Page 13 of Siren in Love (In Love #1)

Corvin

~ Corvin

Peter’s oversized living room paled in comparison to the books. They were gorgeous—old and gorgeous, but in pristine condition. Corvin didn’t touch them at first, reluctant to disturb Peter’s hoard, but then he saw one he couldn’t resist. It was a copy of The Origin of Species .

Okay, probably just made to look old. Then again, he’s a hot, rich lawyer with his own townhouse, so maybe…

Corvin pulled the book off the shelf. Huh.

First edition? Okay, don’t fucking drop this.

Ever so carefully, Corvin turned another page.

To Peter. Your friendship has been invaluable, it said there, and underneath the dedication, Corvin saw Darwin’s signature.

“Another Peter.”

Corvin jumped, nearly dropping the book as he spun around. Peter had snuck up on him and stood not a foot away from Corvin with a mug of steaming tea in his right hand.

“You can borrow it, if you like.” Peter’s face was serene and perfectly at ease.

“Oh? Oh. I couldn’t. I mean, no. This is precious.” And priceless. “You’re taking very good care of these books.” Corvin put the book back on the shelf, then took the mug from Peter. He followed the other man to the fireplace and settled into an armchair.

Just before Corvin could ask how Peter had found that book dedicated to another Peter, a feral roar from outside cut through the relative calm.

Corvin spilled some of his tea and cursed at the heat against his hand.

That roar, it wasn’t a normal cat having an alley fight, not even a tiger or a lion.

There was something dark, something downright sinister and otherworldly about it, something that told Corvin that whatever had made that noise wanted to chew on his bones and suck the marrow from them.

Across from him, Peter’s lips pressed into a thin line, but the man barely turned his head, even if his eyes darted toward the window facing the street.

“What the fuck was that ?” Corvin asked.

Peter’s eyes focused on Corvin, pinning him with an icy stare. That roar had told Corvin’s lizard brain something his conscious mind couldn’t fathom, and so Peter’s attention made Corvin freeze as if the other man were a predator rather than a rich-ass lawyer.

Peter didn’t move when he said, “It will be fine. I have full confidence the police will handle this.”

“That was not a cat. ” Corvin balled his hands into fists. His heart was racing.

Peter shrugged, but the motion seemed forced. “It’s probably an illegally imported exotic animal. You shouldn’t worry.”

“Mike’s out there.” Corvin stood. He put the tea down on the expensive-looking hardwood table and felt immediately guilty for not asking for a coaster.

“Sit down, Corvin.” Peter hadn’t moved a muscle. He sat there with casual calm that seemed like a mask, yet his voice was a command.

“But I-I need to go make sure Mike is o-okay.”

Corvin hurried toward the front door. In passing, he noticed Peter’s pale, raised eyebrow, but he paid the man no mind. He cared about Mike more, no matter how gorgeous or scary Mike’s boss was to look at. And he definitely wouldn’t let Peter tell him what to do.

Corvin made it to the door, but Peter snuck up on him again and put a flat hand on it before Corvin could pull it open. “Corvin, I promised Michael I’d keep you safe here. Therefore, I cannot allow you to leave.” Peter’s voice was calm as a grave.

Corvin knew all too well that people didn’t always take him seriously. They saw his cute T-shirts and sweaters and thought he was a dummy, maybe a good-looking dummy. He didn’t mind. It meant he could hide in plain sight and without anyone bothering him too much.

But no way in fucking hell is this eye-candy boss person going to stand between me and Mike . “Move,” Corvin said, calling on all the attitude of librarians of ages past to aid him.

Peter’s eyebrow rose again. “I’d rather not.”

Corvin took a deep breath before he spoke. “You are not keeping me here against my will, and you are not keeping me away from Mike, so fucking move. ”

The words didn’t have the desired effect. Peter simply regarded Corvin calmly as if he were evaluating him, assessing everything that made Corvin himself. No. Wait. Is this how a Venus fly trap looks at flies? If plants had eyes, that is.

“Very well,” Peter said after what felt like an eternity.

“It would indeed seem Michael made a wise choice. Or maybe you chose him. Like any other human of this age, he likes to think that you choose love, but those old ocean dwellers are ruled by the tides as much as anyone else.” Peter let his hand fall away from the door.

Corvin pulled it open and ran outside, not really worried about the cat, but really, really worried about Mike. What the fuck was he on about? Do lawyers do recreational drugs? Maybe some weed on their day off?

The October air cold on his face, Corvin ran back to the parked van, but Mike wasn’t in there.

“Mike!” Corvin ran down the street. He noticed that several of the other motorists looked pale, frightened even. One lady with curly hair and glasses pointed left, and Corvin turned that way.

He wove his way through cars, some with their motors running, their occupants wide-eyed and confused. Up ahead, Corvin could hear honking. His pulse was loud in his ears, even though the air was freezing cold. In a rush, he rounded a van.

Mike stood several cars down, partially hidden behind a car’s hood.

“Mike!”

But Mike didn’t turn to look at Corvin. His focus seemed to be elsewhere. Corvin hissed and dashed past the van, rounded another car, and…stopped.

It wasn’t just Mike behind the car. It was also the cat on the loose, a large beast with black fur, very noticeable claws that clicked sharply against the concrete, and huge fangs in a mouth that gaped open to let a menacing growl escape.

Mike, in the face of all that, was fucking humming.

“That should not be here,” Peter said from right behind Corvin, making Corvin jump all over again.

“How’d you get here?”

Peter shrugged. “I followed you, obviously.”

“Where are the cops?” Corvin looked around for them. “The cops have guns.”

“Guns? Adorable. Perhaps that yule cat nicked the kindly police officers. Their claws leave rather painful marks.”

Peter didn’t sound like he was worried about either the cops or the large, hungry-looking cat. What even is that thing? The love child of a panther and a saber-toothed tiger?

Corvin chose to ignore Peter and help Mike instead. I can do this.

“Hey! Hey, cat! You!” He dashed forward, waving his arms at the large cat.

The closer Corvin came, the bigger the cat looked, its body massive, muscles coiling underneath midwinter-black fur.

The beast seemed ready to take down prey several times its own size.

Guess some weirdo kept a panther in his basement and fed it a high-protein diet or something, Corvin thought.

The cat, once Corvin was much too close for comfort but still not as close as Mike, turned its massive head. Some big cats had sleek heads for speed, but this one’s was wide, offering enough space for that gaping maw, which was studded with sharp teeth.

Something told Corvin that those teeth could snap a neck in one go, and that the cat would enjoy hearing the bones crunch.

“Seriously, why couldn’t I move any other day, maybe in summer?” Corvin mumbled. Then, because he knew predators liked to chase, he turned and ran.

He heard the cat roar and almost felt it hit the sidewalk behind him as he dashed back toward the moving van and it leaped after him.

“Corvin!” Mike’s voice, finally.

If he can talk, he’s okay. That’s something. Not that I like doing the heroic sacrifice thing, but I’m glad . Fuck, being in love sucks so bad!

With the magic of adrenaline bright in his blood, Corvin made it to the moving van, all he had in the world except for the most important part: Pineapple Mike.

He pulled the back hatch open, the rush of his hurried breathing loud in his ears. The first thing he saw was the last book box Mike had carried down.

Luckily, the volume on top was a heavy Mandarin dictionary Corvin had saved from getting thrown out back at the university library, only to then rehome it on his shelves. He grabbed it and spun.

The cat beast growled, was almost on him, but before the fangs could dig into his throat, he slammed the Mandarin dictionary into the massive cat’s head.

The feline howled and hissed, stumbling sideways…

where an unfazed Peter grabbed it by the scruff and deftly twisted the beast’s neck.

Corvin gasped as he heard bone snap. A dark red tongue lolled out of the cat’s mouth as its slitted cat eyes fell shut, looking at Corvin with accusation and fury in those last moments.

“Fuck!”

Peter dropped the heap of dead cat and looked at Corvin with a smile, the first that had really seemed genuine on that eerily still face. “So refreshing to see a librarian fight. The pen really is mightier than the sword, isn’t it?”

The sound of feet pounding on concrete made Corvin turn his head. “Corvin! Shit, hon, are you okay?” Mike skidded out of a dead run, wrapping Corvin and the dictionary in his arms. From the cars around them, applause and honks broke out. “I thought you were keeping him safe, Peter.”

The other man shrugged and kicked the cat corpse. “I did. I was right behind him at all times, but he was worried about your safety.”

Footsteps announced the arrival of a group of police officers, one of them the one they’d talked to before. He looked decidedly less bored when the large dead cat at Peter’s feet came into view. The officer’s jacket was torn open across his right arm; evidence he’d already met the cat.

“Fuck,” he said, then he just stared at the cat corpse.

Peter turned to look at the officers. “That’s what dear Corvin said.

It seems as if the disturbance has been dealt with thanks to some librarian heroics.

However, the cat very nearly attacked my employee’s boyfriend, and I feel responsible.

” He pulled a business card from his pants pocket.

“I’m available for questioning or can arrange for them to give a statement to you, but I believe it’s best if they go home for now. Corvin looks quite in shock.”

Peter barely raised his voice, but all the officers just nodded, occasionally stealing glances at the massive cat corpse. “Yeah, we’ll get traffic moving again too. Get people home,” one of them said.

“Wonderful,” Peter said. He turned to Corvin and Mike. “I do hope you’ll return for tea, Corvin. I wish we’d had more time to chat. Michael has left me quite curious as to the man who made his heart burst into melody and song.”

Mike’s arms were still around Corvin, hands roaming his body as if to make sure the cat hadn’t left a mark anywhere. At Peter’s words, Mike stilled.

“Uhm, sure,” Corvin said. “I don’t have…shock though. I’m fine. I mean, you’re okay, right, Pineapple Mike?”

“Yes, honey, I’m fine. Just worried. I should get you home, get you warmed up. This must’ve been a lot.”

Peter nodded. “There’s an idea. Michael, I must hear how you got that monicker, but another time perhaps.” He grinned. “It was very wise to choose a man who can defend himself and will not flinch in the face of danger.”

Mike sighed. “I know how amazing he is, but thanks.” He took a firm hold of Corvin’s shoulder and led him back to the passenger side of the van.

“I can get in by myself. I’m fine.” Corvin was still clutching the dictionary to his chest.

“Of course you can, honey.” Mike brushed a kiss across Corvin’s right cheek. That got them some more excited honking and applause, which in turn made Corvin bite his lip.

Wow. Did we just become queer heroes of the people? Corvin wondered. Also, did I just…almost get eaten by a giant monster cat?

“You’d have taken care of my books, right?”

“Huh?” Mike pulled back, but he stroked Corvin’s cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“I-if the cat had eaten me? You’d have taken care of them, wouldn’t you?”

“Keeper, keeper, cat defeater!”

Peter’s voice echoed from back behind the van.

Corvin turned his head. “Is your boss still talking to the cops?”

“Honey, don’t mind him. The answer is yes, I would have taken care of your books, but…Corvin, I forbid you from ever doing anything this stupid ever again. You should’ve just stayed with Peter.”

Corvin gestured at the street. “But you were out here all by yourself! With the demon cat. And you weren’t even inside the van.”

Mike smiled. Tears shot to Corvin’s eyes. Maybe he was in shock after all.

“Come here.” Mike hugged Corvin close, and the honking around them resumed once more. “…drag you to a remote island…” Mike whispered, but Corvin missed the rest of it.

“What?”

“I’m taking you home. Now. Come on.”

Corvin nodded and let Mike help him into the van. Okay, maybe him holding my door is actually nice. Shit. I’ll get used to it, and then it’ll never stop, and I’ll be spoiled.

Given a cat had almost eaten him mere minutes ago, Corvin found he was actually kinda okay with that.