Page 12 of Enticing Him

“But the sirens used their newfound legs to hunt down the men that mocked them, to kill them instead. Aphrodite offered them the chance to find love, real love, but all they could feel was the cold in their hearts, the urge to kill. And seven days after they were given their legs, as they slayed the last mortal man, Aphrodite took back her gift of legs, forcing the sirens back into the seas. For nearly three thousand years, the sirens have used their powers and Aphrodite’s gift of beauty to kill. Not knowing they had another choice if they just ignored the icy cold,” Melodia says. “None of us ever liked the cold, the urges it created within us to kill. Sirens become their most powerful after they turn twenty-one. The bloodlust is said to be unbearable at that point. Likely because that’s how old the original sirens were when they were thrown into the ocean.”

“Melodia discovered a loophole that could keep us from becoming full-sirens,” Serenia says giving her a grin. “She told us about it, and we all agreed it was our only option.”

“As long as we didn’t kill by the end of our twenty-first birthday, we would get the chance to have Aphrodite’s gift given to us. So, we spent our birthday together in the lagoon outside of town, keeping each other from letting the cold consume us, and as the night turned to midnight, we found ourselves with legs,” Celestia states, laughing a bit as I rub hers, my hand sliding onto her hips holding her tighter.

“Serenia was four before she came to live with us, so she knew the most basic things about humans, was able to teach us how to walk, and then Celestia remembered a hidden bag of clothes that also had money in it that would likely be useful. We walked to town that morning, and then one by one, met you all.”

“And spent several days worried that you wouldn’t fall in love with us, and we’d have to go back,” Serenia adds.

“And then worried that it seemed too simple that you did fall in love with us, until Aphrodite joined us in the diner at least,” Celestia says and all three of us guys share confused looks at that. “She walked right into it past you. Said you ignored even her, but it wasn’t a surprise since your hearts were never meant for anyone but us.”

“So, we really were brought here to find you,” Dylan says to Melodia and that thought hits me hard inside. I came here to get away from women—or so I thought. Now, turns out I came here forthewoman who’d claim my heart. “And you still were worried it wasn’t real?”

“We’ve spent our entire lives fighting against the cold. You’ve no idea just how powerful it was, so yes, when nothing happened when you told us you loved us, we were worried somehow our powers had gotten you to fall for us, even though you said it happened in an instant,” Melodia states.

“Then Aphrodite told us, it was never your love we had to worry about, it was always us. That you would have fallen for us no matter what, because you were destined to be ours, but if we hadn’t listened, hadn’t fought the cold bloodlust, we wouldn’t have seen it, seen any of you, and ended up like the others,” Celestia adds, snuggling into my hold as I kiss her forehead, loving that the universe or perhaps fate brought me here for this.

“Knowing what it took to get us all here, in this town, and knowing that we all had listened, we knew her words were true,” Serenia says.

“And then she told us she’d given us two more gifts,” Melodia states, giggling a bit as she looks up at Dylan. “Well, she said the first was really for you all.”

“Being that when we transformed back into our siren bodies, we’d have a little more coverage than normal, because sirens only have tails,” Serenia says making Duncan’s brow lift high in confusion.

“And hair for coverage,” Celestia expands on for us, bringing a growl to Duncan’s lips that Dylan echoes as I clench my jaw tight.

“So, the other gift is that you all can transform whenever you want?” I ask her. “Because in the water you had a tail but once out of it…”

“That was part of her original gift for those that found true love not the extra ones she told us about in the diner,” Celestia answers me with a grin that’s pure beauty just like her.

“She did say that we could only transform back into our siren form when in a natural body of water. So, the lake, a river, or the ocean. Pools won’t do it, and neither will the rain thankfully because we’ve kept our existence from humans for thousands of years now,” Serenia adds.

“So, what was the last gift?” Dylan questions.

“You all as ours forever. Sirens are immortal beings,” Melodia tells him, sending his brow upwards a bit and I wait for them to explain that, make sure I heard them right because after losing my parents, the thought of having Celestia as mine forever fills me with peace. “Every soul that the Lycophron consumes, gives us more strength. Even if we didn’t do the actual killing or consuming, the strength is shared by all through the bloodline. Normally, when a siren mates, it’s to breed. When a siren has a man under her lure, it’s to kill, unless she’s ready to breed. Once a siren knows she’s with child, she kills the man, so he has no chance of sharing a bond with the child.”

“That bond gives them strength and sirens hatred of men is as deep as the bloodlust that runs through them. But that strength was just that, strength, not immortality,” Serenia adds.

“But it will be different with us, for us,” Melodia says to her. “Aphrodite told us that when we have daughters, they won’t ever have to fight the cold. They won’t feel it because of your hearts, and with our daughters’ birth, the bond will create a new one for us, where we’ll get to have you with us for eternity. They as well as all of you will share in the strength, her victory over the ones that use her gifts for evil.”

“They won’t be able to kill you even in the water then,” Serenia says to Duncan, her eyes haunted with a look I’ve seen in my own when remembering my parents.

“Until then, you have to swear you’ll stay out of the ocean, away from the rivers or lakes that connect to them, because if our mothers do come, that’s as far as they can go,” Celestia adds, her hand holding tighter to my arm, pressing against my chest as a shudder races through her body.

“Can they try to hurt you?” Duncan asks them.

“They can try, but it would only kill them as well. A siren can’t kill another siren, without killing all of her blood,” Serenia answers. “If our mothers tried to kill us, it would destroy them, as well as our entire lineage.”

“Even if they tried to have Celestia’s mother kill me, and mine kill Serenia, and hers kill Celestia, it would still kill them as well,” Melodia adds giving Dylan a reassuring smile.

“There must be thousands of sirens out there then,” Duncan says echoing my thoughts, but Serenia shakes her head no.

“Sirens can only have one child each, and sirens only have girls,” she tells him, and I glance down at Celestia who gives me a little nod, biting her bottom lip, but I’m not going to argue only having one baby if it means I have her forever now.

“A little you that’s part me too sounds perfect, honey,” Duncan replies.

“Nothing wrong with having more of perfection in the world, that’s for sure,” Dylan agrees.

“I can’t wait to have a little piece of you and me in the world, baby,” I assure Celestia, loving the little grin that hits her now.

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