I knew Willow Harbor like the back of my hand, or better really, but I had never felt more lost while I drove around looking for Brooke.

After stopping by Anna’s and taking her potion, I went back to the library. Delpha had just called me to inform me she had lost Brooke. Apparently, Pierce had shown up and since Delpha wanted to keep him from seeing Brooke in case he fell under her spell, she had stepped away from Brooke for a minute, leaving Brooke alone with Mattie. Mattie had been called by Vicky, her boss and Pierce’s mother, leaving Brooke alone. Sure as hell, Brooke bailed. Delpha thought she would find Brooke easily, but after a few minutes looking, she got busy with work. She couldn’t even call me to let me know Brooke was gone.

I didn’t blame Delpha, but I was mad at myself for not taking Brooke with me, or figuring out somewhere safer to take her. Somewhere she couldn’t have escaped.

I went to all possible places—the bookstore, Ida’s Bakery, and all other places downtown—and everyone said the same thing: Brooke had stopped by and asked if anyone could help her find her nameless, faceless father, but now she was gone.

Despair gripped my chest as I drove street by street, block by block, looking for her.

I didn’t want to consider if I was anxious because a siren unaware of her powers was roaming around town alone, or if it was simply because it was Brooke—whatever that meant.

I had driven all over the south side of town already. I made my way back to the square, circled it twice, and then headed to the north side. I gripped the wheel and gritted my teeth. Why had I left her alone? I shouldn’t have …

My car’s headlights illuminated a figure up ahead. I slowed down and leaned into the wheel, trying to get a better look.

A beautiful girl with long, dark hair walked down the sidewalk, her eyes downcast and her arms around herself.

A jolt cut through me as I realized that even from this distance, even safe inside my car, even after taking Anna’s potion, I still thought Brooke was beautiful.

Not just beautiful, but breathtakingly stunning.

I stopped my car beside her.

She flinched as I opened the door, as if she was ready to bolt.

“Nathan,” she breathed, her eyes wide. A tear trickled down her face.

An urge to embrace her hit me square in the chest. “What happened?”

She took another step back. “You should stay away,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Brooke, what happened?”

Another tear escaped her beautiful eyes and she wiped them away furiously. “I … I don’t know. I can’t explain.”

I let out a long breath. Shit, I knew bad things would happen if I left her alone. “Is it the same kind of thing that happened with Robbie five years ago?”

Her eyes bugged. “How … Why …” She sucked in a sharp breath. “It was you. The guy who saved Robbie. It was you.”

I nodded. “It was me. And if you come with me, I can explain what’s happening.” It was time she knew. I offered my hand to her. “Let’s get out of here and I’ll explain everything.”

She glanced at my hand, suspicious. “I’m not sure I should …”

“If you’re worried it’s gonna happen again, don’t. I can feel it before it takes hold and I can snap out of it.” I hoped. “If you’re worried about your safety, I promise you, you have nothing to fear. I’ll treat you the same way I did earlier today.” I jutted my hand out. “Please, come with me.”

I wouldn’t use force, but I also couldn’t let her get away. If she insisted on not coming with me, I would follow her and approach her again when she was feeling safer in public.

She wiped at her face again, then wiped her hands in her jeans. Still looking at me a little wary, she slipped her hand in mine. “Okay,” she whispered.

Showing her I was one of the good guys, I opened the door of my car to her. She slid past me and into the car as a breeze blew. A few strands of hair whipped back, bringing in her sweet lavender perfume. Another urge to touch her, to keep holding her hand hit me, and I wondered if Anna’s potion was too weak or if its effect was already gone.

I took Brooke to the best place I could think of—the willow tree.

Before leaving the car, I handed her a blanket. She wrapped it around herself and, together, we walked until we were under the tree’s low branches.

She sat down on the frozen grass, the blanket folded underneath her, and looked at the tree.

“It’s so peaceful here.” Little puffs of frozen air came out of her mouth.

I nodded, sitting a few feet from her. The cold from the grass seeped through my pants, but right now, I didn’t care. “This tree is a big part of town.”

“I’m from here, remember? I know the tree is important to the town.”

“You don’t know what I know about it.”

She tilted her pretty head at me. “Does this have something to do with whatever freakiness is happening?”

“Sort of,” I confessed. “But first, I need you to tell me what happened tonight, okay? Can you do that?”

She fixed those big green eyes on mine and my breath caught. Yes, she was beautiful, with or without the effect of her powers. “I bumped into Robbie earlier this evening.”

“And?”

“He immediately came on to me, saying the same kind of shit he said last time. That I was too beautiful, too perfect, that I was his life …” She inhaled deeply, calming herself. “Then it happened again at Jane’s house.”

“Jane Sande?”

“Yes, my mother and I used to be her neighbors. I ended up there tonight after the incident with Robbie. Jane saw me and invited me in. Before I knew it, I was agreeing to spend the night there. I was happy …” She smiled. “I hadn’t felt that good in a long time. Until Jane and I started dancing and singing.” Oh, shit. A siren’s powers were stronger when she sang. “Her father and brother invaded her bedroom and came on to me. I had no idea what was happening, but Mrs. Sande told me to get out. Then you found me.” She wiped unshed tears. “Can you explain all this craziness?”

“I can,” I said, trying to sound calm and sure. I had to make her relax if she was to understand everything, to accept it. “Now, I need you to have a pretty open mind about this, okay? What I’m gonna tell you will sound a little crazy.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “You already sound crazy.”

“I know, but please … try to take it all in.”

She pulled the blanket tighter. “Just say it, Nathan.”

“All right.” I frowned as I thought of the best way to say this. How did you tell someone they were a supernatural being? “Have you ever heard the stories the fishermen tell, about mermaids and other sea creatures?”

She nodded. “Yes. Their favorite ones are about sirens, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Exactly.” I paused, giving her a moment before I blurted out the words. “Brooke, you’re a siren.”

Her mouth fell open, but I didn’t give her a chance to blink much less to say anything. I told her everything. I told her about nagas, the good ones who lived in Willow Harbor and the bad ones who came during summer solstice. I told her why they came. I told her how her mother got pregnant. I told her that her father was a naga. That her powers were activated that night she almost drowned Robbie by accident. That her mother moved them away so she wouldn’t be near the saltwater, where her powers were the strongest.

“Now that you’re here in Willow Harbor again, near the ocean, your powers are stronger, and they are even stronger when you sing.”

She shook her head, opened her mouth again, and started laughing. A big belly laugh. “Oh my gosh, and I thought you were all serious and stoic. Who knew you could joke?” I didn’t laugh. I didn’t say a thing. Slowly, her laugh turned into soft sobs. “You’re not joking.”

It wasn’t a question, but I shook my head anyway. “I’m sorry.”

The blanket fell to the grass as she shot to her feet. “But … it doesn’t make any sense. Mermaids, sirens, sea creatures … powers, magic, supernaturals … it’s all make believe. Fairy tales. Unreal.”

“I promise you, it’s not.”

“Let me guess, vampires and werewolves are real too.”

Why were those the first two supernatural beings that came to everyone’s mind? I sighed. I hated telling other people’s secrets, but it was for a good cause.

“You met Delpha today. She’s a sea creature. Remember Pierce? He’s a true shapeshifter. Claire and Mason from the bookstore?” Her eyes widened. “Yes, I know you stopped everywhere. Anyway, Claire is a panther shifter, and Mason is a vampire. Ida and her granddaughter are witches. Loran is also a supernatural. Even Mrs. Ackermann is a shifter. Want me to go on?”

She took a couple of steps back. “That’s crazy.”

“No, it’s not crazy. It’s the truth. Willow Harbor is like a safe haven for all kinds of supernatural beings.” I gestured to the tree beside us. “This tree is magical. It has some kind of power that protects the town and its residents. It hides the town from anyone who isn’t supposed to be here, who isn’t supposed to find it.”

She glanced at the tree. “It always felt like this tree was much more than a simple tree,” she whispered. She was finally accepting my story. She turned narrowed eyes to me. “So you’re saying I’m a … a siren? Like an evil mermaid? With a tail and everything?”

“That’s a fairy tale. Sirens aren’t mermaids. They can’t even breathe underwater. You can’t breathe underwater.”

She shook her head, a doubtful smile on her lips. “And what would you be?”

“I’m a hunter. People sometimes say demon hunter, but my group and I don’t hunt only demons.”

She took another step. “So … you hunt what?”

“Anything that doesn’t follow the town’s rules.”

She retreated another foot. “Like sirens who can’t control their powers.”

Shit, now she was afraid of me. “No, no … I mean, if the siren is doing it on purpose, then yes, we hunt her and do something about it, but your case is different. You didn’t know what you were. You had no way of controlling your powers.”

She pressed her fingertips to her temple. “This is too much. Too crazy.” She shut her eyes for a minute, then fixed them on mine. “Let’s say I believe you, which I don’t. Then what? How do I control my powers?”

“It’s hard and it’ll take you a long time to be able to control them. I asked a witch to make you an elixir to inhibit them for a while, but it’ll take a few days for the elixir to be ready.”

“So, what am I supposed to do until then? Hide?”

I frowned. “I know it sounds bad, but … maybe not hide, just lie low. I can come to you and take you places. I can keep you in check.”

“And how are you able to resist my powers?”

I pressed my lips tight. “At first, I wasn’t. But I noticed them, so I inflicted pain on myself so I would have something else to focus on.”

She gasped. “You hurt yourself so you wouldn’t …”

“It’s okay. I already had a wound. No big deal.”

“No big deal? You’re having to inflict pain on yourself to keep from falling for my power!”

I took three large steps and halted right in front of her. I grabbed her arms gently, and turned her to me. “Brooke, it’s okay. I was okay. I’m okay now. Anna gave me a potion that makes it easier for me to resist your powers.” Her eyes shone with new tears, and I thought she never looked more beautiful. Shit, perhaps the damn potion didn’t work that well. “It’s safe.”

She stepped back. “No, it’s not safe. If all you’re saying it’s true, I’m a threat to anyone. To any man.” She gasped. “How will I—?” She cut herself short and shook her head. “This is crazy.”

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but right now the best thing for you, and for everyone around you, is that you believe me.”

“And stay away from everyone.”

I grimaced. “You don’t need to stay away from everyone. You just need to—”

“Stay away from everyone.”

“—be careful. You just need to be careful.” I dreaded telling her the next part. “The other hunters and I agreed that one of us should stay with you at all times. This way things won’t get out of hand again.”

“And won’t they be affected too?”

“Not if they don’t get too close.”

“Right.” She shook her head. “This is crazy,” she muttered.

“All right, I think this is enough for now. You should rest.”

She let out a hollow chuckle. “And where will a siren go and not be a threat to anyone?”

My lips curled into a smirk. “I know a place.”