Page 12 of Rock of Stages (Moonlight Siren #4)

NAIYA

M ine. Caleb declared it with such determination, such possession, that it sent trembles through my body.

He stared down at me from shadow-gray eyes that darkened with feral possession—both terrifying and thrilling.

This huge gargoyle of a man, all hard contours and carved muscle, loomed over me like a cliff facing the ocean’s wild tides. Filling me like I’d never experienced.

He’d even said mate in a deep, rumbling baritone.

And oh, how a part of me wanted to be his. That part that grew bigger each hour I spent with him. Luring me from my family and the familiarity of the sea. All I wanted was him. More of this—more of how he made me feel so…wanted. Desired.

Cherished.

Caleb’s muscles rippled with restraint, and he gripped my hips like an anchor. He drove into me with a slow, deep rhythm, and I ached for more.

“You feel so good, Naiya,” he rumbled.

The way my name sounded in that gravelly voice made my body sing.

“Please,” I begged, clutching on to his boulder-sized shoulders. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper, desperate to hold him close.

“Tell me,” he demanded and rocked deep inside me. “Tell me you’re mine.” He thrust in, slow and steady, then harder, unraveling me with each rhythmic beat.

“Yesss,” I cried out, arching toward him.

With a guttural growl, he drove in harder, stretching me with every thick inch until I thought I’d split in exquisite pleasure.

His control seemed to snap as he rocked into me, hitting that perfect spot again and again.

Shock waves rushed through my body, building up to a roaring climax, and I shattered, pulsing around his thick shaft with wave after wave of blissful release.

Incredible. It felt like I soared to the sky, then floated back to the sea, to his arms—back where I belonged.

I woke with my cheek on Caleb’s warm chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His arm was wrapped tightly around me, as if he didn’t want to let me go.

Or maybe that was what I wished.

I lay there, savoring the warmth of his skin and how protected I felt in his massive embrace.

When he stirred sometime later, we cuddled closer and fell back asleep with him spooning me. His erection pressed against me stirred my desire once more, and I wiggled against him. Although I was still sore from last night, I wouldn’t give up the chance to be with him once more.

We spent the next couple of hours in bed, taking turns pleasuring each other, before the need for food drove us out of the cabin.

After we ate a breakfast outdoors, we refilled our coffee cups and sat on lounge chairs facing the sea as the afternoon sun blazed down on us. He was quiet and his body language seemed jittery—unlike the smooth motions I associated with him. Something was on his mind.

I wrestled through the thoughts in my head until I finally summoned the courage to speak them. “Caleb?”

“Yes?”

“Last night, you said some things.” I paused, witnessing my nervousness mirrored in his expression. Still, I had to know. “Was it just in the heat of the moment?”

He tensed beside me and rubbed the back of his neck. He worked his jaw, then exhaled. He turned to me and fixed a gaze on me that was so intense it left me breathless.

“I meant it,” he admitted, his voice low. “I need to tell you something—something I’ve known since we first met. You’re my mate, Naiya.”

I stared at him, blinking hard. Did he really say that?

“I want to be with you,” he added. “However. Wherever.”

My heart swelled with happiness but then dropped with the reality of our situation. “How? You live here. I live under the sea. It’s impossible.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said quickly, his expression determined. “Strap on a scuba tank. Build a houseboat. Anything. Just say…say you feel it too.”

My chest tightened as emotions surged through me—joy, longing, fear. Yet underneath it all, a certainty pulsed. I knew what I wanted.

My eyes glistened and I blinked before I admitted, “I do.”

He let out a giant exhale.

“Caleb, I want to make it work. I want to be with you.”

He whooped and jumped out of his chair, then pulled me into his arms and spun me around in a tight grip.

“Sorry.” He put me down.

“That’s okay.” I laughed and then stared out at the horizon, pulling my lips into a tight line. “But if we’re going to figure this out, I need to go back to my pod and tell them I’m leaving.”

His wide grin vanished, and his expression turned concerned. “You sure that’s safe? What about your father?” His face contorted into a painful grimace. ”His plan?”

Dealing with my father and the situation with the arranged marriage would be a challenge, but I was determined to let no one else decide my future but me. I brushed my fingers along his chiseled jawline. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

He studied me for several seconds. “Naiya, what would you think about singing a song during our practice today?”

I blinked at him. “Why?”

“You have a beautiful voice. And I’m coming up with ideas.” When he told me what he had in mind and asked me what I thought, I squirmed in delight.

“Do you think it’s possible?” I leaned closer.

He shrugged. “We won’t know until we try.” He gently nudged my chin up and smiled. “If anyone can wow them, it’s you.”

Later that evening, I walked into the Nocturnal Lounge with Caleb at my side.

Nerves fluttered in my belly like a startled school of fish.

The lights were low, the stage lit by a soft blue glow that reminded me of moonlight filtering through ocean currents.

His bandmates glanced up from their instruments with curiosity.

Caleb squeezed my hand. “You’ve got this.”

“Thanks for letting me interrupt your practice,” I stammered and smoothed my hands over the sides of my dress.

“No worries,” Damien said. “Do you have a song in mind?”

My stomach flipped, twisting with nerves. “Since you play rock, one of the songs I loved when I’ve been on land is ‘Bring Me to Life’ by Evanescence.”

Rex rumbled, “Good choice.”

Van motioned to the mic. “Have a go.”

I stepped up to it, my heart thumping like the driving beat of Caleb’s drums.

I sang the first notes, which came out low and jittery, and the band joined in with their instruments. As we continued, my confidence grew. Soon, the nerves flitted away and I was soaring, like I had been in Caleb’s arms when he’d flown us to the ship.

The music flowed deep inside me. I glanced over my shoulder at Caleb on the drums and smiled.

He was right. Singing this way felt incredible. Like it was something I was born to do.

Even though I was far from the sea, I didn’t feel like an outsider here. Music had always drawn me—it had lured me here to this very ship with so many species of supernaturals. I’d always felt different from others in my pod, but here, I sensed I was finally where I belonged.

No longer an outcast. I was home.