His Pounding Sea

Unknown POV

1690

"There is no other way! I have to do this!" A woman's high-pitched trembling voice echoed through the quiet room.

"Please, I beg you, don't do this!" A man replied, his voice thick with emotions, "I love you just the way you are!"

"My love," the woman answered and cubed her lover's face in her hand. Sparks erupted where their skin made contact and he shivered under her touch.

Yet, the woman ignored the tingles underneath her fingers. She had already decided what she needs to do, and she will not allow the bond to influence her decision...

The woman sought the man's eyes. She wanted to explain to him the reason behind her decision.

Yet, she already knew that he would probably do everything in his power to prevent her decision from happening...

She will have to find a way to work around him for her to succeed...

"I know you do..." she answered with a sad smile before she hesitated for a split second to find the correct words.

"... I don't love... what I have become..." she answered seriously, "I can't live like this anymore... I need to do this..."

"But..." he tried to argue, but she made him quiet with one of her fingers on his lips.

"I love you, and I will always love you..." she said, seeking his gaze.

She needed him to understand that she would return to him. She needed him to understand that she loved him, and only him...

"I give you my word that I will return to you... and you know that I will never go back on my word..." she whispered.

The man shook his head. He couldn't just let this woman go. She was his everything, his world, his day and night, his tomorrow, his poison, and his only ever after.

His heart belonged to her, and only her... and hearing what she was about to do was crushing his heart and soul...

He loved this woman from the very second he laid eyes on her.

How could she just decide without consulting him first? And that after they had been together for almost a millennium..?

How does she expect him to just accept this and look the other way?

How does she expect him to just go on with his everyday routine? It would drive him mad to be alone...

How would he be able to live without her for even a day?

"I can't let you go..." he said, his eyes pleading and sad, "you know what will happen if I do?"

"It will not be forever..." she answered, and pulled him in for a kiss, "I will come back to you..." she whispered against his lips, but he cut her off, and pushed her away from him.

Anger flared up in him, and he balled his fist out of frustration. She had made up her mind and he wouldn't get a say.

The beast inside him started to scratch the surface, and his eyes started to flicker between his ice-cold blue eyes and emerald green, as he fought to keep control.

The beast too wasn't happy with what she wanted to do...

The man took a deep breath, and forced the beast back, and blocked him off. Releasing him now would only worsen the situation.

"And if it doesn't work?" He finally asked with an angry, trembling voice.

"It will... and you know it..." she answered stubbornly and took a step away from him, surprised at his sudden anger.

"What if..?" He questioned, but the woman shook her head, stopping him before she answered.

"The curse won't influence me..." she answered, "it's a spell, and it keeps this body prisoner... You have witnessed the results yourself. My brother came back an uncursed man..." she said, trying to reassure him.

"What if..." he tried again.

"Hush..!" she made him quiet, she was done arguing about it, and pulled the man's arms around her.

"Everything will be okay, and when I return, we will have a normal life... not hide in here..." she gestured to the cave they stayed in, "I promise."

"This is our home," he argued, "and I love living here... with you..."

"Yes, but I need to be able to see the clear skies again, feel the breeze on my skin, the hot sand under my feet... You don't know how it is..." she answered, "I need to be free, I need to be able to live again, I need to be me... not this... this thing that haunts the channel day in and day out!"

The woman let go of the man and turned her back on him. Anger, frustration, and even hate were boiling up inside her.

She can't even remember when she could last move around in daylight... or even when she was last able to connect with people or any other creature...

She'd been imprisoned for so long that she needed to break free, and this was the only way...

She was doing this for herself, her family, and her mate, him... she didn't want to hurt him, but this was the only way, even if it meant hurting the one person she truly loved.

She let out an uncertain breath and straightened her face before she turned back to him.

"My mother has a package for me, please could you collect it for me..?" she asked, "she said that it was urgent..."

He let out a breath and weighed his options. He was uncertain if he should leave her there alone. Yet he knew the trip to the woman's mother's residence wouldn't take long... he would be back before she could do anything unholy...

He gave in and nodded his head and stalked toward the door and left without another word...

****

Elena's POV

Current day

"Hi, Elena!" Jane sang as she entered my room and plopped herself on my messy bed.

She just got off her work shift and she looked a bit tired... or maybe even sad... whatever it was, she didn't look too happy.

I wasn't in the mood to ask what was bothering her, as I was already preoccupied with my worries about tonight's flight.

"Hi Jane," I greeted, ignoring her gaze as I continued packing my clothes into my bag. I was leaving Boston in about two hours to go and visit my folks in Beaufort.

I wasn't scared of flying, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. It was just that I had this uneasy feeling that something was about to happen, and I couldn't shake the feeling off.

I shook my head, annoyed at myself, and tried to get myself to focus.

My father had sent the jet to fetch me, so the trip would be quite fast.

I just couldn't pinpoint why I was so nervous about going home. It wasn't the first time I have been on a plane. I basically lived on one. You see, my father is a billion-dollar businessman, and my mother and I used to accompany him often on trips.

So I knew it wasn't the flying part that was bugging me, something else was bound to happen.

"Are you ready to visit your folks in Beaufort?" Jane asked as she handed me a blouse.

"Sure," I lied. Ignoring Jane's gaze yet again. I haven't seen my parents for a while. I have been avoiding them, enjoying the freedom of being a student at a nearby elite school.

Usually, on holidays, weekends, and days when I didn't need to study, I occupied my time by working at the small coffee shop down the road.

This obviously was against my father's wishes, but after having sent back all his bodyguards and refusing to have Julia living with me, he settled with Jane being my roommate.

"What time is your flight?" Jane asked, breaking my chain of thought.

I wanted to laugh at her curiosity. She knew very well what time I would be leaving and for how long I would be gone. Why she wanted me to repeat it all again was a misery to me... I sighed.

"At eight," I answered and lifted my gaze to look at her. "Are you not going to change?" I asked.

I gave her a quick but thorough look. She had gone to the hairdresser today and cut and colored her hair... her natural blond hair was now cut short in a pixy style, and she had shocking pink streaks in them.

"Nah, I will get ready just before we leave," she answered.

"I like your hair like that, it suits you well," I complimented.

That was one thing about Jane I could never understand. She always made sure she made a fashion statement wherever she went. Her big light green colored eyes had a hint of gold in them and they were always full of life, but tonight it looked like the golden color had faded away.

Even her smile couldn't hide the sadness in them.

"Cool, when will you be back?" I rolled my eyes at her.

"Really Jane?" I cocked an eyebrow at her, challenging her question.

What was it with her tonight?

Jane is my best friend and I saw her as more like a sister, rather than a friend. Being the only child of a billion-dollar businessman, I never had the privilege of having someone so close to me or calling someone my best friend...

I knew a lot of people, and they knew me, but I had no interest in having friends who were more worried about my parents' fortune than me.

The other issue was, well, my family was constantly out of town.

I had attended home school, but when it came to social events between kids, I lost out.

I could tell you a lot about ballgowns and cocktail dresses, but school parties and events... I had no clue...

Jane, on the other hand, knew a lot more about those kinds of things. She came from a lower middle-class family up North. Her mom had taken two jobs to get her through school and her father, whom she never spoke about.

Her scholarship had paid most of the expenses for her studies but she had to attend to the living expenses in Boston. We met when I applied for a position at the coffee shop. Jane took me under her wing and we quickly became close friends.

Jane was a free spirit and could lift any person's mood and influence them, changing people's minds by just using her charm.

She made sure she had a steady social life, and dating was her hobby... but just as colorful as her personality, she got bored very quickly and moved on to the next... breaking quite a few hearts left, right, and center...

I, on the other hand, had a non-existing social life. I ignored attention, ignored people in general, and was a loner.

I was more the bookworm kind of person. Reading was one of my passions. Drawing and painting were my stimulation.

Don't get me wrong, next to Jane, I was more beautiful and more influential.

I have long soft blond hair, which hangs on my lower back. Then, I have the deepest aquamarine-colored eyes, which always remind me of the sea that I so dearly miss and I am blessed with a small button nose and a set of rosy pink lips.

Yes, I grab a lot of male attention wherever I go, but I had no interest in them or even in dating.

Too many boys had tried their luck and asked me out on a date. I just blankly refused.

It didn't feel right... something was missing in every one of them... so why date someone who you know was not meant for you?

Jane only commented about my lack of interest in dating once.

Something in my facial expression told her to back off...

"I'll be back after the summer break, as you know," I answered.

Jane walked over to the balcony, which looked over Boston Harbour. She had fallen in love with the view at Devonshire, worse than I did.

I kept one of the largest Penthouses in Devonshire. Living on the 42nd floor, the view was breathtaking, it gave us the beauty of both the harbor and the nightlife in the city.

My father had bought the penthouse for business, but when I said that I wanted to be schooled here in Boston, my father suggested that I live in the penthouse.

A small smile played on the corner of my lips. Yes, I was still daddy's little girl, and daddy made sure everything I needed was provided.

The penthouse itself was luxurious. It had three enormous bedrooms, all painted an off-white color. Each had its own ensuite attached.

The kitchen was stocked with the very best equipment and a chef would be proud to work in it. Not that we did much cooking in the kitchen...

My father had Peter do the internal design. He had the living room decorated with Italian leather couches. The walls are decorated elegantly with black and white family photos and abstract images.

My room was decorated with an ocean theme, Jane's with a nature theme, and the third room was done with all different whites and a tint of black here and there.

"I'm going to miss you," Jane said, turning around.

"I'm going to miss you too," I answered and walked to where Jane was standing on the balcony. I hugged her as tears started to spill over and run down her cheeks.

"Don't be sad," I tried to comfort her, "I will be back sooner than you think..." She gave me a small uncertain nod.

"Or maybe when Ms. Thompson decides to give you leave, you can come and visit... I'll send Daddy's Jet to come and get you... Daddy wouldn't mind," I said, wiping the tears off her face.

Mr. Thompson was the owner of the little coffee shop we both worked at.

Oh how much I love the old woman. She was such a proud little thing, with a soft voice, grey hair and small dark eyes, a real mother figure, and a warm personality, and she wasn't a difficult woman to work for.

Ms. Thompson and her husband couldn't have any children. She poured all her love into the little coffee shop and her customers.

She could bake the most delicious treats and cookies in the small little coffee shop kitchen.

Mmmm... I am going to miss working there...

The coffee shop is always busy. We have our regulars who visit us daily... and over the holiday season, the poor little shop booms with holidaymakers.

Now, Ms. Thompson isn't someone who would debate, but when Jane went and asked her if it was possible to take leave, Ms. Thomson refused. She did explain her reasons why... It was just that Jane's timing was bad.

Mr. Thompson was ill and she only had junior waiters and Jane to help run the shop, this while it was peak season.

Even though Jane could understand her reason, it left her devastated.

"Come on, let's get something to drink before I leave," I suggested. I still had time left before my departure, so both of us went down to our local pub to spend some time together before I needed to fly home...

As we entered our local pub and grill, Jimmy's, the most intoxicating scent hit my nose and my knees bucked under my weight...

Never in my life had I ever smelled such a potent scent and had such a pull toward something I couldn't see or touch.

My mouth suddenly watered and I started to search for the owner of the divine smell.

I felt compelled to find it, calling me with a silent voice and pulling me in with an invisible force...

It took me a moment to figure out what the smell reminded me of... then it hit me like a tidal wave from the sea... the scent reminded me of home... the smell of the ocean breeze with a tint of pinewood...

While the smell drove my insides to mush, the uneasy feeling pushed up in me again and every hair on my body was raised...

I was still deciding if it was a good or bad feeling when a couple of guys from our class came to join us at our table...

Rich kids...

I internally growled and rolled my eyes at them...

They were so full of themselves...

I took the opportunity to take a whiff of every one of their scents, hoping to find the one who was the owner of the mouth-watering scent...

When I couldn't find it between them, I sat back... pouting... half-heartily listening to Jane's flirting with the boys...

I didn't mind, at least Jane wouldn't be lonely... or bored... while I was gone.

I rolled my eyes at her silly and annoying habit... at least she never brought any guys back to the penthouse...

When one of the boys tried to involve me in whatever plans they were discussing, I had excused myself, mentioning that I would be out of town for the summer break, but added that Jane would be more than happy... and available...

We left soon after and our trip to the airport was quiet... too quiet...

When I got out of the car and handed Jane my car keys, she pulled me into a hug. Holding onto me for dear life...

"I am coming back..." I reassured her with a small teasing smile, and pulled her away from me, "in a few days you know..."

"I know," she said, tearing up, and I turned on my heels to catch the jet, my father sent...

****

Elena's POV

I was on the plane, already in the air, when the redhead hostess came and brought me a drink.

It wasn't a common thing for me to have a drink, but my nerves didn't want to settle down, and one would make me drunk.

I took a peek out the small window to see if I could recognize anything.

Only a small light on the wing of the plane was flashing now and then, otherwise, only darkness surrounded the plane.

Panic rises in me again, waiting for something to happen...

When I got myself to calm down, I took another sip of my drink...

My mind drifted back to Jane, and I closed my eyes, thinking of her.

Jane was a very private person when it came down to her family, worse than me. She knew of my father's riches. Well, everyone knows. The only difference was, she didn't care. When I asked her if she would like to come and stay with me, she was a bit hesitant at first...

When she finally gave in, she explained to me that she had certain urges that she didn't want to get between us...

The way she spoke, was as if she had knowledge of a deep darkness lingering around her or she knew off.

I never took anything to heart. She was my friend and I accepted her as she was.

One thing that worried me was that she would disappear in the middle of the night...

I sighed and sat upright and took another sip of the drink and finished it off...

I guess I should rather take a nap to make the flight shorter...

I found myself close to rocks near an unknown shore, the sun setting in my favorite colors of pink and orange, it warmed my heart the sight of it.

I could feel the sea breeze pulling softly at a lock of my raven hair...

I was dressed in a navy-blue luminous nightgown, one that my mother would have been proud of me wearing.

I wonder to which formal function I was invited this time?

I sighed; I was never one that enjoyed formal events. I loathed the attention my family and I received at those events.

I looked over the shore to see if I recognized the region, even though it felt familiar, I could only make out the channel, the rest I did not recognize.

I turned around when I felt a familiar presence behind me, but to my amazement, I was greeted only by darkness.

The heavens had made a place for the moon and its bright stars, as peacefully it looked, the presence of the unknown company had started to make me feel overwhelmed with its frustration, anger, annoyance, and depressed feelings towards me.

A cold chill ran down my back, and I shivered, my feet froze at my spot...

"W-w-who a-a-are you?" I stuttered in a whisper.

The sudden drop in temperature forced me to fold my arms around myself and keep myself warm.

The wind had picked up and the waves had grown bigger.

Thick grey clouds had replaced the once-starred space in seconds.

"I-I-I know you are here, I-I-I can feel you," I gasped out, "S-s-show yourself," I tried to sound strong.

My wish was granted a moment after.

In front of my eyes, a ship had come through the channel, struggling to sail through the storm.

I felt sorry for the sailors on the ship. These waters looked dangerous with all the rocks that surrounded the entrance.

A wave washed over the ship, then another and another, rocking the ship terrifyingly. Lightning lit up the heavens, thunder roared thereafter.

With the next strike of lightning, the shadow of the most hideous creature could be seen. An unwanted scream had escaped my lips...

Shock and horror were painted on my face...

The monster had gotten hold of the ship and it had the sailors in its tentacles.

The howling of the beast could be heard over the wind. And I watched as sailors were being crushed and their bodies being pounded back into the sea.

The creature's tentacles pounded hard onto the ship, breaking the ship into two.

I turned my face away, closing my eyes in fear... hoping that what I was seeing wasn't true... The death screams of the sailors echoed in my ears...

What the f*ck is happening?

How the hell did I end up here?

Who is this hideous creature destroying a ship... and why?

"Have a good look at what you have become" a woman's soft voice whispered next to me... she sounded proud for forcing me to watch the horrific event.

"No!" I screamed back into the wind as waves of panic washed over my body. "This is not me!" I yelled... I had my face in my hands, warm tears running down my panicked face.

"But it is my dear Elena. It always has been. Have a look, my dear child..." I forced my eyes open to watch the gruesome attack, my heart pounding uncontrollably against my chest.

On the other side of the channel, in the place of the hideous monster, stood a beautiful woman, looking back at me...

Her facial features could not be ignored as she looked just like me...

She had a wicked smile on her face, as the broken ship sank to the depths of the dark channel, she was pleased with herself. The evil that she had in her, could be felt and seen.

Just as soon as it all began, the wind stopped, the clouds mysteriously vanished and the thunder and lightning were no more.

Everything was once again a calm and starry night.

The full moon shined magnificently over the calm waters.

I turned to the voice, pleading to her that it was not true, but my plea was all in vain.

"You are the monster that haunts these waters!" her laugh echoed in my ears.

I turned back to where the woman once stood but she was gone.

I attempted to move my feet, my body still fiercely shaking from the evil I witnessed.

An icy hand pulled on my shoulder and fear pushed through my body.

I struggled to get away... adrenaline pumping in my veins as I attempted to run... but she was holding me at my spot, with an invisible force.

My face was forcefully grabbed and she placed her hand and thumb under my chin, her hands as cold as death...

I struggled to free myself from her hold, but she was much stronger than me.

"Look at me!" she roared impatiently, making my body tremble under her breath.

"You will let me out!" she hissed.

I opened my eyes with fear.

"My apologies, Miss Murphy, I didn't mean to startle you, "the hostess said, "the plane will be landing soon. "Would you please be so kind as to fasten your seatbelt?"

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as I gave her a quick nod of my head, my heart was still uncontrollably beating inside my chest.

Was I dreaming?

It all felt so real. My hands reached my cheeks and they were damp. I was certainly crying.

I sat up straight in my seat, locking the seatbelt in as fast as I could.

My head was heavy and it felt as if my brain was hammering against my skull.

I was too scared to close my eyes now, dreading that I would see the monster again. I gripped the seat's armrest as we descended to the ground.

When the plane hit the airfield with a heavy "umpf" and started to slow, I let out a heavy breath I didn't know I was holding.

I started to unclench my stiff fingers from the armrest, knowing that I was finally home.

***