Steadfast mer king Kadir has endured ridicule, banishment, and undersea prison for his belief that modern human women will save their dwindling race. Freed to found a city of mermen shifters who share his beliefs, he sets out to the surface to woo his bride. And sweet, sensual Elyssa is his. Elyssa can't even match her socks. How can she rule an undersea kingdom? But when King Kadir holds her in his bulging, silver-tattooed arms and claims her as his soul mate, deep down the shy introvert holds big dreams. Maybe his magical elixir will transform her into more than just a mousy, water-breathing version of herself. Maybe it will make her into an exceptional woman worthy to be a queen. All is not well in the fragile new city, and it will take every ounce of Elyssa's bright courage and Kadir's unshakable faith to prove humans and mer shifters can live in harmony. Someone will stop at nothing to end this experiment. And they have deadly allies . . . Contains mature themes.