Page 9 of Song of Her Siren

It took all my willpower not to retch when she released me, leaving in a flurry of robes and smoke. I dared not look at the others and see my shame reflecting in their eyes. Goddess help me, I feared the bitch wouldn’t stop pursuing me. My gaze drifted to my mate sleeping on the sofa. What would Tari do when she found out?

Chapter Two

Ash

Drae and Blaze startledme when they landed on the balcony and strolled in as if Malvolia’s castle was their second home. They didn’t look upset after their visit with the spymaster, which was a good thing. Taking the girls, they flew off with them before I could introduce the children to my anxiously awaiting mother. They were only gone a few minutes, searching for a good landing spot for the dragons. When they returned, Ember clutched a doll to her chest and Aurora held a bag of winged toy mages they had retrieved from their nursery.

I sat on the floor with Ember and Aurora while they played, though it didn’t take long for them to tire of their toys. Aurora looked positively bored, and Ember complained the doll wasn’t as pretty as her last doll. Though the children had begged to retrieve the dragons now, I wanted them to wait for Tari to wake. I wondered how long my mate would sleep. She needed rest, but I didn’t feel comfortable waiting in this bedchamber while Flora scowled at us.

Drae and Blaze helped themselves to a buffet that the servants had brought inside, a feast of meats, cheeses, breads, and fruits that could have easily fed the town of Lupine. Helian paced the floor, his brows drawn in consternation. No doubt he was uncomfortable staying in Malvolia’s castle, especially because the bitch wanted to sink her claws into him. Malvolia had no boundaries, and I feared Tari’s reaction when she discovered her aunt was trying to seduce her mate. Though Tari’s magic was powerful, I worried about her surviving a confrontation with the bitch queen.

“Ash.” My mother knelt beside us, tucking her long, lavender robe beneath her knees. She motioned toward the girls. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

“Sorry, Mother.” I nudged the girls. “Meet Ember and Aurora.”

Aurora threw her toy mage on the floor, smiling at her grandmother. “Hello.” Her blue and silver eyes, framed by dark lashes, matched her grandmother’s, and their wide smiles were nearly identical, except for Aurora’s sharp canines that revealed our wolf-shifter lineage. Her wolf had a while to materialize, though. Since she was only four, she had about another eight to ten years before her body would be able to make the change.

Ember pressed against my leg, shyly batting her lashes. “Hi,” she whispered before sticking her thumb into her mouth.

My mother sat across from us, dragging her satchel beside her. “Do you know who I am?”

Aurora nodded. “Our other yaya.”

When my mother gave me a curious look, I answered. “She means ‘grandmother.’”

My mother pulled the satchel into her lap. “That’s right, your grandmother.”

Aurora sat up on her knees, peering curiously at the satchel. “What do you have, Grandmother?”

Her eyes lit with mirth. “I’ve brought you presents.”

Ember gasped, crawling into my lap.

Aurora scooted toward her grandmother, pressing against her skirts. “May we see?”

“Of course.”

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