"I feel like there's so much I have to learn," I groaned dramatically. Saying I felt overwhelmed was an understatement. This all seemed like way too much information to process, and I kind of just wanted to curl up in bed and forget all of it was happening.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you have to learn an entire new world's worth of information in one day, Doll Face," Evander said gently. We all grew quiet as the waitress came by to refill our drinks and drop off new baskets of bread. As soon as she walked away, the conversation picked back up.
"And you have us," Lachlan pointed out around his mouthful of bread. "We can teach you different things, so it's not so bad."
"Eloquent," Aeson joked at Lachlan's lack of manners. "He's right though, it's not a test. Right now our job is to figure out what you are, and go from there."
"It's just really overwhelming," I said with a deep sigh, hating how whiny I sounded. Thankfully I was saved by the appearance of our food. The guys all seemed to forget our conversation, their eyes trained on the food as it was set in front of them. The waitress laughed and gave me a knowing look before heading to the back again.
My mind went over everything my parents had ever said to me... which honestly wasn't that much, considering. No matter how much I searched my memories, nothing about being adopted, or the supernatural, ever came up. They were either oblivious or secretive, and I wouldn't put either option past them.
By the time the food was cleared and dessert was brought out, I was overly full and had no new answers. The guys seemed content to ignore the topic for the moment, so I followed their lead and pretended like the world made sense. When they flagged down the waitress, I immediately said one check and handed her my card. Let my asshole adoptive parents pay for this one. Plus, the look of shock and horror on the guys' faces made it worth it. At least they aren’t trying to argue. They’ve clearly learned how stubborn I am.
"I was thinking we could go down to the aquarium. It's too cold for other shit, and there you won't be tempted to go for a dive," Aeson said with a chuckle. I couldn't argue. Clearly, anywhere close to the open ocean was too tempting right now.
"It's actually just a quick walk. There's a path between the arcade and the taco shack that leads over to the aquarium and city museum," Calev added, leading the way out of the restaurant and holding the door open for everyone. Once we were all outside, he took the lead again. I held my coat tight against me and focused on following him, trying my best to ignore the call of the sea. The further we walked, the harder it was to ignore.
"Let me go to it," I said, my voice taking on a melodic quality that was unfamiliar to my ears. The others all nodded, seemingly entranced by the change in my voice. All except for Calev, who spun around to face me.
"Control it," he said sharply, stepping up to me, so our noses were almost touching. A thick shadow swirled between us, our bodies hiding from everyone else. The cool touch of shadows and the crisp smell of clear, night air filled my senses, quieting the ocean's call.
"Let me go," I said again before the shadows grew thicker, and I couldn't even see the man less than a foot in front of me. I snapped out of the trance I seemed to be in, and the mental hold my siren side had on the other guys finally let go. When the shadow cleared, the guys blinked around in confusion, not catching on to what just happened.
"Evander, vampire speed her out of here right now," Calev ordered, glancing up and down the sidewalk to check for passersby. When the coast was clear, Evander took my hand in his and started toward the walkway Calev described earlier. When we stepped between the buildings, his arms circled my waist as he shot forward, wind whipping over my hair and face, and my feet lifting into the air. We came to an abrupt stop just before we crested the hill. The moment my feet touched the ground I wavered, trying to get a hold of my senses.
"It's rough the first time. Sorry, Doll," he said, putting his hands on my shoulders to steady me. I gave him a smile, but I felt like I was about to puke from the sudden wave of nausea that followed his speed. The others joined us a few minutes later, looking relieved when they saw that I wasn't trying to make a break for the ocean.
"What the hell was that?" I hissed at Calev as he walked past me. He gave me a quick shake of his head. A few moments later, a couple passed us, making sense of his reaction.
"A siren's call, and I'll explain more about that later," he said calmly, before taking the lead again. My eyes narrowed at his back, which he clearly felt because he turned around and gave me a small smirk, before hurrying up the last few steps. Does he have to be so sexy AND a pain in the ass?!
"Yes, he does," Tristan answered as he snaked his arm through mine. "We’ll figure it out, but for now, let's go check out this aquarium. I've heard it's the best in the area!" His voice was full of childlike excitement, and I couldn't help but laugh, his enthusiasm rubbing off on me.
"You two are adorable," Aeson said from behind us, causing us both to turn.
Tristan leaned close to me, his lips brushing lightly over the shell of my ear as he whispered."He's a flirt, but he's harmless. Though, I promise he wouldn't flirt if he wasn't interested." My cheeks heated at his words, and my body shivered in response to the intimate whispers. Aeson's eyes darkened at the sight, before he turned a heated glare at his boyfriend.
"Keep teasing me, babe. You know I like it," he purred, brushing past us and landing a playful smack on Tristan's ass. Fuck, these two are hot. Images of a Lennox sandwich danced in my head, both of them audibly groaning as Tristan picked up on it. I wasn’t even a little sorry for that one.
Needing a change of pace, I hurried past him again and into the warm air of the building. Calev, Evander, and Lachlan were waiting for us inside, Calev rolling his eyes at Aeson's smug smile and my heated cheeks.
"Stop teasing her," he warned before storming off to the ticket counter. I followed him over, but he already had all six tickets purchased before I could protest, shooting me a smug look.
The moment we entered the aquarium itself, I was transfixed. The hallway was an aquarium itself, fish swimming over and around us. The light danced through the water and over the floor, making it feel like we were in the sea with them. My spirits lifted as I walked through, a brilliant smile on my face as I stared at everything. When we got to the end of the tunnel, it opened up into a wide room with vaulted ceilings. Floor to ceiling tanks lined three of the walls, more tunnels branching under each one.
I forgot all about my companions as I explored the aquarium, stopping in front of the large tanks and taking in every fish and sea creature inside. The chatter of people grew louder, eventually distracting me from my trance. When I glanced back, a crowd was watching me, and more were joining them. The guys all looked exasperated, but I had no clue why until I turned back to the tank. A large group of creatures was in front of me, floating and waiting. When I took a step forward, they followed me, stopping when I stopped again. No wonder they're watching, you're a freaking siren, and the sea creatures know it!
Pretending li
ke nothing weird was happening, I continued looking around until I found a good moment to step away. Something stopped me as I passed the last tank, an overwhelming wave of sadness that was so encompassing that a tear fell from my eye. My eyes immediately found the source, a small shark that was by itself, swimming slower than everything around it.
"Doll? What's wrong?" Evander asked as he stepped forward and gently wiped my tears away.
"She's so sad," I whispered back, more tears following as I felt her pain. An image flashed in my head of a slightly bigger and darker shark that must have been her mate. A worker passed by, and I stopped him.
"Isn't there a shark missing?" I asked quickly, pointing her out. He seemed confused before a spark of understanding crossed his face.
"Yes, he was in quarantine for a check-up. They found a growth, so the vet took a look. He should be back sometime this afternoon though, he was fine," he explained, pulling out the walkie talkie he had clipped to his belt. "Hey, when does the shark for tank 3A go back in?" Static followed for a moment, before a female's voice answered.