Page 53 of Siren in the Rain

I bite my bottom lip and look down at my bare chest and the pair of shorts I pulled on before legging it downstairs a moment ago.

“Yeah, I guess I better clean up a little bit too.” I run a hand through my hair, feeling nervous all of a sudden. “Don’t want to make a bad impression on my mate’s siren family members.”

Harper inclines his head. “I think that would be smart. Just remember, you don’t have to be someone you’re not.” His eyes roam over my nearly nude body. “But covering up a little bit more of your physique would probably be best.”

Dallas, Cal, and Ruby join us, and Cal heads straight for the full coffee pot that Harper’s clearly prepared in advance. As usual, Cal’s dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a black T-shirt, this one with Wake me before noon and I’ll turn you into a toad written across the front. He pours himself a cup of the piping hot black brew and starts drinking it like it’s the lifeblood that keeps him upright.

I shudder and pull out a mug of my own from the upper cabinet, then place it on the counter and make sure to doctor my java with plenty of cream and sugar, the way it’s meant to be drunk.

“Bless you, Harper,” Cal murmurs between gulps and groans of satisfaction.

Harper chuckles. “Of course, darling. I know you’re positively useless until you’ve had your caffeine fix.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Ruby agrees before flopping down in a chair and resting her head on her arms on the table. “Why did we all agree to get up so freaking early and meet down here?”

Dallas clears his throat and sits at the table, cradling his oversized cup of coffee in his enormous hands. “We need to have a little talk about today. Harper’s already done background checks on the people coming, and everything came back on the up-and-up. Shae’s relatives appear to be who they say they are and show no signs of being in league with his father or stepmother.”

“Thank fuck for that,” Cal says with a grunt.

Dallas continues, “They appear to genuinely want to connect with Shae and learn about his mother.”

“So everything should be cool, right?” I ask.

Dallas sips his coffee and then sighs. “Griffin, more than anyone, I need you to be prepared.”

Huh?

“For what?” Shae hasn’t accepted our bond, so I don’t need to tell the sept about that just yet.

Dallas and Harper share a silent but meaningful look that makes me nervous.

I frown. “What do you mean?”

Dallas takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “There’s no easy way to say this, but there’s a distinct possibility that Shae’s grandmother might convince him to return to the Silverstorm sept with her when she talks with him today.”

I freeze and all of the blood drains from my face. My tongue goes numb and I can’t even begin to form words.

Cal sets down his coffee and moves behind me, wrapping his arms around me and resting his chin on the top of my head. “Keep it together, bro. It’s gonna be okay.”

“B-but…but…” I sputter.

Harper’s gentle voice breaks the silence. “Shae’s grandmother has a lot to offer him that we can’t possibly provide on our own. The Silverstorm sept reside on a private island that they own off the coast, and no one other than members of the sept or those who’ve been invited can enter their domain. Their ancient magic repels outsiders who are not welcome.”

“So it essentially functions like a Sanctuary Haven.” Ruby says. “That’s going to be hard to top. It might sound like the perfect safe place to Shae.”

My whole body starts to shake and Cal holds me tighter. “It isn’t certain that Shae’s going to want to go with her. Not right away, at least. Try not to jump to conclusions before you know what’s happening for sure.”

I let out an anxious whine.

Dallas regards me sadly. “I’m not saying this to be cruel, Griff, but this is a possibility, and I didn’t want you to be blindsided.”

I want to howl in anguish at the very idea.

“But he’s my mate,” I whisper.

Dallas flinches and swallows hard. When he speaks again, his voice comes out husky. “I know. But Shae’s not ready or willing to accept that bond yet, so we don’t know what he’ll choose when he reunites with his mother’s family.”

My legs go out from under me and Cal supports me as he brings me to one of the kitchen chairs. I slump into it, dazed, listening as my breathing gets ragged.

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