Page 10 of Seas the Day
“You must be Navira.” The woman’s voice carried a musical quality. “I’m Alira Crestwyn, the estate attendant. I’ll be looking after you during your stay.”
Navira walked back toward them, trying to shake off the lingering pull of the ocean. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Alira. I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to be doing here yet.”
Alira’s silver-blue eyes sparkled with something that might’ve been amusement. “Alpha Thalric will explain everything once we reach the estate.”
Alpha Thalric.
The name sent an unexpected shiver down Navira’s spine—not of fear, exactly, but of anticipation. Something about the way Alira said it, with a mixture of respect and fondness, suggested this wasn’t just any ordinary leader.
“He’s the one providing my accommodations, right?” Navira asked, bending to grab the handles of her suitcases. The wheels caught slightly on the stone pathway, and she had to adjust her grip to get them rolling smoothly.
“Among other things.” Gerri’s tone held that familiar note of mischief, as if she knew something the rest of them didn’t. “Thalric is... well, let’s just say he’s very invested in making sure your stay here is everything it should be.”
Alira shot Gerri a look that was part warning, part exasperation.
“What Gerri means is that the Alpha takes his responsibilities as host very seriously. He wants to ensure you have everything you need to succeed here.” Alira paused for a moment. “We should hurry though. Alpha Thalric doesn’t particularly enjoy being kept waiting, and he’s been... anticipating your arrival all morning.”
The way she said ‘anticipating’ made Navira’s pulse quicken. There was something loaded in that word, a weight of meaning she couldn’t quite decipher. But the urgency in Alira’s voice was clear enough.
“Of course.” Navira fell into step beside them, her suitcases bumping along the smooth stones. “I definitely don’t want to keep my host waiting, especially when he’s being generous enough to let me stay at his estate.”
As they walked, Navira couldn’t help but drink in the landscape around them. Purple forests stretched in all directions, their canopies painted in shades she’d never seen in nature—deep violet, soft lavender, rich plum. The trees swayed in a gentle breeze that carried the scent of something exotic, mixing with the salt tang from the pink ocean behind them.
It was beautiful beyond description. But more than that, it felt... right.
You’re being ridiculous,she told herself.You’ve been here for less than ten minutes. You can’t possibly feel at home in a place you’ve never seen before.
But the feeling persisted, growing stronger with each step.
“The landscape is incredible,” she said aloud, partly to distract herself from the intensity of her own reaction. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Nova Aurora has that effect on people,” Alira replied, her voice warm with understanding.
Gerri glanced back, her eyes flashing gold now. “Oh, darling, you haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until you meet the Alpha himself.”
The promise in those words made Navira’s stomach flutter with anticipation. Whatever lay ahead at this estate, whoever this Alpha Thalric was, she had the strangest feeling that her life was about to change in ways she couldn’t even begin to imagine.
SEVEN
THALRIC
Thalric’s boots wore a path on the carpeted floor of his estate’s main living area as he paced the length of the room. The morning light streaming through the tall windows cast shifting patterns across the polished surfaces, but he barely registered the familiar beauty of his surroundings. His entire focus had narrowed to a single, consuming awareness: his fated mate was coming.
Today.
Gerri’s advice from their last conversation still rang in his ears—get some sleep, be at your best—but how could anyone expect him to sleep when his entire world was about to shift on its axis? He’d spent the dark hours before dawn staring at the ceiling, his mind cycling through carefully constructed scenarios of how their first meeting would unfold.
She would be competent, naturally. Gerri had assured him of that. A former Olympic swimmer, disciplined and accomplished—exactly the kind of mate who could stand beside an Alpha without creating complications. Beautiful, certainly, but more importantly, manageable. Someone who would understand her role, follow his lead, and integrate seamlessly into the pack structure he’d spent five years perfecting.
Strategic mating,he reminded himself, the phrase as familiar as a battle plan.This is about stability, not sentiment.
His wolf stirred restlessly, disagreeing with that assessment in ways that made Thalric’s jaw clench. The beast had been increasingly agitated over the past few hours, whining for something Thalric refused to name.
“She’ll be perfect,” he said aloud to the empty room. “Gerri doesn’t make mistakes.”
The matchmaker had been clear about his mate’s qualifications. An elite athlete meant discipline and focus. A coach meant leadership skills and the ability to guide others. A human meant she would need his protection, his guidance, his?—
Control.
