Page 13 of Little Shake of Salt

She knew I would return to her, like the tide always returns to the sea.

I took a sip of my tea and shook my head, angry with myself. Angry with that Layla girl too. I didn’t sign up for this. I didn’t sign up to be fucking mated to a mermaid. And not just any mermaid, aprincess.

Last night, I dreamed about her. Dreamed about swimming in the depths and feeling her smooth palms over my hips. Dragging my tongue over her scales to her slit and getting a taste of her, salty and sweet. Maybe Marina was sending these dreams to me to taunt me.

The bite mark on my shoulder had healed quickly, but it pulsed every time I touched myself. It was already a silver scar, and every time I undressed, I found myself staring at it.

Lightning flashed over the choppy waves, sea foam spraying against the sides of the cliffs. Since Friday morning, storms hadn’t stopped plaguing the area. It’d been raining non-stop. I’d texted a couple friends who knew more about Creature Cafe than I did,contemplatedtexting my werewolf ex since she knew that family, but then talked myself out of it. Texting an ex about a new date wasnevera good idea, even with Rhea.

“Fuck,” I sighed.

I felt like I was running a fever. I was horny in a way I’d never felt before, and an hour with my vibrator this morning didnothingfor me. Had the siren cursed me? Was this part of the damn mating bite?

I rubbed my neck, goosebumps prickling over my skin.

I wanted her. That’s what possibly pissed me off the most. I wanted her to take me back to that cavern and fuck me against the beachrock floor. I wanted to braid her hair and kiss her andtake careof her, even though she was clearly a menace.

Curiosity was going to be my downfall.

I kept stewing as I finished my cup of tea and made breakfast. Every few moments, my gaze would find the window, always searching for her moonlight hair bobbing amongst the inky waves.

I looked back down at my right hand, and the silver ring that gleamed there. I missed my mom all the time, and now was especially one of those moments. I loved my dad, of course. He was one of the best men I’d ever known, and I was thankful to have been raised by him. But he was no help when it came to matters of the heart and romance. My mom was absolutely the one to capture that man, and he’d been one lucky son of a gun that she’d picked him—and he knew it too.

It wasn’t like there was a guide to having a monster girlfriend. I wished that there was. It didn’t matter that I’d already had two, Marina was different from Abigail or Rhea.

Once again, I contemplated texting Rhea. Our relationship had been messy, but that was mostly because we hadn’t been right for each other, and now shewasa friend. Plus . . . well, shehadfound her two fated mates, last I’d heard.

That was something else that had always irked me about fated mates. It was hard when you were dating someone, but they were always searching the room for someone else. The one, or ones, who fate had supposedly gifted them. And when it wasn’t you, it hurt.

And now that it was me? I was scared and restless and felt like I was losing control of my life.

Reluctantly, I picked up my phone and scrolled my contacts until I found her name. I’d never taken off the giant red X emoji next to it, but I still pressed the call button.

Three rings, and she picked up. “Demi? Are you calling me on purpose?”

“Yes,” I sighed. “I have a problem, and it’s your fault. Well, maybe not your fault, but definitely someone you know’s fault.”

“You mean Layla,” she sighed. “Yeah, I already heard. Gods, the last few days have been a nightmare. Were you at the cafe Friday morning?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“So you were there whenithappened.”

“Well . . . I don’t know what you mean byit,” I said, frowning. My gaze drifted back to the window. “I, uh, well. I had a date. With a mermaid. Her name is Marina. We were in the cooler and she pulled me into the water through a portal.”

Rhea startedhowlingwith laughter. My expression flattened with annoyance.

“I need you to know everyone was very confused because you left your panties and combat boots.”

Oh, fuck me. I’d forgotten about my clothes being there. I massaged the bridge of my nose. “Right. Um. Okay. I guess I should get those, huh?”

Rhea snickered. “Maybe you should, Demi. So tell me about this mermaid. I don’t know many merpeople. Why are you calling me if it’s not about the cafe?”

“Shebitme,” I said. I rubbed my neck, ignoring the way a trace of pleasure shot up my spine.

Damn it. This bite feltwaytoo good, even just from touching it.

Rhea gasped. “Really?”