6. Kaden

Chapter 6

Kaden

H ere I was, grumbling about heading into the yard to deal with another damn mercenary after the trap went off, so imagine my surprise to find myself staring at the gorgeous beauty from the other night instead.

She's wriggling, hanging upside down from a branch by the rope around her ankle. My traps are all over the yard, a habit I picked up in Tartarus to avoid intruders, but I've never been this pleased about a catch before.

I can't wipe the foolish grin off my lips or the speeding thud of my heart pounding against my rib cage. Something about her sets me off, and I'm fucking engrossed.

Where did she come from, and more importantly, did she follow me to my grandfather's home because she couldn't get me out of her mind? Ever since watching her in her pool, she's been a constant in my thoughts.

Her gaze finds me in the shadows of the surrounding trees, and she stiffens, her eyes wide, brow furrowed with what I can only imagine is frustration. Long aquamarine hair swings down, brushing the ground. She's wearing a deep scowl, and somehow, she's so damn adorable when she's angry. Her round face, ice- blue eyes, and delicious lips call to me. Leather jacket zipped up and black pants tight around her curves remind me of her in the pool, her breasts bare. That hunger in me stirs awake again, my cock throbbing in my jeans.

I step out of the shadows, pausing by the tree she's dangling from, grinning at this mermaid who is so much more captivating close up. They're known for their magical beauty, the kind that can render most weak in their presence, but there's something about her almond-shaped eyes, those full red lips, her tiny nose, the curve of her neck… something that's going to ruin me. I feel it already, yet I can't walk away.

"If I knew trapping mermaids was this easy, I would've started long ago," I say, resting a shoulder against the tree she's hanging from, studying her intently.

Her eyes narrow as she swings gently, still hanging upside down. "How do you know me?"

I grin, taking my time with an answer. "You insult me, thinking I don't know you were spying on me in the fjord the other day."

She stares at me sharply, her mouth opening and closing while she spins slightly on the rope. She doesn't respond immediately, telling me she thought she got away with sneaking around underwater.

Adorable.

"I wasn't spying on you," she finally answers firmly. "I stumbled across you."

Her voice is a song in my ear, each word playing across my skin, a cadence that's like velvet against me. I can almost feel the spark of her magic in her voice, an irresistible allure that can easily convince someone to speak the truth. Yet she's barely using it to her full potential, as though she has no idea she has such a power. An ability that won't impact me, but others would be fair game if she came into her full strength.

Does she even have any idea of the impact she has on others?

I've heard it said that people either fall under a mermaid's charm and adore them, or if they resist, they despise them. Then there's the whole connection to how they become sirens… it's fucking dark. Of course, there are a bunch of rumors about mermaids, and not everything is based on truth.

I nod, still grinning, well aware that she stayed underwater long enough to watch my conversation with Asbesta, but I don't call her out on it. Instead, I keep my smirk fixed on her.

"And I'm guessing you live here, in your family mansion?" she murmurs. "So, why do you have this stupid trap in your yard?" she grumbles, attempting to reach up to her ankle but failing as the breeze pushes her into another spin.

"I have more than one trap, but I guess you were unlucky enough to step on one."

"Story of my life," she mumbles, and I catch the words. "Anyway, are you going to keep me hanging here all day or what?"

I chuckle, enjoying the sass in her voice. "All right, all right, I'll let you down."

"Do you have a name?" she blurts out as I slowly push off the tree.

"Kaden Vinter. You?"

She blinks my way as her spin settles, and she's facing me, as if seeing me for the first time. Was she expecting someone else?

"I have legal permission to be on your property, but if you just help me down, I'll be on my way."

I can't take my attention off that cute face, the sinful body, rather enjoying seeing her tied up for me.

"You never told me your name," I say, curious what she's doing here and in the fjord the other day.

"Not important, especially when you're not a man of your word and haven't gotten me down yet."

"I'm sure you've heard the stories of mermaids and sirens hunted, tied up by their tails once captured." I lift my gaze to her bound ankle. "My grandfather once told me that if you capture a mermaid and release her, she will be indebted to you."

She bursts out laughing, the sound like honey, sweet and delicious, yet she rolls those hypnotic blue eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a genie in a bottle granting wishes. Nice try, though. Think your grandfather spun you a lie."

"He usually did." I nod and grin, suspecting the story had been fabricated.

She wrenches herself upward once more, bending at the waist and reaching for her ankle.

I step toward her to help, but she jerks around to face me, sending herself into another spin. Something slips from her grasp and tumbles into the grass—a black object with metal prods at one end.

"Oh, look, you dropped your weapon. Was that meant for me?" I tease.

She narrows her eyes, gaze unwavering. "You can never be too careful. There's a lot of psychos around."

My curiosity is piqued. What makes her so afraid that she carries weapons around? And the fact that she does tells me she's single—otherwise, her match would be around to protect her, and she'd have nothing to worry about.

"Hold on," I say, grabbing a blade from the back of my belt. I reach up to the rope, keeping her tied up, and cut it quickly. Moving lightning fast, I drop the blade behind me into the earth and catch her before she falls headfirst. My arms wrap around her back and knees, bringing her head up, so she's cradled securely against me.

She's light as anything, but she wriggles in protest. Her face twists. Suddenly, she shoves against me, her hands against my chest, instinctively trying to get down. I release her legs from my grasp, and they fall.

When I don't let her go completely, she knees me in the thigh, way too close to my precious jewels, and my knee wobbles. Before I know it, we're both tumbling to the ground, her beneath me.

We land with a soft thud on the grass, her gasping while I have my elbows on either side of her shoulders, pinning her down. Face-to-face, she's beneath me. Her eyes enlarge as she attempts to escape.

Me? I'm in heaven, lost in the way she looks up at me, her breaths coming in quick gasps. I smile, and it's completely uncontrollable. Her cheeks flush as her gaze locks with mine, and for a moment, neither of us moves. The closeness, the undeniable connection—it's electrifying. The instant my skin had touched hers, sparks flew. And she knows it, too. I see it in her eyes.

Adrenaline rushes through me, and every nerve in my body comes alive. Cock twitching, heart pounding, something inside me shifts… my shadow beast recognizes her instantly as ours. I must have saved up all my good luck by suffering the last thousand years in that hellhole prison to finally find her.

"Get off me!" Her voice is lined with venom.

I can't help but smile, my heart racing in my chest. "You're not making it easy," I tease, refusing to release her just yet, rather enjoying the feeling of her soft body, those delectable breasts against mine.

"I swear if you don't move…" Her hands press against my shoulders, trembling as she struggles to push me away.

From her quivering touch, the way her eyes dilate, and her intoxicating rising scent of roses, the ocean of nectar tells me all I need to know. The warmth that's coiling around my heart, squeezing, embracing, and compelling me can't be ignored.

"Mate," I mutter, the word slipping out on its own.

"Excuse me?" she retorts, eyes blazing with defiance, despite her position beneath me.

I lean in closer, my voice soft but firm. "You heard me."

"Don't get any ideas," she fires back, her tone sharp. "You're not my mate. Hell no, I don't have a fated mate. Not now or ever!"

"Maybe you're not ready to accept it yet," I say, smirking as I release her and roll off to the side. "But you know it's real. You feel it deep in your soul, don't you? And I'm willing to wait."

She scrambles to her feet, brushing herself off, flicking the grass and dead leaves off her pants. Then she snatches her weapon out of the grass. I half expect her to use it on me, except she tucks it into her back pocket.

"You're delusional," she mutters, but the way she avoids my gaze tells me she's not as sure as she's pretending to be.

"Time will tell." I get to my feet, my gaze never leaving her as I dust off my shirt.

"Time will tell that you're an idiot," she scoffs, clearly unimpressed.

I laugh, thoroughly amused by her feistiness. "Maybe, but I'm your idiot now."

She shakes her head, incredulous. "Don't say that."

"And yet here you are," I say, my amusement never fading. Stepping closer, I'm drawn to her. My head's whirling with the high, with the notion that I found the one thing I left Tartarus for.

She backs away as her scowl deepens, and the fire in her eyes only makes my yearning for her stronger. She's fierce, determined, and utterly intoxicating.

She's my fated mate.

Whether she likes it or not, she's mine.

Sasha

F ated mate?

No, this can't be happening. I've always figured I'd just keep dating until maybe I found someone special, if ever. Finding your fated mate? That's supposed to be a one-in-a-billion chance. Something inside me isn't ready for something so serious—so permanent—that it might destroy me if I lose them… or if I hurt them.

My thoughts flash to my parents, to the river, to my mom's kiss of death to my dad, stealing his life. I shake those images away because I'm not her, I'm not…

Kaden stares at me with that ridiculously sinful smile, and my knees are close to buckling. I hate that he smells so good—like the fresh cut of lawn, the ocean in a storm, and masculine sexiness that leaves me close to swooning.

Sure, I've been attracted to lots of men, but this is something else, something terrifying in how my body is responding, as if my insides are pushing me to get closer to him.

I force a step backward instead.

On the bright side, this guy isn't my target, Belu, so one point for me in not falling for a criminal again.

"My little mermaid, what brings you to my family mansion? To find me?" His voice is deep, the kind that slides over my body, slipping between my thighs, teasing me, grasping onto me as though he has me pinned beneath him once more. Whatever he's doing to it, it's almost like being strangled into submission… and part of me wants to give in desperately.

For a moment, I forget how to breathe.

My thoughts fly to the conversation I had with my boss about this very property. She mentioned it held a lot of dark history, and I assume this man is the family member who returned. I also remember my boss, Ada, saying his grandfather had been sent to Tartarus.

Does Kaden know what his grandfather did to end up there?

When I notice he's staring unblinking, waiting for my response, I manage to murmur, "W-work. I'm here for an investigation. I'm searching for someone." My voice comes across steadier than I feel, but the casual flicker of his eyebrows shows he senses the nerves in my voice. He steps close, a challenge written all over that gorgeous face.

"In my yard?"

I meet his steely gaze. "Could be. He was last seen down by the water recently."

Kaden runs a hand through his deep chestnut hair, which glints in the light. It cascades around his face and falls to his shoulders, and it's almost impossible not to stare. How can someone be so handsome? The way the sunlight catches his features almost seems unfair.

He's tall, too, close to six foot two or three, and broad, massive. I feel so tiny next to him. He could easily overpower me, yet he seems more interested in watching me, as if I should just fall to my knees before him.

The idea of accepting my fated mate is incredibly tempting. The attraction, the invisible pull to him, my body responding to his scent, his touch… it's my body telling me I'm meant to be with him. Imagine having by your side the kind of man who nobody would dare challenge.

I shake myself back to reality, to the fact that this is happening too fast, and I'm not ready.

"Who are you looking for?" he asks, his head tilting slightly to the side, the breeze fluttering through his hair. I can easily frame in a photo now where the slight frown at the bridge of his nose just adds a darker edge to his beautiful face.

"You wouldn't know him," I say, keeping my gaze fixed on him as I try to decipher the nature of his supernatural essence. Given that he had a cave underwater, he's some sort of water being. A merman, maybe? But then, on second thought, curiosity gets the better of me.

"Actually, do you happen to know someone by the name of Belu Jonsyn?" I'm torn about whether I should have mentioned my target, but if there's a chance Kaden knows him, I need to find out.

He shakes his head. "Can't say I do. I'm new in town. But I prefer to talk about us, not another man." There's almost a growl in his voice.

We stand there, the moment stretching awkwardly—or maybe it's just awkward for me because he's studying me with a smile in his eyes that's breathtaking. My heart hammers in my chest, every beat echoing that tingling sensation I've been told you sense when you meet your fated mate. They say you'll know instantly.

Well, I hate that it feels so overwhelming, confirming what he suggested earlier.

He's my fated mate.

Fuck!

Now what?

Do I just assume it's all going to be happy-go-lucky, then wait for whatever curse overtook my mom to claim me next? How long before I give my fated mate the kiss of death? The fear is relentless, gnawing at my insides. My mom once told me about the allure of a mermaid's death kiss, about the intoxicating feeling of taking a life. She said it's addictive, empowering, and so easy that you wouldn't realize you were hooked until it was too late.

I've mulled over her words for years, every sentence she said, every horrific memory from the night by the river, pondering if there's something sinister in our blood.

Truth be told, I've already used my powers three times for work, taking lives in dire situations where it was life or death… It's frighteningly instinctual, and I'm beginning to worry about how much I enjoy it.

The thought's been constantly on my mind, the concern consuming me, yet when it happens, I'm filled with a strange elation, as if it's a natural thing to do. As though another part of me is coming alive… and I keep thinking that's my siren side calling to me already.

Kaden's gaze is on me, and it's as though he's staring right through me.

"Well," I begin, trying to tamp down the intensity billowing inside me and focus on the current situation. "If you do happen to hear anything about him, I'd like to know."

"Of course," he states, standing tall. "And if I find him, should I dispose of him, or do you need him alive?"

A gasp slips past my lips. "Don't kill him. I need him breathing. In fact, don't find him at all. Forget I even mentioned it."

He nods as if he's taking a mental note, standing there like a warrior on the battlefield, broad, huge, and for some reason, the universe saw fit to make him my fated mate.

My thoughts are out of control, and I don't know what to think except to get the hell out of here.

"I need your name, by the way, sweetheart."

I blink at him. "Sasha," I mutter, already edging toward the broken gate, taking backward steps. "Okay, well, this was interesting, but I need to go."

He watches me intently, a half smile playing on his lips, but he doesn't follow. I'm barely holding back from bolting out of here. My breaths come fast, and I'm freaking out on the inside, but I need distance so I can breathe again and make sense of what I'm feeling.

As I turn to leave, he calls out, "Sasha."

The sound of my name in his voice is commanding and tempting, a tingle of arousal spiraling through me. Why does he have to sound so incredible?

"I'll find this Belu and drag him to your doorstep. And if I discover he's hurt you…" His voice trails off, and there's a sudden intensity in his voice that sends shivers down my spine.

The threat left hanging in the air has me second-guessing his intentions. He might very well be one of those psychos I'm trying to avoid.

My head is spinning, and I can barely make sense of it all.

Without another word, I rush off his property and head down the path in the woods, my pulse on fire. Traveling downhill, I start to feel the tight pinch around my ankle from that stupid rope trap, but I'm not stopping until I'm far from this property.

I'm in the car in no time, driving away. My cheeks and insides are burning up, oddly calling for him, which is insane. All the while, my stomach dances with butterflies at the thought of such a man implying I'm his…

This is insane.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, trying to focus on the road ahead, but my thoughts are back at that mansion, back with him. The idea of him hunting down Belu, possibly putting himself in danger for me, is both terrifying and appealing. I've never had anyone fight for me. Though, I also know I'll need to return there to track down Belu, to show my boss I can complete this job.

The road stretches out before me, winding the lush Norwegian landscape, and I try to steel my resolve. My time in the country is a brief stop until I return home to South Africa, yet since arriving, I've felt like things have been getting more complicated for me.

From getting the Siren Goddess's attention to Chowder chomping off two fingers of one of her guards, and now a beautiful, dangerous stranger, who looks like he could take down a small army, is my fated mate.

Hey, Universe, give me a freaking break!

As the landscape blurs past, a sudden thought strikes me… wait! Kaden said he'd come tell me if he finds Belu, but does he know where I work?

I swallow the thickness in my throat.

Or where I live?