Page 20 of Siren in the Rain

Dallas lets out a hearty laugh. “Fear not, Potion Master. MEOW Squad pays its employees handsomely and has a very generous benefits package.”

“Yeah, as long as you can get past the ridiculous name, it’s all good,” Cal snarks.

Ruby, who’s by far the smartest among us other than Harper, gives Emma a calculating grin. “We also have a state-of-the-art laboratory in our compound that would be perfect for potion-making.”

Emma bites her lip, clearly being swayed.

Harper gracefully brandishes his closed parasol-slash-hidden sword. “We also provide free room and board with the position, and all of our bedrooms have an ocean view.”

Emma’s eyes widen, then she thrusts out her arm and shakes his hand. “Sold!”

Shae groans. “Fucking hell.”

Emma gives him pleading eyes. “Oceanfront property with free room and board, Shae!”

He sighs and narrows his eyes at Harper. “I don’t know how you figured out her weakness, but hats off to you.”

Harper gives a mysterious smile and mimes keeping his lips sealed.

I blink in confusion. “What weakness?”

“Em’s a surf nut.”

I reach out and give her a high five. “Right on. Me too!”

Shae rolls his eyes.

Emma crosses her arms and arches her eyebrow at him. “You love the ocean just as much as I do.”

Shae’s expression shutters. “I used to. I haven’t seen it in years.”

“Shae… fuck. I’m sorry,” Emma says, her words faltering.

On instinct, I squeeze my mate’s hand. I can feel the sorrow coming off him in waves, and I whine low in the back of my throat, wanting to ease his suffering.

Mara pipes up again. “Shae, are you willing to let these folks take you into their care for now? They can better protect you than we can here at the shelter.”

I hold my breath. If I could cross my tail, I totally would.

Finally, Shae gives a reluctant nod. “All right.”

Dallas rubs his big hands together. “Good! Let’s get going, gang. We have lots to do and we need to get our new friends settled in Casa MEOW!”

“So not its name, for the record,” Cal tells Shae while ignoring Dallas’s growl of disagreement.

Shae squints down at me. “You’re kind of a bunch of weirdos, huh?”

My tail wags happily. “We’re all misfits of a sort, but we’ve become a close-knit family of our own. I think we all like to consider ourselves special and unique.”

His lips twitch and I see a whisper of a smile before it’s gone in a flash. Nevertheless, just the sight of it gives me hope. I’m going to help Shae heal his heart!

Within ten minutes, we’re all crammed into the SUV and on the freeway heading back home.

My mate curls in on himself in his seat, resting his head on the window, and promptly falls asleep again. I wrap a spare blanket we keep in the back around him to help him stay warm and try to focus on not letting my excitement get the best of me. My leg bounces in time with my tail.

“Congratulations on finding your mate, Griffin,” Harper says softly. His dark eyes are warm as he regards me.

The permanent grin I’ve been wearing since we left the shelter with my mate grows even wider. “Thanks, Harper!”

---