Page 23 of Bind Me

Do I just assume it’s all going to be happy-go-lucky, then wait for whatever curse overtook my mom to claim me next? How long before I give my fated mate the kiss of death? The fear is relentless, gnawing at my insides. My mom once told me about the allure of a mermaid’s death kiss, about the intoxicating feeling of taking a life. She said it’s addictive, empowering, and so easy that you wouldn’t realize you were hooked until it was too late.

I’ve mulled over her words for years, every sentence she said, every horrific memory from the night by the river, pondering if there’s something sinister in our blood.

Truth be told, I’ve already used my powers three times for work, taking lives in dire situations where it was life or death… It’s frighteningly instinctual, and I’m beginning to worry about how much I enjoy it.

The thought’s been constantly on my mind, the concern consuming me, yet when it happens, I’m filled with a strange elation, as if it’s a natural thing to do. As though another part of me is coming alive… and I keep thinking that’s my siren side calling to me already.

Kaden’s gaze is on me, and it’s as though he’s staring right through me.

“Well,” I begin, trying to tamp down the intensity billowing inside me and focus on the current situation. “If you do happen to hear anything about him, I’d like to know.”

“Of course,” he states, standing tall. “And if I find him, should I dispose of him, or do you need him alive?”

A gasp slips past my lips. “Don’t kill him. I need him breathing. In fact, don’t find him at all. Forget I even mentioned it.”

He nods as if he’s taking a mental note, standing there like a warrior on the battlefield, broad, huge, and for some reason, the universe saw fit to make him my fated mate.

My thoughts are out of control, and I don’t know what to think except to get the hell out of here.

“I need your name, by the way, sweetheart.”

I blink at him. “Sasha,” I mutter, already edging toward the broken gate, taking backward steps. “Okay, well, this was interesting, but I need to go.”

He watches me intently, a half smile playing on his lips, but he doesn’t follow. I’m barely holding back from bolting out of here. My breaths come fast, and I’m freaking out on the inside, but I need distance so I can breathe again and make sense of what I’m feeling.

As I turn to leave, he calls out, “Sasha.”

The sound of my name in his voice is commanding and tempting, a tingle of arousal spiraling through me. Why does he have to sound so incredible?

“I’ll find this Belu and drag him to your doorstep. And if I discover he’s hurt you…” His voice trails off, and there’s a sudden intensity in his voice that sends shivers down my spine.

The threat left hanging in the air has me second-guessing his intentions. He might very well be one of those psychos I’m trying to avoid.

My head is spinning, and I can barely make sense of it all.

Without another word, I rush off his property and head down the path in the woods, my pulse on fire. Traveling downhill, I start to feel the tight pinch around my ankle from that stupid rope trap, but I’m not stopping until I’m far from this property.

I’m in the car in no time, driving away. My cheeks and insides are burning up, oddly calling for him, which is insane. All the while, my stomach dances with butterflies at the thought of such a man implying I’m his…

This is insane.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, trying to focus on the road ahead, but my thoughts are back at that mansion, back with him. The idea of him hunting down Belu, possibly putting himself in danger for me, is both terrifying and appealing. I’ve never had anyone fight for me. Though, I also know I’ll need to return there to track down Belu, to show my boss I can complete this job.

The road stretches out before me, winding the lush Norwegian landscape, and I try to steel my resolve. My time in the country is a brief stop until I return home to South Africa, yet since arriving, I’ve felt like things have been getting more complicated for me.

From getting the Siren Goddess’s attention to Chowder chomping off two fingers of one of her guards, and now a beautiful, dangerous stranger, who looks like he could take down a small army, is my fated mate.

Hey, Universe, give me a freaking break!

As the landscape blurs past, a sudden thought strikes me… wait! Kaden said he’d come tell me if he finds Belu, but does he know where I work?

I swallow the thickness in my throat.

Or where I live?

Chapter 7

Kaden

---