Page 53 of Siren in Love
“Your skin smells of roses,” Mike whispered into Corvin’s ear.
“Hmm.I used the shower gel they have here.”
Mike chuckled.“I like it.”
“I like you,” Corvin said, and despite his best intentions of leaving the bed again soon, he dozed off in Mike’s arms.
24
Mike
MikelayawakeafterCorvin had passed out, a soft, well-fucked bundle of warmth in his arms.I can’t possibly not tell this man what I really am.He deserves to know me.And I want him to know me, every part and secret corner of me.
He tugged Corvin closer, but he hardly stirred.The day faded around them, and Mike watched the colors change to gray as night fell.
The resort was quiet.The season wasn’t quite in full swing yet, and only having to share the place with a few other people was nice.When night had fully fallen, the silence woven of the sounds of the distant ocean and cicadas singing was broken by an ugly, ragged moan.
Mike sat up.“What the…”
Corvin stirred, but turned and went back to sleeping peacefully.Mike got out of bed and followed the sound.He opened the door to the balcony that overlooked the resort and offered a beautiful view of the nightly illumination of the botanical gardens and the ocean lapping at the shore beyond it.
The resort was sprawling, but the hotel complex was only three stories, with the honeymoon suite on the top floor.Mike had no trouble spotting the ambling, sluggish shape slouching through the darkness.That right there, walking toward their balcony as if he were a lover coming to serenade Mike, was a zombie.Afuckingzombie.
Mike ground his teeth.He looked around, and sure enough, he spotted Dominic standing behind the zombie like a prince overseeing a procession.FuckingDominic and his delusion of love.After what, three months before I broke up with his sorry ass?
The necromancer looked up at Mike from the path that wound around a nicely landscaped area from the parking lot to the hotel.He had the audacity to smile and wave.
“Let’s see how you like your human when I turn him into one of these,” Dominic said into the silent darkness broken only by the moans of the hungry zombie eager to please his necromancer.
“Fucking bastard.”Mike turned on his heel and walked back inside.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.Corvin still slept, the sound of his breathing in no way mirroring the terror that was coming for them.Zombies were easy enough to control for a necromancer, even if they were blunt instruments, more terror than finesse.Still, they could create a lot of chaos and harm fast.
Mike went through his options.He could stash Corvin with Peter and try to get to Dominic, but Dominic knew what Mike was.Chances were he’d brought some noise canceling headphones or earplugs to prevent Mike’s siren song from overtaking him.On top of that, my song can’t do anything to zombies.All they will listen to is their master’s voice.I need Peter.Maybe I can tell Corvin this is some client run amok, but…
Mike didn’t want to keep lying to Corvin; he just couldn’t do that anymore.Desperate, he walked over to the person he loved more than anything else in the world and shook him awake.
“Honey, wake up.You have to wake up.”
Corvin moaned.He shook off sleep slowly, but eventually, he focused on Mike in the darkness of the honeymoon suite.
“What?”Corvin said, his voice slurred.
Mike took a deep breath.“Corvin, listen to me.I love you.So much I wonder how it’s even possible.”At that, Corvin blinked the sleep from his eyes.Before he could say anything, Mike went on.“I’ve never wanted to hide anything from you, but when we met, when I fell for you, things just always moved so fast, and the time was never right to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”A cold edge of fear laced Corvin’s words, and it made Mike shudder.
“Corvin, hon, I’m a siren.Like in the myths.Peter’s a vampire, which is probably why he’s always seemed off to you.The supernatural is a real thing, and I’ve helped hide the truth from you all this time.”
There it is.I said it.There’s no taking it back now, no unseeing anything.
Mike watched Corvin’s face, its lines looking softer in the darkness.“Wait, what?Peter iswhat?”
“A vampire.”
“No.Just…no.Are you making fun of me?”
“No, Corvin.This is real.I’m not human, but I love you.I could never not love you.”He caught Corvin’s hand in his, brushed his thumb across Corvin’s knuckles and his engagement ring.“Do you understand?”
