by Tara Brown
Giselle shrugged. “She’s okay. Since her boyfriend left, she’s been kind of bummed. She thought she was in love, even though they barely knew each other and he was creepy.”
“Where’d he go?” I asked. I couldn’t help myself.
“I don’t know, but I wish I did.” A subtle smirk crossed her lips. “I’d like to see him again.” She gave me a nicer smile. “I better be going. The sun makes me tired now.” She got up from the bed and walked from the room.
“See ya.” I waved as she left.
“That girl is in love,” Lydia whispered, still pretending to be asleep.
“Lydia, you sneaky old woman.” Aleksander chuckled.
“That sweet girl is head over heels for you. And she is the only girl who has been unaffected by your odd pheromone. You know you have zero impact on her with that. When has that happened before? She likes you for you.” Her eyes darted to mine. “I bet you’ll be excited to be rid of having that effect on people.”
“I will.” She was right. I glared at Aleks.
“Okay, jeeze. You’d think I did it on purpose,” he groaned.
“Giselle isn’t affected by it, never was,” Lydia said it again.
“I know.” He frowned. “I noticed it before. I thought it was because she wasn’t clever enough to recognize what was happening.”
Lydia frowned at him. “That’s a cruel thing to say.”
He blushed. “It’s not what I meant. I just thought—”
“Anyway, while he’s eating his feet, I need to tell you something,” I cut him off.
“You don’t have to tell me anything, child. I know. And I will get on that little request of yours as soon as I can.” Lydia raised an eyebrow and glimpsed back at him. “Giselle’s smart enough to recognize love, at least. Tell Annabelle I would like some tea or soup. Something warm. You’re both dismissed.” She rolled over.
He stood up from the chair. “Of course.”
I gave him a scowl and followed him out of the room. “That was a dumb thing to say.”
“It came out wrong.” He glanced back. “You coming to the kitchen?” He offered me a hand.
“Yeah. I need to find Sam and Ben and give them the Hanna Hyde antidote.”
“Want a ride?”
“No, it’s two floors. I can walk.”
“Suit yourself.” He scoffed and flashed away, leaving me with a tight chest and a tingling stomach.
When I got downstairs I heard a voice I’d never heard before with Aleks. I paused, listening.
“What are you doing here?” Aleks asked.
“You look like hell. I’m here seeing Ari. I’m trying to forge a friendship.” The mystery man spoke with attitude and an English accent.
“How’s that going? I know she isn’t fond of you.”
The man laughed bitterly. “Yes, well, I deserve that, I’m afraid. I haven’t been an upstanding father, or any kind of father.”
Aleks chuckled with him. “Is she even here?”
“No, but I did notice a delectable scent in the house and realized Giselle is here. I have always longed for an afternoon with her. The moment I met her, I knew she would be a delicious little snack to savor. I see she isn’t as breakable as before.” The smug man was working Aleks. He must have sensed his feelings for her.
I glanced around the corner to see Aleks had a dark-haired man, who was laughing, up against a wall by the throat. “You touch her and I will end you.”
“What are you morons doing?” Ari walked into the kitchen and I decided to make myself scarce. I could find Ben and Sam another time. I snuck through the front door and headed for my car.
Chapter 24
What cure?
I inspected my red dress and tried to smile. It was my first Christmas away from family and friends. At least I had Roland.
I walked from the room and down the long hallway to the staircase where I met him. “Merry Christmas, Roland.”
“You look lovely, my dear.”
“Thanks. You look pretty good yourself.” I took his arm and let him lead me to the huge dining room table where a sizeable feast was set for us. “This looks incredible. You made it all?”
“Yes, of course.” He laughed. “Now have a seat.” He pulled the chair out for me just as a knock came at the door. I gave Roland a puzzled look, but he grinned like the Cheshire cat.
“Who is that?”
He left the room quickly and didn’t answer.
I could hear voices, although not well enough to pinpoint the owner, but was pleasantly surprised when Andy walked around the corner.
He was handsome in dark-brown cords and a navy polo.
“Andy, what a nice surprise.” It was.
“Hanna, you look stunning.” He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I savored the scent of him. It was a natural scent like clean sheets and ocean air and the smell of rain. He pulled back and kissed my cheek softly. “Merry Christmas.”
Through the dizziness of touching him and savoring the scent of a man, I forced myself to remember to cure him.
“Yes, Merry Christmas.” I stepped back and walked from the table. “I forgot something upstairs. I’ll be right back.” I climbed the stairs quickly to get the vial.
I picked one out of the purple sack and held it tightly in my hand. I also grabbed the Christmas gift Roland had got for him as a thank you for everything he’d done and walked down the stairs.
I stopped in the kitchen first. “I need his glass of wine.”
Roland arched a brow. “Why?”
I held up the vial. “I need to free him.”
“Oh yes.” He passed the glass and watched as I drained the vial into it. He took it back and poured red wine over the liquid.”
He handed me a glass as well. I smiled and carried both in with the gift under my arm.
“So what are your plans over the holiday?” I passed Andy the wine, still smiling even though a small part of me was panicking. What if he tasted the tincture or hated the wine?
“Well, I was thinking I might see if you wanted to go to the outdoor rink and skate. Then I have dinner at my mom’s.” He took the wine from me. “Thanks.”
I watched as his lips pressed against the glass. He swallowed. “Bit tart for me.”
“Drink up and I’ll get you a glass of white.”
He laughed. “You trying to get me drunk?”
“What? No way.” I knew my eyes were dazzling him, my charms were at their peak. Any second he would realize there was nothing special about me.
His glass emptied and he cringed, making me laugh. “Red wine is not really my thing.” He took a step toward me, eyeing the gift. “Is that for me?”
“Yeah.” I passed it to him. He stared at me as if nothing had changed. His eyes remained wide and intrigued.
He liked me for me, like Giselle and Aleksander.
“Can I open it now or will you come with me to my mom’s?”
“Mom?” I nearly spit my wine across the room. “Oh uhm, I don’t know.”
He laughed. “I’ll just open it now. I left yours at my place, so you’ll have to come and get it.”
My face flushed. “You want me to come to your house?”
“Of course.”
“No, don’t open it. I will come to your house. We can open them together.”
“Well, be warned. It’s an apartment, not a house. It’s definitely not this place. We don’t have a Roland at my house.”
“No one has a Roland.” I laughed, sipping my wine.
Roland walked into the dining room with a fresh glass of white wine. “I am taking that as a compliment, my dear.”
“You should.” I giggled nervously, giving him a look. “It was meant as one. Andy wants me to go to his house over Christmas.” I gave him my best panicked look. “What day am I free?”
Roland thought for a moment. “Boxing Day. Unless you want to hit the shops?”
“No, I’m cool. No shops for me.”
; Andy looked at my glass of wine. “You drink? You’re how old?”
“Well, I am nineteen, but my mom was European so I’ve always drank wine with dinner. My aunt and uncle were good with it.”
Roland nearly choked with laughter.
Andy raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s twenty-one for legal age.”
Roland smiled. “I believe there is something about your parent or guardian allowing it in the home though, is there not?”
Andy grinned back. “Maybe something like that.”
We laughed and ate and everything was normal. For one whole night it was normal.
At the end of the evening, Andy kissed me goodnight when I walked him to the door. He ran his hand up my back, pressed my chest into his, and kissed like a gentleman, not a Marcus.
He did everything a guy really into a girl would do.
But not in a pervy way.
He liked me for me.
When he was gone I exhaled deeply, filling my wine glass up again. “He likes me.”
“He called you a minor.” Roland chuckled.
“I am a minor, eternally.”
Roland frowned. “No, you’re not. You were eight when your dad gave you up, but you weren’t eight in human years, more like eleven in real age.”
“What?” I gasped. “I’m twenty-one? How is that possible?”
“No,” Roland retracted. “No, in real years you’re more like twenty-eight. You age differently as a child when one of your parents is a siren.”
I grimaced. “Twenty-eight? I still live at home, haven’t got a serious boyfriend and no job, and I haven’t even started college. Twenty-eight!”
He laughed. “I think the bigger problem is what you’re going to do about the police officer’s feelings? I know you like him, a lot. But he’s a human.”
“I do. He’s sweet, kind, gentle, and respectful. He would never lie to me—I just know that. I could trust him with my heart, and he would treat it like it was the most delicate flower.” I flopped onto the couch, nearly spilling my wine. “He does birthdays and holidays and lives a normal amount of time. He probably has a normal family with weird aunts and his mom smothers him with love. He’s the all-American boy next door.”
Roland sat across from me, scowling. “Sit nicely in your dress, Hanna.”
“Sorry.” I sat upright.
“You need to think about this seriously. You mustn’t like this human. He won’t age the same. He won’t live the same. He won’t want the same things as you.” He sighed. “You need that charm bracelet so you will know when you have genuine feelings and not siren nonsense.”
“What if I continue to like him with my bracelet? I’m still Hanna Hyde. Then what? Can I have like normal sex, or do I have to be with someone like Marcus who can survive me?”
“STOP!” Roland put his hands over his ears. “By the gods, is there no female friend you could discuss this with? My word.”
“I think of you as a father figure, Roland.”
“Trust me, my dear, no father wants to hear this conversation, not even by accident. This is best discussed with a friend.”
I tried not to appear hurt or say that I didn’t have any friends. Not real ones.
His expression softened. “Hanna, try Aleksander—his life is always some kind of disaster. If anyone can offer some kind of advice on this, it’s him.”
“I will. I’ll see him tomorrow.” I got up from the couch. “Thank you for dinner, Roland. It was spectacular.”
He smiled, sipping his brandy. “It is, as always, my pleasure.”
I went up the stairs to my room and started taking off my earrings.
“You look beautiful.”
I turned, seeing Marcus sitting in my windowsill. He wore a cruel grin. He knew about Andy coming for dinner. “How was dinner?”
“It was delicious.”
“Of course it was. Roland is a master chef. Did he make lamb?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Pheasant.”
“Ahh, yes.” He stepped into the room. With every step toward me, his expression grew more menacing. “I do love his pheasant. Was it the cranberry stuffing?”
“Yes.” I took a step back toward my door. “It was.”
“How did Officer Paulson enjoy his meal?”
“He enjoyed it.” My back pressed against the wall near the closed door.
His next step brought him directly over me. “Of course he did. He had my girl with him.”
I frowned. “I am not your girl. I told you we could contemplate dating, maybe. I said I could date someone like you. Not that we were. And you haven’t even asked me out yet.”
“Did you kiss him?” He clearly ignored the conversation I was having.
I wanted to shake my head, but that would be lying. “I don’t know, maybe a small kiss.”
He bent down into my face. “He isn’t just any friend though, is he?”
“No.” I swallowed hard. “He isn’t.” His being so close to me was hard.
His face dropped down into my neck where he placed a soft kiss. “No, he isn’t. Do you know how I know that?”
“You can smell him on me?”
He pulled back from my neck. His fangs hung slightly over his lower lip. “Yes,” he muttered, lingering there for a moment.
And then he was gone and my heart was racing wildly.
Chapter 25
Maturity is optional
Hurrying past Lydia’s house, I found Aleksander pacing by the lake. “Aleks?” I hoped I wasn’t interrupting but it looked like I was.
He turned, offering me a smile.
I glanced behind me, seeing Sam and Ben hot on my trail. The moment I’d gotten out of the car they had started following me, looking creepy. I told them they had to stay back but they barely listened. “Give me a hand here?” I walked faster.
Aleks laughed. “Oh wow. Uh, Ben, Sam, guys, you want to give us a minute?”
I hurried to his side, grateful he was at least normal. “It happened the minute I got out of the car. Yesterday it happened at the gas station. The attendant tried to kiss me when I was paying.”
“Good God.” He grimaced. “Kind of glad I took the cure, no offense.”
“None taken. I would never want my freewill messed with like that either. I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to have emotions forced on them.”
“I don’t think it’s the emotions you’re messing with.”
I looked up the hill, frowning at Ben as he watched me from where he stood. “It’s awful, isn’t it?”
“From here, it’s sort of amusing. Now that I’m on the other side of it.”
“Sam’s being weird too.” My gaze fixed on Sam at the top of the yard. He pretended to be milling. “I need some help. Some advice, rather. Lydia hasn’t finished the bracelet.”
“Shoot.”
“I have a predicament.” I ran a hand through my strawberry-blonde hair. “It’s worse than that. It’s bad. I could be at risk of falling in love with Marcus, but I don’t know. He makes me feel things I never knew I could. It might be love. But at the same time, I have some feelings for other people. Plus, I don’t even know if my feelings for Marcus are authentic. He says he took the potion you took, but it could be a lie. I don’t know.” I glanced up the hill at Sam again. “I don’t know if any of my feelings are real.”
Aleks chuckled. “Am I one of those other people?”
Humiliated, I nodded.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I have that same impact on every woman that you have on me. I force feelings. It can’t be helped.”
“Does Marcus?”
He hesitated for a moment. “Yeah.” He lowered his gaze, obviously afraid of hurting me. “He has the same effect. It isn’t real, Hanna. It’s compulsion. He can’t really feel love, he has no heart. You force people to feel something, unless they take the cure. If he’s feeling anything for you, it must be the siren’s call. And if you’re feeling anything for him at all, beyond disgust,
he’s making you feel that way. Sirens change when they meet their one. If Marcus hasn't changed you, he’s not the one.”
“Great.” I hated the truth, even though I needed it. I’d let myself believe the lie that his feelings were genuine.
“And what about the human, the cop from your party?” Aleks frowned.
“Andy Paulson. He likes me, just for me. I gave him the vial of stuff and he still likes me. Maybe he’s the one.”
“Hanna, you’re not unlikeable. You’re a sweet girl, but I don’t think this is the right time for you to consider seeing anyone, even if they might be the one. You need to get your whole Hannah Hyde thing in check before you worry about the siren. I think what you need to do is step back from guys altogether. Give the boys the tincture and force it on Marcus. Be smart and sneaky with Marcus though, he’s a tough bastard. I’ve tried killing him tons—it never takes. If I were you, I would use the advantage you have and kill him in his sleep.”
“Aleks!”
“What?” He laughed. “It’s true. I’m trying to work something out with Henry, but unfortunately, he hates me as much as he hates Marcus, minus the protection he has to give him.”
“I don’t even want to know your part in all of that.” I glanced back at Ben and Sam, wincing. “How do I make myself stop wanting to be with them all? How do I turn this off before Lydia has the bracelet finished?”
He laughed. “When you find the answer to that, you let me know. I’d love to turn my heart off too.”
“You’re in love?” I almost said Giselle but then I remembered. “Aimee.”
“I still love her. I don’t want to.”
“Sucky.” I sat on the bench by the water. “Why don’t you just ask Giselle out? She might be the cure you need. Plus, people in our situation can’t pass up a person loving us for us, and not our weirdo mojo.”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I can’t stand the way she babbles on about nothing. She uses the word ‘like’ way too much. She constantly tells me things I know—stupid things that everyone knows. She lacks common sense and she shops too much.”
“Oh my God, you totally like her. No one gets that worked up about how much someone shops unless they like them. Or they have to pay the bill.” I couldn’t help but laugh at him.