Page 10 of Siren's Kiss & Feral Beasts
“There’s just something about him,” I mutter under my breath, turning away from Naia. She knows me too well. I can’t and won’t acknowledge whatever this pull is. From utter hatred to desire, and I want more.
Of him. Of the raw, animalistic power that exudes from his every pore.
Because there’s no denying how ruggedly handsome Kai Daire is. Both beast and human.
He’s tall, dark, and handsome with the blackest eyes that turn a warm, golden honey when the wolf comes to the forefront. Alpha Daire exudes power. It ripples off his tanned flesh in waves, while the tattoos decorating his back, arms, and neck only add to the allure.
Bones. Claws. A compass.
Each artful piece was chosen with care, executed with precision, and the result is a story etched in flesh. One I want to read. Memorize. Just once.
He’s the perfect male specimen. A werewolf.The enemy, Nerissa. Never forget that.
“War and revenge don’t follow the rules, Naia. Neither do I.” Swimming toward the large window, I stare out onto the Marivelle kingdom below. Most houses are asleep, but a few early risers drift through the coral-lined streets. They’re opening shops, harvesting sea herbs, and preparing for the change in tides.
Then, there’s the switch of patrol on duty.
The brine-steel shoulder guard—a mix of crystalized salt deposits and abyssal brine pools—catches the streams of light, reflecting a myriad of colors, while the luminis kelp sash crosses their chest and weaves through a thick belt of the same material. Each member of the royal army serves two monthly patrol rotations in twelve-hour shifts, between training and other duties.
Their title, ranks, and names are engraved on the right arm guard, while the left holds our kingdom’s crest forged in a bioluminescent ink mixture.
“Are you, Rissa? Having fun, that is?” she asks, gliding up next to me to watch the sun rise higher, reflecting over our water kingdom from the surface. It’s early, and we haven’t slept. I’m exhausted and confused.Exhilarated.“Because from where I’m floating, that wasn’t innocent or?—”
“I enjoyed myself.” My tone comes out harsher than intended, but my need for her to drop it far exceeds her penchant to be nosy. Do I love her and the inherent way she can read me like an open book? Yes. Absolutely. Outside of my immediate family, she’s the person I trust most.
Her loyalty to the crown is unfaltering. Her love for my grandmother is honest and pure.
She’s my person. My chosen sister.
“Or you enjoyed the sweaty, muscle-glistening-under-the-moonlight wolf?” Naia’s shoulder bumps mine, her lips curved in a salacious grin when I turn to look at her. No judgement or reproach. “I’m not blaming you, Nerissa. That man is gorgeous, even if he’s the descendant of a rotten beast.”
“Drop it,” I grit out, not liking her admiration for his body or the insult. Neither sits well with me.
“That wasn’t a no.”No. It wasn’t.“Will his looks prevent you from…” she trails off, but the implications are there.
What needs to be done goes beyond reclaiming the stone and returning it to its rightful place around my grandmother’s neck. And yet, I can’t control how my core clenches at the memory of him playing with his prey. The raw, animalistic strength behind each strike and the flush of want they caused; I felt the heat from my cheeks to my nipples. The tingle of awareness and desire.
I’ve never experienced goosebumps before, but I’m an expert in them now.
Every time he searched the open water for me, I bit back a whimper. Shivered when Kai Daire recognized my scent, focused, and forgot everything but the perfume carried over to him by a soft breeze.
Not Naia’s. Not other wolves.Me.
“I need to see him again.”
“What was that?” Naia asks, her brow arched. We both know she heard; she just wants me to say it out loud. “Come on. Say it.”
“I need to see him again.”
“And why is that?” Again, no reproach. If anything, I detect a hint of worry for me.
“Because this will all end on my terms.” Not a lie. My grandfather’s plan and mine differ. “It’s my fate.”
“Nerissa, I’m just?—”
“Let’s get some sleep before I’m summoned by our king,” I say, cutting her off. “I’m exhausted.”
Not a lie, and yet not the whole truth either. My body wants the rest, but my mind is awake. Too aware.
