“So, selkie man, tell me what you know.”

He sat up, ran his hands along his thighs, and thought for a moment. “There have been cases of sirens attacking humans in Orkney, although the last incidents were a few years ago.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I was there. I struck a bargain with them, one that was supposed to keep them away from here.”

“Sounds like a sort of exile.”

“If you like. There was no choice. The killing had become rampant, obvious. The human population was growing concerned. Even the sirens understood it was time to move on. Like many supernatural creatures, they can’t afford to remain in one place for long.”

“And yet you’ve been here for centuries. How is it selkies can stay under the radar?”

“We’re careful and we don’t kill. The humans who have become aware of selkies understand the need for keeping mum about our existence. Let’s just say we have a mutual respect.”

“You mean the desperate women who snag your pelts would rather not share you?”

“Says a woman who’s snagged my pelt.” He grinned. “Call it what you want. Selkies have no interest in hurting humans.”

Her hand flew across her page as she tried to get all this information documented. “This is fascinating. And you convinced the sirens to leave?”

“In a manner of speaking. As I said, they’d begun to draw too much attention to themselves anyway. When any supernatural being refuses to adhere to the laws of discretion, it’s a threat to the rest of us. We survive because of this code. Sirens do too. If humans caught wind of any of our activities, we could all become extinct. It’s that simple.”

“Resulting in a world without magic.”

“A sad place indeed, don’t you think?”

Amy stopped jotting down notes and considered the prospect. She suspected people like her parents would be quite comfortable in a world without magic but Edan was right. She could only imagine what the rest of the world would look like if the legends disappeared. Humans would hunt and destroy any creature that appeared unusual.

Much as she hunted beasts for the sake of entertainment.

For the first time, her career choice bothered her.

“Are you all right, Amy?”

She sat up straight. “Yes. What was your part in all this?”

The selkie turned his head toward the window, leaving part of his face in shadow. “I had personal reasons for wanting the sirens to leave. One of them killed the woman I loved.”

An itchy knot formed in Amy’s throat. She hadn’t really thought someone like Edan capable of love. After all, the myths emphasized the cold hearts of selkie men. These were beings who used women for pleasure and then deserted them for the waves. She’d assumed selkies could only love themselves. “I’m sorry to hear it. What was her name?”

“Ellen.” Edan’s eyes crinkled as he looked out the window, as if seeing the ghost of his long-dead lover. He didn’t elaborate on what happened to Ellen, but Amy could only imagine.

“Would you like to talk about her?”

“No.”

“It might help if...”

“I said no, Amy. All you need to know is Breena and her sisters killed her.”

“Breena and her sisters?”

“Yes. They may be monsters but they do have names and they possess many human characteristics. The trio of sirens who came to Orkney are called Breena, Mercia, and Dulcine. They are ancient and destructive, and no human can resist them.”

“What about non-humans?”

“Ah, well, that’s a different story. Sirens are built to hunt people like you. They have no interest in eating other supernatural creatures. It is the taste of human flesh that drives them.”

“So someone like you might be able to kill a siren.”

“It’s not that simple. Sirens can’t be killed by normal means. That is why I had to find another way to get rid of them. I have many gifts, lass. I can change shapes. I can communicate in unusual ways. I can influence the weather with a mere thought. But even I, with my array of abilities, can’t destroy a siren.”

“They’re indestructible?”

Edan leaned forward, his eyes glittering. “There’s only one way to kill a siren. Mortal resistance. It causes them to commit suicide. Remember Odysseus?”

“Yes. When he stopped up the ears of his crew with beeswax, they were able to resist the call of the sirens and could steer their boat away from their island. Legend says when the bird women were ignored, they threw themselves into the sea and were destroyed.”

“You know your Homer.”

“Surely Breena and her sisters aren’t the same sirens, then.”

“No. There are several sirens named in the old myths but they weren’t the only ones. As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, there are other truths behind the folklore.”

Which meant she might not even have all the information she needed to fight these monsters. She needed Edan on her side more than ever.

“I hope you’re starting to realize you’re waging a useless war. Amy, you can’t kill these creatures.”

“With all due respect, it sounds as if I have a better chance than you do. You said so yourself. Even if you banded together with a group of paranormal vigilantes, the most you could do is convince them to leave. You already tried that and clearly they have bad listening skills. They need to be destroyed, once and for all.”

“I agree. The time for exile is long past.”

“Okay, but what I don’t understand is why they’d return to Orkney at all. Why not go somewhere else where they could plunder a larger human population and keep their identities secret?”

“It’s my fault. It’s because of me they’ve returned and I need to be the one to stop them.” As he stood, the shadows darkened his face, making him appear older. “I’ve told you everything you need to know. Go home, Amy. Let me take care of them.” He headed for the door.

She jumped up from her chair, almost knocking it over in her haste. “Edan, wait. Don’t go.”

His hand was already on the doorknob but he stood still, his back to her. In that pained posture, he looked more statue than man. With his face twisted and his muscles taut, he might have been sculpted by Bernini. A look of pain, captured forever.

What was she supposed to say? She didn’t understand why the siren sisters were so keen on coming back to Orkney. Even in summer, the place was cold. The winds played havoc with her skin. Her hair frizzed in the ever-present mist. She couldn’t imagine a bunch of sun-worshipping bird maidens would enjoy hanging out on the chilly Orcadian beaches.

More to the point, why did Edan think it was his fault?

He turned the doorknob.

Instinct drove her as she reached for his arm. She didn’t think, didn’t remember how to think. She just wanted to wipe the sad look off his face.

The sculpture came to life and he turned. His gaze slowly met hers.

Those lips. Why was it they looked tastier than other men’s lips? Maybe it had something to do with their fullness or the hint of auburn stubble surrounding them. She was sure one simple kiss would rid her of the notion Edan Kirk was the most kissable man on earth. Then she could go on with her life and stop fantasizing about what it would be like to have a selkie seduce her into a state of complete oblivion.

He cupped her cheek and his thumb made a pass of her bottom lip. “Trust me. You don’t want to experience a selkie’s love.”

“Is it such a dangerous thing?”

“It can be, especially when the person on the receiving end has a broken heart.”

“My heart’s not broken.”

“Please, Amy. Don’t insult my intelligence. Anyone with half a brain can hear the irregular pulse of your broken heart from here. Do you honestly think you can hide your interest in me? I’ve been reading women like you for years. I can almost taste your excitement.”

“Maybe I am a little excited. Can you blame me? I’m curious. I want to know what all the fuss is about. I do research these things, after all.”

“Research, eh? Just doing your due diligence, are you?”

“Maybe.”

His eyes flashed with blue fire. “You were cautioned. Don’t forget that.”

Amy opened her mouth to argue, but Edan cut her off with a savage kiss. His lips met hers in a frenzy. There was nothing nice in his kiss, nothing kind. The embrace was as much a warning as his words. Each lick, each bite made the hairs on her arms stand at attention. His snatched breaths seemed to say Stay away!

But she couldn’t. Her heart pumped so hard and visions from her dream flooded into her consciousness. Edan swimming toward her with animal grace. Edan fucking her in the waves. Her blissful cries, so foreign they might have been monstrous.

He moaned and something in his body relaxed and surrendered as well. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her so close to his body that even air couldn’t separate them. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth and the bulge at the front of his pants seemed to lengthen. Driven by lust, Amy reached between them and gripped him there.

“Fuck.” He pulled away, his eyes wide with what appeared to be horror. “Fuck.”

Didn’t she please him? He sure as hell felt pleased judging from the rod of iron in his jeans. “Uh, I’m not sure that was the reaction I was going for.”

“It’s you.”

“What do you mean?”

He didn’t say another word and just continued to gape at her with that insane look on his face.

“Edan?”

He passed a shaking hand over his face. Mumbling something in a language she didn’t understand, he whipped open the door and disappeared down the hallway. Amy stood still as his footsteps hammered the staircase. Within seconds, the front door of the B&B had opened and slammed shut. She raced to the window to look outside. He’d already jumped on his Harley and was speeding away. All she saw was the trail of long, red hair behind him.

Had he hated her kiss so much?

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