Page 102 of Siren in the Rain

“Okay, team,” Dallas says. “It’s been a long night. We have some concrete evidence now, and I’ll send a brief report to the Otherkind Council containing details of what we have, but we all need to get some sleep before we do anything further. We’ll reconvene in the evening and plan our next steps. With any luck, we might hear back from the Council or know more about the lab’s location by then.”

I want to protest, but I know he’s right.

“Come on, sexy. Let’s go cuddle and get some sleep. I’m zonked,” Griffin says around a huge yawn.

I can’t stop myself from mirroring the action.

“Fine,” I grumble.

“Don’t worry, Shae,” Harper says. “I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on things while everyone’s resting. If any pressing new developments manifest, I’ll wake you all.”

“You don’t need sleep?” I mumble as Griffin wraps an arm around me and starts to lead me away.

“I require very little slumber and going a few days without any will not harm me. Sweet dreams, young siren,” he murmurs softly behind us.

Griffin half carries me up to my—well, basically, our—room. He makes sure to close the blackout curtains, and then we collapse on the bed together, off to dreamland in mere moments.

For the first time in a long time, I dream of my mother. Not the night I thought she died, but rather happier times when just she and I would spend our day by the seashore, swimming in the ocean and having picnic lunches on the beach. In my dreams, she’s smiling, her hair—a lighter shade of blue and silver than mine—blowing in the breeze as she stares out at the water.

When I wake, the sun’s setting. Haku gives me some nuzzles before leaving to find Lucy. I’ll have to ask my aunt what she thinks about their budding romance.

Griffin and I stumble into the shower together where we enjoy some wet and slippery frotting under the hot spray of water before leisurely washing one another. I do want to try penetrative sex with him, but I don’t think I’m in the headspace to do that until we can find my mother and bring down my father and stepmonster. I’m lucky that Griffin fully understands where I’m coming from and is the most easygoing guy I’ve ever known.

He pulls me close and starts a ritual he’s become particularly fond of—washing my hair. His strong fingers knead into my scalp as he massages the shampoo into my roots, and I let go and enjoy the sensation. Griffin was right when he told me he was good with his hands—oh, let me count the ways—and his massage therapist training is regularly put to good use on my body.

I sigh with pleasure as he manages to work all of the tension out of my neck and head. He rinses out the shampoo and methodically works in some conditioner before leaving it to do its work while he scrubs down my body with a minty body wash.

When he kneels down in front of me to clean my lower body, I get a delicious thrill and my cock tries to rise to the occasion for a second time, but I’m too worried about everything so I put a pin in that.

Once we’re clean, we get dressed and hurry downstairs. There, we find Dallas in the kitchen, pulling an enormous tray of bubbling cheesy lasagna out of the oven. My mouth waters and my stomach rumbles at the sight.

He chuckles. “You two, help me set the table.”

Dallas calls everyone to dinner, waking up Ruby and Emma who were still sleeping, and we gather around the table. Haku returns to his usual perch on my shoulder, but I notice he and Lucy making eyes at one another. Harper is conspicuously absent.

“Did Harper go to the Vampiric Council?” I ask Dallas.

“He left an hour ago. With any luck, he’ll be back soon.”

Cal scoffs. “Debatable. Vampires don’t tend to make fast decisions.”

That isn’t reassuring. “Why not?”

He shrugs. “Not sure. Probably has to do with the fact most of them are incredibly old and in no hurry to do anything. They have, for all intents and purposes, all the time in the world.”

“But since we have evidence that vampire blood is being used in Divine Beauty’s shady products, they might be more inclined to act quickly,” Ruby offers.

“I agree,” Anemone adds. “They tend to be a fairly closed society, but they won’t let something like this slide.”

Dallas’s mouth sets in a grim line. “I think it may come down to whether they have any missing vampires.”

“Wouldn’t you guys know if there were?” I ask.

Griffin slurps back a mouthful of gooey lasagna and shakes his head at me. “No, babe. The vamps tend to be super closemouthed about what’s going on in their community. They prefer to handle things internally.”

“If any of them are missing, I guarantee the Vampiric Council has already been investigating it,” Dallas says. “The information we have will probably make them work with us in that case.”

“So once again, we just have to wait and see?” I grumble.

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