work it, girl.” She thought the ferret story was funny. It was, but even when it came to Penny’s current condition, and the ailments she fought so hard to suppress, Sylvia seemed to take it all so lightly.

“You’re sick,” she’d said right before the trip. “You’ll get over it. It’s what humans do. Fuck it. Move on. Come with me to Australia, drink that shit into oblivion, and fill yourself with great food and thick cock!”

Sylvia was like a truck driver sometimes, spouting out pure filth, but Penny loved her for it. Especially now, standing on the yacht, sipping wine.

My problems are gone for now. I’m in Australia, on a yacht, surrounded by great looking people and listening to amazing music. What could be better?

Then she saw him, standing outside the main cabin door, leaned up against a post that held up an arch the waiters walked under when returning to the guests with trays full of liquor. His hair was short, dark, and his face was slightly unshaven. He wore light shorts, cream color, and a thin, blue linen shirt that fit his muscular upper body tightly enough that only some of the wind seeped through and made the fabric dance. His sleeves were rolled up a few times and Penny couldn’t help thinking he had that college professor look. It was wisdom mixed with experience and a sense of calm. He wasn’t here to talk and brag about the things he had, like all the other guys from what she’d overheard in the conversations around her. This guy was different. She sensed it all in one glance…and his eyes were on her.

She blushed and looked down at her glass. The intensity of his stare unnerved her a bit. They’d locked eyes and he hadn’t even flinched. She’d never had a man look at her that way. When she looked up, he was gone.

***

Focus. Catch your breath and go back out there.

Thane stood with his back against the cabin door. He knew he only had a few seconds before one of the waiters would push through and she’d see that he’d retreated and was cowering inside. Geraldine had done it. She was a fucking magician.

His human side was instantly infatuated with the short, innocent beauty standing outside in that crowd of ridiculous showoffs. She’d been staring off in the distance when he first noticed her. She was watching another couple, and the look on her face said it all. The way her mouth parted and stayed only slightly open, as if in mid-sentence, and the way her eyelashes bounced slowly and surely, almost as if she were about to fall asleep. It was the look of a woman wanting. She wanted what the others had. It wasn’t a declaration leaving her lips but air from deep within her lungs. He’d caught her in mid-gasp. Her eyes weren’t tired, they were lonesome. They were used to staring out at things beyond reach.

The woman’s white top hugged her body nicely, and her pants were tight on the ass but loose down at the legs where they swayed in the breeze. Yes, his human side wanted her. He was instantly attracted to her.

It was his shark side that was ravenous for her. His shark senses had made it hard to control his lips. They’d parted in a grin as he watched her, and they’d threaten to pull back over his teeth. He wanted to taste her, but not to eat her. He simply wanted to take a bite. It’s what his kind did when they wanted to mate, and he’d never felt it so strong. The desire to knock her overboard and take her right there in the water was so fucking strong. His shark side wanted her badly, but his human side wanted her too. He wanted to rip off her clothes, strip out of his, and sneak up behind her. To wrap her in his arms and sit down with her, her back to his chest, as she slid down onto his cock. To feel her flesh against his, to feel the warmth of her pussy…Thane had to shift gears in his thinking to contain the growing hard-on in his pants.

“Bathroom?” he asked one of the waiters.

“Back there,” the guy said, pointing to a hallway in the far corner.

Thane found it, and as he stood staring at the bathroom mirror, he willed himself to think clearly. Yes, he wanted a mate. He’d been wanting to settle down and have children of his own. He’d wanted to join all his friends, his followers, in building a community on Shamrock Island, but he’d never thought it possible. He’d always believed the only way he’d achieve that life was if he put his true feelings aside and simply accepted someone because she was pretty and could bear children. Now, he saw that a true mate was possible. His father’s words echoed through his mind. God, how he wished his dad was still here.

Your mother was my true mate. She tried to stay away from me, especially after she found out who and what I was. Everyone else said I should pick one of our kind, that it was the only thing that made sense, but I knew the moment I saw her that she was the one. Once she accepted me, we never left each other’s side. From that moment on, she never slept alone, and she never knew the feeling of not being loved. Neither did I. Don’t settle, son. You’ll find her. Trust me. One day you’ll find her, and you’ll know.

Thane knew now. He knew it would sound absurd to everyone else. Kino would laugh. He’d always found Ruby to be sexy. He’d wanted to fuck her and figured she’d be best fit to bear his children, but he’d never said anything about her being “the one.” He wouldn’t believe it. Nobody would, but Thane didn’t care. Gerri had done the impossible. Now, he needed to make this human see that too.

When he finally got up the nerve to approach her, he found her standing with her back to the crowd, looking out at the ocean. He liked that she didn’t seem to give a shit about any of the nonsense going on in the drunken crowd behind her. She wasn’t standoffish. That much he could tell, but there was something going on. He could sense that too. She had problems, she was suffering, and he wondered if he would be able to ease some of her pain.

“This is home,” he said as he leaned against the side of the boat, next to her.

She flinched, startled, and gasped.

“My God,” she said. “Don’t ever do that to someone.”

“Do what?” he asked, finding her slightly frustrated tone endearing.

“Sneak up on somebody and…you know…talk in a deep tone like that,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you. And…I’m sorry about my…voice? It’s kind of the way I talk.”

She turned her attention back to the water. God, how he wanted to kiss her. He knew absolutely nothing about her, but he wanted her to know that she was his. He’d already claimed her mentally. Now, he only needed to seal the deal with her body. She was his, she just didn’t know it yet. She turned back to him and smiled. Her eyes, honey brown, were so captivating, but also so tired. She lived a difficult life. Her smile though was lively, genuine. Her painted red lips were full and so inviting. He liked how she stuck her tongue out ever so slightly as she thought of what to say next.

“Okay,” she said with a slight snicker. “I like your voice. You got me.”

“I knew it,” Thane said, joining the playful banter. “You like the water?”

“I think so,” she said. “It’s beautiful from up here, but it’s kind of scary too, don’t you think?”

“Scary how?”

“It’s all a mystery down there,” she said. “Kind of like outer space in a way. You can’t breathe, the pressure can kill you if you go too deep, and there are so many dangerous creatures…”

“…like all those dangerous creatures in space?” he interrupted her, making fun of her.

He’d said it before realizing it might offend her. He wasn’t calling her stupid; he only thought it was an interesting comparison. He’d never heard anyone compare his home with far away galaxies.

“Okay,” she said. “Maybe not the creature part, but you know what I mean.”

“I do,” he said.

She had no idea how much he could relate. She was right. The ocean was a dangerous place, but, it was her kind he feared most. They were the ones making his life so much more difficult. He could handle sharks and squids and sea snakes. He could dodge whales and kick the shit out of some dolphins, but humans had ships, submarines, and other underwater machinery that could obliterate his kind if they felt the need to.

“My name’s Thane,” he said.

A smile grew on her lips and she lifted her hands to bury her face in them.

“What?” he asked.

“Gerri wasn’t kidding,” she said.

“Nope, she definitely wasn’t,” he said. “Seems you know my name already, but she never told me yours. She said I would just know.”

“You would know?” she asked. “Guess that’s a umm…”

She leaned in close to him, not like the breeze would allow others to hear their conversation anyway, but it was sweet that she wanted to protect his secret.

“…paranormal dating thing?” she said with a wink.

“I’m sorry, I’m not following,” he said.

Of course, he was only fucking with her. She’d come right out and made reference to his “abilities.” Brave move. Most women would fear it or at least be hesitant to mention it.

“Seriously?” she said, pulling back from him. “Are you going to act like you’re not…”

He laughed.

“I am. You got me. I’m…paranormal,” he said with another chuckle. “So, what’s your name?”

Laughter came so easy with her. He didn’t even know her, but he felt comfortable with her.

“Can’t you sense that too?” she teased this time.

“I’m not a mind reader,” he said.

He kind of was, but only with his own kind. Only with shark shifters.

“Penny,” she said. “My name’s Penelope. Penny for short.”

“Penny,” he said, turning the word over in his head. “So, if I were to throw you overboard and make a wish…”

“That’s not funny,” she said, slapping his arm.

“That’s not funny,” came a voice Thane dreaded, this one only in his mind.

He whipped his head to the right, trying to find its source. She had to be somewhere on the ship.

“What are you doing here?” he asked mentally, closing his eyes for a second and trying to home in on her location.

Unlike a person’s regular voice, where the volume and angle could give them away, mental communication could come from anywhere. She could be behind him, far back in the crowd, or even hanging on to the side of the boat. Wherever she was, if Evelyn was on the yacht, she wasn’t there for any good reason.

“So, you live in Queensland?” Penny asked.

He wanted to give his date his full attention, but he couldn’t. Evelyn was too close, and he feared for the safety of everyone on the boat. Thane nodded at her, hoping she wouldn’t realize his mind was elsewhere.

“Right here, lover,” her voice said.

Thane looked into the crowd once again and saw her.

***

Penny pressed her legs against the side of the ship, hoping it might steady her trembling knees. She was so fucking nervous for some reason.

He’s too good looking, too sweet, too funny, too…perfect.

Plus, his flirting was contagious. He didn’t have to say anything at all really to get her replying to him in teasing conversation. It was like she’d known him forever. Conversation flowed so smoothly even while her body was threatening to have a total breakdown. Fatigue had gripped her lately, and it was one of the main reasons she’d been content with sitting by the pool and taking it easy, but this was different. It was almost like his energy fed off her, sucking every ounce of her oomph into him. She was so tired, but this was different. No amount of coffee or tea would take this away.

What’s wrong with me?

Then she realized what it was. She ached for him. She was insanely horny. It wasn’t normal fatigue she was feeling, it was a desire to lie back in bed and spread her legs for him. She wasn’t even sure where it had come from. It wasn’t natural. She’d never felt like this before.

I need to get out of here.

She struggled to find words that might keep the conversation going because as much as she wanted to flee, she couldn’t bear the thought of letting him slip into the crowd. If Sylvia saw him, she might even call dibs. If she called dibs, he would be off limits.

Dibs.

Penny wondered if saying it in her head was the same as saying it out loud. She didn’t care. If Sylvia tried to swoop in, she would tell her friend that she’d already said the word. He was hers. If she had her way, she would be in bed with him tonight.

What the fuck, Penny? Calm down, girl.

His right hand gripped the railing and she couldn’t help watching his fingers. They were so big. Everything about him seemed so…big.

I’m so fucking tired, Thane. Take me out of here and make love to me.

She might have been thinking it, but she would never be brave enough to let the words slip from her lips.

“So, you live in Queensland?” she asked.

It was the only thing she could think to say. He’d remained quiet for too long and awkwardness had started to creep in. Up until that point, there hadn’t been anything odd about their conversation, but then suddenly there had.

“I’m sorry,” Thane said. “Can you give me a second? I’ll be right back, I promise.”

I promise.

Penny milled that word over in her head, liking the sound of it. She would take any promise this guy could make. His hand reached out to hers and his fingers ran gently over her knuckles as he walked away, dragging his fingertips over her wrist and arm. She wanted so badly to reach out to him and beg him to stay. But then she saw where he was going.

The black-haired bitch with the one red highlight. The snake charmer. She was his destination, and she wished she could rush to her and punch her in the throat. What was it Sylvia always said? Yes, she wanted to kick her in the vagina. When the woman flashed her a smug, hypocritical smile, Penny felt her heart sink in her chest. Nothing she could ever do, no changes she could ever make to herself, would allow her to compete with the woman whose arms were now wrapping around Thane’s shoulders in a hug.

Then came the kiss on the cheek and Penny’s inner-child screamed. No, it didn’t only yell, it stomped its feet and fell to the ground, raining fists down in angry protest. Her inner-child was a spoiled fucking brat, and she didn’t like this one bit.

She was contemplating her next move, desperately searching her mind for any way she could walk over and separate the two, when she saw a new guy eyeing her like a piece of meat. This one was blond, with curly hair that looked unkempt in the best of ways. He was clearly one of those guys who spent all day in the ocean and all night in the sack. While Thane embodied everything elegant and strong about a man, this guy was the devil on his shoulder. This was the guy girls only wanted to fuck. One look at him and they knew he had little to offer in the way of conversation or security. He wasn’t the relationship type or the take home to the parents type. He was the “bend me over and fuck me after a couple of shots of tequila” type.

An hour ago, Penny had felt like the least desired person on the boat. Now, she wondered if someone had doused her in some sort of love potion. What was attracting these guys to her?

The blond walked toward her. His dress jacket hung over a V-neck t-shirt that showed the upper portion of his tanned, very toned chest. A strip of black leather with small seashells dangled from his neck. As he grew nearer, she saw that his eyes were an icy blue. They looked as if the ocean itself had seeped in through his ears and settled at the back of his eyes. Like snow globes full of sea water, she wondered if she’d see the fluid in them if he leaned right.

“That guy’s an asshole,” the hunky blond said as he stepped in close to her and put his hand on the railing, uncomfortably close to hers.

Penny felt faint. This guy’s aura was strong too. So much testosterone on this yacht. Where was Sylvia? Now, she really needed her friend.

“I’m sorry?” Penny replied.

“Leaving you alone like that,” he said. “That’s an asshole move. If I’d been that close to you, for that long, that chick would have had to pry me off you with a crowbar. He left way too willingly.”

She felt her face go red. Thane was so much more relaxed in his flirting. This guy was more direct. He was going for it and she was so not prepared to keep up with this guy.

“Thank you,” Penny said.

“For what?” the guy asked.

“Just…that was sweet. Thank you.”

“Axel,” he said, holding his hand out for her to shake.

“Penny,” she replied, taking his.

He held her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently.

***

“Hug me and kiss my cheek,” Evelyn said as she wrapped her arms around Thane. “Don’t be rude.”

Thane went through the routine of acting like she was an old friend. He didn’t want to give her anything to use as an excuse to start a scene. She had no qualms with letting everyone on this ship know about her gifts, especially since she would love nothing more than to eat all of them. No leftovers.

“Yes, that would be great wouldn’t it?” she asked, verbally, letting him know that she’d heard his inner voice.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Trying to win you back, baby,” she said.

“Cut the shit, Eve,” he said. “What are you up to?”

“I love it when you call me that,” she replied. “Do you remember what I used to call you?”

He rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. She grabbed his arm and pulled him in close, so she could whisper in his ear.

“Don’t you dare fucking walk away from me,” she hissed. “I could kill everyone on this yacht, have unimaginably wild sex in their slippery blood, and still sleep perfectly well tonight. You know that. I live for the blood and the fuck. That’s all. Don’t give me a reason to do it.”

Thane took a deep breath, wishing once again he had Kino by his side. He would have brought several of his brothers had he thought she would pull a stunt like this. How had she even known about this trip? How much did she know?

“She’s not the one for you,” Evelyn said. “Look at me.”

He looked at her. Their eyes locked and he knew she was trying to tame him the way she did all the other males. He had to admit, the sex with Evelyn had always been insanely great. There was nothing she wasn’t willing to do. The rougher it was, the more she liked it. But any good memory of hers was dashed against the wall when thoughts of the bad came back into view. She was a monster.

“You smell it don’t you?” Evelyn asked. “I know you do. I can. It’s practically making me nauseous.”

Thane knew what she was talking about, but she was exaggerating.

“She’s sick, Thane,” Evelyn said. “She’s actively looking for a shifter, hoping someone will cure her. Humans know all the rumors about our healing abilities. She wants to use you.”

“You’re wrong,” he said.

“Ask her,” she said. “Put her on the spot and ask her outright if that old wolf bitch told her about our abilities.”

“I’m not a bottle of Nyquil,” he argued. “You know it doesn’t work like that.”

“We’ll see,” she said. “I may let this one live for a little bit, but only so I can watch while she breaks your fucking heart like you broke mine.”

Thane tried to dig up a witty comeback, but he couldn’t. She’d always claimed that he’d hurt her, but what she saw as hurting her meant saving so many others. She’d wanted him to join her cause in killing every human that entered the sea. He couldn’t do that, so he turned her away. She would never forget it.

“I’ll let her live,” she repeated. “But…we’ll maim her a little bit. More fun that way.”

“We?” he said, fear filling him inside like ice water poured through his neck.

Fire flashed in her eyes and he knew that look. Drawing him away from Penny had been part of her sinister plan.

He turned to look back at the pure-human girl he’d already fallen for, and saw Axel, that piece of shit, standing next to her. Penny was saying something to him, but the blond weasel’s focus was completely on Thane. His lips crept up in a devious grin.

“No,” Thane said, but before he could take one step forward, Axel turned quickly to the left and slammed his heavy arm against Penny’s chest, tossing her overboard like a ragdoll.

Penny’s scream filled the air as she tumbled out of sight.

Everyone ran toward the railing and as they did, Thane went the opposite direction, knowing if he could get out of view, he might be able to save her. He hit the opposite side of the ship and dove overboard, face first toward the water.

As he soared through the air, his frame exploded like a rocket. An audible boom sounded off inside him and his bones shattered into a million little pieces, reforming supernaturally on the inside into the body of the apex predator he shared his life with. Bones cracked, muscles moved, and organs rearranged. He felt every bit of it, but he’d transformed so many times that it no longer bothered him. It happened so quickly, and he hit the water seamlessly, as if he’d been there all along.

The shortest distance was a straight line, so he took off beneath the boat, racing toward the spot where she’d splashed down. He hadn’t seen Evelyn or Axel hit the water, but he didn’t need to. He knew as soon as the crowd reached the railing, they would have done the same thing he’d done. They were already in the water, and more than likely they’d had others circling the yacht all along, waiting for the moment to strike.

The red foggy blotch of blood was already spreading by the time he got there. A feeling of déjà vu washed over him as he thought of the ship captain he’d been unable to save, and of Bobber, and of all the others he’d failed to protect. He’d only known Penelope for a few minutes, but he knew he had a connection with her and the thought of her being slaughtered or even hurt in any way was too much to handle. He opened his mouth and readied his razor-sharp teeth. This time there would be no warning bite. He would rip Axel’s fucking fins free of his body. He’d leave that bastard plummeting to the sea floor, unable to swim. Evelyn would be next.

***

Penny didn’t know what to think when Thane looked her way. She was instantly worried he might not come back to her once he saw her talking to the blond pretty boy at her side. Her thoughts were on this when the guy turned and slammed into her. Why, she wasn’t sure. Had someone bumped into him?

She desperately reached for the railing, trying to stop her fall, but she had already passed it and was flipping toward the dark water. Her arms flailed but there was nothing she could do. The slick side of the ship gave her nothing to grab hold of. She hit the water hard and was engulfed in its cold embrace so instantly she didn’t know how to react.

It had all happened so quickly.

No, God, no! Please!

She’d never been afraid of the ocean, not the water itself, but as she’d told Thane, it was the mystery that lurked beneath the water’s surface that terrified her. Her mind went there, wondering if sharks might swim upward at her feet the way they did in the movies. She kicked wildly, hoping it might scare anything away.

“Help!” she yelled.

The boat had already passed her but had slowed down. People stood at the side, waving at her, but nobody jumped in. Where was Thane? Where was the blond?

“Help me!” she screamed.

Then she realized she was being silly. The boat had slowed down. Everyone knew she’d fallen overboard. It was only a matter of minutes before she’d be thrown a life saver and then they’d pull her out of the water. It was not like she’d fallen in without anyone knowing about it. She calmed herself and treaded water slowly.

This is a memory. That’s all. It gives you something to laugh about later. You’ll be totally...FUCK!

Her thoughts were interrupted when the searing pain of hot razor wire wrapped around her thigh and pulled down. She went under the water’s surface. Her scream pushed cool water away from her mouth, but then it rushed in, forcing her to drink it. Her breath had gone out in her last cry and she couldn’t breathe. Something was dragging her under and it hurt so fucking bad.

She kicked and with each push, the pain dug in deeper. Her hands reached for the light of the distorted image of the sun she could see shining down. It was so close, but then farther, and even farther.

I’m going to die.

She’d been in so much pain and had been so tired and so worn out for so long that she’d thought often about what it would mean to die. Would she be afraid at the end? Would she be ready to go? Now she could finally answer it. She was fucking terrified. And she was not ready to go.

Penny’s screams came out like a gurgling sucker punch with so little breath behind it. Her body flung from left to right. She was being whipped around and she couldn’t grasp what was happening. What had her in its clutches? Then she saw it, only barely in the dark water, it was a shark. It could pull once and take her entire leg with it, but it didn’t. It seemed to be gnawing on her, playing with her.

I need to breathe. I’m not ready to go yet. I’m so not ready to die!

She swung downward, hammering a punch at its snout, but unlike the tales you hear on the internet, her fist did nothing. Under the water, her downward swing had no steam behind it and it fell flat against the shark’s face. Then she remembered something else she’d heard. Poke it in the eye. She had nails. She had fingernails and she wouldn’t need a lot of strength.

As the shark continued to pull at her, she put her fingers together as if about to pick something up and slammed it downward into the big black circle of the shark’s eye. Her fingernails pushed against the glossy eyeball until they broke through its surface with a snap. Then it was jelly-like. She opened and closed her hand, fighting with all her might to destroy the creature’s eye. Finally, it let go, and she kicked as hard as she could for the surface.

She looked down only once, and saw a different shark coming at her from the side. Another shark had smelled the blood and was coming for her. Then something amazing happened. As she prepared to finally meet death, the new shark came into view, and it slammed into the one that had attacked her. The two giant beasts thrashed around wildly, and Penny turned her attention to the surface.

Her hand broke through first, and then her face, and as the warm air hit her lungs, she nearly passed out. She was still alive.

***

Thane sped around Penny in a circle, warding off any oncoming attack. He couldn’t possibly fight them all. Evelyn had brought six sharks with her. She and Axel might have been part of that group. He couldn’t tell. He was too worried and too angry to try to communicate. He needed to focus all his strength on making sure his mate made it safely to the surface where her own kind could drag her back onto the yacht and get her to the hospital.

She would live. Evelyn hadn’t meant to kill her, but she’d definitely hurt her. Thane doubted if the woman would ever go near the water again. That might make it hard to bring her to Shamrock Island, but he wasn’t giving up yet.

As Thane continued to circle around Penny, keeping her in a protective circle, he said a silent prayer that God would get her out of this in one piece. Blood was in the water, and even though Evelyn hadn’t wanted to kill her, controlling rabid sharks is no easy task. All it would take was one wrong move and one of them could tear into her guts or rip her head off. Even now, if she lost that leg completely, she’d never make it back to the mainland.

“See you later, lover,” Evelyn’s voice pinged off each shark until it reached Thane. “Tell your new main squeeze we’ll see her later too.”

The sharks backed off, and Thane could do nothing but watch from below as a lifesaver was thrown into the water and Penny was pulled back onto the yacht. She would wonder where Thane had gone. She would think he’d abandoned her. And as she left the ocean surface, he could only think of how he’d let her down. He’d fallen for Evelyn’s insidious plan, and Penny had almost lost her life.