Page 51 of Siren in the Rain

Griffin’s expression turns radiant. “I love to hear you laugh. Your smile is beautiful.”

My breath catches.

He’s right. I’m smiling. I knew about the laughter, but…

I cross my arms over my chest. “Well, I’m having a good time. Uh… thank you.”

His tail starts wagging superfast. “You’re welcome.”

Eventually, Wolf Boy leads me inside the Playland Arcade and my eyes go wide.

“These kinds of things still exist?” I ask in wonder.

“Yep. What should we play first?”

This time, I’m the one to grab his hand and drag him through the arcade from one machine to the next.

After a solid two hours of heated competition, I’m starting to feel a little beat, so we collect our tickets and go to trade them in for prizes. Griffin shyly gives me all of his and says, “You can have mine.”

When I try to object, he firmly refuses. “I want you to have them. Please, accept them.”

I just can’t say no. Especially when he busts out those puppy-dog eyes Cal warned me about.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?”

He starts whistling, pretending he can’t hear me.

Eventually, I take the tickets and cash them in for a super cute little stuffed sea otter. I don’t care that it’s a children’s toy; after all, I sort of missed out on a lot of that stuff as a kid. Right then and there, I decide I’m going to indulge in what makes me happy, regardless of whether it’s for kids or adults.

After we leave the arcade, we head out to an empty spot on the pier and lean against the rail, looking out at the ocean and the stunning early evening sunset.

“I can’t believe we’ve spent a whole day here,” I murmur in amazement.

“We were having so much fun we didn’t pay attention to the time.” Griffin smirks. “That’s how you know it was a good date.”

I dart a wary glance at him. “Thank you for taking me on this date.” I swallow. “Uh… I’d actually never been on one before today, even a friend one.”

His tail freezes and shock’s written all over his face.

I scowl and look away. “Don’t get all weird on me, Wolf Boy.”

His expression softens. “I suppose you wouldn’t have had any opportunities for that. I’m sorry for being an insensitive jerk.”

I sigh and gaze out over the water, feeling alternating waves of sadness and frustration coursing through me. “It’s okay. I missed out on a lot of things. Too many, really.”

“You did,” he agrees somberly. “But I promise you, I’ll help you make up for it.” He perks up. “We’re gonna do all kinds of stuff that you always wanted to but never had a chance to try.” Bouncing around on his toes, he adds, “Why don’t we work on making a list of all of the things you want to do, and we can start checking them off together?”

I’m torn. What he’s suggesting sounds amazing, and a huge part of me wants to jump on it right away. Spending time with Griffin is more fun than I ever thought it would be. But I also don’t want to take advantage of him. He’s too kind and generous for his own good.

I straighten and give him my full attention. “Griffin, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t know if I feel comfortable taking advantage of your feelings in this way.”

He tilts his head to the side in obvious confusion. “What do you mean?”

Gah! He’s going to make me spell it out, huh?

“I mean, I don’t think I can ever give you what you want. The whole, you know, fated-mates thing. I don’t trust it and I don’t want to be tied to someone in a way I can’t escape. I’ve spent too much of my life trapped by others.”

His ears droop and his amber eyes fill with sorrow. “I understand why you feel this way and why you might think a fated-mate relationship and all that comes with it could be scary. But the bond can be a beautiful and empowering thing too. A fated mate means having someone who will always support you, someone you can rely on completely. When done right, it’s a bond of mutual support and love that is unwavering.” He shakes his head sadly. “Your father was an idiot for rejecting the precious gift your mother offered him. But I want you to remember, Shae, that you’re not him. Make your own choices in life. Don’t let him and his actions make them for you.”

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