Page 62 of Siren's Kiss & Feral Beasts
My hand closed around a wolf dressed in the vampire guard’s signature red, squeezing his neck tight. “Where’s the scientist and his family? The rest of my wolves?”
“Back in Morvane,” he wheezed, trying to fight my hold, but it was useless. My talon punctured skin; his blood dripped down my hand. “Please, I’m just following orders.”
“Whose?”
“Our pack leader. He and the scientist made a deal with the—” I didn’t need to hear any more. The confirmation of their treachery was all I needed, and I crushed his windpipe before tossing the guard’s lifeless body overboard.
A few more followed the same fate.
Inside the hold, though, I found their treasure. Gaudy trash: gilded chairs and statues of gods they don’t even believe in, crystal vases, and painting after painting after painting of different types of flowers. Décor from an era that no longer existed and was worthless to me; I dumped it overboard.
Let the ocean claim them. The only thing I kept were two chests of coins and a handful of scrolls marked with sigils I didn’t recognize.
Gold had purpose. Knowledge had teeth.
The rest? Dead weight, and the two were left floating in open waters with a message for the Lord they serve. ‘I wasn’t done.’
“Where are you?” I ask out loud. It’s beginning to drizzle, and I’m searching the area where we last met in our dreams. You brought me here with a promise, and I intend to collect.
“Alpha! To your right!” Maleth of all people yells out, and my head snaps in the direction he’s pointing.
“Starboard,” I bellow, spinning the wheel with so much force the spokes bite into my palms. My crew doesn’t question or hesitate, Otto already rushing my way to take over while I help my men snap the sails. The deck tilts and a few barrels of rum break, but nothing matters more than reaching their luna.
Every single bit of gold could be reclaimed by these waters, and I still wouldn’t give a fuck.
She’s what matters. My Nerissa.
Reclining on a rock, she looks to be resting with nothing but a cloak covering her body. Her hair spills like ink into the tide, her skin glowing under the sunlight, but it’s her stillness that has me jumping overboard and swimming toward her. I’m close, just a few more strokes, when those violet eyes open and set on me.
I’m set ablaze by her face. Having her this close.
She reaches for me, lips parting, and a song trembles free. Not the kind of melody that kills or glamours, but something sweet. It’s raw yet soft, and it’s unlike any other I’ve heard from her before.
I thought she’d sung for me before, but this resonates deep inside my chest, and a warmth unlike any I’ve ever experienced before covers me. From head to toe, I feel her. Like a caress. Like a fresh breath after being enclosed and lost for so long.
Relief crashes into me so hard, I almost pause, but that in and of itself would be a crime.
Against her. Against me.
“Little treasure.” The pet name leaves me in a reverent whisper when I reach her. “Come to your male.” A full-body shiver runs through her at the nickname—the command from her mate—before she throws her arms around my neck, pulling herself close, not an inch of space between us. A sob catches in her throat, her tears wet on my neck as tiny fingers grip my shirt tight. As if afraid I’ll disappear. “I’ve got you, love.”
“I knew you’d come.” Her voice is low, a little scratchy, and I pull back just enough to get a good look at her face. While she hasn’t lost weight, the heaviness in her heart shows in her violet eyes. “I had to do this, Kai. Please forgive me for the past, and what’s coming.”
“Nothing to forgive.” My growl vibrates through her, and she finds this ticklish. It breaks a bit of the tension, especially when I do it again. When the laughs subside, I’m rewarded by her sagging against me, and I kiss the crown of her head. “You’re mine, Nerissa. That’s the only thing that matters.”
“You know what they’ve made?—”
“Enough. I understood perfectly, and all will be okay.” I crush my mouth to hers, a quick yet harsh kiss. Her taste is mana on my tongue, and I take just enough to hold me over until I get us alone. Moreover, when she kisses me back just as desperately, I know this bond owns us both.
I trust her. Will stand by her.
When I finally tear away, I press my forehead to hers. “Never again, my siren. You vanish on me without telling me what’s going on, or hide anything from me, and I will make the impossible possible.”
“And what’s that?”
“I will burn the seas until you’re back pinned beneath me.”
Her smile turns wobbly when her bottom lip trembles. “I’m dangerous, Kai.”
