Siren's Kiss (Seraphine Thomas Book 5) Page 30

  “After working with them and seeing they have need for a team like mine, that will also give the lead in to train a team for that office, which is where we also need people for. But once we do that, once we get the area stabilized and this shit with the humans handled, Virgil’s in a good spot to help a lot of people—even that community if they weren’t so stupid.

  “He’s got farms that could be booming with fairy families and employ a lot of wolves. Elves for the cows or whatever, but yeah, if there’s a mix of community and they protect them and the law does what it’s supposed to, then we can all actually prosper.”

  “You just want a reason to come visit me as soon as possible,” Virgil teased, and I burst out laughing.

  “Yeah, that’s it. You got me. Not like I have too many men here that I can’t even handle, I’m leaving the state to go woo more.”

  “That was kind of mean,” he griped, pouting, which the others found amusing.

  “What about others besides wolves?” Diandra asked. “There are two panther clans here, but there are others that have none in that area.”

  Virgil scratched his head. “I’m not against helping some cats come to Memphis, but again, I think it depends on what they can bring to the table. None of us are in a situation where we can just bring in families and adopt them like kids and take care of them. It’s sad but true. I can’t put something like that on my pack when they’ve got enough problems.”

  Diandra nodded. “What if I found a clan of panthers that were farmers? Could learn cotton or could help at a greenhouse if the fairies set up another one down there?”

  Virgil shrugged. “I’m not against it as long as they knew even if they’re their own clan, if we’re signing for the visas, I’m still boss for that year while they get acclimated. They can’t just come in and do whatever they normally would and put us at risk. After that, fine, they’re their own clan and yay, more friends in Memphis. But our asses are on the line if we sponsor them.”

  “He’s right, and it’s sad that those who bring more to the table will get out first, but people can always find something,” I interjected before she maybe got angry. “That elf family came to me after talking to Queen Laila and laid out why they would be a benefit to our community. That’s how that worked and why we were willing to take the risk. Now, that doesn’t mean we can’t adopt here and there.”

  “Agreed, like if you find some solo or orphan wolves that need the help, we could give it,” Virgil said firmly. “We’ve done it before. But families and certainly packs get problematic, and if we’re going to take the risk, they need to understand that. We have enough problems here already that it’s not up to us to save the world, so if they want our help, they need to want it and prove it.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, I still have an Alpha in New York that wants me dead and sent a hitter after me. That was months ago. I haven’t even had a chance to deal with that mess.”

  “I believe Hestia will be of some help in that area,” Alena hinted. I smiled. Of course she’d brought someone in to handle so many different areas. Help me with subterfuge, help Hestia get more power and learn how things worked in America, and then she’d help with sending extra of their wolves for when she went in and took over.

  Awesome.

  “Yeah, I’m on board with that plan, and it’s one less thing off my fucking plate,” I agreed with a chuckle, shaking my head.

  “This is all good and gives us a definite area to start,” Diandra sighed with relief. “Good, and it will also get everyone off your ass for helping the fae.”

  “You know, no one should ever be on my ass for helping anyone,” I bitched. “Some wanted me dead when I tried to make the system better, Alpha and law enforcement, now they’re on my ass about this. Enough. I get they’re council, but enough.”

  “And if any touch my granddaughter, they will have me to answer to, as you know Greece has its own council and ways and she is of our bloodline,” Eva warned her, power in her voice and flooding the room. “Make that clear to your colleagues and that it is because of Seraphine and her good heart that has led us to be willing to help.”

  “I will make that clear,” she promised, her voice catching with the power in the room.

  Laila took that as the time to change topics. “Dain has told me you have a wonderful chocolate factory, Virgil. I would like to taste a sample of what you offer to check it is up to our Vegas standards, but then I see no reason we could not switch providers of the chocolates we leave for our guests.

  “Especially if your cotton farmers are open to switching to fairy cotton and bringing in fairy workers under the pack’s protection. They would have guaranteed purchase from the fairy material company I am starting with Seraphine and her family.” I blinked at that one, but she simply nodded to Alena like they’d worked out a deal in my favor. “We are building what we need for the material to be processed.”

  “But you need different types of cotton and sheep wool you get from fairies and elves on the farms,” he muttered, bobbing his head. “Yes, I heard about that.” He kept bobbing as we all took a few moments to eat. “There is a good deal of closed down or bank owned farms. If you front the costs for the land like Sera did for those elves and they can buy it back from you in a year, then we’ll give them pack protection.”

  “As long as they employee some of your wolves as well?” she checked, and he frowned. “Wolves do not do well as sheep farmers? They handle cows.”

  “Lamb in wolf form is just so damn tasty, but yeah, we can handle it just fine.” I shivered, and he gave me a funny look. “You don’t like lamb or animals as a wolf?”

  “She doesn’t eat steak if it isn’t so well done their grandchildren are scorched,” Tristan informed him as he walked up to the table. “I hate to interrupt, but I have to leave soon for work and training some new people. I was hoping to get my time now.”

  “We could do that,” I agreed after a moment, sliding out of the booth.

  “Bring your food. You didn’t get to eat enough. I just want lunch with you.”

  “That’s it?” I asked, raising a shocked eyebrow.

  “Yeah, Sera, that’s it,” he chuckled. “We’ve barely spoken in months. I just want a chance to get to talk with you.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, grabbing my sandwiches while he took my drink. He led me over to a table on the other side of the restaurant and sat down, his own food and some extra there.

  “How are you?” he asked gently after we got settled. “I mean, how are you holding up after a crazy opening like that and fucking terrorists coming after the boys?”

  I was going to brush him off, but then I saw he was really worried, and I used to love how I could be honest with Tristan. But then that reminded me why I wasn’t so honest with Tristan. “You’re confusing me,” I blurted, sounding as stupid as I felt.

  “How so? I told you in Vegas I loved you. Why are you so surprised that it’s true months later? Do you not feel anything for me anymore?” He let out a shaky breath as he reached over and took my hand in both of his. “I miss you, Sera.”

  “I miss you too,” I admitted. “I miss you all the time, and I don’t think it’s the bond I miss.” I slowly pulled my hand away. “But things are different now, and I don’t know if we can get past what happened.”

  “You threw me out and I left—”

  “I told you to stay at Vlad’s,” I snapped, lowering my voice when I remembered others were around. “I meant for the night to go get your head together. You came back when I got hurt and said you needed time. Fine. I told you to take it, not leave the state. Not run off for almost two weeks. Then you came back, and fine, the bond made you flip shits, but that was a pretty bad meltdown at the cook-off, Tristan.”

  “It was, and I’m mortified about it. The only thing I would have done the same as me without the bond was deck Havers.” He chuckled when my mouth fell open. “Sera, he loves you, and he was pissed at me. What he said—I don’t know any man who wouldn’t de
ck another guy over what he said. I probably deserved most of it, but not from him.”

  “Fine,” I sighed, shaking my head. “In Vegas, you still seemed clouded by the bond. We said we needed time away from it to both see how we felt. That was the last we talked. I don’t get why you’re pushing now?”

  “Because I want you to know I love you still before there’s no room for me in your life,” he whispered, wiping his eyes. “I’m not judging the amount of men drawn to you, I am too, but there are only so many damn days in a week.”

  “I know that,” I snapped, hating he was verbalizing what I already felt about my life. “Adding another one seems stupid, doesn’t it?” He frowned at the pointed question. “You said you weren’t sure you could keep up with my life, wanted to, now that you knew more of it. Has that even changed? It didn’t seem to have changed in Vegas.”

  “Yes, it’s changed. My life is boring now, and you did that. You brought all this excitement and life, and now I miss that. I’m not saying I ever want to move into your house, that might be too much crazy for me, and it hurts that Noah lives there.” He held his hands up in surrender at the look I shot him. “You’re right that Noah becoming more integral to your life was my fault. I’m not picking on that, I’m just being honest.”

  I let out a heavy sigh. “Tristan, I don’t know how this would even work now that you’re back with Vlad. I cannot trust him. He’s shown that, and even if he’s behaving now, he’s upset at my putting him in the corner as everyone keeps calling it while I say all I’m doing is making him follow the law, but whatever. Either way, you’re his now.”

  “Who says Vlad has to know?” he murmured and moved closer. “Why does anyone need to know what’s between us? You have a life, fine, I have my own, but if we miss each other, then there’s something here. Don’t shut me out, and we can deal with what comes later.”

  A thrill raced through me at the idea of being with Tristan again, but more than that, my siren was overjoyed at the idea of an illicit, secret affair with someone we cared for and had lost, begging to be ours again. I licked my lips as I studied his eyes. “What are you suggesting? People would talk. My place or yours, people would see and talk and certainly if we were out in public.”

  “I told Noah I would take off duty help one night a week here. There’s no reason I couldn’t slip into one of the hot tub rooms before then or after, as you are the owner. Who would know? Who would know if we met for lunch somewhere none of our friends go? Chicagoland is a big, big place, Sera. I’m not talking about just sex, because that would make what we have cheap. Yes, I want sex, but I want you.”

  “Okay,” I found myself saying. God above and idiots below help me, but I found myself saying it.

  Damn fucking ducks and my siren and hormones.

  23

  Opening weekend ended up being a complete smash from the shows to the food to the hosts… All of it. We had so many write ups and glowing reviews I swear Simone got high off of it. Sure, we had some assholes tear us down, but that was based on their closed minded and supposed “morals” about who we were and what we did. The actual reviews, valid ones, were amazing.

  Councilwoman Diandra Haton left with the transports, and once back at the secret Shifter Council facility, they extracted so much information from those men that we were glowing again with praise and so were they for their help. Which made them warm and fuzzy towards me—for the moment at least—for setting it all up. It also made Brian and I look damn good that we’d been involved in snagging some international terrorists.

  We used that to make the Memphis visit idea work, and it seemed that local office wanted it because they were sick of their hands being tied to help members of the community, even if they weren’t human. Awesome.

  Virgil left, but I’ll be seeing him soon. Nothing can ever really be there but fun. And he is fun, sending me dirty texts or pictures now and again that just make me laugh at the audacity.

  Jason left too, and as much as he will always have some piece of my heart, it’s better to not be around each other all the time or anything more than flings. He’s too fucking competitive. He was annoyed I got so much praise for my part when he brought it all in, let me know when people crossed the border, blah, blah, and oh my god what a baby.

  He was still hot, and he could definitely sing, and he would always be my first love.

  Eva decided to stay awhile, shocking Alena and Zeno into comical stunned silence when she announced that. Apparently she not only rarely leaves Greece but hasn’t ever really vacationed anywhere alone like that. I think she saw more than others and how badly I was drowning and needed the help, wanted to be a part of the family. Plus, she’s a good filler Alpha for when I have to visit Memphis.

  Honestly, I think she plans on doing a lot with the pack and is having fun feeding at the goddess shows and even giving lots back to the pack to help. She’s sort of amazing and really loves the boys, so yeah, nothing wrong with having probably the strongest wolf in the world come hang out and help us.

  I really liked my spoiling day and not just because of the massages and sex. Yes, that was fun, but that wasn’t the point or what it was about. It was nice to work towards feeling on the same page with the growing number of men in my life and letting them help me, seeing they wanted to help me.

  Luca is moving in with Dain, Alok, and Tasar since they all know him and I’m not okay with letting a stranger get a room at my place and confuse the boys. He understands. The funny part was when Dain asked me what I wanted, meaning with Luca, I told him I wanted my room sound proofed, thinking it was more a “what could make my life easier” sort of question.

  He promised to see it done still, and then we handled Luca.

  The baby shower was a success. It was a trip meeting so many of the Chicago Bears, even after the evil Mrs. Evans was booked and thrown in lock up for everything from blackmailing a federal agent to falsifying police reports that she confessed to and cleared that poor patrolman.

  But our friend Mrs. Evans spread word quickly, and the club is booked every Sunday for brunch for months from bridal showers to baby ones and even fancy brunch holiday or birthday parties. Again, Simone’s happy, and the amount of money they bring in is obscene, so she figures we’ll get our startup costs back in no time.

  Once some of the guys talked about getting rewards from me, the others asked for theirs too. All Dain asked for was to keep with his meal plan and let him teach me yoga in the morning. Fine, a few times have been naked yoga at his request, but that still relieves my stress.

  Brian asked to cuff my hands in the dungeon, and I immediately agreed, to everyone’s shock. Hey, half of the thrill I had with him was he was my boss and was good at taking charge. Fine, I was too, but I didn’t always have to. I missed that with him, and he was damn good at it without being some dipshit Dom type I didn’t like. I knew there were non dipshit Doms, but I only seemed to find dipshit ones.

  Plus, it isn’t something I’ve done before, and I’ve been having fun trying new things. As much as my life is complicated and fucking crazy, I’m starting to see there’s nothing wrong with expanding my horizons. Nothing at all and something I’m even enjoying.

  And I’m also loving that Dain has been working hard on tossing any idea of female stereotype roles out the window. Laila’s extremely powerful and fucking queen and has a dozen lovers. Alena has twenty men and women she sirened. I haven’t even asked Eva, as it’s a weird topic to talk with my grandmother about for some reason. The point is there aren’t any rules as long as no one gets hurt.

  So screw it, I have three live in lovers and three who don’t live with me and one vampire I’ve agreed to see in secret. And so what? Why does that matter? If they’re happy I care for them and let them into my life and want to be there, why does it matter how many? I had planned on having a new moon mate each full moon, and honestly, I still might if my siren doesn’t get enough fun or at least now and again.

  It doesn’t make me any less
hard core FBI or badass wolf. It means I’m a happy and loved wolf. And woman.

  And isn’t that all what we want?

  The End

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