Page 14 of Seas the Day
As they walked in tense silence toward the guest wing, his mind raced with the implications of what had just happened. She was staying, but everything else about his careful plan had exploded in spectacular fashion. Instead of a willing mate ready to take her place beside him, he had a reluctant coach who’d made it clear that romance was off the table.
How the hell is this going to work?he wondered grimly, hyperaware of her presence behind him, of the way her scent wrapped around him like a constant reminder of what he wanted but couldn’t have.
His wolf whined pitifully, confused by their mate’s rejection and desperate for the completion that only she could provide. But Thalric forced the beast down with iron will, knowing that patience was his only option now.
He would have to find a way to win her over, to make her choose him not because fate had decreed it, but because she genuinely wanted to. The realization that this would be infinitely more complicated than his original strategic plan settled over him like a weight.
But as challenging as it would be, as much as it went against every instinct screaming at him to claim what was his, he knew one thing with absolute certainty. Failure wasn’t an option. She was his mate, and somehow, some way, he would make her see that they belonged together.
NINE
NAVIRA
The silence stretched between them like a taut wire as Thalric led her through corridors that belonged in a palace rather than a home. Navira’s footsteps echoed against marble floors polished to mirror perfection, her gaze catching on tapestries that seemed to shimmer with their own light and artwork that probably cost more than her annual salary. But it was the man walking ahead of her that commanded her attention—the way his broad shoulders filled his shirt, the controlled precision of his movements, his intense presence that tugged at something inside her.
Stop,she told herself, watching the play of muscles beneath the fabric of his clothes.You just met him. You don’t even know what a fated mate means. You told him no romance.
But her body hadn’t gotten that memo. Every step brought fresh waves of his intoxicating scent—something like ocean salt and cedar that made Navira want to step closer instead of maintaining the careful space between them.
The memory of their handshake came rushing back. When he’d grabbed her hand tighter in his office, when he’d pulled her against that powerful chest, she’d forgotten how to breathe. For one wild moment, she’d wanted to rise on her toes andtaste those lips, to see if his kiss would be as commanding as his presence. Heat spiraled through her belly, and she forced her gaze to the ornate ceiling instead of the man carrying her luggage like it weighed nothing.
Get it together, Navira. You’re here to coach. That’s it.
But even as she repeated the mantra, she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything about this situation was impossible yet somehow inevitable. The way he’d looked at her when she’d walked into his office—like she was water and he’d been dying of thirst. The electric shock that had raced through her when their skin touched. The way her entire body had responded to his declaration that she was his perfect mate, even as her mind recoiled from the presumption.
It’s just because he’s a shifter,she reasoned desperately.You’ve never met one before. They’re probably all intense and captivating. It doesn’t mean anything.
But the rationalization felt hollow even as she thought it.
They reached a door crafted from what looked like ancient oak, its surface carved with intricate designs that seemed to move in her peripheral vision. Thalric set her suitcases down with careful precision, his storm-grey eyes meeting hers briefly before he turned the ornate handle and pushed the door open.
“Your suite,” Thalric said, his deep voice carrying that same controlled authority that made something low in her belly clench with unwanted awareness.
Navira stepped through the doorway and forgot how to form words.
The guest suite stretched before her like something from a luxury travel magazine. The main room alone was larger than her townhome’s entire lower level back in Indiana, with soaring ceilings that disappeared into shadow and massive windows that offered a breathtaking view of the pink ocean beyond. Rich fabrics in deep blues and silvers draped furniture that lookedboth ancient and impossibly comfortable, while artwork that seemed to glow with inner light adorned walls of polished stone.
A sitting area centered around a fireplace carved from what appeared to be black marble dominated one corner, while a dining nook with seating for six occupied another. Through an archway, she glimpsed a bedroom that rivaled the master suites in five-star hotels, complete with a bed that could easily sleep four people and more of those floor-to-ceiling windows.
“This...” She trailed off, turning in a slow circle as she tried to process the opulence surrounding her. “This rivals some of the premier international hotels I’ve stayed at.”
She’d seen luxury before—Olympic athletes got access to some pretty incredible accommodations—but this felt different. Personal.
The sound of her suitcases being wheeled inside drew her attention back to Thalric, who was positioning them near an ornate wardrobe with the same careful precision he seemed to apply to everything. His movements were economical yet graceful, and she found herself watching the way his shirt stretched across his shoulders as he straightened.
“Lunch will be served in an hour,” he said without looking at her, his voice carrying a formal distance that felt forced. “But there’s no pressure. If you’d prefer to eat in your room, I can have something sent up.”
The offer was clearly meant to give her an out, a way to avoid spending time with him after their disastrous introduction. Part of her wanted to take it—to hide in this beautiful suite and pretend that the mate thing didn’t exist, that she hadn’t felt her entire world shift when he’d touched her.
But another part of her, the part that had always faced challenges head-on, rebelled against the cowardice. She was staying in his home, using his hospitality, and she’d agreed tocoach his pack. The least she could do was not act like a spoiled child hiding from an uncomfortable situation.
“I’ll join you,” she heard herself say, proud that her voice sounded steadier than she felt.
Something flickered in his storm-grey eyes—surprise, maybe, or relief. “Great. I look forward to it.”
The simple words carried more weight than they should have, and Navira felt that unwanted flutter in her chest again. She cleared her throat, desperate for something practical to focus on.
“Is there a phone I can use? I need to call my father.”
