11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

Blue

S ammy looks so betrayed. Hurt is clouding his beautiful eyes, and I hate it. Water is still streaming off him and somehow my arms are still around him. We are nearly nose to nose. I can feel the warmth of his body through his wet clothes.

I lift him up, out of the water, and seat him on the edge of the pool. Then I back away a little. Not too far, just in case he falls in.

I'm going to kill Lello when I get my hands on him. Or thank him. Possibly both. Thanks to him, I now see what Sammy means to me. Of course I'm going to save him. Whatever the cost. The alternative is unthinkable.

Thrust back into the very same situation that caused us to be mated, there was no doubt in my mind. Even when fully aware of the consequences. The first time was instinctual, without thinking it through. But thank the stars, it was the right choice. One I would make a thousand times over.

"We're mated?" Sammy asks in a tone of disbelief.

I nod. I'm all out of words. Saving him was absolutely the right thing to do, but the consequences are still profound. And it was not a choice Sammy made. All of this has been done to him.

"How? When? Why?" His bewildered confusion is breaking my heart.

"When you fell into my pool," I say. "The first time."

His eyes widen even more. His face is far too pale. "I don't understand. "

I take a deep breath and try to find my courage. Lello has a lot to answer for, but he is absolutely right about one thing. Sammy deserves to know what I have done to him.

"You were drowning. The water was claiming you. I interrupted the sea goddess's plans and took you from her."

Sammy's jaw drops, then he exclaims, "It's a flipping swimming pool!"

I shrug helplessly. "Apparently, it still counts."

He stares at me. Intensely. It looks like he is lost for words and I don't blame him. It's a lot to take in. For anybody. And he is human. A human that only stumbled into the paranormal world a few months ago.

I wait while he gathers his thoughts. Granting him patience is the very least I can do for him.

A breeze picks up and draws eddies over the surface of the pool. The taste of the air changes, it grows heavier with salt from the water stirred by the wind.

"I…I accidentally jumped into the deep end. You pulled me over to the edge. It wasn't a big deal," Sammy says suddenly, as if jolted back into his ability to speak.

His statement sounds rational. Reasonable even. If you're taking a human point of view. But I'm not human, and the ancient magic that has bound us together knows nothing of human logic.

"It was a big deal," I say softly.

Sammy's beautiful face scrunches up in confusion. I think those are tears in his eyes. Hopefully tears of frustration. Though he has every right to be devastated by this news.

"Sirens aren't nice," I say. "We are vicious and vindictive. An act of selflessness is a huge deal."

Sammy blinks. "You are nice."

I chuckle and shake my head. My heart does a little skip. I adore that he thinks that of me, but I'm not sure it's true. My years away from the ocean and my kind have softened me, for sure. Whether it is enough to classify me as nice, I have no idea .

"If I had intended to mate you, I would have ripped your throat out with my teeth and then attempted to staunch the bleeding. If you survived, you'd be mine. If not…" I trail off and shrug.

Sammy pales even more and his pupils dilate to two pools of darkness. His slender hands rise up and protectively cover his throat.

"Please, don't do that," he whispers.

Instinctively, I swim closer, but he flinches, so I freeze. My chest aches with a need to comfort him. The fact that he is scared of me right now is tearing at my soul.

"I would never," I promise solemnly.

I don't need to, for a start. Sammy is already mine. That dark thought swims through me. Twisting and twining. And the taste of it is alarmingly delicious. My plan to find him someone else has shattered. If there ever was a moment when it could have been done, that time has passed. I'm far too entangled in this mate bond to even be able to consider it now.

Sammy shivers and wraps his arms around himself. At first I think it's from emotion, but then I realize that he is fully dressed and soaking wet. It's dark and late and the very tail end of summer. And he is human.

My heart pounds. I'm such an idiot. I need to take better care of him. He could get sick and that would be terrible.

I leave the water and stand beside him.

"Let's get you inside and warmed up," I say as gently as I can.

Tentatively, I offer my hand. He hesitates for a heart-stopping moment, then he takes it and I pull him to his feet. As my fingers tighten around his hand, I can feel the chill of his wet skin against mine. His palm is smooth and delicate, and I try to be gentle as I pull him away from the pool.

I take him into the house and straight into his room. I sit him down on a chair while I find a towel and some dry clothes. He watches me as if in a daze as I move about his room .

Everything is still neat and tidy. Another tendril of guilt tightens around my already aching heart. My tidying was meant as a help. My way of showing that I care. I truly hope he hasn't taken it as a reprimand. But that's a problem for another day. We have a far bigger one to work through tonight. And before we tackle that, Sammy needs to be warm and dry.

Finally, I am able to present my offerings to him. He takes them and something seems to rouse within him. He stands and hurries into his bathroom and shuts the door. But he took the things I gave him and I'm fairly certain that is a good sign. Even within human customs.

My gaze fixes on the shut bathroom door and doesn't leave. It is so hard not to fidget while I wait. My feet wish to pace. Standing still and just breathing has never been so hard.

Eventually, Sammy emerges from the bathroom. His hair is still damp and all frizzy. But he is dry and warm. I can sense health and vitality glowing from him. His unexpected late-night visit to my pool has done him no harm. My shoulders sag in relief.

He looks at me, and his blue eyes look a little clearer. His mind has had time to catch up.

"So, how does being mated work?" he asks. He sounds far calmer than he should.

I shake my head. "You don't need to worry about that. I'm going to find a way to undo it. It was why I never told you. I thought I could fix it without you knowing."

A strange look flows over his pretty face. "You don't want me as your mate?"

"About as much as you want me," I answer with a wry smile.

Sammy's cheeks tinge pink, and he drops his gaze.

"I'll work this out, I promise!" I say.

He nods without looking at me, and then he inhales sharply, blue eyes snapping up to meet mine.

"Is this why I couldn't blow that guy? "

I wince. Both at the directness of his speech and the implications of his words.

"Sorry," I plead uselessly. "I can provide for you while you cannot work."

Sammy sighs and runs a hand through his hair, messing it up even more.

"I think that is the least of our problems."

I don't know what to say to that so I just say, "Sorry," again.

Sammy raises an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "You seem to like saying sorry a lot."

I chuckle nervously, feeling a bit relieved that he's able to inject some humor into the situation. "I just... I feel responsible for all this. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder. I tingle at the touch, but strangely, it doesn't bother me.

"Hey, it's not your fault. It was an accident. We'll figure this out together, okay?"

I meet his gaze, feeling a surge of gratitude for his understanding. "Thank you, Sammy."

He smiles warmly and then his expression turns mischievous. "So, does being mated mean we have to share everything now? Like secrets and our innermost thoughts?"

I can't help but laugh at his question. "Maybe. But only if you're okay with that."

Sammy nods, looking determined. "I trust you."

My heart does another strange flutter. I'm going to have to see Brodie for a checkup at this rate.

Potentially faulty hearts aside, my mind is faltering and cannot believe Sammy is taking this so well. I do not deserve his grace. He truly is a far better person than I will ever be.

As the truth of Sammy's wonderful nature continues to sink in, I feel a new wave of gratitude wash over me. He trusts me. Despite the mess I've gotten him into, despite the bond we now share that I never wanted for him, he still trusts me. It's a foreign sensation, this warmth in my chest, this sense of belonging with another person.

I have absolutely no idea what I have done to deserve it. But I cherish it nonetheless.

"Thank you, Sammy. I promise to do everything in my power to make this right for you."

Sammy smiles, a small and understanding smile that seems to sink into my soul. "I know you will. And I'm here with you every step of the way."