“Owin,” he said flatly. “So nice to see you. Have you met my bride, Aria?”

At least he had listened to my name when I gave it to his sister.

“I haven’t had the pleasure.” When the kelpie spoke, goosebumps broke out on my arms.

Even his voice was attractive.

Owin’s gaze flicked down to the raised bumps, and his lips curved in a smile that almost looked predatory. It was beautiful—he was beautiful—and the urge to go to him grew stronger.

A zap of electricity raced down my spine, dissipating the kelpie’s hold on me. Its effect was far stronger than the golden creature’s magic, making my heart beat faster and my thighs clench together.

Wow, that was strong.

“Was that your magic I felt washing over my female’s skin, Owin?” Triton’s voice was dangerously low.

“Surely there’s not a kelpie in the sea who would risk touching his queen with his magic,” Rayna drawled. “Especially when the royal bond is clearly incomplete.”

“Of course not,” Owin agreed with a smile.

The dude was really starting to give me the creeps.

“Give the selkies our regards from the throne,” Triton said, turning both of us around once again before striding toward the castle, carrying me off the ground so we could move faster.

He didn’t stop when Rayna caught us.

Or when she abandoned us just inside the castle’s doors.

I tried to take everything in as Triton picked up the pace, covering ground quickly.

The inside of the castle looked surprisingly human. The furniture was in the same style as the building’s exterior, and everything was in the same shades of white, cream, and gold. The rugs were made of those colors swirled with darker, moodier blues, greens, and crimsons.

We passed living rooms with couches, and hallways with abstract ocean paintings and console tables.

It actually looked the way I’d assume the interior of a human castle would.

Minus the people we passed. They were all taller, stronger, and more beautiful than any human I’d ever seen. Even the kids and babies I saw with them were bigger and prettier than humans.

Everyone wore outfits similar to Rayna’s. Even the men had on tight skirts of silky fabric with extra strips hanging off seemingly at random.

Most of the alts either gaped, stared, or nodded respectfully toward us. I couldn’t see if Triton was responding, as he continued maneuvering me through maze-like halls and down two sets of stairs.

When we finally reached a large door, he opened it with one hand, propping it so I could go through first.

“I assume this is your room,” I said.

“Our room.”

“You say that like we’re going to be sleeping together.”