Page 5 of Little Shake of Salt

I had, and Lucy wasn’t wrong.

Together, we let out a long sigh.

I shook my head. “You know, of all the monsters I’ve known, of all the battles I’ve fought, of all the pain and suffering I’ve lived through, and all the heartbreak I’ve endured—none of it can touch how challenging it is to be a father.”

“Or how rewarding.”

Despite feeling like we’d just failed our children, I smiled. “Yes. This is true. I am very proud of them. Even when they hate us.”

He chuckled, and then sat up, his gaze locking with mine. “We need to tell our mate. Maybe she can help Luca.”

Lucy had a point. Trixie always somehow knew what everyone needed. “She will be displeased with us.”

“Without a doubt.”

“Last time we displeased her was bad.”

“It was.” He hummed. “At least you’re helping another creature find their mate.”

“Perhaps it’s the only thing I’m good at.”

Lucy arched a brow, his smile turning salacious. “Now,Daddy. Don’t be so humble.”

I glanced around the cooler, amused. It’d been a long time since I’d used this to fuck Lucy in, but . . .

“Would fucking me into the floor like a dirty slut make you feel any better?” he teased.

“No,” I said. But, I snapped my fingers, taking us straight to our bedroom. I had him under me in a blink. “But fucking you like a dirty slut through our mattress will.”

1 /SIREN SONG

Demi

The rain came out of nowhere. One moment, it’d been all sunshine following me down the sidewalk. The next, roiling clouds bruised the sky, heavy with rain and thunder.

Lightning flashed as I reached for the front door to Creature Cafe, and I felt nothing but regret. I was drenched all the way down to my panties, andnotin the way I wanted to be. The little bit of mascara I’d decided to throw on last minute? That tube had to be at least five years old and wasnotwaterproof, so now I looked like a raccoon.

I caught my reflection in the glass and winced. I’d braided my hair, and even that looked bad.

This was already turning out to be the worst first date.

Damn it.

I ran my thumb over the backside of the ring around my index finger, the metal smooth and soothing. It was a habit, and one that I’d had for at least fifteen years now. This was the last thing my mother gave me before she passed, and I always wore it. Always.

Even with her ring on though, I could barely quiet my nerves.

When I’d gotten the call two days ago, I’d thought it was spam at first. It’d been very “Congrats, you’ve been chosen!”and I’d been absolutely sure it was a mistake. But then I was called fifteen times in a row, and when I finally picked up, I was greeted by a cheerful woman named Layla. I’d barely gotten in a word after that other than “Sure, I’ll go on a date with a monster.”

Monsters weren’t new to me. Two of my exes were monsters, and not in ahaha she was so toxicway.I’d dated a gorgon and a werewolf, and both relationships had ended messily. Well, I’d sort of kept a friendship with Rhea, my werewolf ex. I was suspicious that was how Layla got my number to begin with, given Rhea was close with the family that ran Creature Cafe.

Regardless, my dating history was kind of a nightmare, which I shared with Layla.

But, she’d insisted I had afated mate.

I knew all about fated mates. Well, as much as a human could. It sounded mysterious and fictional to me. But then again, monsters were real. There were stranger things in the world than the idea that I could be The One for a monster.

Did I think I really was, though? Absolutely not. I’d all but ruled out finding love for myself at this point. But I wasn’t too bitter not to give this impromptu date a shot.