Become my queen.

Soren’s demand heated the water between them, a tantalizing promise. He gazed at her with dominant magnificence. Gorgeous arrogance. The kind that made her want to lick his jaw and listen to him growl as he lost control.

But there were a lot more factors than just the desire thudding in her suddenly awakened heart.

Aya wasn’t the kind of woman who attracted men. On the surface, at the bride pageant, Soren had said to her face he would never select her as his bride. And if she allowed herself to believe him now—and then he realized he was wrong, changed his mind about wanting her for his queen, and sent her away — that rejection would destroy her.

Just like his rejection a few moments ago, when her innocent moan, asking why his delicious kiss overpowered her reason, resulted in him thrusting her away and vowing not to touch her again. For the second time in the space of a few hours, she lost her mind.

She would have done anything, literally anything, to get away from him. I apologize. I will not touch you again. His rejection still hurt.

It would be hard not to touch her if she was his queen. Right?

And he’d also said he wanted to deliver her to another merman in Atlantis. So why pretend to want her for his queen? Was he just trying to convince her to stop fighting him?

No. Soren wouldn’t make an offer he didn’t mean. He wasn’t so cruel.

But he might be mistaken. He might think he could marry her and have her as his queen, and then get to know her better and realize he was wrong. She was cold and unlovable. He’d stand by his offer with regret – or give in, face reality, and shove her away forever.

Imagining it made her itch to go to the surface again. No matter how suicidal that might be. Get away. Soren’s nearness was dangerous. It screwed up everything in her head.

Soren awaited her answer in the middle of the ocean. They drifted on a slow current away from the direction Blake had disappeared.

Distracting him with conversation was good. Fiscally responsible.

“I don’t think you really want me as your queen,” she said finally.

His expression blackened.

“And let’s be realistic. What’s left to protect in Atlantis? The Life Tree got chopped in half. The top is flying farther along on the same current we’ve drifted into. If it dies, so does the king—and the city.”

Frustration tightened his jaw. “Yes, the Life Tree was mortally injured. But I am not in agony. Some part survives.”

“Sure, some part survives. I was smooshed up against that part for the last few hours.”

“A fragment cannot survive. Like a plucked flower, it will die in moments.”

“The blossom in my necklace lived for a month.”

He blinked.

Elyssa had given Aya the blossom on her first check-up on the surface platform. She’d told Aya all about life in Atlantis and her various mistakes and learning experiences, and how nice all the warriors were, and how she hardly noticed she was naked after the initial adjustment.

Then Elyssa had put the wilted blossom — which had dried out in her hair while she wasn’t paying attention—in a cup of seawater. It had been stone dead. Elyssa had put her hands around the cup, closed her eyes, and the blossom had startled to glow. Twinkling like a tiny star, and suddenly, very much alive. She’d smiled with satisfaction and given it to Aya to keep.

Aya had kept it. Obsessively. Not because she was expecting it to later save her life. Just because it was beautiful and she felt a deep tug in her heart to keep it alive.

Now, she felt the same tug for the Atlantis Life Tree.

The fragment was still alive. She had drunk its nectar and was connected to it now in her blood.

Maybe she had the power to revive plants like Elyssa. Maybe she could reverse Blake’s damage, restore the Life Tree, and save King Kadir. Save the castle and warriors. Save Atlantis.

It was the whole reason she came down here.

Soren spoke heavily. “You believe the severed fragment is keeping the city alive.”

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

He looked like he really wanted to.

She also really wanted him to. Maybe the stump left in Atlantis was still alive. Maybe chasing after the severed fragment was unnecessary. Tell me it is unnecessary, Soren.

He frowned hard.

Aya was tired. The panic from being unable to breathe had exhausted her, the confusion of her too-intense reactions to Soren messed with her head, and she was heart-sick from failing to protect the Life Tree. Having Soren drag her back to the city, even to dump her with another merman, meant she could rest, recover her self-control, and convince Elyssa to send her to the surface.

She didn’t want to swim across the open ocean on a crazy, risky quest with the one male who made her heart beat out of rhythm.

Soren released Aya, kicked a few strokes along the current, and returned with a deeper frown. “That is a bad direction. It passes over a deep trench — an entrance to the nightmare Blacknight Sea. You would die. I might also.”

Aya had no intention of dying.

He held out his hand. “We return to Atlantis. I will collect a group of warriors.”

A group of qualified warriors sounded much more reasonable than a newly transformed mermaid and an injured warrior. Logical, even. She accepted his hand.

He kicked hard into the current, fighting to get them out of its claws, and propelled them through the blue ocean sky toward Atlantis.

They passed the haunting fish schools. A few fish with big, staring eyes darted toward them, curious. Their arias sounded like a melancholy opera singer, beautiful and sad. Soren growled. They scattered.

Like the thoughts scattering in her head. Second-guesses and doubts stared her in the face.

Was abandoning the Life Tree fragment the best course of action? Really?

She had to ask. “Will the Life Tree fragment be okay?”

“I do not know.”

That was hardly reassuring. “Your warriors just defended themselves in a battle. Will they be able to leave right away to rescue the Life Tree fragment?”

“I will learn this when we reach Atlantis.”

Of course he had plenty of healthy, well-rested warriors. Of course the Life Tree fragment could wait. There was no need for her to risk death twice in the same day. He wasn’t saying that. Why wasn’t he saying that?

The logical planner inside her wouldn’t let Aya rest easy. She’d never been able to let go of “someone else’s problem.” If it was important, she had to resolve it. And this problem was life or death to thirty plus mermen – and her cousin.

She gritted her teeth. “What happens if we return to Atlantis and everybody’s injured? And you’re the only one who can go?”

He rubbed a long, jagged gash on his shoulder. “Then I will return alone.”

“Wait. You’d dump me in Atlantis just to turn around and come back all alone?” Ignoring the fact that he was already injured from his last battle. “That’s no good, Soren. You’re a warrior, not a miracle worker.”

He set his jaw. “Attempting to retrieve the Life Tree fragment ourselves is madness.”

On the surface, Aya’s greatest daily excitement was reading the stock report and plotting which investment group to approach. Her scare with the submersible proved she wasn’t as careful as she thought. She never wanted to fear for her life again. Action was not her strong point.

But neither was failure.

“If we hurry, can we catch the Life Tree fragment before it goes into the trench?”

He shook his head.

Relief mixed with disappointment. If something was impossible, it was impossible. She would find another way to—

“We must make the couple-swimming form. It is most aerodynamic.” Soren shook his head again. “This is madness. But we may catch the Life Tree fragment if we leave now.”

Oh. He wasn’t shaking his head because this plan was impossible. He was shaking his head because it was possible—and also crazy.

Sometimes, Aya hated being right all the time.

Soren flicked his fin and was suddenly right in her face, his powerful arms sliding around her waist and his hard thigh pushing between hers. “You must obey me immediately without question.”

“Uh…”

His hard body pressed against her, knocking her heart off balance.

She stammered. “I don’t know if I can do that. I perform best when I know the factors of my environment.” She pushed against his iron biceps. “Wait, Soren.”

“Relax.”

“I’m not prepared. I changed my mind.”

“To make the fastest shape, you must relax.”

“This isn’t natural.”

“It is very natural.” His wide palm pressed her head into his shoulder. She nestled against him, warm and snug. “Melt against me. Feel the right position.”

He kicked. His thigh rubbed against her soft cleft. A throbbing ache awakened her desire.

Oh. Wow. Yum.

No, not yum. This was so not going to work. Soren made her forget everything and lose her mind. And her mind was her only useful possession.

She pushed away. “This is a bad idea.”

“This is your idea.” He kicked steadily. The ocean whipped by, passing with his powerful strides. “You are a strong, brilliant bride whose intelligence and dedication will save the Life Tree.”

Her heart thumped out of rhythm.

Soren really thought that about her? Even after her accidental betrayal?

She would give anything to repair the beautiful plant that her mistakes had helped to destroy.

What helped him swim faster? Relaxing?

Normally she couldn’t relax even if she went under hypnosis. If someone hugged her like Soren, her brain wouldn’t shut off. She zigged and zagged the whole time wondering if the other person was getting bored, if she was, and if it wasn’t better not to have friends since she was so awkward.

The only person it was easy to accept a hug from was Elyssa. Her enthusiastic hugs were given freely and for almost no reason.

Aya didn’t push her luck. She always politely extricated herself before Elyssa got bored and let go. Elyssa didn’t have to waste her time comforting Aya. Aya was just grateful for Elyssa’s smiles and kindness and companionship.

But maybe Aya hadn’t ever tried hard enough to relax.

Maybe she didn’t want to give herself to the powerful warrior that stole her senses, overwhelming her reason and filling her with impossible desires.

Because it was Soren, she was willing to try.

Aya concentrated on her muscles to let go with a huge, watery sigh. If Soren needed it, she could force herself. She could trick herself not to feel the delicious rubbing between her legs. Okay, so maybe she didn’t want to stop feeling it. This was for the Life Tree and Atlantis. Relax.

Soren kicked. They zoomed through the water.

“If we are attacked, you must use your power to protect us,” he said.

Figuring out her mermaid super power, like figuring out how to flex her feet into fins, was on her to-do list. “You’re the warrior.”

“You have the power of the Life Tree. I have seen Queen Elyssa use it. You will be stronger.”

She snorted. “Most guys are intimidated by a strong woman.”

“They are foolish. Strength is beauty.”

Her chest warmed. She was in danger of falling in love with Soren.

Which was really, really dangerous.

Sure, he said he liked a strong woman, and he wanted her for his queen, but what would happen when they returned to Atlantis?

Her clear-sighted, logical, cool side surfaced. Finally.

Soren would say he wanted her until he was faced with her super power. Or until she out-thought him, or won at arm-wrestling, or did something that challenged his masculinity. Then, the light would die in his eyes and he’d turn away dully, suddenly uninterested in her.

Sure, he said he wanted her to succeed. They all said that.

But every man she’d ever known — from her dad to her boyfriends — they all stopped loving her the moment she out-shone them. If they’d ever loved her at all.

She focused on a safe answer. “I don’t know how to use this power.”

“You already used it to free yourself from the submersible.”

“But I don’t know how. I also don’t know what animals are dangerous.”

“Keep your eyes open. I will tell you.”

She stared into the endless depths, cataloging a vast musical tapestry of singing marine life. Massive tunas and tiny lanternfish, familiar swordfish and mysterious eel-shaped fish. When Soren held her like this, she felt safe.

Her mind drifted.

She shouldn’t get too comfortable with Soren because she still had responsibilities elsewhere.

After they rescued the Life Tree and saved Atlantis for Elyssa, Aya had to return to the surface. Fast. Or else Van Cartier Cosmetics would be no more.

Discovering her mother had sprung their ex-employee Blake from prison had caused Aya to snap.

Blake had single-handedly destroyed mer-human relations in the Gulf of Mexico. He was in prison for trying to murder his ex-wife Lucy and the mermen Lucy had befriended. The Gulf of Mexico merman city, Sireno, had Sea Opals the size of boulders! But now, they were forever beyond Van Cartier Cosmetics’ reach. Aya still couldn’t get anyone to answer her underwater broadcasts in that ocean. Blake had destroyed their goodwill.

She’d lucked into a second chance with the Atlantis mermen. With Elyssa as her ambassador, she would have secured an exclusive supply chain of Atlantis Sea Opals and made Van Cartier Cosmetics a household name. So what if the city was too young and it would take a few years for the Life Tree to mature? The contract would have been hers.

To find out her mother had set Blake loose, given him all of Aya’s resources, and instructed him to destroy relations again infuriated her beyond reason.

Aya never acted on her emotions. She was always cool, calm, and composed.

Until then.

This nice family company, started by Aya’s great grandmother, had rot in its heart. Aya had poured her life into making it a success. But that was clearly a mistake. With a few targeted emails and actions, she pressed a self-destruct button. If investors weren’t calling for its dismantlement, the federal government would step in.

Not right away. The emails and actions were on timers. Even acting on rage and adrenaline, Aya wasn’t indecisive. She knew she was making a rare emotional decision. Emotional decisions led to regret. They made people stupid and weak. They landed her in a metal claw, the life pinched out of her, while her enemy laughed inside a submersible.

But she couldn’t let her mother and Blake cause—

Soren spoke. “Why did you?”

She jerked to the present. “Huh? Why did I what?”

“Kiss me.”

Oh god. Aya froze.

He grunted. “Do not slow us. Relax.”

She tried to force herself, but the harder she tried, the stiffer she felt.

There was no good answer to his question that didn’t involve her obsessive, passionate, helpless fascination with him.

He kicked steadily, but it was clear he was waiting.

“Um.” She shifted her gaze to his pectorals, trying out answers to see which one he would let her get away with. “I just wanted to.”

“Why?”

Oh. Kay.

Obsessive fascination. Aching hunger for his furious strength. Desire to hold him close and stroke his frown-wrinkled forehead and beg him to love her as fiercely as he loved his city. A wish to hold the fire in his gaze no matter how it burned.

“Urges. Desire.”

He lowered his head and focused that fire on her.

She wanted to hide. “It didn’t mean what you think it meant.”

“What do I think it meant?”

Why was he asking questions with no safe answer? She scrubbed her face. “I don’t know. I just transformed into a mythical creature and was pressed naked against a man. It’s been a really long time for me. I went with the flow. You understand.”

“I do not understand.”

Did she have to spell it out? “Sex. It’s been a long time since I’ve had sex. It has nothing to do with you. I’d react to any good-looking guy who held me.”

“React means kiss me.” He frowned. “You think I look good?”

Oh god. “You know what? Forget it.”

He growled to argue.

“I have an important question.” She tapped her hand on his chest to get his attention. “I know from Elyssa’s and Lucy’s reports that time passes differently under the water. A week on the surface will pass in an hour under the sea. How long have we been here?”

His dark gaze told her the argument was not over, but he allowed her to divert the conversation. “We drifted only a few miles on the Est-Atalica current. We could return to Atlantis in a few hours. Half a day, over-land.”

Right. Because drifting on the gentle gusts was much different from swimming head-down into a blasting current.

Half a day plus… “How long does it take to reach the surface?”

He eyed her warily. “Not long.”

“One hour? Ten?”

“You are a mer now. Consider your loyalties.”

“If I return to the surface, I’m far better positioned to gather additional brides for your mermen,” she pointed out practically. “So answer the question. Please.”

“To reach your surface platform from Atlantis, it takes over a day. Usually two.”

“So long? Do you swim the whole time?”

“We avoid dangerous regions. Safety in the open ocean, even with a full flight of five warriors, is no simple matter. Throwing ourselves into a predator’s hunting ground is the same as suiciding on an enemy’s trident. Both are without honor.”

Three days.

She’d left on a Sunday, flying to the oceanographic institute’s surface rig to answer the emergency. The descent to the undersea platform finished in less than an hour. Then, suiting up. The reiteration of all the experienced oceanographers that she was pushing human limits. That it was dangerous and she might die.

She should wait for a military technical diver. She should have waited for a pressurized exosuit. She should’ve waited for a hero.

But there was only Aya.

And she had died. But with Soren’s magic and the Life Tree, she had been reborn. And the Aya who was reborn still had things to do with her great grandmother’s company.

Soren said she was powerful.

Could she really be powerful?

No. Right? Because of her soul light. He was getting tricked. She’d had this mysterious “soul light,” which mermen could see but humans could not, evaluated by a highly reputable source. Her soul light was bright but cold.

“It is unattractive,” her source had said regretfully.

She twitched.

“Relax,” Soren growled and crushed her near.

She forced herself to relax. “How long does it take to go back to the undersea platform where I staged this dive?”

“Where is that location?”

“I thought you knew everything nearby.”

“Perhaps Lotar knows. Or another patrol. How long has your undersea platform been stationed in its current location?”

“It moves around.”

“That is why I do not know. Did you not count your strokes, currents, and fish migrations?”

Strangely enough, she had not. The ocean had been pitch black and her huge flashlight had barely penetrated it. The dive to the city was dark, lonely, and terrifying.

“I had it programmed into my dive computer.” Her wrist, like the rest of her, was bare. The dive computer had been torn off with her tanks and dry suit.

And now her bare body nestled intimately against Soren. A powerful, tattooed, deliciously ripped warrior.

She twitched again as if she could jolt herself into thinking something less dangerous.

He growled. “Do not tense.”

“I’m just thinking about our strategy,” she lied. “The open ocean is dangerous. What happens if we have to go home?.”

“That is a waste.” He pumped steadily. “Think about your power.”

“I am thinking.”

“Think harder.”

“Has it occurred to you I might not have any powers?” she snapped, shifting and jolting the both of them. “That the submersible opened because of your strength, and I might be a dud?”

“Yes,” he said.

Wait. He had?

Ugh. “Then why are we still here?”

“Because you are not a dud,” he said simply. “Believe. It is the only way we will survive.”