Call of the Siren (Obsidian Cove Supernatural Academy Book 1)

by Jarica James

  "Sounds fun," I shrugged, not really caring where we went. I just wanted to forget about this morning and have a second to breathe. Plus, another chance at really getting to see the city was more exciting than anything. The glimpses I got didn't really give me a good representation of how things usually were, just the nightlife.

  "What was it like growing up on this side?" I finally blurted out, looking up to see only Lachlan in the room with me still. They tended to make sure that someone was around me at all times now.

  "Well, I grew up in what you'd probably call 'the country'. It was a lot of forest and farms and rural areas, so my experience was a bit different than Calev, who was raised by his brother," he said, plopping down on the bed with a small bounce. "My parents own a mining company, and our pack occupies a huge chunk of the forest. We were the biggest pack in the Pacific Northwest, so our bears and wolves protected the smaller packs. It was a lot of camping, cook-outs, swimming, and outdoorsy stuff. Mom’s a baker, and she would make cookies by the dozens and send them out with us to share. I love it there," he finished, his expression faraway as he described it.

  "It sounds amazing," I said, sitting next to him. "I grew up not far from here, but my parents were super reclusive, so I didn't have a lot of kids to play with outside of school. There would be the occasional business clients that had children, but it was rare."

  "That sounds terrible," he said, wrinkling his nose. "I can't imagine not having so many people around. We're pack supernaturals at our core. I think that's why Calev and I fit into this group so easily. We all have different pasts, but here we have a team that helps fill that gap."

  "I'm glad you guys were the ones to find me," I started, "If it were anyone else, I fear I'd be a test subject or alone still."

  "Nah, I have a feeling we would have found you anyway. If not now, then down the road at some point," he said, taking my hand and pulling me out of the bed. "Come on, we're hungry."

  "Hold on, you ordered french toast AND gyros?" Evander groaned, sounding completely grossed out. "I drink blood, and even I think that's gross."

  "Food is food! It's not like I'm dipping french toast in my tzatziki," I laughed, reaching for my soda and taking a drink.

  "Says the guy who eats peanut butter dipped oreos," Aeson called out from the other end of the table, earning a glare from Van.

  "Yeah, because they’re delicious, you ass," he called back, looking genuinely offended.

  "Here's your appetizer, can I get you anything else?" our waiter asked as he sat our food down. We all just grunted our answers, already digging into the pita, fava, and chicken skewers. He chuckled at our reaction and walked away, leaving us alone with our terrible manners.

  When I had polished off my portion, I sat back and appreciated the restaurant. They had local memorabilia decorating the walls, along with some other random things, creating an odd sort of collage. Closest to us was an oar with a bite taken out of it and purple paint splattered over it. Weird.

  "That's not paint, babe," Tristan snorted, "it's blood. Water creatures tend to have purple blood when they're in their full form."

  "And they hung it on the wall... of a restaurant... where I'm eating?" I asked, my stomach churning at the idea. What the fuck?!

  "It's been sealed, read the plaque," Aeson pointed out. The little plaque was on the side, and I had to strain to read the tiny letters.

  The actual oar from the first mermaid sighting by a human. The mermaid in question was mid fight with a shark shifter when they were spotted. It was confiscated thanks to famous historian Darius Renato, who took it from the scene where he posed as an investigator. It was sealed and preserved as a piece of American supernatural history. Its original home was in the Council Hall Museum.

  "Still gross," I pointed out, wondering if my blood would be purple as well. "So, do any humans know about us?"

  Calev nodded, lowering his voice to a quiet whisper that wouldn't be overheard by nearby patrons. "There are the occasional people who find out but get laughed off as conspiracy theorists, and then there are certain government officials who know. The only other exception is mates. Certain species tend to find human mates, but they have to register with the council. Generally, they move to one of our territories, but some prefer the human world and have to keep things under wraps."

  "My mom is human," Aeson added, "but my dad's magic was strong enough that good old genetics and luck gave me powers. It's rare that a child is born without powers. Those with powers are generally more diluted, but not all."

  "Here are your meals," the waiter called out as he approached, probably a warning because of all the whispering. We all leaned back and smiled, trying to be the picture of innocence.

  "Thank you," I sang out as he slid my two plates toward me. We all fell back into silence except for the sounds of silverware and chewing. As we finished, we all leaned back and rubbed our bellies, way too full to function just yet.

  "So, we stay here and what?" I asked, frustration welling up again. "Clearly, we aren't going to randomly figure it out since it's not your average skill."

  "I think we should start with Lilah. When she's not bartending, she's in school to be a geneticist," Calev revealed. Everyone around the table turned to him with shocked expressions.

  "He says casually," Tristan deadpans, waving his hand in Calev’s direction. "You don't think that would have been important to know before now?"

  "So we are bringing our girlfriend, a biological mystery who wants to avoid being tested on, to a geneticist in the making?" Lachlan growled, his eyes flashing from their usual color to a golden honey.

  "Rein it in, buddy. I didn't mention it because I wasn't considering it an option. But I'm bringing it up now, aren't I?" Calev shot back, his tone a low hiss edged in stone.

  "You're right, it's not an option," Lach seethed, the table splintering slightly under his grip.

  "Stop," I called sharply, both of them snapping their heads in my direction to take in the look of anger on my face. "It is still my life, and I will decide if we tell her or not. I haven't even met her. For tonight, we go home and plan for the future."

  May 1st

  Evening

  Aeson

  Watching Lennox put the others in their place when their anger got the best of them was sexy as hell. She had such a commanding presence for someone who had seemed so timid when we met her. Her sea green eyes flared with authority as she stared them down, her pouty lips pursed as she waited for them to chill.

  "Let's go," Tristan encouraged, getting up and heading for the cash register. We all followed him, Calev and Lachlan still looking angry, but properly chastised. I wrapped my arm around Lennox and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

  "Did you ever think you'd grow up to tame a bear and a gargoyle?" I asked, keeping my tone light. I wanted to see her smile back, or blush. I liked that too.

  'Stop trying to make her blush,' Tristan's voice filled my head as he lectured me.

  'Just wait, I'll have her blushing with you eventually,' I shot back, sending a mental picture of the fantasy my mind felt the need to tease me with. I heard him groan and cover it with a cough, making my cock twitch appreciatively. He was hardly a pushover, but he loved when I talked dirty, and this was the ultimate version of talking dirty. Or would it be thinking dirty? Either way, he liked what he saw and that was enough for me.

  "So, what was growing up like for you?" she asked with a small smile as I led her to the car. "I want to get to know you guys a bit more."

  "Well, my dad met my mom when he was on vacation in the cove. He was originally from Citrine. He couldn't get her out of his head, so he flirted incessantly to win her over," I said, giving her a cheesy grin. She rolled her eyes and shoved me playfully.

  "Hm, wonder where you got all this charm from," she joked, trying to unsuccessfully hide the smile.

  "I'm a charmer, what can I say?" I teased back before continuing. "Anyway, Mom agreed to move to our side of the world, so he brought her
to Obsidian Cove. You know Citrine wouldn't let them stay." She gave a disgusted look that I knew I was mirroring.

  "So where are they now?" she asked, though she winced as soon as she said it.

  "Dad works at the academy, and Mom owns a bakery. I'll take you by there sometime." Her eyes lit up adorably at the word bakery.

  "I love me some cupcakes," she said excitedly. "I have a feeling I'll like it here."

  "Cupcakes was the way to get you over here? Shoot, we should have called Aeson's mom a long time ago," Lachlan teased, his mood a bit lighter now that he'd calmed down.

  "Just wait until she meets my grandparents, it will be ridiculous," Evander snorted, piquing Lennox's interest even more.

  "What are they like?"

  "Well, they're just your traditional proud grandparents, vampire style. She texts me every day to make sure I'm eating and being a 'good boy'. My grandpa likes to teach me practical things and gets adorably proud when I achieve literally anything," he explained, his eyes gleaming as he described them. She sighed, a goofy grin on her face as she looked at Van adoringly. I loved that she gave us all that look. When we first proposed our relationship, she was hesitant, but this was how I knew it would work.

  Calev's phone started pinging, interrupting us. We were all so on edge still, even if it had been temporarily masked while we joked and ate. His face hardened for a moment before he turned the ignition on, not even bothering to nag about seatbelts, then he peeled out of the parking lot and flew back to the garage.

  "What the fuck is going on?" Lennox squealed as he took another turn a bit too sharp, sending her flying into my lap. My heart pounded in my chest as I searched around us for any sign of danger, but nothing jumped out at me.

  "I second that! What the hell, Calev?" Van yelled, his hand clutching the handle as he slammed into the door.

  "His brother called, and he gave the descriptions of her attempted kidnappers to him. Lorcan thinks they just left the club. They were asking Lilah about all of us, but she gave them some false info. They're on their way back now," Tristan summarized as Calev stared dead ahead, his eyes trained on our surroundings. The tension in the car ramped up to an all time high as he whipped his car into the spot. Evander was out of the door and pulling Lennox out, fully morphed into his vampire form. He ran her up the stairs and in the door, while the rest of us got out and stood watch for a moment, keeping our eyes on the road in case anyone followed us.

  "Who do you think they are?" I asked, trying to calm my breathing as my magic glowed in my hands. Instead of the healing white, this was an angry red, ready to strike down anyone foolish enough to take our girl. Power coursed through my being, using my emotion to fuel itself, until I was practically shaking as I struggled to control it. A pulsing burn filled my veins, my body thrumming with power. A white car drove past, slowing down as the passenger peered into the garage. I was hidden by the support beam, while the others dove behind cars to avoid being seen. If they think she's here and stop, then we’ll have an all out brawl on our hands.

  'Calm down, babe,' Tristan said soothingly in my head, his voice alone bringing the anger to a simmer. 'We will figure this out, but they aren't coming here.'

  "Tristan said it's all clear," I called, walking up to him and taking his hand as we walked inside. His warm fingers intertwined with mine as his thumb ran soothing circles over my palm. He held back as Calev and Lachlan walked inside, turning to me and studying my face.

  "That was new. Are you actually okay?" His eyebrows dipped down in unease as he studied me, his lip tucked between his teeth as he worried it.

  "I am, I was just so angry. The fact that they tried to take her, that they’re stalking her here, isn't normal. We don’t usually see people doing that on this side," I complained, starting to fire up again, Suddenly, he locked his lips to mine, the softness of his mouth molding perfectly to mine as he held my face. My resolve cracked, my shoulders sagging as a sense of warmth flowed through me, the normal reactions I have to this perfect man. I may be flirty, but I'd never felt this way about another man. We both knew we were bisexual going into this, and that we wanted more than just us. We’d always wanted a third. I just never thought we'd become part of this ragtag harem that happened so unexpectedly.

  "Stop. We won't let them," he reassured me, nipping my lip and bringing my mind back to where he wanted it. “Let me help.” I groaned as his hand slid down my body at an excruciating pace, tugging my belt and pants open, and pulling me out of view. Knowing I needed a way to release the built up magic, he got on his knees and wrapped his mouth around my already hard cock. I moaned as my hands instinctively tangled in his white hair, my eyes closing as his lips moved over me, lighting every nerve ending on fire. He moaned around me, his warm mouth making my cock throb in appreciation. Fire built, searing me from the inside, as pleasure knotted in my stomach. My mind was full of Tristan and his hard, lean muscles, how they dipped and flexed, until Lennox's face flashed in my mind. He sent me an image of her watching us, her sea green eyes heating as she bit her lip in that sexy way that she did without even trying to be enticing.

  Panting, my cock throbbed, and I shifted as Tristan swirled his tongue around the head before bobbing down, his eyes locked on mine as he sent another image. It was of her in his place, her luscious lips wrapped around me, looking up at me under those gorgeous lashes...that was all I needed, and the pressure became too much to hold back. Tightening my grip on Tristan’s hair, I shuddered, my eyes darkening for a moment as lightning seared every nerve. I couldn’t stop my hips from bucking forward as I came, ropes of my cum shooting deeply into his throat as he lapped me up. My eyes rolled back as I slumped against the wall behind me, releasing Tristan in the process so my magic could dissipate, the red essence turning to white as it shot out into the air around us. My body was still shaking, but this time from Tristan’s mouth, and not from my overwhelming magic.

  Now that I had a grip on my emotions, I pulled Tristan up and brought him close, kissing him deeply and tasting my own unique flavor on his tongue. “I’ll take care of this, tonight.” I promised, running my fingers down his chest and brushing over the front of his jeans, before pulling back and nipping his lip. His icy blue eyes darkened as he grinned over at me.

  “Let’s go check on our girl.”

  May 1st

  Evening

  Lennox

  It was not easy just sitting there, while Tristan sent images of what they were doing out in the parking garage. I didn’t know if he meant to open the link, but things were supposed to be somber here, and I couldn't stop thinking about those two and how badly I now wanted to join them.

  By the smug grin on Tristan's face, and the hot mess his white hair was in when they came into the room, I'd say it was on purpose. The distraction was short lived though, as Calev's brother barged in with Lilah behind him. Both of them looked just as angry as the guys, which surprised me. They don't even know me.

  'They don't have to, you're one of us,' Tristan countered, his unexpected reply making me jump.

  'We didn't jump into this lightly, and they know that. You're now like their sister,' Calev added, the others grumbling their agreements.

  "Is this her?" Lilah squealed, her anger momentarily melting as she came over and scooped me up into a huge hug. It was in that moment, that I realized I didn't fucking know how to properly hug. I stood there awkwardly, showing them just how much of a freak show I was. My arms hung limply at my sides while I shot Evander, the only one in my line of sight, a plea for help with my eyes. He just laughed, not bothering to come to my aid. Lilah didn't seem bothered in the least, her melodic laugh bubbling out as she pulled back and held me out at arms length. "You boys didn't tell me she was this gorgeous! What lucky men." Her kind words had me blushing, and I stammered for a second.

  "Thank you," I mumbled, the simple words of gratitude all I could manage to get out.

  "And humble," she complimented. "We have to drag these guys out shopping one of the
se days. Lord knows they won't let us go alone."

  "That would be fun," I agreed, actually meaning it. I hadn’t been shopping in so long, and her bubbly cheerfulness was making it hard to stay quietly awkward. When she finally moved on, I collapsed onto the couch, missing the cushion and landing in Lachlan's lap instead to further my awkwardness.

  "Don't worry, I like you right here," he whispered, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer, making it look like the entire thing was intentional. "Don't think I missed you getting all hot and bothered over there. What did Tristan send to you?" His words sparked an idea in my mind. If Tristan can send images, can I do it too? Focusing on Lachlan the best I could, I sent him what Tristan had teased me with. He coughed in surprise, trying to cover his shocked laughter. My eyes darted around the room, panic striking me for a second as I worried that I’d sent that to all of them. Nobody else seemed affected, so I snuggled in further, letting Calev catch his family up on what had been going on. Not to mention, I wasn't really up for reliving those memories just yet.

  "Well, shit. That was surprising. Did you do that?" Lachlan whispered, his lips brushing across my forehead. I nodded against his shoulder, not wanting to say anything to draw attention to us.

  'Do we trust them enough yet?' Calev asked in our heads. They did it so often now that it was never a surprise when I was pulled into the group link. I studied Lilah as they spoke, her worried expression and everything about her just screaming that she was genuine.

  'Yes.' My answer was met with silence for a moment before they all agreed.

  'If she's okay with it, then I'm okay with it,' Lachlan conceded, the last to give his affirmative. He was also the only one who almost fought Calev over it. My shoulders sagged as relief washed through me; apparently, I had been holding on to a bunch of tension that I hadn't even realized was there.