Page 114 of Siren in the Rain

Based on Detective Monroe’s line of questioning, it became clear to me that she was building a strong case against my dad and Margaret.

“I’ve already interviewed several of the individuals your team rescued that the doctors signed off on as well enough to talk to us,” she told me. “Their stories were… disturbing, to say the least. Most hadn’t been there long in comparison to your mother, Shae—six months at most.”

I quietly had to wonder how many had come before them and then disappeared without a trace. It was enough to give me nightmares.

Detective Monroe then told us that my parents immediately lawyered up when they were booked and refused to say anything more under advice of counsel, but the evidence against them was already staggering. For once, they won’t be able to buy their way out of a situation. With the number of victims who already agreed to testify, including myself, I was confident that even the human legal system will see justice served at long last.

While we were working with the human authorities to bring down Divine Beauty’s operation completely, my mother spent most of her time in the hospital sleeping. Thankfully, her vital signs remained stable throughout it all, and the doctors were confident in a full physical recovery down the line.

I remembered how it was for me after I escaped from my father’s house. It seemed like I was constantly napping and trying to overcome a deep-seated exhaustion. Fortunately, my mom was getting the care and support she needed.

Eventually, Mom was able to stay awake for several hours at a time and looked better. The gray cast to her skin disappeared and her eyes became brighter than they were. She was also meeting with a psychiatrist who was part of her medical team every day and they put her on some meds to manage her anxiety and panic.

She was not very communicative at first, preferring to just listen as Griffin, Coral, Anemone, and I talked with her and each other. Her eyes followed us everywhere, as if she was afraid we might disappear at any moment. We kept conversations light and easy, giving her the time and space she no doubt needed.

In the end, she spent ten days in the hospital before she was deemed well enough to leave.

After some discussion, everyone agreed she should stay at the compound until she was strong enough to travel to Silverstorm Island.

My aunt and grandmother remained constantly at her side, showering her with love and affection, and I took her swimming with me every day. Griffin joined us a few times but also gave us plenty of alone time to reconnect. In the water, we didn’t need to talk. We were able to communicate with our bodies as we swam and frolicked together, reveling in the freedom we experienced in our natural habitat.

Just as it helped me, the ocean started to heal my mother too. She was still far too thin and had little in the way of an appetite, but every day she got a little stronger.

One day, she asked me to tell her about my past, and we had a painful but necessary conversation about what we’d been through. We decided to do this in the place we’d both always felt safest—the ocean.

As we let the gentle waves carry us out to sea, I explained what I saw as a child, and how I thought she was dead until I reconnected with her family. My account of what happened to me after she disappeared made her silently weep.

When I reached the end, I took hold of her cold hand in the water. “I’m sorry. I know my father is your fated mate, but he’s beyond redemption, and I’ll never be able to forgive him for what he’s done to us.”

My mother shook her head and turned her face toward the sky where the sun cast its warm rays over us. “My love for him began to wither when he rejected our bond and began to change. The last flicker of sentiment I had for him died the moment he tried to kill me. I can never forgive him because worst of all, he kept me away from you, the one shining light in my life.”

“I wish he were a better man.”

“So do I.” She gave me a sad smile. “But he chose this path for himself and his sins have caught up to him.” She cupped my cheek tenderly. “I’m happy for you, you know. You are fated with a good man as your mate.”

I chuckled. “He can be a handful, and he’s so very different from me, but he’s the kindest and most caring man I’ve ever known. I’m truly fortunate to be his mate.”

“He’s lucky to have you as his mate too. And it’s clear that he loves you very much. Anyone can see it written all over his face every time he looks at you. It’s beautiful to witness, and it soothes my heart.”

“Griffin would probably cry if he heard you say that. He’s the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. I don’t know if he deserves a grumpy bastard with a lot of baggage, but I can’t imagine living without him anymore.”

I swallowed as I admitted to her, “You know, I fought the bond a lot at first. After everything you went through, I never wanted to have anything to do with fated mates.” I chuckled. “I was no match for Griffin’s superpowers of cuteness.”

Her eyes sparkled. “It’s those big fluffy ears and that precious tail!”

I grinned back at her. “And those damn puppy-dog eyes!”

We laughed together in complete understanding.

“I’m glad you found one another,” my mom said, getting choked up. “But I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you as a child. I should have left your father before things got so bad, but I foolishly clung to the hope that he would change, that he would finally realize the promise of what we could have together.” Her eyes grew haunted. “His rejection of the bond warped him from the man he used to be. It happened gradually until one day I didn’t recognize him anymore, yet I still hadn’t wanted to believe it.”

I clasped her hand, squeezing it gently. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“It wasn’t yours either,” she said. “I hope you know that.”

I nodded and we laid on our backs, holding hands and taking comfort in our closeness after so many long years apart. We let the water carry us for a long time before we finally swam back to shore.

Although I valued every moment I could get with my mother, it wasn’t long before she announced that she was ready to return home to Silverstorm Island and get the deeper level of healing she needed to continue her recovery.

---