Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Shae’s List of Life Goals
10. Make my own family.
(Addendum: With Griffin and the rest of MEOW Squad if I can get over my awkwardness and muster up the courage to tell them how much I’ve come to care about them all.)
Shae
My grandmother wastes no time in getting everything set up for me to undergo the purification and healing rituals, and the next afternoon I find myself with her and Griffin at the bottom of a hill path that leads up to the temple and hot spring.
Note to self, Grandma Coral knows how to get shit done.
“You’re sure you’ll be okay on your own?” Griffin asks for the hundredth time, biting his bottom lip.
His concern is touching, so I decide to reward him by petting his head and giving one fluffy ear a good scratch, which has him closing his eyes and making blissful noises.
“I’ll be fine, Wolf Boy. Be good while I’m gone.”
He glows under my attention. My suspicions about a praise kink are pretty much confirmed at this point.
I adjust the knapsack on my back, which contains some clothes, water, and food. “I’m off. Wish me luck.”
I sure as hell need it.
“Good luck, Shae! You can do this!” Griffin shouts as I head off. All he needs are some pom-poms and he’d probably do a cheer number for me.
I wave and start making my way up the steep path.
Although all the swimming I’ve been doing recently has been increasing my overall stamina, I find the hike a lot more draining than I anticipated. My life in captivity didn’t allow for a lot of daily exercise, and I’m more out of shape than I should be. I resolve to up my swimming and daily walking regimen going forward.
Because of my current limitations, I take it slow and stop for several water breaks along the way. The afternoon is mild, and a nice breeze is blowing in off the water, but the air is cooling down as evening approaches.
The sun’s starting to set by the time I make it to where the small temple and outdoor hot spring are located at the top of the hill. I’m pleased to see the hot spring is surrounded by dense foliage; although I don’t suspect I have to worry about peeping Toms, a sense of privacy is still nice. I head to the small wooden building adjacent to the hot spring and discover it has several stalls for showering and a row of lockers for changing.
After poking around, I decide to have my dinner first, like Coral recommended, and find a comfortable spot outside the temple and overlooking the ocean. While I watch the sun set, I enjoy the sandwiches and fresh fruit that my grandmother packed for me. This will be my last meal until after the spirit healing is complete as I need to start fasting tonight for that.
Once I’ve finished my dinner, I head back to the hot spring building. I get undressed and put everything in a locker, where I also discover a clean towel and washcloth. In the shower stall, I find soap, shampoo, and conditioner waiting for me as well. I take my time cleansing my body and trying to clear my mind using Anemone’s suggestions. Then, when I’m squeaky clean, I head outside with my towel to the hot spring.
It’s what the Japanese would call a rotenburo , or open-air hot spring. Coral explained that a natural spring on the island provides the water, which then pools here in a deep basin formation made from a natural depression in the rock. Soft lighting nestled within the foliage surrounding the basin illuminates the space.
Setting my towel on a handy bench nearby, I slowly enter the water, savoring the exquisite heat that seems to seep into my very bones. When I sit down on a carved ledge in the pool, I groan and lean back, taking it all in.
It’s official. All the anime shows and movies I watched as a kid totally got it right. Hot springs are fucking amazing.
I wish Griffin could have joined me for this.
In my mind, I can already see him grinning like a fool and splashing around with his tail wagging. He would absolutely love this.
Maybe we’ll just need to take a trip to Japan together one day and experience the real deal there.
Closing my eyes, I allow myself to daydream about the future in a way I haven’t fully dared to since I managed to escape. I smile to myself. Griffin has been instrumental in getting me to this point. His boundless optimism and sweet affection have the power to blow away even my darkest of thoughts.
While I still feel lingering anxiety about the fated-mates thing, I know I want to stay with him.
I settle in and let the waters do their work, and soon find my mind turning more and more to Griffin. A slideshow of his cute expressions plays behind my eyes and brings a smile to my lips. At the same time, the sublime heat makes my whole body unclench and before I know it, I’m drifting into a near sleep-like state of relaxation.
Something alerts me to a change in the atmosphere and I blink my eyes open to see that the outdoor lighting around me has begun to dim while the water in the hot spring has started to give off a faint bluish glow. Coral had prepared me for this, but it’s still surprising to witness.
Contrary to proper onsen etiquette, I fully submerge myself under the water now that it’s glowing. I stay under until I need to come up for air, which is quite a long time even though I’m only half-siren. When I return to the surface I admire the glow from the water, which produces a blanket of sparkles swirling in the air around me, and I close my eyes again, basking in the magic as it envelops me.
After about twenty minutes, the bluish light fades away and the water returns to normal. Warm and unexpectedly drowsy, I finally drag myself out of the hot spring and wrap my towel around myself. I quickly change into some sweats and a T-shirt to sleep in and make my way to the temple.
My body feels lighter than I can ever remember, and some of the faint aches and pains that are usually there in the background with me have disappeared. The temple is small and has a Mediterranean aesthetic, with colorful mosaic tilework and white stucco walls. The wooden door at the entrance opens easily, and I step inside to find it pleasantly cool within.
There are two rooms in the temple. First is a large main space that I assume is for the healing ritual. It features a sunken area lined with bright cushions and pillows in the middle of the floor. I wander the space before entering the second room off to the side. It’s a small bedroom that holds a twin bed, nightstand, and a tiny attached bathroom with a toilet and sink. Definitely not a luxury resort but perfectly comfortable for my needs.
By now, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. Coral had warned me this might happen, so I waste no time in getting myself into bed even though it’s early. The mattress is surprisingly soft and the sheets are clean and smell like they’ve been dried out in the sun. I reach in my bag and grab my stuffed sea otter that I got when Griffin and I went to Pacific Park. Cuddling it close, I pull the heavier comforter around myself and make a cozy cocoon to sleep in.
I’m out so fast I don’t recall my last thoughts.
Sunlight streaming through the one window in the room awakens me early the next morning. As I slowly come to consciousness, I assess my body. It’s no overstatement to say that I feel fantastic, like I had an epic massage followed by the best sleep of my entire life. I’m relaxed and refreshed, and my mind is clearer than ever.
Also, for the first time in several years, I have a massive boner.
I’m not even exaggerating when I say I get tears in my eyes at the sight. Who knew I’d ever be so relieved to wake up with morning wood, but there you have it.
Out of nowhere, my mind recalls the rather explicit dream I had last night involving me and Wolf Boy. That only makes my dick even harder.
Grabbing some lotion from the side table, I quickly get to work relieving myself. When it comes to erections, I’ve long been of the “waste not, want not” mindset. I have to take advantage of this good fortune.
Of its own volition, my mind returns to that dream I had, the one where I was fucking Griffin while he was on all fours.
In moments, I’m racing toward my climax and when it hits, it’s like some kind of floodgate that’s been sealed for far too long opens inside me. Waves of pleasure wash over me, but all I can see in my mind is Griffin.
Fuck.
It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours and I miss him something fierce.
It’s more than I expected and confirms a number of truths I’ve been shying away from. If everything works out well with my ritual today, I need to confront my fears, and Griffin, when I get back.
After heading to the bathroom to heed the now imperative call of nature, I also clean up and get dressed in a pair of yoga pants courtesy of Griffin and a lightweight tunic my grandmother provided. I probably look a bit foolish, but I was touched by their offerings and brought them with me to wear for the ritual.
Lastly, I take a few moments to brush my long hair. I’ve contemplated cutting it, but when I mentioned the idea to Griffin, he looked like he was going to cry. The man loves my hair, so I’m willing to put up with the hassle of it for him, especially since he’s the one who has taken to combing and styling it for me. Dealing with my hair the few times I wake up without him is a small price to pay to keep that smile on his face.
Cal was so fucking on the money when he warned me early on that I’d succumb to the Wolfkin. Griffin’s adorableness has broken through all of my defenses in a way no one else has. Now I can’t bear the thought of making him sad.
When I move out into the main room of the temple, I find a woman already waiting for me. She’s got that same ageless look of most of the full sirens I’ve met. Her long hair is a dark purple color with threads of gold woven through it that sparkle in the light, and her eyes are a similar golden color. They observe me warmly.
“Good morning. You must be Shae.” Her voice is rich, and deeper than I expected.
I join her in the nest of cushions. “I am.”
She’s wearing a flowing tunic similar to mine and a long skirt. “I’m the Silverstorm sept’s Spirit-Healer.” She smiles. “You can call me Pearl.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Pearl. Thank you for agreeing to try and help me.”
“Of course. My powers are a gift, but my desire to help others is a genuine calling.” She reaches behind her and pulls out a thermos, then pours us each a cup of a steaming drink. “Before we begin, let us take a few moments to drink this tea.”
I sniff it, detecting an herbal scent I can’t quite pinpoint. “What’s in it?”
She smiles. “It’s a special tea used for this ritual that helps open your mind to what lies ahead.”
I blink. “Is this the tea version of peyote or something?”
She laughs. “Something like that. It won’t harm you, I promise. The tea also helps your body to ignore its desire for food. Once we enter the inner spirit plane, we won’t leave for quite a while. Fasting is necessary, but the tea alleviates any hunger pangs for the duration of our time together.”
As if to show me it’s safe, she sips from her cup first, and I follow suit. The tea has an herbal, almost medicinal flavor that I wouldn’t describe as tasty, but it also isn’t undrinkable. As we sip our tea, I shift awkwardly on my cushion. “So Coral didn’t really explain much about how this would work.”
Pearl nods and sets aside her empty cup. “The ritual is sacred and something we keep as private as possible among the sept. My powers, in part, manifest in my sirensong. My music will help you let go of the waking world and enter into your inner spiritual core. Once you’re there, my voice will still reach you and act as a guide to help you navigate and confront what lies within. I will shield and protect you while using my power to cast a healing balm on your mind and spirit.”
“Sounds very new-agey to me, but I’m willing to give it a go,” I say with a crooked grin.
I drain the last of my tea and set the cup down. Pearl nods with satisfaction.
“Excellent. Let us begin.”
As her sirensong wraps around me and I start to drift away, I dare to hope that the deepest parts of me can be healed.