Page 58 of Siren’s Secret

Now it was Wave’s turn to blink and try to figure out things. “You mean… but how… why would you…” She rubbed the temples, the headache intensifying. “You can’t mean you don’t shield your core at all times?”

Both men looked at her like she had sprouted a second head and maybe some demon wings. Wave blinked and shook her head.

“Morsel,” Risha finally choked out, “that’s not normal. Or healthy. Why would you do that? Who would tell you to do that? And how the hell are you even capable of doing that?”

“When do—” Jarred cut himself off and glanced at Irishen and cleared his throat before starting again. “When did—”

The worry and wariness radiating from Jarred finally made it click for Wave. She locked eyes with him and smiled softly. “At first kill.”

“You’ve literally never—” Again Jarred cut himself off.

Clearly frustrated, Risha threw his hand into the air. “Would you two like me to leave, since I’m clearly not part of this discussion?”

The echo of his feelings reached Wave through the bond loud and clear. He was hurt. And he had every right to be. He had told her everything. Answered her every question. Through the bond, she had sensed how much of his pride and heart he had laid bare, not hiding back all the mistakes he had made.

Esserieh’s warning rang in Wave’s ears, but still she found herself speaking. Chances of this ending well were minuscule, especially with Hellion and Marc digging into things, but the need to lay it all out here, reciprocate the vulnerability he had shown, was too strong. If her bonded mate betrayed her, what was the point of anything, anyway?

“Wa—” Jarred lurched forward.

“Siren’s power matures at first kill. I’ve been shielded from birth.”

Chapter 30 – Irishen

The words hung in the air, and Irishen had a hard time comprehending them.

“What?” he gasped.

“Sirens gain their power at first kill. I received mine as a couple-of-hours-old infant,” Wayla said.

“Siren? You are a siren?” By instinct, his shields flared up, and he flinched back.

Wayla turned ashen when his shield pushed at her, and Irishen’s mind finally turned back on. The first thing that registered to him was the feeling in the bond. Wayla was bracing for pain, expecting it. Her breathing was shallow and eyes too wide, skin too pale.

Then Irishen heard the menacing rumble. Slowly, glacially slowly, Irishen turned his head and faced the massive shifted jaguar staring at him, muscles tense, ready to pounce. That was a beast ready to defend its mate, a breath away from attacking.

Siren.

He realized he had waited too long to say anything or pull his shields down when he felt the mate bond twist and fray. Wayla was pulling her feet from his lap, face dispassionate. There wasn’t even the tiniest flicker of life in her eyes. With every heartbeat, the bond felt more distant.

Panic clawed at his insides, and he grasped her wrist in a viselike hold. He wouldn’t let her go.

Wayla froze. Literally, ice coated her skin, and wind roared inside the room, rattling windows.

Massive jaws clamped over his arm and the jaguar bit down. He would have torn Irishen’s arm off if Wayla hadn’t reacted to the echo of the pain. Somehow it was that pained little moan, almost inaudible, that broke the stupor over his mind.

“Morsel, fuck, are you all right?” He tried to see her arm, an irrational fear that the wounds on his own arm somehow were transferring to her arm.

The jaguar growled again but released his arm when Irishen dropped his hold on Wayla’s wrist.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, avoiding his eyes. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered.

Irishen couldn’t follow her train of thought or all the feelings in the bond that was still fraying. “Sorry? For what? Wayla, stop, please. Give me a fucking second.”

“Telling you was a mistake.” She shook her head. “A mistake. I’m sorry. I never should have. So fucking stupid,” she rambled on and scrambled up from the couch.

“Wayla, wait,” he tried to say, but the second Jarred moved out of the way, she was moving.

“Sorry. Never should have taken the bond. Not without telling you and that was a mistake,” she said, while moving away. When Irishen tried to rise up, the jaguar blocked his way. “The bond…” Wayla rasped. “I’ll break it. Set you free.”