The Tides of Loss and Longing (Love from the Deep #1)

Chapter 11

Aurelia

A urelia woke to the gentle warmth of sunlight on her face. Disoriented and aching, she blinked at the familiar sight of her grotto’s ceiling. Panic flared in her chest as the recent events came flooding back—the searing pain of the shark’s teeth sinking into her side. She had barely made it home, her vision blurring from the blood loss, but the memory of the dolphin guiding her through the water was vivid. Despite the odds, she had survived.

Lifting her hands that felt far too heavy, she gingerly felt along her side where the shark had bitten her, surprised to find her entire torso wrapped in linen. She attempted to sit up, but a fierce, stabbing pain in her side stopped her. Turning her head, she was startled to see a man sleeping beside her.

Drake looked so peaceful asleep, his relaxed face softening his strong jaw. His shoulder-length brown hair was tied loosely at the nape of his neck. She longed to see his deep green eyes, hoping they might hold the answers to the strange, warm feelings stirring in her chest whenever she looked at him.

Aurelia stretched her legs and wiggled her toes.

Her legs.

Shock rippled through her. Her hands flew to her thighs, frantically brushing down the soft blanket covering her human form. Had he seen her?

A soft chuckle interrupted her panic. “Your secrets out,” Drake said, his voice rough with sleep.

She felt her cheeks flush with heat. She glanced at him, now propped on one elbow, his head resting in his hand.

"My little mermaid is more than she seems," he mused, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.

Aurelia averted her gaze, embarrassment flooding her. She hadn’t exactly lied to him. She was a mermaid, after all—she’d simply omitted the part about transforming into a human on land.

“We’ll address that later,” Drake continued, his tone shifting, eyes darkening. “First, I need you to tell me what happened."

The genuine concern in Drake’s voice broke through the emotional turmoil she’d been battling since his arrival. Visiting her childhood home, followed by the shark attack, had left her feeling unbearably alone. It was too much to carry by herself. Aurelia broke into sobs, overwhelmed by how desperately she wanted him to hold her.

Ignoring the pain in her side, she reached for him. To her surprise, Drake gently pulled her into his arms, careful of her wound. As she recounted the events leading up to the shark attack, he stroked her hair soothingly. She left out her obsessive thoughts of him and the confusing feelings she couldn’t quite understand, but crying helped her release the tension at least. When she got to the part about the shark, Drake’s brow furrowed, and his jaw clenched, though he stayed silent.

“You were incredibly brave,” he whispered, wiping a tear from her cheek. Then his hand suddenly tightened on her face. “But you could have died, Aurelia.”

She shrank back, startled by the anger in his voice.

“Why are you angry with me?” she asked, wincing at the pain in her side.

The anger drained from his face as quickly as it had come.“I’m not angry with you. Well, no, I am—but I’m more furious with the situation. You would’ve been safe if you hadn’t run off again.”

“You were worried about me?” she asked shyly.

“Worried?” Drake laughed in disbelief. “You make me feel…out of control. I can’t keep you safe when you disappear into the ocean.”

Aurelia smiled, a warmth blooming in her chest. He cared about her.

Drake narrowed his eyes at her, his tone gruff again. “Now, let me check your wound.”

Carefully, he unbound the linens and exhaled in relief. “It’s healing. You had a terrible fever last night, but there’s no sign of infection.”

“Fever? Infection?” Aurelia asked.

“It’s a sickness humans can get when they’re badly wounded. Last night, you were burning up—you were delirious.”

Aurelia tried to recall, but all she could remember was collapsing on the beach. There was something else, though, buried deep, a soothing melody.

“You can ultimately die from it,” Drake continued, pulling her attention back.

“Have you witnessed this… infection?” she asked.

“Too many times,” he said, the crease between his brows deepening. “It’s not a pleasant way to leave this world. I’d be damned if I let you suffer through it.”

Before Aurelia could stop herself, she smoothed her thumb over the furrow between his brows. She smiled sleepily at the startled look on his face. Stifling a yawn, she murmured, “Thank you for cleaning and wrapping my wound, Drake. You’re a kinder man than you think.”

She knew she should slip back into the ocean to heal—merfolk, she was sure, healed much faster than humans. She had never heard of a merfolk contracting a fever or infection. But the thought of Drake nursing her back to health was too tempting to resist.

Slowly, sleep began to overtake her again, but just before she gave in, she could’ve sworn she heard him whisper, “Only with you, my little mermaid.”