Page 7 of Seducing Scylla (Mated Myths #1)

Scylla

T here is an intruder in my cave. From the darkness, I stare at the lump blocking the entrance to my home.

It is not moving. Perhaps it is expired, yet it does not smell that way.

I inhale deeply at the salty brine of the ocean.

I edge closer, my slick tentacles undulating against the stone surface of the entrance, worn smooth over millennia.

The thing is damp; covered in a dress the color of oranges, darkened from the sand and water.

I reach out with an arm, careful not to get too close, and prod it.

It rolls over with a groan, causing me to rear back with a hiss.

A human! A dead human? It is deathly pale, its lips purple.

No, not dead, it made a noise when it rolled.

I cock my head. Dead things make noises too.

Curious, I lean forward to get a better look.

A blanket of dark ginger hair frames their pale face, matted and full of sand, the color a contrast to the purple of their full lips.

A light smattering of freckles dusts their nose and cheeks.

Its dress clings and tangles around a plump, curvy body.

A human woman. I suck in a sharp breath.

I have not seen a human in… it has been so long.

The woman’s face is scrunched in a frown, and slight tremors shake her body.

It takes me a moment to sort through my long-forgotten memories of humans to realize that she is cold.

Not dead, then. I retreat into the shadows to gather my thoughts.

It has been centuries since I have seen a human, let alone been around one.

I think back to when the witch, Circe, cursed me into this monstrous form thousands of years ago.

Morphing my alluring appearance as a sea nymph into this …

in a jealous fit of rage. All because Glaucus took a liking to me, though I did not return his favor.

I was one of his precious sea nymphs, an object of desire.

And where was he after I was cursed? He, who said he would love me eternally?

I scoff, bitterly. Nowhere. Males. All they do is keep you as a trophy.

Wave your beauty in the face of others who cannot have you and then leave you to rot, alone, when you no longer serve their purpose.

I snarl softly in the dark, my grin turning wicked.

But how was Glaucus to know that I would rend every ship into pieces and devour every man that crossed the water in my revenge?

Who would he show his precious sea nymphs off to if no one dared visit him?

The sea too treacherous; warded by what I would come to be known as—the sea monster. Scylla.

A soft whimper pulls me from my thoughts.

Looking back at the woman, I do not know what to do with her.

I could push her out the entrance and let my cousin take her.

Charybdis would appreciate the meal. I could eat her myself, but I wrinkle my nose at the idea, remembering how gamey humans are. I would rather not.

Something about her draws me in. It has been thousands of years since we had contact with the outside world.

It must be the Moirai’s doing, the Fates meddling with destiny.

Bringing a human woman to Aeolia is no small feat.

She could not be here without reason. Does this mean I should help her?

How do I know I can trust her? She could be just like all the other humans I’ve encountered before, selfish and full of hate.

Sighing, and against my better judgment, I move toward her.

Reaching out with my tentacles, I brush a tendril of hair away from her face.

She is quite a curious creature. Damp and dirty.

Are all humans like this? I cannot quite remember.

But still, I am drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

I cannot stop staring at her face. Uneasiness nips at my mind.

It is a trap , it whispers. Before I can dissuade myself, I scoop her up in my arms, two tentacles wrapping around her securely, tucking her in close to my chest like an infant.

She is small in my arms, smaller than I realized while looking at her form upon the cave floor.

She burrows her head into the crook of my neck, her arms curling around one of my own as if seeking out every scrap of warmth she can find; ironic since I am cold-blooded.

A strangled noise garbles up my throat. I have not been touched like this in so long.

I close my eyes for a mere second, enraptured at the touch of skin upon my own, even if it is icy cold, damp, and sandy.

The magic of the moment is broken when she shivers, and I steel myself against the emptiness of having been alone for so long.

Unwelcome feelings nip at my heart. It has been an age since I have felt anything, let alone sadness.

Looking down upon the human nestled in my arms, I notice her eyelids flutter open.

Sea-green eyes stare back at me, reminding me of my favorite place in this universe.

An inescapable tether snaps into being and I tense.

Lifting one arm, the woman cradles my cheek with one hand. I cannot help myself but lean into it .

“Pree-dee,” she whispers, her hand falling away as her eyes slip closed once again.

I am frozen in place. This woman with sand in her hair, wet clothing, and the prettiest eyes I have ever seen in my life is my… mate.

I do not know this word she—my mate—whispers to me.

My brow creases in confusion at the foreign tongue.

Her teeth chatter, the clacking sound bringing me back into the moment.

Her eyes are now closed; I do not know if it is because she is tired or because she simply does not have the strength to keep them open.

Mate.

My mate.

A surge of protectiveness overwhelms me, urging me to nurse this sleeping human back to health.

To smother her in warmth and wash the grime from her fair skin.

To never let her go. Now that she is in my arms, I do not think I could let her go even if I wanted to.

The soft curves of her body perfectly encased inside my arms feel as if she was made to fit me, and I her.

A shiver assaults her frame and I curl her tighter into the planes of my body in an attempt to give her whatever body heat I can offer, as futile as it may be.

A different kind of heat curls deep inside me.

A mixture of the mate bond and the physical touch I have craved for so long igniting small tendrils of want, no—need, within me.

I am desperate to know more of this human, desperate to have her ocean eyes look upon me again.