The Selkie's Alpha

Chapter 21

The ocean caressed Brooke's fur as she followed the Call of the Sea. Like all selkies, she was intimately familiar with the ever-present urge to don her sealskin and let the Goddess guide her to the place that had always felt like a second home to her. While others found themselves drawn to their favorite fishing spots or underwater caverns filled with hidden treasures, she could find the island where her grandma used to live in anything from the darkest night to the ugliest storm.

For once, she wasn't alone.

Jasper clung to the bodyboard beneath him as if he'd sink to the ocean floor without it. Even though Brooke itched to zoom straight to their destination, she kept her pace to the marine equivalent of a jog with her jaws firmly clamped around the cord stretched between them. Pulling him behind her like an aquatic tow truck was far from the most comfortable arrangement for either of them, but since Jasper insisted they needed to keep their discussion a secret, renting a boat hadn't been an option.

Brooke felt the island well before its towering palm trees came into view. Simply coming near those sandy shores filled her heart with a radiant warmth. As much as she loved the Cowrie Cabana, her family, and all their wonderful guests, this was home.

The waves deposited Brooke on the shell-speckled sand. She emerged from her sealskin in one fluid motion, standing on two feet as if she'd never left the land. Not a drop of moisture dampened her skin save the beads of sweat on her forehead.

The journey took a much bigger toll on Jasper. He wobbled up the shore before collapsing against one of the palm trees with a groan. "I think the ocean hates me," he said between pants for breath, his arms wrapped around his stomach as if he felt like he was going to puke.

"Sorry if the ride was a bit rough. Sometimes I forget not everyone is used to being out in the water." Brooke offered him her arm. "Don't worry, we only have a little walk before you can rest."

Jasper leaned against her the entire way up the shore. A soft whine of frustration escaped his lips as his feet sank into the sand with every step. "I swear I am going straight to the spa after this."

Although it wasn't as modern as the Cowrie Cabana's hydrotherapy pools or as luxurious as their massage facilities, her grandma's house promised all the peace and privacy they needed. With no other buildings on the island, its hibiscus-lined entryway and the ocean breeze caressing her hair told her one thing.

She was home.

Brooke guided Jasper inside and eased him onto one of the wicker chairs where her grandma used to help her and Marina sort through the seashells they'd gathered on the beach. "I'll be right back, okay? I just need to grab us a snack."

"You really don't need to worry about that." Although the rest of him no longer wobbled now that his seasickness had faded, Jasper's voice still betrayed him. "I'm just happy you agreed to talk to me."

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you." Brooke crossed her arms, schooling her lips into a scowl that would have made her mom proud. "Grandma always said her house is supposed to feel like a second home to everyone who visits. How is it supposed to do that if you don't relax?"

"Can't argue with that." Jasper winced and massaged his leg, which had faded from a dark purple bruise to a pale, murky shade of brown. "And I could use the rest."

It didn't take Brooke long to harvest a pair of papayas. She scooped out the small black seeds with a practiced hand, leaving the bright orange flesh for their spoons to dig into. "Sorry I don't have any limes handy, but this should be okay."

"Like I said, you really didn't need to get me anything." Or so Jasper said before the fruit passed his lips. The instant he swallowed that first bite, he moaned so hard a blush quickly covered his cheeks. "Okay," he said, pointing at the papaya with his spoon, "I wouldn't mind about twenty more of these. Goddess, this is good!"