Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
Shae’s List of Life Goals
11. Get a tattoo. Maybe to cover the scars on my neck.
(Addendum: Perhaps getting some kind of matching tattoo with all the members of MEOW Squad if we could manage to come to an agreement on what image to get!)
Shae
My last few days here on the island are spent swimming, relaxing, and fooling around quite a bit with Griffin. I spend time with my grandmother and aunt too, of course, but the libido I feared might be gone forever has been fully revived, and now my cock is making up for lost time.
While spontaneous erections might sound like fun, I’ve discovered they can also be stupidly inconvenient.
And fuck if Griffin doesn’t inspire most of them for me. The man is too sexy for his own damn good—and it’s like he doesn’t even know it.
Granted, he might not. While Griffin is always quick to compliment me, he tends to be rather harsh on himself. He’s made it clear that he doesn’t consider himself to be very smart, and from what he’s told me of his family, they always made him feel inadequate when it came to their expectations. It’s one of the reasons I’ve latched on to his obvious praise kink and have been nurturing that—hard.
The man is utterly gorgeous and so fucking cute I can’t even handle it. His sensitive nature and tender heart have managed to win over deeply scarred and cynical me, which is a testament to just how amazing he is. But he doesn’t fully see it. So I plan to make sure he does, no matter how long it takes.
Then there’s our mate bond, which seems to get stronger every day, especially in terms of my carnal need for Griffin. Now whenever I look at him or his unfairly adorable smile, I get hard like I’m seventeen all over again.
Nevertheless, we haven’t fully gone all the way yet. We’re exploring things together slowly, and I’m taking time to discover what I like and don’t like in the bedroom.
Or the ocean, for that matter.
I seem to have a bit of a sex-in-the-sea kink of my own.
My grandmother even winked at us one morning when we’d come in from an early dawn pleasure-fest out in the water.
“Oh, to be young again,” she said wistfully before sipping her morning coffee.
I covered my face and groaned while Griffin beamed with pleasure.
“Be careful with your mate, Shae,” Coral had added. “While sexual activities in the water are very natural for sirens, it’s not always the same for other species. Be sure to spend some time getting frisky on land, as well.”
Talk about embarrassing.
As for the fated-mate bond itself, Griffin has been oddly reticent about explaining what we need to do to officially confirm our status as consenting, permanent mates. I did learn that just verbally accepting the bond isn’t enough; there’s more involved, but he’s not telling me what yet.
He’s assured me it’s nothing that needs to be rushed into immediately and that we can wait until we’re back home. But after all his efforts to win me over, why is he being so vague now?
I asked my grandmother if she could enlighten me more, but she told me it was something private that Griffin and I needed to discuss, not anything to worry about. I suspect they’re both being protective after all that I’ve been through, but I feel like I’ve found parts of myself that were lost for far too long, and I’m doing better than I have been in years.
Now that I’ve made my decision, I want to see it through. When it comes to these types of big life-altering choices, I don’t second-guess myself once I’ve chosen my path. I go all in.
And I am definitely all in on Griffin McIntyre.
Coral was right. Griffin is nothing like my father and neither am I. He and I complement one another so well. Being with him is as natural as swimming in the ocean for me.
Now I want to swim in the waters of life with Griffin by my side.
Oh, god. Now I’m thinking all kinds of cheesy schmoopy thoughts, which I still find kind of gross, for the record, but also kind of awwww !
It’s a conundrum.
On my last day on the island, Coral and Anemone prepare a private coming-of-age ceremony for me—many years late, but that doesn’t matter. We make our way to a small field with a circle at the center that’s lined with stones.
“Is this a fairy ring?” I ask.
Coral gives me an amused smile. “No, but something similar. This is the center point of a magical ley line that runs through this island.” She gestures toward the circle. “Step inside and you’ll feel it.”
Griffin bounces on his toes. “Ooh! I can’t wait to see what superpowers you have!”
I roll my eyes but can’t stop a smile from curving my lips. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it’s not like I’m going to become some overpowered MC in a battle-themed manga.”
Even though my inner child is rooting for that.
Griffin starts humming happily to himself and I start when I realize it’s the theme song to Sailor Moon .
Laughter bubbles up in my throat, and soon I’m gasping for air and clutching my sides as I dissolve into giggles. This man is ridiculous and wonderful—and he’s totally perfect for me.
When I can finally breathe again, I lay an intense kiss on him before pulling away. “We are totally going to watch all the classic anime shows together.”
“Right on,” he says with a grin.
Brimming with confidence, I step into the circle.
I imagine stepping on a live wire is somewhat similar.
It’s as if my feet are anchored to the ground and the powerful ley line is feeding me energy through the soles of my feet. The sheer intensity of it all is staggering. To my relief, it doesn’t hurt. Rather, it’s as if I’m being supercharged.
Okay, my childhood Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan fantasies might be momentarily resurrected during all this.
Then, just as quickly as it began, the moment is over. The magical energy recedes and eventually goes quiet, leaving me a bit dazed and confused in the middle of the grass circle once again.
“You may exit the circle,” Coral tells me.
I manage to do as she says, but far from gracefully. In fact, my legs are quite wobbly and Griffin has to catch me before I face-plant on the ground.
“Whoa, there!” he warns, his sexy tanned arms wrapping around me.
“Come here.” Anemone gestures to us and we go to stand with her and Coral in front of the largest of the stones lining the circle.
To my amazement, words start to appear on the rock, but they aren’t written in English.
I frown. “What does it say?”
“It’s written in the old siren tongue,” Coral explains.
“Most of our sept are taught it growing up,” Anemone adds. “But Tempest may not have had a chance to teach you before…” She trails off, a regretful look on her face.
“It explains what your powers are,” Coral offers with a smile. She points to the first line of script. “This indicates your sirensong has the power to enhance emotional responses of those who hear it. You can inspire sorrow, joy, lust—whatever you desire.”
“Wow! You’re so cool,” Griffin says, squeezing me tight.
I pat his arm. “Thanks, Wolf Boy.” I give my grandmother a quizzical look. “How exactly would I provoke such responses with my singing?”
“You’d need to experiment with your sirensong to find out, but generally it is shaped by your intent. Focus and purpose are key. Maybe try experimenting on your friends back home if they’re willing?”
It all feels rather vague to me, but I nod.
“I’ll totally volunteer, babe,” Griffin says, his tail wagging enthusiastically.
God, he’s adorable. So adorable that I really want to fuck him. I’ve been thinking about that a lot ever since our little skinny-dipping adventure.
Dreaming of it too.
Coral points her finger to the second line of writing. “This bit is particularly interesting. It says you possess a very rare talent among our kind known as the Voice of Truth.”
“What’s that?” Griffin leans forward, his eyes shining with obvious anticipation.
“It’s a form of compulsion magic. You can use your voice to compel others to speak the truth, even when they don’t wish to.”
My mouth drops open. “Uh…”
Griffin’s eyes are huge. “I knew it! You totally have a superpower.”
Coral regards me with a serious look. “The Voice of Truth can be a dangerous gift depending upon how it’s used. Forcing others to speak truths they’d rather keep hidden can be violating and can lead to unwanted enemies. You’ll need to think carefully about how and when to use such a special talent.”
Griffin grips my hand tightly, his whole body vibrating. “This is perfect , Shae! A power like that would be a huge help to MEOW Squad if you decide to join us. You could use it on bad guys to get critical information about people in danger who need our help.”
A slow grin spreads across my face. “And I could use it to force my father to reveal where my mother is.”
Coral grins back at me with satisfaction. “Exactly. He’s not someone whose feelings deserve any consideration. Forcing him to tell the truth against his will is appropriate karma if you ask me.”
I have a few other ideas about who else I can use my power on as well. But first, I need to figure out how to use said power.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Coral says. “But I’m afraid I don’t have a simple answer for you about how to use the Voice of Truth. I can provide you with a book that contains information about others who’ve possessed the ability in the past though.”
Well, nuts. I suppose this won’t be as easy as I was hoping it might be.
But I don’t care. I’ll devote the time and practice until I figure out how to use my power and enact the justice my mother and I deserve.
“Promise me you’ll all be safe,” Coral says.
Our little group is on the dock, preparing to board the ferry to head back to the mainland. Haku returned last night after word was sent to him and has joined me, Griffin, and my aunt and her drake, Lucy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to meet Haku’s family, but that just means we have to come back for another visit soon.
“I promise we’ll be safe, Grandma Coral,” Griffin pledges to her before wrapping my grandmother in a tight embrace, his ears twitching and tail wagging.
It hasn’t been difficult to see his open affection for her and my aunt, even in the short time we spent together on the island. He explained to me how Coral had already welcomed him into the family, and he’s been truly touched by how kind and inclusive everyone has been with him.
Given what little I know about his own fucked-up family, I understand why my grandmother’s and aunt’s immediate acceptance of Griffin has carried so much weight with him. Also, by coordinating the healing rituals for me, Coral has basically entered Griffin’s good books for life. I suspect he’ll make sure we come back to the island for regular visits, no matter what. We may even move here permanently someday, but not yet.
There’s too much I need to take care of first.
We say our goodbyes and my grandmother waves us off as the ferry departs.
Haku heaves a wistful sigh and I reach up to stroke his head. It’s comforting to have him perched on my shoulder again. Even though we’ve only been apart for a week, I’ve missed him.
“I’m sad to say goodbye, but I know we’ll be back again before too long,” he says.
“You had a good visit then?”
He chirrups in my ear. “It was wonderful.” He nuzzles me and sniffs at my ear. “You smell different. You smell healthier.”
I explain how I underwent the purification and healing rituals, and his eyes widen. Then, to my horror, big, fat tears well in them. “M-Master Shae! I’m s-so happy for you.”
I start to panic, lifting my sleeve to awkwardly wipe at his tears. “Don’t cry, Haku.”
“I’m just so relieved. I’d suspected your grandmother had something like this planned but…” He sniffles.
I pat his head. “Everything turned out far better than I could have imagined. It’s as if I’ve finally been able to return to my true self and escape the internal shackles my father, Margaret, and Bella still had on my mind and soul. What happened to me will always be there, but it doesn’t dominate and overshadow everything else like it once did. I have the ability to start moving forward rather than being forever trapped in the past.”
That’s the best I can explain it for now.
Haku bobs his head. “And you’ve had your coming-of-age ceremony and tapped into your full powers. Congratulations!”
I still have a long way to go in figuring out how to use those powers, but I’m beginning to feel like things are starting to turn in my favor.
Griffin moves to wrap an arm around me, and I lean into his side.
“Are you sad to be leaving?”
“A bit. But I can always come back.” I smirk. “Besides, I kind of miss our ragtag little family back home.”
“I’m sure they’ve missed us too.”
I glance over at my aunt, who stands a distance away from us, staring out toward the mainland as the island gradually fades behind us. “Do you think she can help us?”
Griffin shrugs. “I’m not sure, but I think she needs this.”
Initially, I was surprised that my aunt decided to join us, but Griffin explained the situation to me. While I understand her desire to find her sister, I’m not sure how well she will adapt to being on the mainland since she hasn’t left the island in years. However, she assures me that some of her talents might prove useful to us and our efforts.
I can only hope she’s right.
Time is running out, dear old Dad. I’m coming for my mother and I’m more than willing to go through you to get to her if that’s what it takes.