Page 2 of Midnight Serenade
As I turned the corner, I heard a woman’s husky alto voice saying, ‘I’m sorry, you’re doing what now?’ I stopped in surprise. Kazi was sitting next to a woman standing in the hallway outside a stateroom. The lion looked like he was waiting patiently for her to finish up her conversation with Kiara, my Hospitality Manager.
I was immediately and forcefully hit by her presence. It was so strong it almost drove me to my knees. Her scent and blood sang to me in a way I’d never felt before, but instinctively knew.
She was a siren.
I was sure of it.
A siren’s pull was stronger than a vampire’s, even to other paranormals. I’d felt a slight pull toward sirens I’d met before, but it had beennothinglike this. This told me two things. One, she was powerful, and two, I was very interested in getting to know her because she might be my mate.
My mind was ancient, and ancient minds didn’t bow easily to those of others. Even glamours didn’t work on us. The other sirens had explained that my ancient mind was the reason I didn’t feel a stronger pull toward them. That it was nearly impossible to mind-bend a vampire, even when a group of sirens were trying their hardest to lure them, or, in the case of feral vampires, calm them.
I walked away from those encounters secure in the knowledge that there was little out there that could muddle my mind. But this woman in front of me was living proof that there was at least one being that could. Because this siren was unlike those I’d met in my past. Her lure was potent, and if I wasn’t mistaken, emitting an SOS.
That was another thing the sirens had warned me about. If a siren didn’t feel safe, for any reason, her lure changed to pull inpeople who could protect her. This was a different type of lure. One that wasn’t meant to calm or entice, but to build an army of protection against her foes. And the more insecure and unsafe a siren felt, the stronger the emitted SOS signal, pulling in people from greater distances.
Which meant that this siren, for whatever reason, didn’t feel safe on my ship, and I wanted to know why.
She was diminutive, standing at about 5’3, and she was maybe 115 pounds soaking wet. She had long dark brown hair, not as dark as my black hair, but close, and if I had to guess, she probably had warm brown eyes.
I’d always been a sucker for warm brown eyes.
After a few moments, my heart stopped pounding so violently, and my knees felt like they could hold me up. I breathed, closed my eyes, found the indomitable willpower that my friends teased me about, and tried not to stumble as I made my way over to them so I could rudely intrude upon their conversation.
The closer I moved to her, the more her salt and lime scent made my throat burn. It was like a sledgehammer to my suddenly parched throat. I’d drank some A- before we’d begun boarding an hour ago, but I was suddenly extremely thirsty again.
I called every shred of control I’d learned over my many long years into play, forcing my reaction to her to subside by sheer willpower so I could have a clear head.
Kazi sneezed, and I raised my eyebrow at him. Why on earth was he hanging around a woman he’d never met before? Had he given her a heart attack? Could sheseehim? If I thought Kazi would give me any answers to my internal questions, I was mistaken. He snorted at my questioning eyebrow, gave me some side-eye, and went back to standing guard for the woman.
Oh.
That made sense.
Kazi had felt her SOS and was standing as her guard.
My heart warmed at my lion’s protective instincts for those weaker than he was.
I’d rescued Kazi five years ago and raised him at the animal sanctuary I used to run. When I was ready to try something new and retire—most vampires usually moved on to something new after a certain number of years—I’d placed the rest of my animals in amazing sanctuaries, but Kazi was the only one I couldn’t place. Every time I found somewhere for him to live safely, they would call me after a few days, worried because he’d stopped eating.
So, I had a lion who had severe separation anxiety and could never be parted from me. That meant bringing him with me wherever I went.
Because I’d moved on to owning a cruise line after the animal sanctuary, and Kazi would interact with both paranormals and humans, I’d paid a wizard to do a permanent glamour on him.
Humans only saw him as a massive white main coon cat, about half of Kazi’s actual size. Most paranormals, however, could see past the glamour.
I’d gotten a fair few questions regarding him when I’d first started. All from paranormals asking me if Kazi was my familiar. He was not. At least, I didn’t think so. He was just a big cat with a big heart who loved literally everyone, even the surliest, most cantankerous individuals. It didn’t matter how grumpy they were. He loved on ‘em until they were less grumpy. It was the Kazi way.
My crew petted him and talked to him like he was one of the crew. And he was, actually. I’d made him an official concierge. He worked night and day to make sure everyone was happy on the ship anyway, so the position fit him to a T. He evenearned a paycheck, which admittedly went to raw t-bones and his astronomical vet bills, but still.
As I tuned into the conversation, I realized that the previous occupants of the siren’s room had trashed it, and they were giving her a room upgrade to a Royal Suite and a three grand credit onboard. This was all standard procedure for my cruise line. We’d risen to the top, not just for our luxurious ships and entertainment, but for the way we took care of our customers. Peoplehopedthey came onto one of my cruises with a room they could not occupy.
The woman continued to stumble over her words, then paused and put a shaking hand over her eyes, covering them for a moment and dragging in a deep breath. “I don’t understand, ma’am. I understand switching me to another room, but why am I getting the credit?”
Kazi leaned into me, and I patted his head, running my fingers through his fur.Good boy, Kazi. Good siren hunting.
I cleared my throat and politely offered my hand. “Hello. I’m Sebastian Solace. This is all standard operating procedure for my ships, Miss...?”
“Miss Liora,” Kiara whispered behind me. “Miss Grace Liora.”
