16. Sasha

Chapter 16

Sasha

H eading out of the work building during my lunch break, I decide to make a visit to the city bibliotheca , a place filled with all kinds of books of history from around the world, including news articles. We had one back in South Africa, but I never used it. Now, I want to read some articles on fishing boat attacks, and it's the perfect place.

I reach my car in the work parking lot when someone calls my name.

I glance back, thinking it's a work colleague, but end up staring at my landlord from the cabin, across the parking lot, swerving around parked vehicles to reach me.

"Good, I caught you," he says, out of breath. The man is short, plump, and a porcupine shifter. His face is round and almost looks like one in his human form.

"Is everything all right?" He's always been kind to me, and I feel slightly bad that Kaden had me leave so abruptly, though he confirmed he paid any outstanding charges.

"I was in the city and wanted to come see you." He rubs his cheek, a nervous tic I noticed he has, especially when he's anxious.

"Yesterday you came to the cabin," he states, and it's not a question.

"That's right. I was checking if I left anything behind. I hope that's okay?" I dig through my bag for the cabin key, as I still haven't returned it to him.

"Of course, it's fine, but as I have cameras on the street in front of all cabins for security, I had seen you arrive. As soon as you went inside, I noticed another vehicle pull up several blocks down. I thought nothing of it at the time," he says, his breaths racing.

I glance up at him, cabin key in hand, unsure where he's going with this. "Did something happen?"

"Well, after you left, I had dinner with my family, then did my usual late-night checks on all my cabins, as you can never be too sure. But when I drove past yours, that's when I noticed it had a smashed front door."

I gasp. "It was perfectly fine when I left it. I swear."

"I know," he says, almost flustered. "But when I looked back at my footage, two men in black hoods emerged from the car after you left and entered the property. Twenty minutes later, they rushed out and drove away."

"Oh, shit." My mind's sparring in dozens of directions. Had someone followed me home, maybe tried to steal from me? Except they would have been sorely disappointed, seeing as Kaden had all my belongings packed and delivered to his home already.

"The place was mostly empty," I state.

"Well, what's strange is that they tore up the place, smashed windows, tore the upholstery on my furniture, slashed the mattress. And they sprayed your name on the wall in red paint. With a message."

My heart's thundering, fear worming in my gut. "What did it say?"

He's rubbing his cheek again. "Sasha, I see you."

"What the fuck does that mean?" A shiver jolts down my back, but with it comes a roaring anger as I don't bow down to threats or bullies.

My ex-landlord shrugs, looking more spooked out than me, his face paling.

"I thought you should know that you may be in danger. Maybe something you've done recently? I don't know, Sasha, but you've been a good tenant, never causing trouble, and thankfully insurance will cover the damages. But just be careful. Norway has a lot of deadly people in the shadows you may not be aware of. So much of this country long ago survived on the backs of thieves and murderers, and those old ways haven't all vanished."

"Thanks for letting me know." I hand him the key, and he takes it with a tight grin before scuttling away. Climbing into my car, my mind races with the warning left at my cabin.

Why would anyone threaten me? I see you. What the hell?

So, I'm being watched, but why? The strangest thing I've done recently is move in with Kaden, but he's new in town, and I'm not sure if it's a jealous partner. He seems the obsessed, stalker kind who doesn't jump partners too much. So, it doesn't feel like it's related to him. My mind skips to my last few days and right back to the dock, where things felt odd.

The warning from that sailor woman, the words from those sailors I eavesdropped on… did someone see me doing it? But it's not like I learned anything new… Unless it has to do with Asbesta. Except Kaden was adamant she wouldn't dare touch me, seeing as I'm his fated mate.

Whoever it is, I'll be ready. Until then, I'll be extra diligent. I can only assume they don't know where I've moved to if they attacked the cabin… at least for now.

I arrive at the bibliotheca soon enough, devouring an apple in the car before rushing into the three-story building. Made of stone, it appears as though it's come out of Ancient Greece—spectacular with its huge wooden double front door and large glass windows.

Once out of the car, I can't help but scan around me, a sense of paranoia skidding down my back.

Inside, I find out where the news article archives are and head up to the second floor, where it's dead quiet. I dive into my research on northern Norway, curious about what those men were talking about by the dock with regard to more attacks. I scan physical articles bound together, each page covered in a clear, hard substance that gives off small sparks of magic. Of course, they're protected from damage. I go through the folders I initially pulled off the shelves, looking for anything about attacks on ships and sailors out at sea.

Twenty minutes later and not a single article. I sigh. Perhaps I need to go back beyond ten years.

Up on my feet, I move from the tables against the wall to the wooden bookshelves packed with archive books from years upon years filled with articles. Evidently, I might be spending more time in the library at this rate.

I shove the books back on the shelf where they belong and run my fingers across the thick, leather-bound spines embossed with the dates of news articles. The smell up here is less like books and more musty. Shadows fill the aisles, and I doubt anyone comes up here, not even the librarians, based on the dust on some of the shelves. I move to several aisles farther back, where it's darker, away from the steps that lead to the lower floors. I find older folders, from roughly fourteen years ago. With no real clue to follow, I randomly select a folder to begin with when the wooden floorboards creak.

I glance up to the end of the aisle, where a large figure stands, blocking out the light. Panic saws through me, thinking whoever went to the cabin found me. I shake so hard that the folder slips out of my grasp, hitting the floor near my feet.

I reach for my belt, not feeling my taser. Right, it's in for repairs.

The brawly figure steps forward, and the light hits a gorgeous face.

"Fuck, Kaden, give a girl a heart attack!" Catching my breath, I release a deep exhale, still clutching the shelf.

He struts forward with a grin. "Why are you in a place like this? Don't tell me my mermaid loves books."

I glare at him. "Are you following me?"

He gives me one of his shining smiles that melts my knees. "Maybe I am. Or maybe I just happen to find the same interests intriguing."

I roll my eyes. "Right. Because the ancient mansion with the hidden kraken cave wasn't enough for you?"

Kaden steps closer, his presence filling the narrow aisle. "I'm a man of many interests. And right now, my main interest is you. After I saw you coming into the library in a mad rush, I was curious about what was going on."

I cross my arms, trying to tamp down the heat rising in me. "Wait, you were already in here?"

He nods, those dark, stormy eyes admiring me, smiling. Then he stretches his body, his chest expanding with his intake of air, arms over his head, muscles bulging. Is he doing that on purpose to show off how buff he is?

"I followed to ensure you were safe."

"So, you've been watching me this whole time?"

That devious nod again.

"Has anyone told you how creepy you can be?"

"Why, thank you." He has one hand resting on a bookshelf, the other in the pocket of his black pants, one leg crossed over the other at the ankle, appearing right at home.

"Why are you really here?" I ask, trying my best not to show him how much my body yearns to lean in toward him, eager to press in against him. It's ridiculous how out of control this fated-mate thing makes me feel.

"Research."

"For what?"

"My family line. There's a whole section downstairs on Norwegian family heritages."

I narrow my gaze at him.

He grins again, yet there's seriousness behind his eyes. "It's the reason I'm in town, to discover who wrongfully got my grandfather committed to Tartarus all those years ago."

I find myself gravitating toward him, my hand on his arm, feeling his muscles shift under my touch. Something in me wants to show him support. Kaden spent his life in prison for someone else's doing… not to mention if his grandfather was wrongly accused, that would sting like hell.

"Really sorry your family suffered for so long. Did you find anything in the archives?"

The side of his mouth twitches like he's unsure how to react to sympathy.

"Can't undo the past, something I learned a long time ago. What happened is fucked, but now's my chance to make up for it, especially making whatever son of a bitch is responsible pay for it. If they're still alive, I need to know the truth to get closure."

"I get that." His hand is on mine, warmth stretching up my arm.

"And you?" he asks. "Are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"

He's fast to change topics off him, so I give him a quick rendition of my trip to the docks and what I'm searching for. I leave out the whole cabin thing as I'm not sure what that's related to yet, and I don't need him going more psycho-possessive over me than he already is.

"So, yep, I'll be spending a bit more time here," I prattle on. "Who knew libraries were such hotspots for discovering drama?"

His gaze never leaves mine. "I'll help," he vows, his hand skipping up my arms, over my shoulder, to the back of my head, bringing me closer to him.

I resist him, of course, digging my heels in, but he swivels us fast, my back instantly kissing the shelves of the books, and he's in front of me, both hands now on the shelves on either side of my shoulders.

My breaths are on fire in my chest, our proximity always leaving me breathless.

"Look, you can't help me if you're going to trap me against the books. Back off, will you?"

"You'd be surprised how much this can help." His eyes crinkle at the edges of his smile.

"Oh really?"

As he shifts closer, my hands shoot up to his chest to keep him away because I know what happens next. He gets too close, and my brain becomes lust-foggy, and before I know it, I'll be with my pants down, my legs wrapped around him in the middle of the library. That's the kind of control I lack.

He suddenly pulls back with a thick book of articles in his hand, plucked from the shelf behind me. He arches an eyebrow at me.

I glare at his games.

"This looks like a promising start," he exclaims, flipping through the folder. "So, we're looking for anything about sailors at sea attacked by sirens?"

I shrug. "Not too sure. Maybe, but it could be just missing boats, sailors found dead with no explanation. I'm just trying to find a pattern to what's happening here with the sirens." With my mom…

When he reaches over and moves a strand of hair caught in my eyelashes, the edge of his hand grazes my cheek. The touch is innocent, yet it sparks a fire inside me, igniting it, and an involuntary growl rolls in my chest.

Whoa, that's new. My mermaid doesn't growl, ever, so that's an interesting development with our fated-mate connection.

He leans in closer. "Whenever I'm near you, I'm completely caught off guard, every damn inch of me needing us connected. I won't lie. Skin to skin is preferred, to hear you purring in my ear, begging me to fuck you."

"Gods, don't say that stuff in public," I murmur, my pussy quivering.

"It's a very long way down in the ocean, and that's how I feel with how fast I'm falling for you, Sasha. But I'm embracing it, letting the dark side of my obsession with you own me. You shouldn't be afraid of yours."

That sexy voice of his is gruff, yet leaves me swooning, and he knows the effect it has on me. All I smell is his earthy, manly scent, the furnace burning off his body embracing me—I want to smother myself in everything that's him.

His gaze darkens, and I shouldn't feel awful for craving such a handsome man. Those stormy eyes flick over my face, searching for a response, for something.

"It sounds like a really deep fall." I realize that I'm gripping the shelves behind me as I steady myself from the explosion of images of us on his sacrificial table last night. I still feel that beautiful ache in the apex of my thighs from being fucked too hard, too damn hard, that I'm wet just thinking about him buried inside me.

"You smell so sinful," he purrs, pressing his face against my neck and taking a deep breath.

While I struggle to take air into my lungs, squeezing my thighs, heightening the sensation that tingles through me.

"Did you enjoy my cock last night?" he whispers in my ear in that gravelly voice. He gropes my breast, fingers pinching my nipple.

Moaning, my head tilts back. I want to be fucked and used by Kaden.

"Yes," I gasp in response, tingling all over, my bravery escalating with the explosion of arousal licking every inch of me. "I want you in my pussy, in my mouth, in my ass."

"Such a good girl you are." His words are like the kind of praise I can't get enough of, his acceptance of me.

Yet, as much as I tremble, it's hard not to blush at admitting those things out loud. Even after what we did last night, I'm practically begging for it again. It's confusing as hell because, despite the fear, I know what I crave, what my body needs.

His breathing picks up, hands falling to my skirt, tugging the fabric up to my waist, and I don't stop him. Those hands, his tongue, his cock, I'm craving release. The world fades away, and it's only us two, staring at one another as his fingers slip under the elastic of my thong.

"Maybe not here," I murmur just as he drags it down my legs, crouching in front of me.

"Lift your leg, my little mermaid."

I oblige; of course I do.

Electricity sparks between us as he lifts himself, one hand stuffing my thong into his back pocket, the other tracing my inner thigh, brushing the tips of his fingers over my soaking seam.

"You are everything to me," he coos, pulling me by one shoulder, then pushing the other back, turning me to face away from him.

Butterflies are bursting through me, aware of this dance. The way he's touching me, running those large palms under my skirt and over my ass cheeks, leaves me shaking. I never want him to stop.

"Now be a good girl and don't scream," he whispers, stepping back from taking me with him, all while a large hand slides across my back, pushing me forward, bending at my waist. "Hold on to the shelves."

"Ah," I murmur, unsure how much I trust my voice when I'm already buzzing on an arousal so high I'm on the verge of coming. If I'm going to let myself have fun, then I'm going to enjoy every damn second of it.

His hand falls between my thighs, and I feel sexy as fuck right now. Kaden's fingers spread my lips, tracing my slick to my clit, teasing it, rubbing it, leaving me rocking my hips.

"Such a tease," I quip, really hoping no one stumbles up here and finds us.

I glance at him, pulling open his pants and unleashing his huge kraken cock—thick, erect, and covered in pre-cum. My pulse speeds up in anticipation.

But he's not wasting time, and the fat head of his cock is already pressing into me, sending shivers through my body as though I've been waiting for this moment for a lifetime.

"Just promise me, no breeding," I say over my shoulder.

He chuckles to himself.

"I promise." Then he slams into me. It's rough and harsh, that massive cock of his close to splitting me in half. My head bumps into the books on the shelf. A guttural moan spills past my throat, louder than I should have made.

"You know what finding you so drenched does to a man? Feeling your slick seeping down your inner thighs, your scent so strong, intoxicating me with desire?" His fingers squeeze into my hips, gripping me firmly, buried so deep I struggle to breathe from how absolutely full to the brim I feel. "All night, I dreamed of sucking on that sweet pussy of yours, rolling my tongue over your clit, listening to you cry out from pleasure. Knowing that you're soaking because of me, and you're barely holding it together, desperate to beg for my cock."

He draws out of me, those perfect bumps on his cock rubbing me, stroking my entrance, making me a puddle of shuddery gasps.

I want to tell him I'm not the kind of girl who begs for anything, but as he picks up his momentum, pounding into me and spreading my inner walls with each plunge, only a whimper comes out.

He thrusts into me, a powerful motion that has my whole body rocking forward. Fingers gripping the shelves, I hold on, with a clear view of the stairs leading up to this floor from my position. Just seeing that no one's arriving has me moaning for more.

I've never felt this full with any man before, my body tight, trembling with arousal. He fucks me hard, shoving himself into me over and over, his hands on my hips like iron.

Breaths short, those whining sounds graze my throat as he growls like a beast behind me, going so deep into me that he's taking me to a completely different level of euphoria.

I'm reeling, close to screaming with how near my orgasm is. I claw at the shelves as he fucks me against the books, his grunts filling the silence. I'm dripping from the excitement owning me, and he plunges faster, as if sensing my own crescendo rising.

That savage speed makes me hold my breath as a tornadic orgasm rips through me, unleashing itself while he keeps going, unrelenting.

"Fuck," I breathe just as I notice movement across the room near the steps. Someone's coming up here. My heart freezes, all while I'm convulsing with the best orgasm, while Kaden hasn't stopped pounding me, my pussy squeezing him with each pulse of my climax.

I wriggle to get away from his grasp, and he must have sensed something because he releases me and pulls out his massive cock, breaking away from me.

My gaze remains on the older woman who isn't coming this way, thank the universe, but is at another set of shelves on the other side of the room.

I've barely recovered from the orgasm, trying to breathe again, when Kaden's strong hands are around my waist, lifting me up. He turns me around with ease, his eyes locked on mine, and gently pushes me down onto my knees. His smile is both predatory and amused, making my heart race.

And there, in my face, is this massive cock, glistening with my arousal, the thick vein running the length of his shaft, bulging like he's on the brink of exploding himself. I lift my gaze to him breathing heavily, deeply, one hand on the base of his cock, the other moving to the back of my neck.

"Taste yourself just like I lapped you up last night."

I move in closer, opening my mouth, my pussy soaked and still trembling with desire, knowing we're no longer alone up here, but I'm at that stage where I don't care. I need his huge cock in my mouth so desperately that being found is the least of my worries.

He pushes himself closer, and I wrap my lips around his girth, sliding him into my mouth. I inhale my aroused scent on him, tasting myself—honey and sex. With his hand putting pressure on the back of my head, I take more of him, my hands flush against his thighs for leverage. Glancing up, I notice his gaze flickering to where I'd seen the woman on our floor moments earlier.

He knows she's there, and fuck, but he's smirking, loving the idea of getting caught, isn't he?

Working him deeper and deeper, I lick the underside of his cock, watching the way his eyes are rolling up, his breaths speeding up. His hips work with me, slowly grinding into my mouth, his hand fisting my head, keeping me prisoner to his cock.

A keening sound rolls from my chest, something I've never heard before, and I blame my body's reaction to him dominating me, but when his cock kisses the back of my throat, I pause, tears springing to my eyes.

He's looking down at me as I swallow, attempting to deep-throat him. With his free hand, he reaches over and rubs my neck and under my chin.

"That's my good mermaid. You can take me farther, can't you?"

With my mouth jam-packed with his erection, his eyes haze over with the sheer arousal pulsing from him.

I breathe in and out, taking more of him, and work him back and forth, holding back from gagging each time he dips past my throat. He's completely in my mouth, my lips at the base of his dick, and I'm absolutely loving the groans he's making. I love holding the power over him and him being at my mercy.

I pause for a moment when his hips thrust deeply into my mouth, and the spray of his explosion floods down my throat, warm and sticky, a salty and sweet taste. Digging my fingers into his thighs, I frantically work to swallow him, and damn, but there's so much. The guy's a cum-making machine.

We both groan.

"You feel incredible," he grunts.

My mind's dizzy from desire, and if I was to suddenly stand up now on my own, I'm certain I'd fall over from the dizziness, from the way my pussy still throbs, from my body beyond being satisfied at being pleased.

Taking every last drop from him, he slips his cock out of my mouth, and I lick my lips clean. He pauses, glancing to his right, and I follow his gaze to where the older woman stands at the end of the aisle, watching us with her mouth gaping open.

"Did you need a book from this aisle, dear?" Kaden asks innocently, except he's got his cock out and me kneeling in front of him.

Her cheeks blush pink, and I frantically wipe my mouth, getting up as the woman scurries out of there and downstairs, moving rather fast for someone her age.

Kaden chuckles, his lips grazing mine. "You're fucking amazing."

I'm kinda panicking, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds, expecting a guard to rush up here and kick us out. Then how will I do my research? I told myself I didn't care about being spotted, but now that it's happened, I regret my decision.

"Let's get out of here," I insist, wondering if they'll let me back in next time. I push my skirt down from around my waist, then move to grab the fallen book of articles from the floor, which had opened on an article with an image of a luxury ship.

I lift it into my hand, Kaden towering over my shoulder, peering down as he tucks his cock back into his pants. I quickly scan the article.

Tragedy Strikes Again: Expensive sailing vessel Liberty returns to shore with only one crew member alive. Survivor recounts horrific attacks by sirens, claiming the lives of five crew members. The lone survivor describes a powerful siren with aquamarine hair as the leader of the attack.

My insides ice up. My mom. Is that my mom? I frantically check the date of the folder, seeing it took place only one year after she killed my father and left me alone. So, it's possible that it could be her. Our hair color is rare, and I haven't yet met one person with the same hair highlights as my mom and mine.

My hands are shaking, and Kaden is there, saying, "We need to go now."

Heavy steps approach from downstairs.

"I… I think my mom is killing people on the ships," I murmur.

Kaden takes my arm, tugging me in the opposite direction of the guard coming upstairs. He takes the book from my hand, setting it down, fiddling with it while I keep an eye on the man approaching. Then we slip quietly across the other end of the bookshelves, away from the guard. As the footsteps vanish into the back of the room, Kaden darts us to the steps and hurries down.

My head's spinning, and even the scowl from the woman who spotted us, now standing near the front counter, doesn't affect me… not as much as the reality that my mom might have been on a killing spree for years!

The realization crashes over me, making it hard to breathe.

I've spent years trying to forget her, yet it's not just my life she's destroyed. A part of me had hoped she'd disappeared forever, but this… this is something I can't ignore.

Kaden keeps a firm grip on my arm, guiding me through the library's exit. The moment we're outside, I take a deep inhale, the crisp air doing little to calm my racing heart. We put distance between us and the bibliotheca.

I can't work out why my mom's been doing this for years. And why in Norway?

None of this makes any sense.