by A C Warneke
“Aunt Cassandra saw something when she was visiting you last week that worried her,” Thea sighed, looking at her nails and obviously bored by the entire conversation. Out of all of her sisters, Thea was the one who most loved to be the center of attention, putting on a glorious smile when surrounded by her adoring sycophants. It had to be killing her to share the spotlight with Lexi.
Lexi glanced at her aunt and mother, wondering what Thea was talking about, “Nothing out of the ordinary happened when she came for lunch.” With a reluctant shrug, she added, “Well, she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off Cole and Dima but I figured that was because Cole was dressed in a purple poet’s shirt opened to the waist and Dima was barely dressed at all. It’s hard not to stare when those two are in the same room.”
“Yes, but you live with them and yet you’re not sleeping with them,” Thea’s cultured voice was bitter with more than a trace of acid, though she had never expressed any jealousy over Lexi’s living arrangements before.
“Thea, that’s enough,” her mother warned. Turning back to Lexi, her eyes swam with apologies; only, Lexi wasn’t sure for what she had to apologize. “It’s our fault for not figuring it out sooner but you see you were such a quiet child and when you came back from Cancun ready to take your place in the family lore you had Dima and Cole at your side. Naturally we assumed you were sleeping with one of them.”
“Try both of them,” Thea snorted.
Lexi was quiet, trying to digest what her family was saying and failing to understand the significance. “And why would that matter?”
“Well, you see, there are varying ways the Siren gene expresses itself, as well as varying... degrees of Siren-ness,” her mother said slowly, trying to figure out what to say as she was saying it. “Because I happen to be a Siren, you and all of your sisters are all touched by it, naturally.”
“Naturally,” Lexi agreed simply because she had no idea what else to say.
“We just assumed you only got a smidgen of Siren blood,” Charisma continued, visibly distraught at having to have the conversation. “Since you used to shun the spotlight.”
Lexi nodded, remembering how her sisters loved preforming in the school plays, and how adept they were within their social circles. But what did that have to do with her? She’d rather have been caught dead then have to get up on the stage and say her name. Thoughts were raging through her head and her scalp was itching but she ruthlessly ignored it; she had the feeling she needed to concentrate completely on the conversation she was having because it was all very random, what with the talk of her extroverted sisters, her dotty Aunt Cassandra, Sirens, and sex. “All of you are the life of any party.”
“It’s more than that,” her mother said. “People, men especially, are drawn to us and there are certain things we can do that… increase the attraction. It’s the allure of the Siren.”
“Of course it is because why wouldn’t it be?” Lexi couldn’t take anything they were saying very seriously because Sirens were a myth, to explain manatees and shipwrecks. Standing up, she started to leave when the waiter appeared with her wine, his puppy dog gaze traveling to Agatha with devotion.
“Thank you,” Agatha murmured, dismissing the poor man with a smile.
Lexi could only stare as the man handed her the glass and then blissfully made his way back to the kitchen. Looking at her family, seeing their expectant expressions, she exhaled, “Come on; that doesn’t prove anything. He’s a waiter; he's doing his job.”
“Thea?” her mother said while holding Lexi’s eyes.
Thea preened, straightening her shoulders and thrusting out her generous breasts. With a demure smile, she met the eyes of a distinguished older gentleman across the room and with a come-hither glance, she silently invited him over to the table. When he arrived, he stood proudly before them and cleared his throat, “Ah, the lovely Rudnar women and Ms. Beauregard; it is a pleasure to see you looking so well this afternoon.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lenao,” Thea purred. “That will be all.”
Lexi shook her head as the gentleman left, a loopy grin at odds with his dignified mien. “Still doesn’t prove anything. Mr. Lenao has always been friendly. Now, if you could make Mrs. Lenao act as graciously I might believe you.”
“Oh, sit down, Alexandra,” Thea growled.
Lexi sat and then glared at her oldest sister, “You did not make me do that.”
Thea looked startled for a moment and then the whole table chuckled softly, the tension of a moment before eased. Reluctantly, Lexi smiled, “So, it’s a sort of mind control?”
“No, not at all,” Aunt Sophie smiled. “It’s simply the Siren’s allure; her… influence. We cannot make anyone do something they truly don’t want to do; we can only… nudge.”
“Until we push them right off the cliff.” Lexi shook her head, torn between laughter and pulling her hair out by the roots. Luckily, the green wig prevented the second option. “Say I believe you about being a Siren, or whatever; what does that have to do with me? As you said, I was an awkward child, preferring my books to the limelight.”
Aunt Sophie and her mom exchanged looks again and Lexi slammed her hands down on the table, “Would you stop doing that? I’m not a child; I can handle whatever you have to tell me.”
“We think you might have a little bit more Siren blood in you than we first realized,” Charisma said slowly. At Lexi’s blank expression, she caught her lower lip between her teeth and frowned, “You see, the Siren gene is passed from mother to daughter but not every female shares the same... gifts. Those with a higher concentration of the Siren gene tend to be exceptionally monogamous while those with a lesser concentration tend to be… more adventurous.”
“Such as sleeping with two men at the same time,” Lexi ground out, hating that her relationship with Cole and Dima could be made to sound so base. She wished she had slept with them – at the same damn time – just to piss Thea off if nothing else. “So, you thought it would be better to let me live in ignorance of my Siren heritage while I fucked my way through the city’s population of men. Why? Did you think I would use my allure to rape an unwilling man?”
Her mother blushed, “Of course not, Alexandra. We thought it would be better to not burden you with what it means to be a Siren if you weren’t one. If you had been sleeping with those two boys, then our concerns would have been minimal because you exhibited normal, if not a little bit more adventurous, behavior.”
“And what does it mean to be a Siren?” Lexi’s head was spinning. “And why do my sisters know about this and I don’t?”
The three girls blushed and avoided her gaze as her mom explained, “They were informed of their gift when it was becoming apparent they were unduly influencing members of the opposite gender in their teens. We are informing you now because you seem to be a late bloomer and your bloom is extraordinary.”
The side of Lexi’s mouth quirked upwards in a half-smile at her mother’s description, “So, what difference does it make if I’m a virgin?”
Lexi had to close her eyes and count to ten as her mother and aunt exchanged another look. When her aunt spoke, she spoke slowly, “Well, it has to do with True Love.”
“What rot,” Lexi scoffed. “Love is not foretold, or fated; it happens.”
“For normal people,” Charisma said. "For Sirens, it is more. Fate tends to bring love into our lives....”
“So you were all virgins when you found your True Loves, or whatever?” she asked her sisters, looking around the table and seeing the flags of color on all but Penelope’s cheeks. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“Our Siren blood isn’t as powerful as yours,” Thea sneered, glaring at Lexi with such venom. “Aggie and I could fuck a thousand guys and be fine; you’ll be lucky to fuck one.”
“Thea!” Charisma scolded her eldest daughter. “Language.”
“It’s ridiculous to be having this conversation in a public place where anyone could walk by our table and hear what w
e’re talking about.” Lexi spoke in a low voice as she slammed her hands down on the table. Leaning in, she lowered her voice even further and hissed, “It’s ridiculous to be having this conversation at all; Sirens are a myth.”
“They’re not and the reason we are having this discussion here is because you’re less likely to freak out if other people were about,” Penelope said gently. “If we were at the house, you would have retreated to your bedroom by now.”
“Or flown back home to your precious Dima and Cole,” Thea sneered.
Lexi turned on her oldest sister, “Are you more upset at the thought of me fucking them or the fact that I haven’t and now I’m some sort of super Siren?”
“It’s not fair that you get any of the Siren’s allure let alone the lion’s share,” Thea seethed, glaring hotly at Lexi. “You’ve never wanted the attention and now, whenever you walk into the room, hardly anyone pays attention to the rest of us.”
Lost, Lexi looked at her mother for confirmation. Charisma sighed, “We started to notice it when you returned from your trip with the boys but we assumed it was the outfits , the persona of 'Lexi Darling.' But now, we believe otherwise.”
“Why bring this up now?” Lexi threw her hands up in the air and shook her head that was aching with a headache that kept growing with each word spoken. “What in the world could have possibly have happened that changed your mind?”
“You made coffee for Cassandra,” Aunt Sophie said softly.
“Yes, I can see how that would lead one to the conclusion that I was a Siren,” Lexi said with heavy sarcasm. Grinning, she rolled her eyes, “Was it my affinity for the water or my ability to pour it into a cup?”
“Oh, do shut up, Alexandra,” Thea rebuked.
“Make me,” Lexi shot back. It was amazing how quickly she reverted to a teenager whenever she was around her sisters, especially Thea.
“Girls, enough!” Her mother’s admonishment quickly silenced them. Several heads turned to see what the commotion was about but not being able to hear what was being said, they quickly lost interest. Unless that was the influence of a table-full of Sirens. Lexi still wasn’t sure if she believed their tale or not.
Heaving a sigh, her mother looked at Lexi with pity, “By nature, Sirens are not aquatic creatures no matter what the myths say or however much we enjoy the water. Our ancestors originally came from a small, Grecian island that has long since disappeared. So, no Alexandra, it wasn’t your affinity with the water that caused your aunt's alarm; it was your interaction with Dima.”
Lexi thought back to that afternoon and could think of nothing out of the ordinary that would have caused such a stir. Sure, Dima and Cole were more affectionate that most people were perhaps comfortable with but she had grown to love their hugs, their friendliness. Some days they were her oxygen and she couldn’t breathe without one or the other. Shaking her head, she said, “But nothing happened.”
“Exactly,” Aunt Sophie said. “You were singing, Dima came into the room and started kissing your neck, and nothing happened.”
“Of course nothing happened.” Lexi was appalled at the implication. “Aunt Cassandra was sitting right there; I may do some crazy things but I’m not going to have sex with my best friend in front of my aunt.”
“But according to Cassandra, and by your own admission, you have never had sex with your best friend,” her mother said gently. “Or anyone else.”
“Of course not,” Lexi scoffed with a little huff of laughter. “No one has interested me in that way until….”
“Until when, Alexandra?” Aunt Sophie asked softly, leaning closer, her eyes wide.
Lexi turned her head and slowly met her aunt’s eyes and suddenly she didn’t want to be there anymore. Standing abruptly, she grabbed the wine and slammed it down, wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand and wincing as the taste registered. “I’ve got to go.”
“Alexandra, wait,” her mother said, standing up as well. She wrapped her slender fingers around Lexi’s wrist, holding her daughter in place. “Did you meet someone?”
A slightly hysterical laugh burbled out of Lexi’s mouth even as she shook her head, “Of course not. Is the Siren song a myth or is it real, too?”
“It’s very real, I’m afraid.”
“That would explain what happened in Cancun,” Lexi chuckled to herself. She knew she wasn’t making any sense but, damn, her entire world had been flipped onto its head in the last hour or so. Here she was nursing a hangover, looking forward to a relaxing luncheon with her family, maybe have a daydream or two of a certain sexy stranger that she was never going to see again and Wham! suddenly she’s a Siren.
“What happened in Cancun?” Penelope asked softly, perhaps realizing how close Lexi was to losing it.
“It was an open bar and an open mike,” Lexi murmured automatically, the world blurring as tears filled her eyes. “Cole, Dima and I got up on stage to sing and the moment I belted out my part the entire bar went dead silent.” She laughed without humor, “I thought it was because I was so horrible that I refused to sing another note and left the bar.”
“What happened after you left?”
Lexi huffed a laugh, “Apparently there was an orgy but that doesn’t prove anything. There was a lot of alcohol involved and you’ve seen Cole and Dima…. It doesn’t prove anything. I really have to get out of here.”
“But, Alexandra, there’s so much you need to learn,” her mother protested.
Aunt Sophie put a restraining hand on her sister’s arm and held Lexi’s eyes as she spoke, “Let her go, Char. Alexandra, you know you can call any of us when you’re ready or if you have any questions.”
Thank you, Lexi mouthed the words and quickly made her way out of the country club, not caring who she bumped into in her haste to leave. She was going to go back to the house, take a long, hot bath, and make Cole take her out for a night on the town. Well, just a movie because she just wanted to escape for a few hours and not think at all.
*****
As they left the theater, Ashley put her hand in the crook of Duncan’s arm, leaning against him as they walked. “Where are we going for dinner?”
“I have reservations at the Prague,” he answered. “Unfortunately it is just going to be desserts and a drink since I have some work to catch up on.”
“What is so important that we can’t have a full meal?”
“I bought a magazine,” he said. “Since I’m meeting with the staff on Monday I want to go over my notes so I’m prepared.”
“I’m sure you’re already completely prepared,” she sighed. “Let’s have dinner than you can come over to my place tonight; maybe spend the rest of the weekend with me?”
“I can’t,” he said with an apologetic smile. “I have too much to do before Monday.”
“Damn it, Duncan,” she growled. “It’s been almost a month since we’ve copulated and that was only because there was a full moon; I’m practically a born-again virgin.”
He laughed at that statement. “I know for a fact that you didn’t go home alone last night.”
“What’s a mere human when compared to an Alpha?” she pouted, nudging him with her hip as she looked up at him and grinned unrepentantly. “He hardly counts at all; just like your interlude with the blond.”
Looking down at her, ignoring the dull ache in his gut when he thought about Lexi, he said, “After my meeting on Monday I’ll take you out for lunch and we can see where things go from there.”
“Promise?” she asked, the hope apparent in her voice.
“Yes,” he nodded. It was counter-productive to think about Lexi; she was completely ill-suited as a prospective mate and he should be focusing on his future, which meant looking for a mate amongst the wolves. Which meant concentrating on Ashley the wolf and not the elusive Lexi the human. Deliberately, he draped his arm around Ashley's shoulder, “And don’t worry, Ash; you’re still the front runner in my quest to find a mate.”
She rested her han
d against his chest and sighed, “It does make the most sense, doesn’t it? It’s just… I don’t think I’m ready to settle down just yet. I’ve finally bonded with my wolf and we are enjoying our freedom.”
Duncan bit back his sharp retort regarding his thoughts about the insanity of bonding with their wolves. Forcing a smile, his voice came out rough, “I’ve noticed.”
She threw her head back and laughed, the sound sensual and earthy. And completely wasted on Duncan. Last week, he would have taken her in his arms and covered the saucy sound with his mouth, absorbing it into his body as a prelude to a round of hot and heavy sex. Now, it just amused him. “Surely you remember how sexual you became when you first bonded with your wolf, wanting to hump just about everything in sight and having the ability to do so? The rush of power and the animal sex is exhilarating.”
He didn’t tell her that he hadn’t bonded for that very reason; he wasn’t going to be ruled by his hormones like some beast, some wild animal. He learned his lesson when he was fifteen and started the bonding process; his wolf had run wild and nearly brought Duncan to his knees before Duncan ruthlessly got him back under control. And until last night, he had remained perfectly sane and rational.
Some awareness made him lift his head and he stopped dead in his tracks. Lexi was standing not fifteen feet away from him, her eyes closed as she remained blissfully unaware of him. It didn’t matter that she was leaning up against another man, his gut tightened and his body went on alert.
Her hair was glossy and light brown, pulled back into a high pony tail, with a few wisps curling around her face, making her appear fresh and wholesome. Instead of leather she was wearing jeans that caressed her body and a simple, white t-shirt, the outfit emphasizing her feminine curves. Intuitively, he knew that this was the real Lexi, the woman beneath the blond wig. While she wasn’t as exotically gorgeous as she was before, she was a thousand times more beautiful in her natural state. A million times more appealing.
