Page 77 of Siren in the Rain

Cal: Catamari! Beat that, suckers.

Ruby: Meowshmallows!

Griff: Chicken and Clawffles!

Harper: Furruitcake, perhaps?

Shae: It’s like I can’t stop myself. Clawm chowder.

Dallas: Heh. Nice try, friends, but not even close. Catifornia Roll is the correct answer.

—MEOW Squad Group Text Thread

Griffin

Waiting for Shae to return from his two-day quest for spiritual healing is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Time drags by so slowly that if this were The Lord of the Rings, I’d be some poor schmo of a hobbit stuck back in Hobbiton while Shae’s on his heroic journey to Mordor and leaving me in the dust.

I know most of my ridiculous thoughts are due to the fact that the bond between us still hasn’t been magically tied, so to speak. As a result, my levels of worry about and need for Shae are up in the stratosphere. Needless to say, I can’t stop anxiety from churning in my gut from the moment he disappears up that hill path to the temple.

Shae hasn’t been free from his captivity for very long, and this reconnection with his mother’s family has been sudden and so unexpected. Will he be able to handle all that’s in store for him when he undergoes the ritual with the Spirit-Healer?

Last night, I couldn’t sleep a wink as these types of questions played on a loop in my mind. By the time Grandma Coral and Aunt Anemone join me for breakfast, I’m already on my third cup of coffee with extra cream and sugar.

I might also be a smidge jittery from all the caffeine and sugar.

Grandma Coral takes one look at me jiggling my leg and slurping down my coffee and shakes her head, giving me a wry smile. “Ah, to be young.”

Anemone chuckles. “Don’t worry, Griffin. Shae will be well and back before you know it.”

Grandma Coral comes to my defense though. “I suspect it’s the mate bond that hasn’t been magically sealed that has Griffin so riled up. When it comes to our fated mates, it’s hard to control the intensity of our feelings for them, especially at first.”

“Does it get easier?” I dare to ask.

She cradles her own mug of coffee in her hands and gets a dreamy look on her face. “In some ways. Sealing the bond tends to scale down the urgency and anxiety you feel up until then, yes. On the flip side, your emotional connection with your mate deepens and becomes even more intense,” Grandma Coral adds. “The honeymoon period can be a bit rough.” She winks at me. “And very sexually demanding.”

Aunt Anemone sighs with longing. “I hope I find my mate someday soon. What you and Dad had was so amazing.”

I brighten. “You should come and visit us in Malibu again and stay a while. After all, you never know who you might meet. Plus, we have plenty of guest rooms, so you’d have a free place to stay.”

She tucks a long strand of hair behind her ear and gives me a sweet smile. “Thank you for such a lovely invitation. I might take you up on it.” Then her smile fades and her expression turns serious. “If I can aid you and your team in finding my sister, I’ll go with you when you and Shae plan to return.”

“I’ll contact my captain and see what he says. I’m sure we could use your help.”

Grandma Coral makes us breakfast, but I find myself mostly pushing my food around on my plate. She watches me, a contemplative look on her face. “You care very deeply for my grandson, don’t you? It’s more than just the mate bond.”

I set down the fork I’d been using to turn my scrambled eggs to mush and sigh with longing. “I won’t deny the mate bond is strong. It was love at first sight for me. But even though I haven’t known him that long, I’ve come to see all of the ways he’s beautiful and special—and meant just for me.” I lean my elbows on the table and rest my chin on my hands. “He’s so strong and brave. But he’s also scarred and vulnerable underneath it all. I want to keep him safe after everything that he’s been through. I’d gladly lay down my own life to do so.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, young man,” she murmurs softly. “I’m glad to know Shae was far luckier than his mother when it came to his fated mate.”

My ears droop. “I do worry sometimes that what I’m feeling is mostly one-sided.”

Grandma Coral exhales dreamily as if remembering something. “I felt very much the same when I first saw Shae’s grandfather. It was love at first sight for me but not so much for him.”

I sit up straighter in my seat, instantly intrigued. Anemone appears to be as well.

“Really, Mom? You never told me that about Dad.”

Grandma Coral chuckles. “Your father was quite serious in those days, very career-minded. He was more interested in building his reputation as a political liaison between Otherkind and human societies. When he came to the island for the first time, he was here as part of his work to meet with a number of our community leaders.” She smiles in recollection. “He fought the bond hard at first. I had to work my tush off to chase him and make him mine.” She winks at us both. “But I did in the end and even convinced him to move to the island permanently. He was a key leader in our community for many years.”

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