Songs and Fins

by B. Kristin McMichael

  “Exactly what I got us,” Jax replied as Whitney was squished shoulder to shoulder between Jade and Jax.

  “So is this boyfriend a no show?” Jade asked, still trying to get more information out of her.

  “I doubt that very much,” Whitney replied.

  “Are you sure he wasn’t that cute guy we passed back there on the way in.” Jade was nodding her head to the insanely huge guy standing at the side of the stage. His arms were bigger than Whitney’s thigh and covered with twice as much ink as Jade. Really not her type, but maybe he was Jade’s.

  “No. I haven’t seen Sam yet, but I’m sure he’s here.”

  “Sam. That doesn’t sound too threatening,” Jax added, still worried that her boyfriend would be mad that she had him as a friend. She wanted to tease him more, but he seemed genuinely concerned.

  “He will be fine with you. In fact, I think he’ll be happy I made some new friends and that I’m not alone while he’s gone,” Whitney replied. That much she hoped was true.

  “Yeah, about that. Why is he away?” Jade asked curiously, like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

  The music started as two guys walked on stage playing dueling guitars. At least now the question session would be done. It was way too loud right near the stage to hear anyone talking. Sam wasn’t going to be on the stage for a while, and Whitney decided to enjoy her time with her new friends as they danced around to the music.

  It had been years since she had snuck off to a concert with friends. It was strange, but fun to be in the crowd now with her new friends. And it was so different. The last time she had been a night human she had to be so careful around anyone, as she would want to feed off them. Now all she had to be careful about was singing along with the songs she knew. That part was good too since she had only recognized one song so far. Jade bumped into her shoulder and mouthed words to her. Whitney squinted at her friend in the darkness that took over the stage now.

  “I said, do you want to go get something to drink?” Jade yelled from next to her, and since the music had stopped, Whitney could actually hear her.

  “Who’s up next?”

  “That one we’ve heard about all over school,” Jax replied for his sister.

  How he could hear over the noise was beyond Whitney. Being so close to the stage made everything louder, but it was her night human abilities that were making her ears ring because of the noise. Her better hearing wasn’t really an advantage at the volume that had been pouring through the speakers only feet away from them.

  “Then we’ll have to go get drinks after their set,” Whitney added as the dimmed lights faded for a moment of complete darkness, and she could feel Sam getting closer.

  Whitney’s heart began to flutter knowing he was only feet away. Before everything that had happened with being turned into a night human, just the thought of him could make her cheeks turn red, but now it was worse. She thought bonding to him would make that go away, but obviously, it didn’t. Thankfully it was so hot with all the people standing around that no one would comment on her flushed cheeks. Well, hopefully, no one would. Jax was watching the stage and dancing around with Jade and Whitney, but there was something about him that reminded her of all the night humans she knew that were cats of some sort. He was dancing, but at the same time studying the world around them like there was a secret to be found.

  Whitney wanted to ask Jax why he seemed so worried, but instead, she couldn’t help but turn as the voice on the stage began to sing. From the shadows, Sam walked out looking every bit the rocker from his strategically ripped jeans to his too tight black T-shirt that showed off way more than Whitney wanted anyone else to see of him. She couldn’t help the small flare of jealousy in her, and that was when Sam turned to her and gave a slight smile, right in the middle of his song.

  Sam and his band mates continued to play, but he never took his eyes off her. Her jealousy faded easily, feeling across the bond that there was nothing to be jealous of. Sam didn’t notice a single other person in the room, even though it was filled with people screaming for the band. As the song finished, Jade poked Whitney in the ribs.

  Finally realizing that her friends were looking at her strangely, Whitney turned to them.

  “I get he’s hot, but, man, you can stop drooling,” Jax complained. “You have a boyfriend, after all, and I doubt he would appreciate you staring at another man.”

  “If a guy that hot was staring at me like that, I’d be drooling, too,” Jade replied. “Won’t your boyfriend be jealous when he finally shows up?”

  The beat began as the next song started. Whitney tugged on Jade’s arm to pull her closer since it was so loud. Whitney didn’t get a chance to say anything as Sam stepped to the edge of the stage and held out his hand to her. Jade’s mouth dropped open. Whitney was able to get out one last thing before Sam pulled her up onto the stage.

  “My boyfriend,” Whitney said quickly and laughed as Jax pounded Jade on the back to stop her surprise. Jax laughed at his sister as Sam whisked Whitney away. Whitney would have laughed, too, but as soon as she touched Sam’s hand, the world around her faded away. That feeling from the weekend before was back. Everything seemed to fit right into place, and it all felt right.

  CHAPTER 4

  Sam hadn’t meant to pull her out of the audience. He just couldn’t help it. She was there watching him sing, and it was the closest he had been to her all week. All he wanted to do was touch her, instead of the hunters that had been surrounding her. He felt threatened as he knew exactly who they were. He was sure that they didn’t know who she was or they would have killed her by now, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t change their minds at any moment. He didn’t feel safe with her there, and before he knew it, he was on the edge of the stage pulling her up to him.

  Without hesitation, as the music continued playing and he had a fifteen-second break from singing, he pressed his lips to hers. He didn’t need to remind her she was his, but he did feel like he needed everyone else to see it. Especially the hunter guy that was standing way too close to her for Sam’s comfort. Whitney responded to the kiss by running her soft hands through his hair, tempting him to cancel the rest of the concert and run away with her that instant.

  ‘Finish up here. We have all weekend together, right?’

  Whitney had seen where his head had gone. Sam grinned at her and remembered to put his mental shield up to keep her out of his worrying thoughts.

  ‘Fine, but promise me to stay right here beside me?’

  ‘You couldn’t pay me to leave,’ Whitney said, going up on her toes and kissing the side of his cheek as he reached back for the microphone.

  Sam was lucky he didn’t have any new songs to sing. Everything felt normal for him, and after the hundreds of times in practice and probably a hundred more times on stage, Sam was fine singing without really paying too close attention. He didn’t have to worry about his siren side as he had complete control. He did try to do his best, though, and the guys rolled their eyes every time they caught his gaze drifting to the side of the stage where Whitney now sat. Part of him still wanted to impress her even though he already knew she was his. Luckily, a stagehand had grabbed a seat and placed it where he could continue to watch over her.

  When they finally finished their set, and the audience cheered for more, Whitney was nodding along. He couldn’t refuse her anything and easily agreed to another song. He had made it through the show, and that was too long to go without touching her, so he walked over and pulled her from her seat as he sang. After all, it was a love song that they did as their encore.

  Whitney swayed to the melody as he wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her near. He felt her heartbeat increase as did his own. Closing his eyes, he finished the song with his forehead pressed to hers. No amount of begging from the fans or otherwise was going to keep him on the stage any longer. He waited a full week to be back with Whitney, and he wasn’t about to waste another moment.

  Pulling her with him
, Sam exited the stage without a look back.

  ‘Wait, I have to tell my friends where to meet me,’ Whitney told him. ‘Or they will be worried you stole me away.’

  Sam huffed as Whitney ran to the side of the stage and leaned down to tell her new friends where to go out back to meet up. Sam wanted to say no, but he had no reason to, and it might draw suspicions. The guy already looked suspicious of everything as it was.

  Whitney returned to his side, and Sam slid his free arm around her waist, keeping her close. They made it backstage with all of its assorted mid-show chaos, and he pulled her off to the side as he slid his guitar off his shoulder. Mark was close enough for Sam to reach out and hand it to him, before he pulled Whitney into a dark, quiet corner.

  “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to get a kiss from you?” Sam asked her, trying not to let his desperation seep into his voice.

  “Then kiss me already,” Whitney replied with a twinkle in her eye.

  Sam didn’t need to be told twice as he dipped his lips down to meet hers. He had spent over a year watching and longing for her; he’d proven he could be a patient man if he wanted. But following his father’s order was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Sam wanted to blame the bond for the feelings running between them, but it was so much more than that. One year of watching now meant a lifetime of needing her near. He couldn’t directly disobey his father, but he was working on a plan to get back to the mainland. He needed to be close to her, and he needed to keep her safe.

  Groaning, Whitney pulled back.

  “We really need to meet up with my friends. They’ve been giving me crap about my boyfriend being imaginary,” Whitney explained.

  Sam wanted to tell her who her friends were, but the happiness in her eyes made him reconsider. It had been especially hard on her since she’d returned to the mainland, and the two hunters seemed to bring back the old Whitney, driving away the sad one he saw sitting on the shore only days ago. He had to appreciate that much, but he still didn’t feel safe with them around her. For now, he would be there, and she would be safe. He’d let her see her friends and then take her back to the island to explain everything.

  “So, new friends …” Sam left the rest of the sentence for her to explain as he draped his arm around her shoulder and wove them through the bustle of people backstage.

  “Yeah, there’s a bit there to talk about, too. Seems Trudy, Tina, James, and Noah now all want to be Amber’s personal servants. She left me a note that said since I took you, she was taking them.” The sadness in Whitney was creeping back in.

  That explained a lot now. Whitney loved her friends, and even though they were greens and she was technically above them, she didn’t care. He loved that about her. She was different than the siren he left behind on the island.

  “I didn’t know.” Sam tried to console her as he felt her sadness grow. He would take care of that before they went back to the island. One phone call was all he needed.

  “Please don’t,” Whitney said, pulling him from his thoughts as they turned the last corner before heading outside. “This is my fight. They’re never going to respect me or treat me as an equal if you take care of everything. Yes, people listen to you, but you can’t be around all the time. Teach me how to get them back instead.”

  Ouch. That hurt more than Sam was ever going to admit to anyone. His love for Whitney was so strong that he never wanted to do anything but protect her, and her pointing out that he couldn’t be there all the time stung. It was his worst fear that he wouldn’t be there when she needed him the most. He was already failing her as her mate.

  Whitney stopped walking before they could go outside.

  “Sam. I love you, and love that you are willing to do anything for me, but you have to understand. If there’s ever going to be a place for me on the island, I have to find out where I fit in. I can’t have it be where you force everyone to accept me. They would only resent me for that. I need to learn how to do it on my own.”

  Gosh, he hated how smart she was. There was no arguing against that. She was right on point. The siren would only respect her if she held her own power.

  “Why do you have to be beautiful and smart? I’m never going to win.” Sam was only half complaining. He loved both those parts of her.

  Whitney walked out into the cooler evening air to find her friends waiting by the roped off back of the building. She turned to ask Sam to let them in, but he was already waving to the security guy to let them pass. Jax led Jade over to Whitney and Sam.

  “So I figured that I should introduce you guys to my boyfriend,” Whitney told them as they neared.

  Sam held out a fist to bump before Jax or Jade could respond.

  “Thanks for coming out to our concert tonight and thanks for bringing my girl with,” Sam told them. His words sounded friendly enough, but Whitney felt the feeling behind them. He wasn’t actually thankful or being friendly.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she immediately asked in his head.

  Sam smiled at their guests as Jax responded, ignoring Whitney’s question.

  “The riff in the second song was perfect,” Jax told Sam.

  Sam nodded and led him back inside as they began talking about the music. It seemed like there was definitely more behind Jax than Whitney knew as they began comparing notes. Jax knew his music almost as well as Sam, and it likely wasn’t the first time Jax had heard Sam’s songs either.

  Jade grinned at Whitney as the girls followed the boys back to one of the rooms where Sam was introducing Jax to the rest of the band.

  “Okay, now I get why you don’t date anyone at school. If I had a rock star boyfriend, I wouldn’t be looking either,” Jade teased.

  “He actually went to our school until recently,” Whitney replied, catching Jade completely off guard.

  “What?”

  “He had to pull out of school for the band and family stuff, but I’m hoping he’ll make it back and I can finish up my senior year with my boyfriend there.”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Turning, Jade gaped at the guys where they sat still talking music. “If he went to our school, then the other two …”

  “Yep, they’re there all the time, too.”

  Watching Jade’s mouth drop open made Whitney’s day when her friend finally realized who the guys were. She stared at each guy as the light turned on in her eyes.

  “So if I get this right, your friends didn’t just ditch you for the popular table, but two rock stars, too. Okay, that’s making more sense.”

  Whitney forced a smile and a nod even though that had nothing to do with it. She wasn’t sure her friends knew about the whole band thing. The guys all seemed to keep it quite the secret.

  “Bus is ready,” some burly guy said as he entered the room and looked at Sam. Sam nodded to him.

  “Sorry we have to cut this short, but we have to get back to the studio. Our manager is pushing for a new album,” Sam explained to Jax.

  “Not a problem,” Jax replied. “Where are you guys playing next week?”

  “We finally get a week off,” Mark answered for Sam. Sam nodded along, but Whitney had the distinct feeling that Sam wasn’t sure of the schedule.

  “Bummer,” Jax added. “We’ll have to catch you the week after.”

  “If mom’s still in town,” Jade added.

  Whitney glanced at her friend. She hadn’t mentioned moving on so quickly, but with all the places they’d lived, it made sense that they moved often, maybe without much notice.

  Jax appeared to be disappointed. “I suppose, three weeks is a long time. She might be done with work by then. Eight weeks is our average stay, but I think she was planning for this to be a short one.”

  Jade nodded, not quite looking as sad as Jax, but close.

  “Thanks for the ride up here,” Whitney added as the guys stood and started to make their way out of the room. She turned to her new friends and gave Jade a quick hug good-bye. “I’ll see you two on Monday.”

&n
bsp; “Have a good weekend,” Jade said as she wiggled her eyebrows and bumped Whitney’s shoulder with her own. Jax bumped his fist to each of the guys as they walked in the opposite direction where the bus was, in the parking lot.

  Whitney went with the guys back to the bus. It was strange that it was only a little over a week ago that she had been with them on this exact bus hiding under a seat to find out what they were up to, but it felt like a lifetime ago. So much had changed since then. Before she was a siren, and Sam knew, but the guys didn’t know a thing. Now they did, and it was strange too as they walked directly to the back of the bus.

  “You guys going to join us?” Mark asked, jumping in the hot tub.

  Sam looked at Whitney.

  ‘Your choice,’ he silently told her.

  Whitney thought for a second. Yes, all she wanted to do was climb into Sam’s arms and stay there as long as she could, but at the same time, she wanted to sit in the water. Her tail was itching to be out. Grinning, Sam pulled her that way without an answer. He already knew she wanted both and wouldn’t decide easily, so he was doing it for her.

  “I don’t have a swimsuit,” Whitney commented as Mark and Leo already sat in the tub with their legs as fins. “And what about the normal girls you bring with?”

  Mark looked at Sam, and he shook his head. Whitney barely caught the interaction, but now she was more than curious.

  “What?”

  “No girls tonight,” Leo replied, taking the attention back to him. “We weren’t sure if you’d be comfortable with it, now that you know about us and all.”

  Whitney gave them her best “really” face. She knew about them last week, and it didn’t bother her, so why would that change anything?

  “We didn’t want you to feel strange or like you couldn’t come sit with us,” Leo continued. He wasn’t convincing her much. Though, that much she would give him. Sitting in a hot tub with a bunch of groupies that were probably going to spend half the ride in la la land while being fed on by bloodsucking mermen was a bit awkward for Whitney.