Page 8 of Hammerhead (Kinkaid Shifters #4)

U nfortunately, Miguel had to work the next day and could not linger in bed with his new lover. He left her with regret—something he had never experienced before with any other partner—and went to his own quarters to get ready for his shift. Nobody was foolish enough to say anything to him directly about where he’d spent the night, though he did receive more than a few speculative glances from the other men.

He checked his gear and was aware of the silent treatment he was getting from the male selkies who oversaw the operation. That, he understood. Even respected. They were waiting to see what would happen between Miguel and their Irish cousin before leaping to any conclusions, or actions, that might be more harmful than helpful in the long run.

Miguel was glad for their caution. He’d hate to have to pound one of Deidre’s cousins into dust, for her sake. Causing strife between her and her extended family was not his intention.

He did notice they kept an extra close eye on him as he went about his work, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Even among other sharks, hammerheads were always looked at a little differently. He often thought that his other half was the most misunderstood species of the shark world.

It was the eyes on the ends of their hammers that made people uncomfortable, he knew. It probably did seem a bit freakish to others. He’d been stared at in his shark form all his life, and he’d gotten used to the extra scrutiny. But Deidre hadn’t stared or made him feel uncomfortable. She was cute as a button in her seal form, and his shark admired the way she swam so agilely in the water. He’d had a good time swimming with her and an even better time making love with her.

If he’d been wearing socks at the time, she would have knocked them clean off. The intensity of the pleasure he’d found with her had been unparalleled in his experience. He hadn’t really expected that, but he was floored by the increasing likelihood that Deidre was his mate.

As he went about his workday, he was plagued by thoughts of the night before and the way she’d made him feel. Like he was king of the world peopled only by the two of them. She was his queen, of course, and he would have been content to rest forever in that place where they were the sovereigns of their own little world.

He wasn’t sure if that was love. He’d never been in love before. Of course, he’d never considered that the woman in his bed might just be his mate before, either. Everything was new and different with Deidre, it seemed, and he was finding it increasingly interesting to be around her, even if the permanence of the thoughts in his mind might also be a little alarming.

This was what he’d wanted, he had to remind himself. All those years of wandering alone. He’d dreamed of finding a woman to share his life…and his love. He’d even made plans to try to attract a mate. Making money with his like-minded friends had been a very real attempt to try to earn enough to settle down somewhere and begin seriously searching for his other half.

And here he was… In a place he’d never expected to be, doing a job that he’d never expected to do, and having met a most unexpected woman who turned him on like no other. She just might be the answer to his prayers.

If she would have him, of course. She might not want to settle down with a shark. His species did have a questionable reputation among shifters. Several of the other shark varieties were often found on the wrong side of not only the law, but the eternal battle between good and evil.

He’d be the first to admit that some of those great whites were downright no good. As a hammerhead, he’d tread the line between light and dark a little close sometimes, but he liked to think that he’d never really crossed it too badly. That mission on Long Island had been bad business, but ultimately, he and his men had been captured and sent here, which worked out really well. He’d had a lot of time to think about the error of his ways while he’d been working here in the Gulf, and he’d drawn a lot of conclusions that made him think his life was going to take a whole new turn once his time here was done.

Maybe there was something to the Goddess and Her working in strange ways. Maybe…just maybe…he’d been guided into that particular job so that everything that had happened since had brought him to this place. To find Deidre. If she was truly his mate, his life would be changed forever. If she would have him.

It all kept coming back to that great big unknown. He didn’t know the first thing about how selkies identified their mates. There were many legends about selkies going back to the sea leaving bereft lovers and even children on land. Were selkies really that fickle? Did they not feel the urge to find their one true mate and spend the rest of their lives in fidelity with that person?

Or were the legends a reflection of truth? Were selkies—known all over history for loving and leaving—not as affected by the mating pull as other species? He’d have to find out. Somehow. It wasn’t the kind of thing he could just ask straight out. He’d have to be crafty and find a way to discover the truth. Maybe some of the male selkies would be willing to discuss it with him.

They might be worrying about their cousin and him, but maybe if they knew he was thinking along more permanent lines, they would be willing to answer his impertinent questions. Either that or they’d try to kill him all that much faster.

Well. They could try, but Miguel was confident enough in his own power that he knew they wouldn’t succeed. If worse came to worst, he could dive deep where those air-breathing seals couldn’t get to him. The only thing really keeping him here was his own desire to get his head on straight and find a better future for himself and his friends.

All in all, being here with the Kinkaids had been a blessing to him. The job was interesting, and it had opened up a whole new world of possibilities for him. He’d talked it over with his brother and the other hammerheads, and they’d all agreed. They were done fighting for pay. From now on, they’d seek this kind of work, and most of them wanted to stay on with Kinkaid if there were openings. The selkies had been hinting that the hammerheads would be welcome to keep working for them, even after their period of surveillance was over, and most of them were planning on staying with the company either here or at one of their other locations.

After all, Kinkaid had interests far and wide, in most of the world’s oceans. There was plenty of work for men with their particular abilities and skills. Honest work that was both challenging and rewarding. The kind of thing a man could do and hold his head up high. It also paid really well, which was important to a man considering settling down and finding a mate. Perhaps having children. Stability was important in such matters.

Deidre’s cousin, Tom, cornered her just after breakfast. She’d arrived late, and a few eyebrows had been raised in her direction, but nobody said anything right away. They all ate their meal and left the galley behind, beginning their day’s work. Only Tom lingered, fixing himself another cup of coffee as he waited for the room to clear out. Deidre was still working on her plate of bacon and eggs, and realized she couldn’t really avoid the confrontation she sensed in the air. With a resigned sigh, she looked up at her cousin as he came over to stand in front of her table.

“You might as well sit,” she invited, gesturing to the seat across from her.

Tom sat down, putting his mug of coffee down on the table in front of him. His expression was troubled, and she didn’t look forward to hearing whatever it was he had to say. She was pretty certain she knew what this was about, and she really didn’t want anyone interfering with her new and fragile relationship with Miguel. Not until she knew more about where they were going—if anywhere. But Tom looked like he would have his say no matter what she thought, and she resigned herself to hearing it. She owed him that much, she supposed. He’d always played fair with her and her family.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing with the shark?” he asked in a gentle but firm tone.

“Not really, but it feels serious, Tom. For my part, I’m not just playing around,” she declared, sucking in a breath at the honesty of her own words. She hadn’t really intended to be quite so transparent with Tom, but it probably was for the best.

“But what about him?” One of Tom’s eyebrows rose in question, and she had to shake her head.

“I’m not sure. It’s all very new, and it could be that nothing comes of it. Or it could be a lifetime thing,” she admitted.

Tom frowned. “That serious?”

“Possibly,” she hedged. “My seal really likes him in both his forms. As do I.”

The frown deepened. “You know what he did, though, don’t you? He’s not quite the angel he appears.”

That startled a laugh out of her. “I know he’s not angelic. Not by a long shot.” Especially not after last night. He was more of a devil in the sheets than an angel, and she liked him that way just fine. “And yes, he told me about the job they took from Abdul Kettering. He explained why they did it, but he didn’t make excuses. He knows they almost stepped over a line, and he’s not proud of it.”

“They shot a woman,” Tom objected, outrage in his carefully controlled tone.

“A fellow named Kotsa did that. He wasn’t a member of the hammerhead group.”

“Sure, that’s what he said, but how do we know it’s the truth?” Tom countered.

“I believe him.”

“You’re blinded by his good looks and the fact that you slept with him last night.”

She finished her last bite of eggs and stood, picking up her plate with as much dignity as she could muster.

“With all due respect, that is really none of your damned business.”

Tom stood as well, facing her. “I care what happens to you, Deidre. I don’t want to see you get your heart broken by some shark.”

“I may look young and fragile to you, cousin, but I’ve got more years under my belt than you might think. I do know what I’m doing, and I do wish the men of my family would give me a little credit for being a fully capable adult.” She saw his eyes widen as she fought back, and she felt small for hurting him, so she softened her tone a bit, but she wasn’t going to give in completely. “I do appreciate your concern, Tom. I really do. But it all could be for naught. My seal is enjoying swimming with him. My human side enjoys being with him. If it’s no more than that, then there’s no need for your worry. If it is more, then I expect you to accept my judgment and that of my beast. After all, if the seal claims him as her mate, and his shark does the same, then there’s nothing any of us can do to change it.”

He didn’t look convinced, and she was sure he wanted to say more, but she moved to put her plate in with the other dirty dishes, and he picked up his coffee. As she headed for the door, she looked back at him.

“It’s all in the Goddess’s hands, cousin. You know that. And if my heart gets broken, that’s up to Her too. Right now, I’m just going to see where this goes and enjoy the moment. After all, I’m finally getting to have a little fun without my brothers around to rain on my parade. That’s rare for me, and I intend to live it up. At least a little. Don’t ruin it for me.”

He shook his head and muttered, “I hope you know what you’re doing. If you get hurt by that sharky so-and-so, your brothers will never forgive me.”

“If that happens, and I honestly don’t think it will, they really don’t ever need to know about it. Do they?”

She waited in the doorway until he shook his head again and sighed heavily. He didn’t say anything further, which she took as a win. She sent him a small smile as she left the galley, and when he didn’t follow immediately behind, she was relieved. She didn’t want to fight with her extended family, but she also had to be firm and let them know that she was her own woman.

She might appear small in stature, but she had a big presence, and her seal had a fiercely maternal streak that made her one of the strongest members of her Clan back home. The American Kinkaids didn’t really know enough about her yet to realize that, but she thought Tom was beginning to get a clue.

She paused on deck, going to the rail where she stood for a moment enjoying the fresh morning air. Tom paused beside her on his way to work and apparently had one last tidbit of wisdom to share. Darnit. She’d thought she’d ended that very awkward conversation in the galley. Sighing, she waited to hear what more he had to say.

“Even as long as they’ve been under our scrutiny, we’re still not completely certain we can trust those hammerheads. They’re good workers, and they haven’t run off yet, though they could easily dive too deep for us to follow and swim away. That counts in their favor. But they’re cagey, and I still can’t really get a read on them. Their fishy nature makes them inscrutable, though their human sides are personable and even charming. I just don’t want you falling for one of them without knowing if he can be trusted with your heart. I’m praying you’re not setting yourself up for disaster.”

“While I appreciate that—and don’t think I’m going into this with blinders on—I can’t seem to stay away from him. Right now, I’m operating on instinct, and all of my instincts say he’s a good man. Whether or not he’s my mate remains to be seen. But for now, I’m enjoying my time with him, and ultimately,” she turned to meet Tom’s gaze, her tone serious, “the heart wants what the heart wants. Right now, my heart wants him. Don’t make it harder on me than it already is, Tom. Just let me see where this leads, and if he turns out to be a rat in a sharkskin suit, I’ll let you pummel him into seaweed for me. Okay?”

Tom chuckled a little at her description, and she felt better. He nodded reluctantly and finally walked away to get on with his day. She watched him go, wondering if she would have to let him pummel Miguel or not.

She’d laid it on the line with Tom. Her heart really did want Miguel right now, and she had a feeling it would want him for the rest of her life. She was very close to being—if not already—in love with him.

The thought made her pause. It felt right. She probably was already in love with the man, and her inner seal wanted to tell him and see what he thought, but her human side wanted more. She wanted to hear it from him first, so she’d know for certain that he wasn’t just agreeing but actively seeking to win her heart. She wanted him to love her enough to declare himself.

Now, if only he would play along. She didn’t know how long she could hold back her inner seal’s enthusiasm for pouncing on the man and finding out what he felt. The human side had to be a bit more subtle, but the seal didn’t understand subtlety. She shook her head. Conflict between her two natures was always a pain, but this time, the human half had to stand firm. Her whole future might depend on what happened next.