Siren's Kiss (Seraphine Thomas Book 5) Read online

  “Feathers,” Gayle answered with a yawn. “Sorry, tired. I can find the best prices on ostrich feathers. I know how to make those big ostrich feather fans dancers use because buying them is a joke. Any of the decent ones are at least three hundred each.”

  “Damn,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Yeah, that can be the next step if that’s what we need.”

  “For now as time is limited, I will ask my queen, as I believe she didn’t want to be presumptuous and send everything you might need as if you were to be an offshoot of her Vegas shows,” Dain threw in, and I knew he phrased it like that for the leaders with us. “She was quite overjoyed to hear the elf family’s paperwork has gone through, and they are packing as quickly as they can to come to safety and their new lives.”

  “I’m glad. They can always go back for stuff, or we can arrange it through human contacts, so if they’re worried, tell them to get out, as nothing would be more horrid than being so close to getting out of the hot zone to not make it because they stuck around for things,” I told him. I was glad when he nodded. I didn’t mean to sound crass, as I was sure they had family heirlooms and whatnot, but it was still stuff. Their lives were more important.

  “I would suggest more fringe on clothes as well, as it tends to draw attention and give flare,” Vlad offered, being pretty damn helpful. “I believe several basic options for bottoms could be handled by either your college students or the Des Moines wolf.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Simone agreed, jotting it down. “She asked if we needed anything basic like sheer thongs and bras, and that can be built off of.”

  “Yeah, that works,” Gayle agreed, looking relieved.

  Deciding all of that and needing so much was how we ended up having an early morning family and extended meeting. It was before seven as we all met in the kitchen for a huge breakfast, including everyone in the house, the ancient vampires next door, the fairies on the other side of us and the ones closing on the lakefront property, and my three that lived a block away, plus some additional help that Gayle and Lillie had called in.

  “First, Gayle and Beth said they were sending links of things we need to get off Amazon or wherever,” I informed Leo, setting him at the other counter with my laptop since I’d already put the password in. He had memorized my debit card number for any purchases the boys needed that they didn’t want to come to us for.

  No, they weren’t allowed dirty magazines, but they couldn’t go to the mall like regular teenagers and get their own underwear, so Leo handled all of that stuff, plus he coordinated books and presents when they did well on tests. It helped that they’d all set up wish lists on Amazon too.

  “If he’s doing online, I would add Oriental Trading Company,” Margo Lewis suggested. “You can get a lot of cheap craft fillers, and I get a lot of basics for the jewelry I make, and yours is meant to catch the light, not be looked at up close, so you can get cheap and spray paint.”

  I gestured for her to join Leo, smiling at how many wanted to help. “Hagan and Reagan are meeting Nina and Jessica Powell at IKEA, as they’re both organization queens, Nina at her store, and I guess Jessica has a craft room most women would drool over. We could use help building what they buy there, and we’ve got some extra hands coming to the club to make one of the basement open storage rooms into a costume place.

  “That means shelves, hanging racks—remember it’s concrete down there, so don’t get anything meant to mount to drywall.” I rubbed my hand over my head. “I would think big containers for shoes, and we can group together by size or color. Hat racks for wigs and headdresses.”

  “I found a cheap one that can hang on the back of doors or would work on the shelves,” Leo offered, and I nodded for him to go ahead.

  “See if you can get some jewelry racks too, or maybe we need to put a few of those hanging bars in the dressing rooms with sliding hooks?” People nodded and added to lists. “Connie is looking at thrift stores today for fillers and stuff that can be cut up to make headdresses or fringe. Joan is meeting me at JoAnn Fabrics on the way into the office since she knows how to sew and what Gayle and everyone would need to help. And I guess some foam heads they can use as shaping models.”

  Once upon a time I would have said Hobby Lobby, but I refused to support any business that was anti-birth control and anti-abortion even for cases of rape, molestation, incest, or even when the mother had serious health concerns. They were also anti-gay and anti-paranormal, so yeah, no fucking way I was spending any money there. The whole paranormal community boycotted them.

  “Goran is meeting Beth at the beauty supply store she can get into because of her license. I would ask someone else hit that Chicago Airbrush place Gayle mentioned and get at least basics she can add to later. We need body paint, glitter, and dust—whatever. Basic colors can be mixed into others, so white, red, blue, black—”

  “Isn’t it racist to paint yourself black?” Tommy asked as his hand shot up.

  “Yes, if you paint your face to look black when you’re white, but this is for whole body and not to pretend to be black but art and designs,” I answered, carefully choosing my words. “We’re not mocking or mimicking anyone.”

  “But black people can paint themselves white?” he pushed, always so curious and wanting to know more and more, especially so he never hurt people after being raised so socially inept.

  “No, that’s wrong too,” Hagan explained gently. “It’s like how Sera refuses to watch that White Chicks movie because all it does is mock white blonde girls and it builds into hurtful stereotypes.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Tommy muttered, frowning. I opened my mouth to move on, but I should have known there was more. “So how is that different than when the dirty old man Reagan doesn’t like makes the women around him dress like bunnies? Isn’t that racist for us bunnies?”

  “Umm, no,” I answered, my tone not so sure. “That’s not mocking, but because bunnies are cute or attributes on people are sexy.”

  “So black people can’t be sexy? I mean, if you do it to not mock, but because you want to be sexier like when people tan, is it okay then? What about black people who think being lighter is sexier?” He looked so damn confused that as much as I wanted to help him, he was stumping me. I moved over to get more coffee, suddenly needing it. “What about when people dress as witches or Harry Potter stuff? Isn’t that racist against Nina?”

  “No, because that’s more like super hero or how I’m dressing like a goddess. It’s flattering, not mocking,” I offered, unsure of how to explain it without tripping up. “And of course black people can be sexy. Beyoncé is totally sexy. Tanning is different. Our skin can get tan in the sun, so it’s who we are. I don’t care about people lightening their skin because of their preference, but some people can find it offensive like someone’s trying to be white.”

  “Michael Jackson,” someone coughed. Well, that was complicated too.

  “Basically you have to figure out the lines yourself,” Leo interjected before Tommy rattled off more questions. “If you’re not mocking and it’s art or if it’s for cute or sexy but not mocking. Girls wear sexy nurse outfits because they think nurses are sexy and it’s not mocking. Time and experience teach you the lines, though no one’s perfect and someone is always offended.”

  “So it’s like you trying to park in the empty lot your driving practice is at? You figure out how to pull in the lines and not go over one way or another?” Tommy surmised, finally looking satisfied.

  “Yes, it’s like when I try to park,” Leo grumbled, hearing the slight. “You don’t always get it right, but you try to.”

  “Could you hurry up and get your license already? I want to start my lessons,” Jared complained as he put muffins in the oven.

  “Dear lord, I’m going to have six teenagers on my insurance,” I groaned, not having realized that before. “Good thing the club will make money, or I wouldn’t be able to afford that.” I cleared my throat to get to my next uncomfortable section. “Eve
ryone listed their sizes, and Margo is heading a trip to get open bras, which I guess give support but work for burlesque shows, and are getting stockings, garters—some items we need now from what everyone said.”

  “The rest we can work with the Des Moines wolf, as she does do lingerie,” Margo assured me.

  “And my queen has sent me information about the bulk providers her shows use for stockings and whatnot for going forward,” Dain informed me.

  Brutus and Zlat said we should split containers from the IKEA trip, so they were taking Tommy and Jared, while Hagan and Reagan took Alvin and Leo since they could help best, and finally Noah and Dain said they would take Cory and Ben since they were going to coordinate at the club and start mapping out where everything would go while working on sorting what we had to organize.

  Glad they were willing to do it because it sounded like my version of hell.

  But then I found out that was a fabric store with Joan Martin as she handed me more and more to go get so many yards of from the lady who cut lengths from the bolts and wrote down tickets for the register. The only fun I had was going off on my own when I’d hit my lace, trimmings, and fabric limit to get the spray paint. I got glitters and metallics and all kinds of fun. Joan laughed so hard when I came back with a big cart of it all.

  So that was the scramble Wednesday before that night’s preview, all of the dancers working hard to make things better, flashier but not trashier. Beth actually brought in a few hair stylists—because that was why she had her cosmetology licenses, she used to do hair—and they did a bunch of internet awesome types of braids or styles that were easy to change up for performances but caught the eye… Especially after they added some temporary hair streaking, which was genius.

  Stepping up in that way led to some suggestions for actual steps and stage daises that could be wheeled out and locked for some cool contrast in levels and extra bounce as they went up and down. The choreographer said it wouldn’t be hard to incorporate since there weren’t a lot of props or excess already.

  But how the hell did we swing that without risking someone getting hurt?

  Someone called the contractor the pack had. Nestor Martin, along with the Greek wolves on loan, the Betas, a bunch of women who knew what they were doing, and some of Simone’s panthers got to work with the lumber Hagan and Reagan bought with the boys. They had it built and painted by the Thursday night preview, but no one had a chance to practice with them.

  Which was what they did all Friday morning and early afternoon. Honestly, I was worried our employees might drop after the opening because I knew I wanted to.

  I woke up Friday morning and raced to my bathroom, puking up my guts with nerves. At least the makeup and hair would be fabulous, right?

  11

  I did actually take off Friday for the opening because there was so much to do last minute, and given the feedback from the preview, we really finalized the menu and desserts Thursday night pretty late. Which meant all hands were on deck because we were fully booked all weekend with those invited to the opening, including press that were given very clear instructions that nothing outside the dining room could be pictured or filmed, and if they tried, our security would fry their equipment.

  They hadn’t liked that, some probably coming to bash the fuck out of us, but too damn bad. They were getting everything for free and first crack at opening weekend.

  The thing I was really excited about was meeting Alena’s private plane at six in the morning. For never having a real parent, I had adapted quickly because of their love and help, and I honestly just felt better that Alena and Zeno would be here for the opening. It was crazy though; because of the flight time and time difference, she basically left Greece at three in the morning to arrive here at six on that same morning.

  I’m not sure why, but it just made me laugh like she was jumping the space time continuum by using her private plane to go that far or something? I mean, people adjusted to time zones on connecting flights, so it’s more leap frogging across.

  Yes, yes, I was super weird. We all had our stuff that tickled us.

  “Mom!” I called out when the door opened and I saw her. She smiled and came down the stairs, hugging me tightly.

  “You look much better than I was told,” she murmured in my ear, giving me an extra squeeze.

  “I’ve had some help, and knowing you were coming and you always fix everything has helped me hold it together.” I was going to say more, but I felt power with a capital P behind me, and without even thinking, I turned us so Alena was behind me as I faced whatever threat there was.

  Only to find a smiling, gorgeous woman looking down at me from the plane’s door. “She is protective of you, daughter mine.” Her accent was thicker than Alena’s. It would be hard for some to understand her, and it took me a second.

  I opened my mouth, but then froze, seeing the resemblance and registering what she’d said. “I apologize. I thought Alena, Zeno, and a cousin were the only family coming, and I’ve never felt power like yours. You ooze it.”

  “Like an infected wound?” she sneered, walking down the stairs.

  “Be nice, Mother,” Alena sighed. “You are unfamiliar with English dialects. Sera rarely says anything offensive.”

  “Except when I mean to, and I’m pretty blunt.”

  Alena chuckled and squeezed my shoulder. “Daughter, your grandmother insisted to come and see what you have built. It is rare she leaves Greece, but you intrigued her. May I present the previous Alpha of the Athens pack, Eva Dorcas, Matriarch of our bloodline.” It sounded like that last part was important like she was wolf supreme.

  And I believed it as she got closer. I gasped at all the power, baring my neck without a thought. “And no, I didn’t mean oozing as a slight. There’s just so much power in you that it leaks out, whereas I can lock it down, or Alena where it’s always simmering right at the surface. I don’t think any amount of control or anything could contain you.”

  “I like blunt,” she praised, leaning in and kissing my neck before rubbing my cheek against hers in a family way. “You are powerful for one new and turned. A fine replacement for the one lost. I came wondering if I would be angry with you for costing me a grandchild, but you are so moral and smell of life, hope, and our future that I find I cannot.”

  “I’m not a replacement,” I whispered, stepping away as pain flourished in my chest. “That wasn’t what happened or why I did it. I did it to save lives, and I am sorry for the pain it caused your family.”

  “Why is she hurt?” Eva asked Alena.

  “You almost implied it was a fight for Alpha as she had to when she replaced Engle here,” Alena explained. “Children are not easily interchanged.”

  “I did not mean it that way,” Eva assured me, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at her. “Children and grandchildren can never be traded or replaced. I meant it as how one says they do not lose a daughter in mating but gain a son.” She let out a sigh when I nodded, still a bit hurt. “Being as old as I am and having led for as long as I did, you give a piece of yourself up to do that job well. You understand this as protector and police. It costs you.”

  “Yes, it does.” I understood what she meant. “It makes you harsher to be able to handle what you have to instead of fuzzier sides to life, so take you with a grain of salt, as you have seen all that and come out the other side.”

  “You were right that her mind is astounding.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Welcome to our family, child.”

  “Thank you.” I felt my cheeks heat even as she let me go. I greeted Zeno with a hug, smiling when he kissed my cheeks and gushed he’d missed all of us. The next bump came when they wanted to go directly to the club instead of home where they were staying.

  “Nonsense, we wish to see what you have built immediately and help where we can. It is still early for your traffic, and we can take a break to see your home on lunch hours while your people practice or whatnot. Or we can rest there. Do not cater to u
s on your busy day,” Alena assured me. Theon and I shrugged; since they had too many people in their party for one vehicle with luggage, he had come with me.

  Eva, Alena, Zeno, Hestia—my cousin by marriage—and Phobie—the siren who had been infected and worked with others as a therapist—rode with me.

  “After some discussion on the flight and your mother showed me the social media discussions, we feel you should not be the one who does the feedings this opening weekend,” Eva declared moments after we left the airport and I was back on the expressway.

  “Why?” I asked, wondering how they’d gotten to that. But then it hit me. “People whispered about me not being there during the preview shows, but that was easily explained about handling this or that. If I’m gone for the opening ones, I might as well announce I’m the lone siren in Chicago many now talk of.”

  “Yes.”

  “I think that’s smart as long as no one minds filling in the show the way we have it set up,” I admitted, a bit worried that would fly.

  “We saw the picture with the litter and the robe,” Eva assured me. “The flare and showmanship of the act is fine. Maybe a test of riding in the litter so it doesn’t throw us, as I’m sure you did.”

  “You would do it?” I checked, shocked by that.

  “She insisted because as you’ve said, she oozes power,” Alena explained.

  I smiled, glancing at Eva. “And someone would have to be fucking stupid to come challenge a siren with your power, and that’s exactly what the rumors will say.”

  “You are very wise for one so young and new to us,” she praised, not hiding the tinge of shock in her tone.

  “Thank you, and you’re very protective of even your adopted family to worry about me so much without even having met me.” I laughed when she flinched. “I appreciate the concern and help, but I warn you, the robe picture is what Simone posted, but the robe comes off and I sit on the fancy throne completely naked, covered in body paint.”