disappeared and her legs split, a dress covering her as though the ocean had created it.
She was so beautiful.
“Are you okay?”
“Me? I wasn’t the one luring sharks away one by one.” He grated out before pulling her into his embrace. “I’m okay now.”
“Dana?”
“Seems fine, but will never have a minute’s peace again.”
Kaleb put his arm around Serena and led her over to where Rekkus and Dana sat still on the beach, covered in blankets, Rekkus’s head in Dana’s lap. Sage was wrapping his leg the best she could with him still lying down, and she packed the wound with herbs.
“So when were you planning to announce the happy news?” Sage demanded, a hint of actual anger in her voice.
“God, if he was smothering me, why would I tell the whole island? I could barely breathe as it was,” Dana said, but there was no conviction to her words, not any more. And Kaleb understood. She had felt safe here, and now she wasn’t. Although she had mated with a Were-tiger, she had never grasped that her life was in danger because of who she was with. “I am so sorry, Rekkus.”
“Shhhh, give me a few hours I will be good as new.” Rekkus looked up at Kaleb and Serena. He motioned for them to come forward.
“Thank you, both of you. I owe you my life. And more important, I owe my mate’s life and our unborn cubs to you too.”
“It’s what I do,” Serena said, too choked up to say anything else, but her eyes were on Kaleb. He could see she was on the edge of a breaking point and held her closer. “My sisters have taken the sharks far away. They will deal out the justice so you won’t have to.”
Rekkus nodded, but he was already falling into a healing sleep. Within a few seconds his shift happened, leaving the large tiger in the human’s place.
“Damn, ain’t no moving him now,” Cyrus cursed as he started to gather wood. “We need to build a fire to keep him warm.”
“We’ll need to create the circle too. I need everyone not picking up sticks to grab as many stones as possible,” Sarka ordered as she placed a few rocks around the couple. Serena grabbed a few and handed them to Cemil who smiled and placed them where they needed to be. For the next few minutes, all hands worked together until a ring of stones surrounded the tiger and his lady.
Sarka held the last of the stones in her hands. “Cyrus, in.”
“What?”
“Get your ass in the circle.”
“Excuse me?”
Sage stepped forward. “We’re weak without Rekkus, and someone is likely to know that. You’ll be safe within the protection of the stones.”
“And Rekkus won’t truly enter the healing sleep if he’s worried about you,” Cemil added, nudging Cyrus forward.
Once Cyrus entered the circle, Sarka placed the last rock and began chanting.
“What if I have to pee, damn it?”
Still chanting, Sarka handing him a cup.
“Are you kidding me?” Cyrus, who had never lost his cool in the time Kaleb had been on the island, took two steps forward, hit the ring barrier, and fell on his ass. “So help me, Sarka, when you let me out of here…”
Kaleb had no wish to watch any more of the lunacy. Rekkus lay unconscious next to the bonfire, Dana curled next to him, petting him. Kaleb could see her shoulders shaking and knew she was crying tears she didn’t wish anyone to see. Cyrus circled the bonfire, looking for a flaw in the ring. All while cursing his sister. The rest of the siblings and a few more staff members had joined in the chanting, and Kaleb and Serena were no longer really needed.
Pulling Serena back toward the cabin, he needed to wrap his arms around her, feel her against him. Everything had changed in a matter of forty-eight hours. Serena, a mermaid he had believed to be a monster, had put her life at risk to help people who didn’t like them, all to save a woman who was in danger. That was not the act of a monster; that was the act of a hero.
She stopped. “You don’t hate me?”
“I love
She was so beautiful.
“Are you okay?”
“Me? I wasn’t the one luring sharks away one by one.” He grated out before pulling her into his embrace. “I’m okay now.”
“Dana?”
“Seems fine, but will never have a minute’s peace again.”
Kaleb put his arm around Serena and led her over to where Rekkus and Dana sat still on the beach, covered in blankets, Rekkus’s head in Dana’s lap. Sage was wrapping his leg the best she could with him still lying down, and she packed the wound with herbs.
“So when were you planning to announce the happy news?” Sage demanded, a hint of actual anger in her voice.
“God, if he was smothering me, why would I tell the whole island? I could barely breathe as it was,” Dana said, but there was no conviction to her words, not any more. And Kaleb understood. She had felt safe here, and now she wasn’t. Although she had mated with a Were-tiger, she had never grasped that her life was in danger because of who she was with. “I am so sorry, Rekkus.”
“Shhhh, give me a few hours I will be good as new.” Rekkus looked up at Kaleb and Serena. He motioned for them to come forward.
“Thank you, both of you. I owe you my life. And more important, I owe my mate’s life and our unborn cubs to you too.”
“It’s what I do,” Serena said, too choked up to say anything else, but her eyes were on Kaleb. He could see she was on the edge of a breaking point and held her closer. “My sisters have taken the sharks far away. They will deal out the justice so you won’t have to.”
Rekkus nodded, but he was already falling into a healing sleep. Within a few seconds his shift happened, leaving the large tiger in the human’s place.
“Damn, ain’t no moving him now,” Cyrus cursed as he started to gather wood. “We need to build a fire to keep him warm.”
“We’ll need to create the circle too. I need everyone not picking up sticks to grab as many stones as possible,” Sarka ordered as she placed a few rocks around the couple. Serena grabbed a few and handed them to Cemil who smiled and placed them where they needed to be. For the next few minutes, all hands worked together until a ring of stones surrounded the tiger and his lady.
Sarka held the last of the stones in her hands. “Cyrus, in.”
“What?”
“Get your ass in the circle.”
“Excuse me?”
Sage stepped forward. “We’re weak without Rekkus, and someone is likely to know that. You’ll be safe within the protection of the stones.”
“And Rekkus won’t truly enter the healing sleep if he’s worried about you,” Cemil added, nudging Cyrus forward.
Once Cyrus entered the circle, Sarka placed the last rock and began chanting.
“What if I have to pee, damn it?”
Still chanting, Sarka handing him a cup.
“Are you kidding me?” Cyrus, who had never lost his cool in the time Kaleb had been on the island, took two steps forward, hit the ring barrier, and fell on his ass. “So help me, Sarka, when you let me out of here…”
Kaleb had no wish to watch any more of the lunacy. Rekkus lay unconscious next to the bonfire, Dana curled next to him, petting him. Kaleb could see her shoulders shaking and knew she was crying tears she didn’t wish anyone to see. Cyrus circled the bonfire, looking for a flaw in the ring. All while cursing his sister. The rest of the siblings and a few more staff members had joined in the chanting, and Kaleb and Serena were no longer really needed.
Pulling Serena back toward the cabin, he needed to wrap his arms around her, feel her against him. Everything had changed in a matter of forty-eight hours. Serena, a mermaid he had believed to be a monster, had put her life at risk to help people who didn’t like them, all to save a woman who was in danger. That was not the act of a monster; that was the act of a hero.
She stopped. “You don’t hate me?”
“I love
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