Page 105 of Bind Me

Then I hear it—my name called out, faint but unmistakable.

I pause, ears straining, heart pounding. There it is again, the familiar voice. I spin around, scanning the wharf, my eyes finally landing on the water. There, swimming frantically toward me, is Chowder. His eyes are wide with terror, and my heart leaps into my throat.

Chowder climbs a set of metal stairs, and I rush over, stepping down to reach him. I scoop him out of the water, his little body trembling, collapsing in my arms.

“Chowder,” I say desperately. “Where’s Sasha?”

He’s shaking. “Evil woman take Sasha on boat,” he squeaks, his words trembling with emotion. “They hurt her, they change her… you have to find her… help her.”

The words slam into me like a train, my blood turning to ice in my veins. I struggle to breathe, my heart a lead weight in my chest.

“Who?” I manage to ask. “Lilia?”

Chowder nods, his little body quaking in my arms.

“Why she hurt Sasha, why?” he whimpers, his eyes darting back to the sea. “I try to protect her, I try… family protect.”

His words are a knife to my heart, each one twisting deeper, and I fight to keep my composure. The sight of him so broken, so afraid, shatters something inside me, and I struggle to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over.

“Which direction did they go?” My question is raw with desperation.

Chowder points toward the horizon, his tiny paw trembling. “That way.”

I glance out past the mountains and into the North Sea. A chill settles over me, colder than the wind whipping off the water, and I know I have to move. I have to find her before it’s too late.

“Why she turn into siren?” Chowder says suddenly, the words a death knell in my ears.

“What did you say?” I ask, dread churning its way up my spine.

“Siren. Woman make Sasha siren.”

The world spins around me, a dizzying blur of fear and disbelief. If this is true… if she’s become a siren… then I’ve already lost her. I fall to my knees, the weight of the realization crushing me. I can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t even begin to process the magnitude of what’s happening.

“Kaden,” Chowder whispers, his voice a soft plea in my ear. “Why don’t you go find her? She told me to call you.”

The words cut through the haze of despair, and I lift my tear-filled eyes to his. I never cry, but right now, half of me is ready to burn the world to the ground, while the other half is about to shatter like glass.

“I’ll find her. I promise,” I murmur. I have to find her. I don’t fucking give up. Not now, not ever. Maybe it’s not too late.

Frantic, I run back to the car with Chowder in my arms. I put him inside, leaving the window cracked for air. But Chowder clings to me, shaking.

“I have to find her,” I say urgently. “You stay here, okay? Don’t leave the car, and don’t let anyone inside. Lock the doors.”

Chowder nods, and it breaks my heart to leave him, but I have no choice. Without a backward glance, I turn and sprint back to the water like a madman.

Past the workers, I dash to the end of the pier, the world a blur around me. I strip off my clothes, tossing my boots aside, and without hesitation, I dive headfirst into the ocean’s cold embrace.

The water hits me like a shock, but I welcome the chill. It sharpens my senses and fuels the fire inside me. I barely feel it, the pure fury consuming me like a living thing. I unleash my kraken, the transformation pouring out of me like an avalanche. I expand and grow, the ocean roiling around me as I dive deeper into its depths.

The waves ripple outward, but I don’t care. Not when I have to track her down. I move through the water with fluid grace, my massive form cutting through the sea like a knife.

Fish and sharks dart out of my path, the darkness of the ocean swallowing me as I race through its depths. I have no time for anything else. I lift my head above the water, scanning the horizon for any sign of the boat.

Up ahead, I spot a large fishing vessel, hope flaring in my chest. I dive under, the water churning around me as I surge forward. The boat rocks violently from the waves I create, but I don’t give a damn.

I rise to the surface, peering over the edge at the sign across its side—Kingfisher. Frustration gnaws at me, the hope I felt slipping away like sand through my fingers. I watch the fishermen run around in panic. It’s not them.

I dip back under, pushing through the water with a fury that makes the ocean churn. Each powerful stroke propels me forward, but the water feels as if it’s tightening around me, suffocating.

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