Seth’s jaw tightened. “And what warning would that be? Coming into our pool without permission is a threat, not a warning. You should know that.”
“There are whispers of the siren, young one. If you do not end her now, the sirens will come for her and spark war. Is a woman who is not your mate worth the death of so many of your brethren?”
Seth’s eyes narrowed. What. The. Fuck. “Get your condescending asses and your warnings out of this pool, or I will show you the power that lies within my veins. And that fae up there? He has more power in his pinky than the four of you together.” It was a guess, but he was pretty sure he was right. With Tristan out of the water but in line of sight, he was far more powerful than swimming alongside him with the Kiss of Life.
“Take care of her,” the man said once more then lifted his chin. “Or we will.”
Seth growled and darted toward them. The others tried to move away, but Seth was far faster than he looked. His tail flashed out and knocked into two of them, breaking one’s arm and the other’s nose. His fist landed on another’s cheek and he twisted to slap his fin on the fourth’s side, most likely bruising the merman’s ribs. He’d done it in a flash, and soon, the small school swam away, stunned and hurting.
When he was sure they were gone, he shot up out of the pool and landed on his feet, shifting in mid air.
Tristan came up to him, his eyes wide, but he didn’t say anything.
“We have a problem,” Seth said, his voice full of anger.
“I figured,” Tristan said softly. “I think we should wake Amara and go. We don’t have much time.”
“No. We don’t. And it’s going to be harder than we thought.” And with that sentiment, he turned on his heel and walked naked to their room. He needed to get his mates out of there before another school approached. They needed to get to the siren realm and meet the queen. He didn’t know what they would do afterward, but if they didn’t do this, others would get hurt. They had to face this head-on, and he prayed that Amara would find the strength within her to stay by their sides. Because he knew she was strong enough. Only he didn’t think she did.
And that was dangerous. Could prove deadly.
Chapter Seven
Tristan did his best to not let his powers lash out, but it was damned hard when all he wanted to do was wrap his mates up in cotton wool and hide them from danger. Of course, that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon, and frankly, wouldn’t help much anyway.
“What do you mean you were attacked?” Amara gasped. She slid her hands down Seth’s now clothed body as if checking for injuries, then did the same to Tristan. “Why didn’t you tell me before we left Caly’s place? Instead, you just woke me up and tucked me to your side without more than a few words, saying we needed to hurry. You need to tell me things.” She looked at both of them. “I thought we already had the discussion of how I need to be kept in the loop. I might be the only girl in this relationship and the one who is newest to her powers, but I deserve to know everything.”
Tristan let out a breath. They were in the forest on the edge of the wolf den—Hunter’s den, actually—within the human realm. There wasn’t an easy way into the siren realm from the mer realm. If Amara had been born a siren, it would have been different, but as she hadn’t, they’d had to go through the only portal he knew of. And that was within the human realm. The humans, as they were diluted descendants of the paranormals, held all the portals to all the realms. They just didn’t know it. And most portals were such that one couldn’t just magically show up at the edge. The three of them needed to hike a bit to where he knew the portal had last been. He just hoped it hadn’t moved in the past century, or he’d have to call up Dante and the others and see if they knew where it was. He didn’t want to worry everyone more than they probably already were. Amara had called the girls to tell them what she was, but that was it. He was sure the old dragon and the others probably knew of the whispers and rumors, but they hadn’t contacted them about it. He knew if it came down to it, the others would come to their sides, but he didn’t want to risk them. Not yet.
“You deserve to know everything,” Tristan finally said. “But we needed to get out of there and to a place where we could talk.” He looked around at the trees around them. With Hunter’s den so close, they were relatively safe. This was as good a place to talk as any.
Amara folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. They’d taught her to hold her glamour so she looked like her human self, rather than the siren she was. Tristan also had a glamour on her, in case hers fell. She was still so new to all of this, and she’d readily agreed to his help.
“Don’t hold back, okay?” she said softly. “I know you guys want to protect me, and I get it, but I can’t protect myself if I don’t know everything.” Something passed over her eyes, and Tristan took a step toward her.
“What is it? What just went through your mind?” He reached out and cupped her chin. Seth stood on her other side, his hand on her hip.
“It’s nothing.”
He shook his head and pinched her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes. Her mouth parted and her eyes dilated. Interesting. He filed that information away for later and kept his mind on the task at hand.
“You can’t tell me it’s nothing after your little speech right there, little siren. We’re safe where we are for a bit.” He held up his hands, his powers reaching out to surround them in a protective ward. “What are you hiding, darling?”
She pressed her lips together. “Fine. The girls know, but that’s it. I don’t want to make a big deal about it, but if I don’t get it off my chest, you’ll just try to figure it out anyway.” She pulled away and wrapped her arms around her stomach. When he and Seth both moved to get closer, she shook her head. It burned, but he let it happen. If she needed to hold herself apart to get through what she needed to say, he’d let it happen. For now.
“Every time you talk about strength or protecting me, it just reminds me I didn’t have that before. I’ve never had it. My girls are my family. Why? Because the family I was born to meant nothing. I meant nothing. My mom killed herself when I was a little girl. Probably because she couldn’t take it anymore.”
Seth let out a breath beside him and moved closer. Amara held up her hand but their mate ignored it.
“I need to hold you. You’re going to have to deal with it.”
Tristan liked the firmness in Seth’s tone but didn’t move forward. He wouldn’t crowd her right then.
Amara let out a shaky breath. “My mom killed herself so Dad wouldn’t. He used to beat her, break her, use her. And when she died, he turned his…attentions on me.”
Tristan let out a growl and the wards around them pulsed a dangerous red.
Amara’s eyes widened as she looked around them, and then she met Tristan’s gaze even as she leaned into Seth. “He never touched me in that way. That came out wrong. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he bit out.
Seth gave him a warning look, and he tried to control himself.
“My dad beat me when he could and broke my bones. I was never strong enough to protect myself, and I couldn’t leave until I finished school. The authorities did nothing because he hid it well.” She swallowed hard. “And because I lied to them. He told me he’d kill me if I told anyone, and I believed him. I was young and stupid and broken. So I let him hit me. But when I grew up, I ran away. I didn’t have a home, I didn’t have a family. But then I met Lily and the others and they became the only family I had. I’m only telling you this because well, you’re both mine, and you deserve to know. And I’m telling you now because I need you both to know that I’m finding my strength. You don’t have to protect me.”
Tristan stepped toward her and cupped her face. His jaw ached and he unclenched his teeth. “You are strong, Amara. I don’t know why you don’t think you are. To survive what you did and be able to…be with us as you are, that is strength.” He’d almost said lo
ve, but as they hadn’t professed those feelings yet, he waited. “We will always protect you, Amara. But that’s not because we think you can’t do it yourself, it’s because it’s our vow, our duty, our hope that we do so. When you grow in your powers, you will do the same for us. It’s how matings work. We protect each other. I might be older than both of you by centuries, but I’m not so old as to think a woman can’t take care of herself. You are a warrior in your own right, and you will be a warrior in every way possible when the time comes.”
“As for your family,” Seth added, “the girls are your family. We are your family. And with us, you have more than one home. When we get through the siren…mess, then we’ll see how those homes work, but we’re it, Amara. You have us, no matter what.”
She licked her lips, tears filling her eyes. “You’re both my home. I know that now.”
Tristan shuddered then kissed her softly. “I love you,” he whispered. He stiffened, as he hadn’t meant for that to slip out, but now that it had, he was happy about it. “I love you, Amara. I wanted you from the moment I first saw you, but I loved you the moment you took a chance on the unknown.”
He turned to Seth. “And it’s the same for you. I love you, my Seth.”
Seth cupped the back of Tristan’s head. “I love you both.” He kissed him, then Amara.
Amara looked between them, her eyes wide, but a small smile on her face. “I love you both, as well. And I can’t believe I’m saying that as we’re hiding in a forest on the way to the siren realm. Nothing is how I thought it would be, but I’m happy.” She took a deep breath. “Now let’s get through to the realm and see what we must do. I don’t want to wait anymore for the bond. I don’t want to wait to see what the queen will do. I feel as though if we wait for her to come to us, it won’t end as well.”
Tristan nodded. “I agree.” He ran a hand over his chin. “The portal is close. I can feel it.” He met the others’ gazes and frowned. “I hope you two can feel it as well once we’re closer.”
“Well, you are older,” Seth said with a smirk.
Tristan punched his lover in the shoulder, and the merman just stood there. Damn.
Amara put her hands on her hips. “And when we get there? What are we going to do exactly?”
Tristan answered, “If I remember correctly, there is a roadside inn right when you go through the portal. It’s been a century since I’ve done so, but in non-human realms, things tend to move slower than the human one. We’ll still be a ways from queen’s domain, or rather where she gathers her people. That will give us time to regroup and make sure we’re…presentable for the queen.”
Amara shuddered but nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
He gripped her hand and let the wards fall around them. They wouldn’t be able to pass through the portal with the ward bubble around them, sadly. Tristan put Amara behind him and Seth took the rear. Amara might be able to fight a little, but she didn’t have the experience they had yet. He would just have to teach her. Because he’d be damned if he’d force her to waste away behind a locked door even if he had wanted to wrap her in cotton wool before.
They walked another half mile or so and Tristan sighed as the tingling sensation of a portal crawled over his skin.
“Wow,” Amara said from behind him. “That’s…different.”
“It’s your first real portal,” Seth said from behind them. “Or at least one we didn’t make since your change.”
“Let’s get through it before I change my mind and say we go hide in a cave somewhere until the queen forgets about me.”
Tristan turned around and frowned. “We can do that. We can hide.” It would go against all he believed in, but to keep his mates safe, he would.
Amara shook her head then lifted onto her toes and kissed his chin. “I’ll fight. I don’t know if I can do exactly what needs to be done, but maybe words will be enough.” She didn’t look like she believed it, but Tristan nodded then met Seth’s gaze. Yes, both of them understood. Amara wouldn’t have to kill the queen if that’s what it came down to. Tristan and Seth would. They were warriors, and Amara was not. Yet. There was no reason she should have to do something that hurt her when they could do it for her. As for a war between realms, that could possibly be avoided. If the queen were really out of favor like the others thought, and Tristan figured that had to be the case from what he knew, then his people as well as Seth’s should be safe.
He turned away from them once more and held out his arms. The portal shimmered once before fading away again.
“Well, hell.” He cursed again and closed his eyes, only to stop when Amara put her hand on his arm.
“I think it needs to be me.” She frowned as he looked down at her. “I don’t know how I know that, but I think I need to be the one that opens it. You need to preserve your energy, and Seth is still tired from fighting the school.”
“I’m not that tired,” Seth grumbled but sighed. “But I think Amara is right. She’s a siren and she’s going home, for lack of a better word, for the first time. It needs to be her.”
“And if the queen notices?”
“She’s going to notice my presence one way or another, we might as well get into the realm before we freak out.” With that, she held out her hands and scrunched her face. She had no idea what she was doing, but at least she was trying. Tristan couldn’t be prouder.
When she opened her mouth and began to sing, Tristan took two staggered steps backwards.
Her voice. The beauty. Holy shit.
“Amara,” he whispered in awe. Seth came to his side and put his hand on his shoulder.
“Holy fuck,” his mate said softly. “Now I know why men eagerly went to their deaths. Her song, Tristan. Her song.”
Her hair fanned around her, and though he couldn’t see her face, he knew he’d see the ink on her body, on her soul. She was a true siren, her song that of purpose and eternity. When the portal shimmered back into existence, she held out one arm and made a motion with her hand to bring them forward. He and Seth stepped toward her, gripped her hands, and took another step with her. Between one breath and the next, they found themselves within the siren realm, the portal shutting tightly behind them. Amara had stopped singing, her breath coming in pants.
“That was…unexpected,” she said softly.
He met Seth’s gaze and knew the other man’s thoughts were on the same path as his. If that was her power when she had no training, it was no wonder the queen wanted Amara’s line gone. Amara’s song spoke of a magic and ability that was immense in both greatness and strength. He’d wanted to fall to his knees and let her take him wherever she wished. It was only because he knew who she was beneath that power and how scared she would be to find out the depth of it alone, that he’d stayed on his feet. They would have to get her trained as quickly as possible. His friend Malik might be able to help with that as he trained many paranormals, no matter what realm they came from. But first, they had to deal with the queen.
Thankfully, the inn that he’d seen before still stood, and not much else had changed in this part of the realm. It looked like any part of the human realm, with its large fields and far off forests. However, the purple sky with swirls of moving stars was the only thing that spoke of the differentness.
“The queen’s castle is behind that tree line,” Tristan said. “We should be able to get a room in the inn tonight and head there in the morning. It will give us time to reenergize.”
“Let’s get it done, then,” Amara said, her voice still breathy. “I can’t believe I just sang. I didn’t know I could sing like that.”
“It’s inherent in you, and you will learn to control it,” Seth added. “But damn, honey, you were magnificent.”
Tristan agreed and took their hands. “Let’s get inside before we’re seen.” They went inside and met the innkeeper, a small older siren that looked at him curiously but kept her mouth shut. They got a room on the second floor—one where it would still be easy to jump out of t
he window if needed—and paid.
Seth sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as they walked into the room and locked the door behind them. “I’m going to go soak in the tub for a bit and reclaim the rest of my energy. I know it’s not the ocean, but it’s fine.” He shrugged, and Tristan walked over to him and kissed him deeply.
“We’ll be out here when you’re done.”
Seth winked, and Tristan relaxed. It seemed his mate wanted to make sure Amara and Tristan had time alone together. Goddess he loved that man.
Seth closed the bathroom door behind him, and Tristan slid the pack off his shoulders so he could face Amara. “You were beautiful out there. Powerful. I want you to understand that. Even with no training, you were power. I was in awe of you, Amara. I am in awe of you.”
She smiled at him then. “I kind of kicked ass, didn’t I?”
He licked his lips and leaned forward. “Yeah, you did, and you’ll only get stronger as you learn to use your gifts. I’m proud of you, Amara. I hope you know that.”
She lifted up on her toes and kissed his lips since he had leaned down so she could reach. “Being with you makes me stronger. Same as with Seth. We’re great on our own, but we aren’t whole. I know fate made the choice for us, but I’d have taken you and Seth as my own even without that.” She paused. “I wanted the both of you, I love the both of you, even if I don’t feel the tug, don’t feel the bond. That means something to me, Tristan.”
He cupped her face. “It means something to me, as well. Now let me make love to you, little siren. Let me feel you beneath me as I fill you up.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
They stripped one another slowly, taking their time to enjoy the touches, the feel of one another. Soon he was above her, his cock sliding between her folds as he teased her. She arched up into him and he took her nipple into his mouth. Her breasts were glorious, overfilling his hands and making him want to fuck them. Later, he promised himself. There would be time for that and more later.
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