Page 96 of Siren in the Rain

I interrupt him. “Tut, tut, my sweet bae. I’ve got something fun planned. Just trust me.”

He rolls his eyes but gives me an amused smile. “All right, Wolf Boy. This better be good.”

I rub my hands together in glee. “Oh, it will be.”

When we arrive in the basement entertainment room, the huge movie screen is down and I have my system all set up.

I spread my arms wide. “Welcome to the MEOW Squad Karaoke Extravaganza!”

Shae’s mouth hangs open as he stares at me. “The fuck?”

I beam at him. “This is the perfect way for you to practice your sirensong, babe! And have fun while doing it.”

Shae darts glances at the rest of the team. “Are you sure everyone wants to be guinea pigs for this little experiment? I don’t know what my voice will do to them.”

Ruby gives him two thumbs up. “Don’t worry. We’ve all agreed. You’re part of the team and our little family now. We’ve got your back.”

“Well, fuck. Now I can’t say no,” Shae grumbles, but his accompanying smile reveals his real happiness at her words.

Aiming to keep the fun atmosphere alive and get my mate in the mood—in more ways than one—I volunteer to get things started and do my go-to rendition of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf.”

And when I say I ham it up, boy do I ham it up! There’s crooning, there’s dancing, and there’s sexy looks galore, all directed at my mate. I’m singing and dancing my ass off and working my best assets—namely my fabulous ears and tail. I’m serving sexy surfer Wolfkin realness!

The glorious grin on Shae’s face and the lust-fueled fire burning in his eyes while he watches me is the best reward for my masterful karaoke performance.

Before long, we’re all laughing while everyone goes around and does a personal favorite. Cal picks “Rock the Casbah” by The Clash—because he’s so badass and punk rock—as usual. Ruby and Emma come up with a cute, flirty duet of a Tegan and Sara song, hearts in their eyes the whole time, while Dallas belts out a solid rendition of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

The whole time, Haku bobs and sways to the music from his familiar perch on Shae’s shoulder.

Finally, we pass the mic to Shae, who looks nervous but cues up “I’m a Survivor” by Destiny’s Child. I’m not even remotely exaggerating when I say his performance gives us all chills. His voice is just as beautiful as he is, and I find myself almost mesmerized by it as I sway to the music. Shae’s voice tugs at our heartstrings, and I swear I can feel how much this song means to him and how he relates to it.

He is a survivor and so damn strong.

When he’s done, we’re all silent for a few moments, too stunned to speak.

“That was outstanding, Master Shae!” Haku cries before hopping down on a coffee table and belching out a little stream of fire in his excitement.

Thankfully, it doesn’t touch anything flammable.

I manage to break free of my stupor. “That was amazing.”

My mate is so talented and smart and strong. Witnessing his singing abilities like this, I’m full to bursting with pride and love.

Shae bites his lip at my compliment, looking uncertain. “Did you all receive the emotions I was trying to convey?”

“I felt inspired and empowered. Like I could conquer any challenge. Your sirensong is so freaking cool,” Ruby gushes.

“Well, I don’t know that it’s much of a superpower,” Shae says with a sigh.

I grab him and pull him into my arms. “Your voice is beautiful. I could listen to it all day. And the fact that your songs can heighten people’s emotions is beyond awesome. You can use your sirensong to uplift others.”

“Of course you’d find the positive side,” Shae says, his lips twitching.

“Griff’s right though,” Cal pipes up. “Between the two of you, our team can better help folks we rescue who are in need of emotional support.”

“How about we lighten the mood and do a fun group number?” I suggest.

Shae agrees and selects Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Before long, we’re all laughing and attempting to sing the classic but rather challenging song. Even Haku croons along with us, which is about as awesome as one might imagine. Singing mini-dragon for the win!

---