Tides of the moon

Chapter One: The Call Beneath the Waves The sea hummed its lullaby beneath the silver kiss of moonlight. Deep below, among coral palaces and forests of swaying kelp, Sparkle swam with grace and fire in her heart. She was not like the other mermaids—curious, bold, and drawn to the surface world. Stories whispered in the ocean’s currents told of creatures who lived under the stars, creatures who howled to the moon and ran through the forests with fire in their veins. One such creature had invaded her dreams lately. A man with eyes like storm clouds and a heart that beat with wildness. She didn’t know his name, but she felt him. Always. That night, Sparkle broke one of the oldest laws of the ocean—she rose beyond the seafoam and lingered close to shore. On the edge of the forest, he stood. Tall, broad-shouldered, with silver-threaded hair and a body that seemed carved by nature itself. His shirt clung to him, soaked from a recent swim. He wasn’t just human—Sparkle could smell the wolf in him, taste the raw energy in the air as it pulsed through her veins. Their eyes met. He didn’t run. Neither did she. “I know you,” he whispered. Sparkle tilted her head, her gills fluttering. “From where?” Jake stepped closer, the water up to his knees. “From my dreams.”