Chapter 5
five
BLAIR
“What the fuck is on your neck?” Izzy’s voice interrupted me from my door-leaning-and-vampire-loathing moment, but I didn’t open my eyes. I wasn’t ready to deal with my sisters yet. Or myself. Or anything else.
“That’s a mate mark,” Zora said. “Definitely a mate mark.”
“We’re not blind,” Izzy growled.
Someone smacked her, and she grumbled at them.
“What happened?” Avery asked, and I felt her hand on my shoulder a moment later.
I finally wrestled my eyes open. “I don’t know,” I said.
They all gave me a look that said I was full of shit.
They were right, too.
So, I sighed. “Let’s get away from here. He can probably hear us.”
Their attention snapped to the doors behind me, and Clementine looped her arm through mine. “Guess I’m not the only one with a mate mark, though yours looks a lot prettier than mine. Do we need to try to escape the vampires now too?”
“We couldn’t escape the vampires if we tried,” Zora said, falling into step on my other side and taking my other arm.
“That’s a valid point,” Izzy grumbled.
“And the vampires are actually really nice,” Clem added. “Except maybe Hale. Err, Damian?”
Izzy said, “Can’t say I saw that plot twist coming.”
“I should’ve seen it. There were small signs. He ordered the bartender around, and no one batted an eye.”
“There were a lot of people around him, too,” Avery added.
“The seat next to his was empty,” I protested.
“I think the vampire king can probably empty a seat when he wants space,” she said.
She was right, and we all knew it.
“We can hang out in my room for a bit,” Clem said. “Louise told me they would put you guys in the rooms around me. They understand that sirens need each other, at least.”
“Damian—Hale—made it very clear that I’ll be living in his bedroom,” I said. “But at least you guys will be close to each other.
Multiple grimaces came my way.
“It’s not too late to go to the werewolves,” Clem said quickly, and I heard the guilt in her voice.
“It’s way too late to go to the werewolves,” a feminine voice behind us corrected, and I looked over my shoulder. The woman we’d met before, Egan’s mate, was behind us.
Louise, I think her name was.
“Hey, Lou,” Clem said with a bright smile, pulling all of us to a stop so the other woman could catch up. “Everyone, this is Louise.”
“Didn’t you say she’s Hale’s sister ?” Zora muttered.
Clem elbowed me in the gut, then whispered, “Oops,” when I grunted. She stepped around me to elbow Zora, instead.
“He’s not as bad as he might seem,” Lou said, her eyes lingering on the marking on my neck. “But he definitely won’t let his blood mate go to Curtis. Curt would send her back to him in pieces, just to get a rise out of him.”
“ Blood mate?” Izzy demanded, and all of their eyes were on me again.
“I told you I was craving him,” I said weakly.
“It would make sense for you to crave him if you’re his blood mate.”
“Is there still an if ?” Izzy asked, hopeful.
“Did he drink from you again?” Louise asked me.
I nodded.
“And did he still want you afterward?”
I grimaced, but nodded again.
“Then no, there’s not an if .”
Izzy sighed in defeat.
Clem recaptured my arm, and we all started moving again. Lou fell into step on the other side of Zora, though Zora kept giving her dirty looks.
She was one of the most loving members of our family. When she was on your side, she would do anything for you. But when she didn’t like someone, she would do absolutely anything to make sure they failed.
Avery stepped between Zora and Lou, probably to keep the peace.
“How did the conversation go exactly, when he asked you if he could mark you?” Lou asked curiously.
I felt a few pairs of eyes on us, probably from random vampires in the hallway we were walking through, but I didn’t let myself feel self-conscious about the attention. It was Damian’s— Hale’s —fault, not mine.
I scoffed. “He didn’t ask . He said I could mate with him to guarantee my sisters’ safety, or we could leave and let Curtis take us.”
Clem sucked in a breath.
Izzy swore.
Avery murmured something to Zora.
Lou sighed. “Lovely. I’ll talk to him.”
“I don’t think talking will help. He made it pretty clear that he’s calling the shots, and I’m at his mercy.”
“That’s not how a mate bond works,” Lou argued.
Avery set her hand on Lou’s arm. “Tell your brother that.”
“I will.”
Avery released the other woman as we all kept walking. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to grab you. We’re touchy.”
“I’ve realized. Clementine has hugged me at least a hundred times since she’s been away from you.” Lou smiled, making sure we realized it didn’t bother her.
“Sirens require snuggling,” Clem said with a shrug.
We stopped in front of a door, and Clementine said, “This one’s mine.”
“The rest of your rooms will be around here too. I actually came to find you for style preferences.” She pulled her phone from her pocket. “We decorated the rooms in three different ways, so you can all look through the pictures and decide which one you like the most before we assign the rooms.”
My sisters leaned in as she pulled up the photos.
My stomach clenched with too many emotions as they started looking through, slowly.
I took another step back without realizing it.
I… needed to go for a swim.
Yep.
Definitely needed a swim.
Avery’s gaze met mine over the phone, and I made the hand motion for water. She nodded, mouthing two words to me before I slipped away.
“Thank you.”
My eyes stung as I padded down the hall at human speed. If I had a completed mate bond, the magic of it would suppress everyone else’s chase instincts except my mate’s, but I didn’t.
Thankfully.
But not thankfully, when I wanted to move fast.
I found an elevator easily enough. It wasn’t the black one, which I’d need to find that night, but an elevator was an elevator.
I stepped inside, and froze just in front of the doors.
They closed behind me, but I barely noticed.
Because there was a mirror on the wall in front of me. A large mirror.
My fingers trembled as I lifted them to the mark around my neck.
It wasn’t blocky and hideous, like Clementine’s.
It was gorgeous.
The wavy, dark blue band reminded me of water, swirling and twisting lightly. It was darker in some places and lighter in others. Though I didn’t want to, I loved it.
The elevator dinged behind me, and the doors opened again.
I jerked away from the mirror, my face flushed as a pair of men stepped inside.
Both of them inhaled, and I saw it in their eyes the moment my magic hit them.
I hadn’t fed from Damian long enough to sate myself. I’d pulled away as soon as I’d taken the edge off enough to manage it.
“What floor?” I asked, forcing a smile as I hit the button for the eleventh floor.
“Six,” one of the guys managed, snapping out of my pull after a moment.
I hit that button too, and the guy who’d regained control smacked the other one on the arm. When he didn’t come to, he punched the side of his throat.
I winced, but the second guy just shook his head. “Shit. Sorry. Not supposed to stare.”
“Whoever made up that rule doesn’t really understand siren magic,” I said, lifting my eyes to the floor numbers so I could watch us move up.
2…
3…
4…
5…
“It’s Hale’s rule,” the guy finally said.
“Well, he definitely doesn’t understand siren magic,” I murmured.
The elevator dinged as we finally reached the sixth floor.
The guys slipped out without a goodbye, but one of them stuck his hand in the door just before it closed. I flinched at the sudden interruption, and an apologetic look crossed his face.
“I’m not sure if you know this, but one of those rules requires telling him when we can feel your magic so he knows that you’re hungry.”
“Of course it does. I don’t suppose you could keep it to yourself this time?”
He gave me a wry smile. “I would if I could, but I respect Hale too much for that. Enjoy the pool.”
He let the elevator close, and I sighed as I watched the numbers rise again.
7…
8…
9…
10…
The doors opened again as we reached the eleventh floor, and I slipped out.
How long would Hale give me to enjoy swimming before he showed up and demanded that I kiss him?
I wasn’t even sure I wanted to know.
I could smell chlorine down the hall, and my nose itched.
Gross.
Siren magic naturally cleaned and purified water, so we didn’t need chemicals. I’d figure out where their pump room was and make sure to get rid of them while I was there. Or at least write a note to ask someone to get rid of them.
“Why the hell do we need a ten-story pool?” a feminine voice asked, clearly annoyed. “Hale promised us an epic mini-golf course.”
“Someone said it has something to do with the sirens we’re housing,” another woman said.
“Screw the sirens,” the first girl grumbled.
“He probably is.”
“Not my Hale,” she argued. “He doesn’t even drink blood from the vein. He’s not interested in screwing a siren.”
My veins disagreed, but I wasn’t about to say that aloud.
“He’s not yours, Missy.”
I stepped into a wide, open room, and my gaze immediately went to the pool.
Holy shit.
It wasn’t just a pool… it was a work of art.
Gorgeous, rough stone made it look like a piece of nature had been built in the Manor. There was an arch on one side, and a huge waterfall on another. I saw the water moving in what had to have been a lazy river around the outside, too.
My feet carried me to the edge, and my jaw just about dropped when I realized I could barely see the bottom.
“Here’s one of the siren bitches now,” the first girl whispered. “I can even feel her slutty magic.”
“Want me to make it stronger?” I asked her, without looking up from the water. “I could probably make you take your clothes off if I really tried. Siren hearing is just as good as vampires’, by the way.”
Missy huffed.
The second woman laughed. “I kind of want to feel it.”
“Are you insane?!” Missy protested.
I flashed them a smile, and pushed more of my magic to the surface. Both of them shuddered, and the first girl grabbed the second’s arm like she was holding on for dear life.
I released the magic without actually pushing them to do anything. I’d never violate someone like that. Not on purpose, at least. Sometimes, I couldn’t control my power at all.
“Damn, that’s intense,” the second girl said, admiration in her voice.
“Hale is going to hear about this,” Missy said, her voice trembling. “We’re engaged to be mated. Our parents planned it when we were kids.”
“Congratulations.” I gave her a warm smile. “And go ahead and tell your fiancé . I’m sure you won’t be the only person he hears it from.” I looked at the second girl. “Any idea where the pump room is?”
“The door’s over there. Roscoe runs it. I’ll let him know to talk to you about it when I see him. Missy and I are going to head out.” She grabbed the other woman’s arm, the way Clementine had grabbed mine. Looking at them, I decided there was a good chance they were sisters.
“Thanks.”
“Who are you mated to?” she asked, curiosity setting in on her way out.
“You don’t want to know.” My gaze flicked to Missy, and her sister’s eyes widened before she rushed her out the door, mouthing,
“Thank you.”
I nodded at her, then headed toward the pump room.
The door was unlocked, and it took all of three seconds for me to realize I was in over my head among the many different buttons and switches.
I saw a pad of paper with a few notes on it though, and grabbed the pen beside it, folding the top page over so I didn’t mess up any of their stuff.
I wrote a quick note.
Roscoe or whoever runs this room,
Please turn everything off if you can get approval from whoever your boss is. The water will flow the way it wants to as long as me or one of my sisters stop by once a week or so, and we’ll be here a lot more than that. The magic might wreck your pumps if you leave them on while it’s doing its thing.
Our power will remove the chemicals from the water and keep it pure, too. Don’t put more chlorine in or Izzy will probably kill you. Chlorine is a bitch to get off a siren’s skin. We’ll fish out anything that falls to the bottom so you don’t have to.
Also, if you throw a rock in while one of us is in the water, we’ll know you want us to come out. Don’t ask me why we started that, but it’s a thing.
Thanks,
Blair 3
I added a heart at the end, just in case the note sounded harsher than I thought.
After being on the receiving end of Damian’s dickishness, I didn’t want to put anyone else through that.
I let out a slow breath.
Hale.
His name was Hale.
I needed to accept that he wasn’t the guy from the club, and move on. Moving on would make it much easier to wrap my mind around the new, unique situation I’d landed myself in.
Because there was no getting out. I was good and trapped. My other option was Curtis, the bastard who would send me back to Hale in pieces .
Shudder.
So, my situation was the best of the two options.
At least my sisters were safe and happy.
And I was… well, going to enjoy the most gorgeous pool I’d probably ever see.
So hey, there were two perks.
I strode back to the edge of the pool and peeled the oversized t-shirt I used as a swimsuit coverup over my head. It fell to the floor as I dove in.
The water engulfed me, and I inhaled deeply.
Heaven.
I was in heaven.
…even if it smelled and tasted like chlorine.