Page 72 of Siren in the Rain

“What if I can’t ever get hard or I’m never ready for sex? Can we even be fated mates if I can’t function sexually, no matter how much I might wish to? Would that even be fair to either of us?”

Great way to blurt out one of your biggest fears, Shae. Real fucking smooth.

Griffin stills but his expression never wavers. “Then we focus on other ways to be intimate and loving partners. Sex isn’t the only way to achieve that.”

“But—”

He presses his index finger over my lips. “I’ve told you before, you’re it for me, Shae. You’re my fated mate. So long as I can be with you, I’ll be happy. And we’ll find ways for you to be happy and fulfilled too, even if sex isn’t an option. I promise.”

What did I do to deserve such an amazing person?

“Do you think this Spirit-Healer Coral mentioned might be able to help me?” I mumble as I press my face into his shirt.

He runs his fingers through my hair again. “I’m not sure. It’s up to you if you want to visit them or not.”

Determination fills me. “I think I want to. I’m willing to try anything that might be able to help me live my life to the fullest and the way I want to.”

I know Griffin said there was no rush and that these things take time, but how much time do he and I realistically have?

All I know is that until I figure out some things with me, I can’t properly answer Griffin when it comes to our mate bond.

Later, when we reconvene with Coral and Anemone, I decide to approach this matter head-on with them.

“I’m glad you’ve chosen to talk about this with us,” Coral says as she sips from a glass of iced tea. “You’re wise to hold off on making a decision about the mate bond until you have seen the Spirit-Healer.”

I clutch Griffin’s hand tightly from where he sits beside me on a love seat. “And you really think she can help me?”

“I do. In fact, being here on the island is therapeutic in many ways. Your magic is reconnecting with the power that resides here, and that is an important first step. I would also recommend undergoing the rituals of purification and healing for those among our kind.”

I stare at her. “You have rituals for these things?”

She inclines her head gracefully. “We do.”

Anemone speaks up. “It is a two-day ritual. First, there is the purification rite. You climb a sacred hill to the island’s holy hot spring, where you immerse yourself in its cleansing waters.”

“Oh, my God, like a Japanese onsen?” I’m not an anime nerd for nothing.

Also, sign me the fuck up. I’ve always wanted to try bathing in a hot spring.

Anemone grins. “Exactly. Then you spend the night at the temple by the hot spring.”

“Would he need to stay there alone?” Griffin asks, a note of worry in his voice.

My grandmother smiles. “I’m afraid so. In fact, Shae would have to spend the full two days of the ritual alone, save for his time with the Spirit-Healer. But there’s nothing to fear, young Wolfkin. He’ll be perfectly safe. The island protects its own.”

“Why do people stay at the temple alone overnight?” I ask.

“Like the hot spring, the temple is also a focused site of magical energy. While the hot spring purifies your body prior to meeting the Spirit-Healer, a night spent in the temple purifies your mind in preparation for that meeting.” Coral regards me with a mysterious look on her face and then adds, “Many who stay there have powerful dreams or visions of their future.”

Whoa. There’s maybe a bit more to all of this than I anticipated, but it doesn’t sound like anything I can’t handle.

“Right. So, what happens after my temple stay?”

“Our Spirit-Healer joins you at the temple in the morning to begin a private ceremony between you and her that will take most of the day.”

My eyes widen. “That long?”

“Healing the spirit and mind takes time. However, time operates differently when we retreat to our inner spiritual plane, and that is where the healer will take you during your meeting with her. By the time you awaken, it may feel as if a much longer time has passed.”

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