Page 3 of Halloween With the Siren
Tilly’s gasp is even louder this time. “Please don’t tell me you buy those awful sedation drugs?” Concern colors her voice and her eyes plead with me to prove her assumption wrong.
“I don’t?” Even to my own ears, I can hear how unconvincing it sounds.
“Marisol,” Tilly scolds with so much care it makes my heart ache. “Those drugs are awful for your body. And who takes care of you? Who checks your food and water intake? Your pain management?”
Maisie’s gaze bounces between us, a horrified expression taking over her face. “Wait a minute. There’s pain involved?”
Wincing, I explain in a small voice, “That’s why I need the sedation.”
“Nope. Nopedy nope nope.” Maisie takes out her notebook and taps her pen. “This is unacceptable. How can we help you? Can we set up a schedule to bring you food and water? I can talk to Beck to take me over to your island at least once a day. Or Viggo! They can take turns to ferry me. I’ll clear my baking schedule and…”
My chest tightens and the back of my eyes prickle at Maisie’s willingness to drop everything to help me. But it’s not as simple as that. Thankfully, Tilly takes over and saves me from having to explain it all.
“A heat can be a wonderful experience if you have the right support system. And absolutely awful if you’re alone. Basically,if you’re not climaxing or slid onto a knot, you’re in pain. And unless we have consented to be sexually involved with Marisol, she wouldn’t want to see us.”
Like a popped balloon, Maisie deflates and sags into her chair. “Oh.”
My ears heat with embarrassment and I stare down at my toes, wishing they were currently fins so I can swim away from this uncomfortable conversation.
“Marisol,” Tilly calls gently. She waits for me to meet her empathetic gaze before she asks, “Have you ever considered using an agency to help you find someone to assist you through your heat? There’s a very reputable one with a branch in Cape Easton that I’ve referred patients to. All creatures are thoroughly vetted before joining, and everyone has to fill out questionnaires so the agency can match your sexual preferences to check for compatibility before even scheduling a face-to-face meeting.”
A minuscule spark of hope, and perhaps a little excitement, flares in my chest. “Yeah?” Would it actually be possible for me to not go through this alone for the first time in my life?
Tilly nods, her medical professional voice laced with a true friend’s care and concern. “It’s all above board, consent-heavy, and a very safe environment. They’ve got different kinds of nests you can pick from and they’ll invite you to have supervised meetings with prospective partners way before your heat starts so your hormones don’t cloud your judgment. You can either go there to ride out your heat, or you can ask for partners to be sent to your home.”
Maisie snaps her fingers and points to Tilly. “Yes! You should do that. How does she sign up? This sounds much better than being alone and in pain and drugged out of her mind. And she can have partners with interesting cocks who can keep her more satisfied than whatever toys she has. I bet your hands get so tired when you’ve got to do all the work yourself for the entire week.”
Curiosity wins and my lips lift into a small smile. “I guess there’s no harm in checking the place out.” I can only hope there’s someone depraved enough to meet my insatiable appetite when I’m in the throes of my heat and begging to be knotted for the umpteenth time. But I don’t dare give voice to that thought.
Tilly’s nod of approval and Maisie’s suppressed squeal of excitement soothe whatever nerves want to take hold of me. Before I can second-guess myself, Tilly stuffs the last bite of her pumpkin cake into her mouth as she gets up.
“Let’s head down to The Bandaged Heart so you can answer the questionnaires while I call the agency to schedule a visit for you,” she says around a mouthful.
My eyes widen and my heart rate picks up. “Oh, you mean like right now?”
“Heats can be unpredictable and can sometimes show up earlier than expected, as you probably know better than me. The sooner we can get the ball rolling, the better we can prepare for it.”
I glance over at Maisie and the way she’s biting down on her lips. Knowing my friend, she’s probably chomping at the bit to come with us to have a look at the questionnaire, adorable little kinky fucker that she is. I smile at her and incline my head toward the door in invitation.
Maisie shoots up out of her chair and gathers all her things. “Do you think we can see photos of your prospective heat partner? How fun will that be? We can make piles of yeses, noes, and maybes.”
Pausing at the door, Tilly glances over her shoulder at us with a playful twinkle in her eyes. “I’d venture to say heat ‘partners.’ As in plural. Marisol will probably need two or three to keep up with her.”
I don’t even try to deny it.
Chapter 2
Killian
“Are you ready, boys?” I ask my packmates as I sit down next to Silas on the plush gray couch in Nesting Grounds’ coffee shop.
Outside the one-way glass, the heat agency resembles any normal office building, but with the brawny minotaurs screening guests in the foyer, it’s clear that this place takes its clients’ privacy and security very seriously.
Though once you pass through the gates, the first floor transforms into an almost spa-like atmosphere with its soothing earthy tones and ambient lighting, plus a couple of scent neutralizers working overtime.
With so many creatures in one place pumping out pheromones to compete for a prospective partner’s attention, it makes sense to create the most serene environment possible.
On Silas’s other side, Bash gives me a mock salute as he reaches for his iced pumpkin spice latte. “Sure am, boss. I’m groomed to perfection today. Manscaped the fuck out of my—”
