by R. E. Butler
The water turned off in the bathroom, and he lifted his head to look at the door. Zia was his mate... his siren. He’d known it the moment he’d seen her during the lightning strike, and the feeling had solidified for him when he’d touched her. Being in his merman form while he rescued her had enhanced his feelings, and he’d known without a doubt that she was his other half.
He’d been blessed with a beautiful fairy for his siren.
But he was suddenly embarrassed by his history. He didn’t know what her home life was like, but his past had a terrible dark spot. What sort of male was he, what kind of life did he have to offer her when he couldn’t even take her home to meet his parents? He’d never be able to bring her to Sitnalta, to share with her the magic of his former home.
He was incredibly saddened by that. And a little angry, still.
The bathroom door opened, and Zia stood before him, her dark hair braided and her cheeks pink from the heat of the shower. She was wearing shorts and a short-sleeved top with white sandals on her feet.
“Hey,” she said. She crossed the distance to the bed and stood before him. “I texted my parents to let them know I’m okay. I didn’t tell them I wasn’t wearing a lifejacket. Or that I was alone.”
He patted the space next to him on the bed and then turned to face her when she sat. “You weren’t supposed to be alone?”
“No, when I go out at night, they like me to have an escort for safety’s sake. But the guards all got called in to investigate a break-in and the one I was assigned to told me he’d go with me next month. I didn’t want to wait. And the storm wasn’t on the radar, otherwise I might have reconsidered.”
“Guards?”
“I guess you’d call them the town’s security force. They’re like the police. My parents are high up in the fairy hierarchy and are friends with our king and his wife. The princess is my best friend, Joy.”
“What were you looking for?”
“Night blooming algae,” she said. “It blooms during the crescent moon. I went to the algae patch at sunset and had to wait a few hours. I fell asleep and woke up with the storm overhead. I’d drifted and couldn’t even see the lights from the shore, and then I got pummeled by wave after wave, hit my head, and passed out.” She rubbed the back of her head, and he instantly went on alert.
“I can call someone to help with your injury.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m healing quickly and it’s just a little achy. I could use an aspirin, though.”
“Now that I have. I wish I had healing magic, then I could really help you out.” He stood and walked to the bathroom, found the bottle of aspirin in the medicine cabinet, and brought two pills and a glass of water to her.
“Thanks.” She took the pills and handed the empty glass to him. “Really. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. You saved my life. I owe you a debt.”
“I don’t want you to owe me anything,” he said. He sat next to her on the bed and took her hand in his. Her skin was warm and soft, and his merman did flips in his head at the physical contact. Such a small thing—holding hands—but it meant the world to him.
She tilted her head and stared at him in silence. “I feel very connected to you.”
“Me too.”
“Does that happen to mermen?”
“What?” he asked, brow furrowing.
“Instantly connecting with someone.”
“Ah,” he said, blowing out a breath. “No. Well, it does, but only in specific instances, like when a merman or mermaid finds their siren.”
She hummed, her eyes bleeding from blue to gold. Her wings slipped from her back, and he realized that her shirt must have slits cut into the fabric to allow the wings to come through so easily. They unfolded slowly, the magnificent purple and blue translucent wings shaking slightly as she stretched them out fully behind her. They rose over her head and past her shoulders, tapering down to her waist where they brushed the mattress. “What’s siren mean?”
“Mate. It’s what we call our other half.”
“We call them mates.” She smiled softly. “You can touch them.”
He lifted his free hand and reached for one of the translucent wings gingerly. It was warm and silky, and shimmered in the overhead light. “Beautiful. Can you fly?”
“Yep. I can carry a small child, but not an adult. You’re obviously very strong in your shift.”
“Yes, I can pull quite a bit while swimming.”
She shivered when he ran his hand down the top of the wing toward her shoulder, and he grinned. “A little sensitive I take it?”
“Honestly? No one’s ever really touched them like that. Fairies just think of our wings as an appendage, like an arm or leg. But you look so serious and curious, and...a little turned on.”
He wasn’t one to blush, but he felt his cheeks heat all the same. He was turned on. Just being near her made his whole body react.
His fingers slid from her shoulder to her collarbone and up her throat. He cupped her face, and she leaned into his touch. “I am.”
She raised a brow.
He clarified. “I am turned on. You’re my siren.”
Cassian didn’t think he’d ever been so candid about his feelings before. But he wanted to be one hundred percent honest with Zia.
She smiled and leaned in for a kiss, which he willingly gave. The moment their lips met, his body jolted with awareness. If he was a wolf shifter, he’d be howling with happiness now. If he was in his merman shift, his tail would be slapping in the water for joy.
He swiped his tongue at the seam of her lips and she opened for him, giving him the first decadent taste of her. Their tongues touched and slid together. He tilted her head and deepened the kiss, moving a little closer. She slipped her hands over his shoulders and up his neck, tangling them in his hair. She moaned softly and he felt a little breeze as her wings began to move.
He nipped her bottom lip, sucking on it for a moment before ending the kiss. He wanted to take her to bed immediately, but he didn’t want to rush into a mating with her. They were mates and together, and they didn’t need to hurry anything. He wanted to take the time to get to know her.
“Wow,” she whispered, her wings flapping gently. “That was the best first kiss ever. I can’t wait for the second one.”
He grinned. “Me too.”
If the people in town could see how much he was smiling, they’d think he was on drugs. His reputation for being a grump was well-known. Turned out all he needed to change his attitude was finding his siren.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“No.”
“It’s really late,” he said. “Let’s get some rest and then we’ll see where tomorrow takes us.”
“Will you sleep with me?” she asked.
“Of course.”
He got up and turned off the overhead light. The blinds were open, and the light from the crescent moon lit the room with pale blue light, just enough to see each other and not walk into any furniture. Her wings disappeared. She dropped her sandals onto the floor and slipped under the bed covers. He joined her, settling on his back and putting one arm under his head. She immediately moved close, aligning her body against his and resting her head over his heart.
Bringing his other arm over her, he splayed his fingers over her arm, and closed his eyes. What a strange and amazing night it had been.
“Good night, Cassian,” she whispered.
“Night, Zia. Sleep well.”
“You too.”
She yawned and snuggled closer. In minutes, she was breathing deeply in sleep. Cassian was thankful for her trust in him. He would have willingly slept on the couch if she’d wanted, but he was happy to be in the same bed with her. He couldn’t think of anything better than waking up with her in his arms.
Well, he’d also love to mate her too. But that would come in time.
For now, he’d be thankful that she was in his life and look forward to what the future brought.
C
hapter Six
Zia woke slowly thinking about coffee and bacon. And algae.
And sexy mermen.
Well, one particular merman, who’d saved her life.
“Morning,” Cassian said.
She tilted her head and saw that he was awake. “Morning. How’d you sleep?” She stretched and squeaked as she rolled her neck.
“Great. You?”
“Best night’s sleep ever, I think.”
He smiled, showing a hidden dimple in one cheek. “What do you like for breakfast?”
She told him about her waking thoughts.
“Eggs or just bacon and coffee?” he teased as he got up. He stretched, his muscular arms and chest pulling at the shirt he wore, which tugged up in front and revealed a taut stretch of lickable abs.
“Whatever you usually do works for me.”
“So long as there’s coffee and bacon.”
“You know it.”
She got out of bed and used the bathroom, then found him out in the kitchen laying strips of bacon in a skillet. He pointed to a freshly brewed cup of coffee. “Milk’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” she said. She put milk and sugar in her coffee and asked if she could help. He put her on task for the eggs, which she scrambled. When their breakfast was ready, they carried their plates and mugs out to the small deck off the kitchen that overlooked the cove and sat at a small cafe table.
“This is so nice,” she said, tucking into the food. “The view is spectacular.”
“It really is. This is one of the few working lighthouses on the East Coast with a full-time resident. Most of the lighthouses are run by computers. Or they’re not working lighthouses anymore and are now bed and breakfasts or tourist attractions.”
“I toured a lighthouse in Rhode Island once. It worked, but there wasn’t a full-time person staying there. I thought it was pretty cool.” She looked out over the calm water. “Why do they call it Sable Cove?”
“Because the water’s so dark.”
“Do you like living here?”
His face shadowed slightly, but he chased it away and smiled at her. “I do. The town’s mostly human, but they’re accepting of supernatural creatures. The chief of police is a vampire, and his deputy is a fallen angel. We’ve got four witches, the diner’s run by brother and sister wolf shifters, and the vet is a selkie.”
“What’s a selkie?”
“A seal shifter.”
“Aw, that’s adorable. And then there’s you. Where are you from?”
He hesitated. She wondered if she’d overstepped in some way, but she was just curious. She was about to tell him he didn’t need to worry about telling her anything he didn’t want to, when he cleared his throat.
“I was born in Sitnalta, which is deep in the Atlantic. My parents are high up in the hierarchy of the clan, close friends with the king and queen.”
“Sounds like my parents.”
He nodded. “But your parents didn’t set you up for an arranged mating, right?”
Her brows rose. “No. It used to be fairly normal for fairies to go into arranged matings with their families’ blessings, but it’s fallen out of favor. So what happened?”
“I didn’t want to mate the female they chose for me. She was a horrible shrew, cruel and unkind. Very cold. They chose her because they wanted to unite two clans, and her parents were the leaders of their clan. When I refused to mate her, I was told that I either went through with it or I would be exiled. I kind of thought that they were bluffing, that they wouldn’t exile me since I’m their only child.”
“They weren’t bluffing though.” She felt incredibly sad for him. How awful to be turned away by family because he didn’t agree with who they’d chosen for him.
“Nope.” He leaned back in the chair and looked out over the water. In the distance, she could see sailboats, the morning sky dotted with puffy clouds. “They exiled me. I can’t even go back to visit or I’ll be facing death. They literally declared I wasn’t their son anymore, so I haven’t talked to them, or anyone in the clan, for two years.”
She reached for his hand. “I’m sorry. That’s awful.”
He cleared his throat and gave her a half-smile. “It is. But I found you, and that means there was a reason I needed to be away from there. Being exiled brought me to Sable Cove, and now I have you in my life. I don’t like my past, but I wouldn’t trade what brought me here for anything in the world.”
“You’re very sweet.”
“Just for you, sweetheart, I promise.”
“So merpeople don’t really leave their home world much? I mean, have you ever run into anyone from your clan?”
“No, they don’t come to the surface. If they did, they’d steer clear of me for sure.”
“They know where you are?”
He shrugged. “I might be exiled but I’m still a merman. They would know where I was if they were looking.”
“I wish I could see what your underwater world looks like.”
“I’d love to take you if I could, but aside from me being exiled, they don’t allow non-merpeople to live there.”
“So merpeople don’t mate other types of supernatural creatures or humans?”
“Not if they want to stay with their clan.” He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “If I’d met you when I was still part of the clan, I would’ve taken the exile so we could be together.”
“I’m glad fairies don’t have any issues like that with who our kind mate.”
“Me too.”
When their meal was finished, she helped with the dishes and then they headed out for a walking tour of the town. She met the witches who owned the familiar rescue, the fallen angel deputy with a hilarious sense of humor, the wolves who owned the diner, and a handful of human townspeople. It was easy to see why he liked living in Sable Cove so much. It was a very easy-going town, with friendly residents.
By the time they returned to the beach for a walk along shore, she was completely smitten with Cassian. He was sweet and funny, with a protective streak a mile wide. She felt close to him and counted her lucky stars that he’d been there to save her life when she’d fallen overboard.
“You’re being pretty quiet,” Cassian said when they stopped at the furthest point on the beach from the lighthouse. The light breeze was scented with salt water, and she didn’t think she’d ever get tired of the sound of the water rushing over the sand.
She let her gaze roam over the sea and then turned to face him. “It’s really wonderful here. Trieve borders a bay, but it’s not like Sable Cove. It’s quiet here, not busy and noisy. I can see why you like it.”
“I’m glad you like it here.” He rocked back on his heels and reached for her hand. “I want to take you out tonight, on a date.”
“I’d love that.”
“Then tomorrow, I can take you to your parents if you’d like.”
“That works for me. I’d love to show you around my city.”
“For now, unfortunately, I have some lighthouse duties to attend to. There isn’t a sub for me.”
“Can I help?”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
They walked together, hand in hand, to the lighthouse. She was excited to see what it meant to be a lighthouse keeper and what Cassian’s day was like. While they hadn’t talked about being mates in truth, and where they’d live, she’d already decided that if he wanted to stay in Sable Cove, that she’d love to join him. The town already felt like home to her, and she was certain it was because of him. Wherever Cassian was, that would be home.
Chapter Seven
Cassian hadn’t planned a date before. Not on land, anyway. Merpeople didn’t really date like humans did. Mates were chosen by the king and queen for various reasons, but generally there were political or monetary reasons behind the choices. Like Cassian’s own arranged mating, which hadn’t had a thing to do with love—or even mutual liking between him and the mermaid. It had been arranged solely to u
nite two clans and give his king the upper hand.
Cassian shook the wayward, depressing thoughts of his former home away from his mind once more. He hated that he kept getting mired in the thoughts of what his past had been like and how worthless it made him feel. He wished he had a better past to share with Zia.
Judging by how she spoke about her family, she obviously came from a loving and supportive group of people. He couldn’t really relate to that. But he liked it and he wanted it for his own family.
The thought of children with Zia made him smile.
“Hey,” a soft voice spoke from behind him.
His whole body warmed with Zia’s nearness.
He swiveled in the desk chair where he’d been looking up restaurants for dinner and faced her.
“Hey yourself,” he said. He offered her his hand and she sat on his lap, giving him a kiss.
“I just got a text from Delaney,” she said.
His brows lifted. “Oh?”
When he’d introduced Zia to the three witches at the familiar rescue, they’d all exchanged cell phone numbers and told Zia to call anytime. He’d been humbled by how easily the townsfolk had accepted her as his mate.
“She was wondering if I needed any clothes since we’re not going to my home until tomorrow. I think she thinks we’re going on a date tonight.”
“We sure are,” he said. “If you might give me a hint of your favorite type of food, it would help me narrow the field for dinner.”
“Aw.” She brushed her fingers through his hair, and his skin tingled. He loved the way she touched him, like she couldn’t get enough of him.
He could relate.
“So?”
“Oh, right. So the broad category for my fairy powers is nature, but specifically plants. So I really love salads and veggies. But I also love seafood and red meat, so I’m pretty flexible. I want to go out on a limb and say you like seafood.”
He snorted with a smile. “What, just because I happen to have lived in the water?”