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Chapter Twelve

Author: Louise Dawn
last update Last Updated: 2022-01-23 01:21:50

After helping Liam at the sculpture bay, Galene paused by a large window and stared out onto the quiet street below. The feeling of being watched hadn't subsided over the past few days. Perhaps she felt paranoid with the lack of privacy—now she had another person living in the apartment and a handsome investor watching her while she worked. Both men affected her focus. Had she been too harsh earlier with Mr. Stralath Rey? She called him a trafficker. Galene winced.

At least he'd left her alone after her tirade, and the afternoon had been productive. Now, the sun had almost disappeared, and the warehouse slowly emptied. Her stomach growled, and Galene decided to call it a day. What did she want to eat? She thought of the restaurants she'd pass on the way home and decided on Mexican. Needing exercise, this morning, she'd walked to work, and now she regretted that decision. It would take a good thirty minutes to walk home, but she'd take the scenic route.

She hummed a
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    Kalder watched from his BMW as Galene climbed the low fence, hopping onto private land. The intel he'd received over the past week had confirmed his curiosity. The Norvegious family was now on out of the ocean—all vulnerable to attack by the vibrio pod. Both an injured daughter and her rebellious sibling who refused to swim away to safety. Would that mark the end of Norvegius's rule? And now that Galene had begun to heal, Kalder had picked up on her silent energies. Her invisible siren aura vibrated with the same pure energy as her sister. He wondered if she'd make a full recovery—or would the pale-haired fisheri forever be banished to the land. To Kalder, that was a fate worse than death. He enjoyed spending time out of the water—taking advantage of capitalism. But the salty depths always called his name. Instead of walking along the sand, Galene made her way to the rocky water line, and Kalder decided to take a closer look and would approach her from the sea. He left his phone an

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    “My brother is coming over.”Galene nearly dropped her knife as her gaze shot to Harper. “What? I thought he’d gone back to your parents.”“Relax. Kevin is staying with friends on campus.” Harper closed the fridge and eyed Galene’s sandwich. “What’s with the sudden tuna obsession?”“I’m not comfortable around him.”“Well, he’s not here to see you. You can’t stop me from seeing my brother in my home.”“Fine. I’ll leave. When will he arrive?” Galene felt annoyance at having to evacuate the premises. After a long week, she craved her bed and the familiar.“In about thirty. Let Kevin apologize and forgive him. He’s getting professional help.”Galene’s stomach turned. He scared her on some level, and she’d rather avoid contact. It’s a beautiful evening—I’ll head to the beach.”“You know I hate the smell of fish,” Harper grumbled. “You baked sea bass last night. What’s that?” She pointed at the Halibut defrosting in the corner. “Tomorrow’s meal. I don’t tell you what to eat.”“Yeah—but fis

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    Stralath had underestimated her. Resisting the urge to glance at the siren seated at his left, he focused on Galene's father instead. Now that the NIRL had Vigtor Norvegius sitting across the table, it was time to negotiate the accord. The influential leader wouldn't bow down quickly, and Stralath needed to know what motivated the merman. What did he want to accomplish on earth?Would the fisheri continue to hide from humans? Or were they preparing for the eventual confrontation? A war between humans and fisheri? Who would win? The siren pod was an advanced poisonous species capable of camouflage and telepathy. Unlike humans, they were comfortable both on land and in the water. But, there were far fewer of them on the planet. And they didn't have access to tanks, weapons, and troops. Or did they?"How many fisheri reside in the ocean?" Stralath asked bluntly. He'd already laid out his brutal terms, and Vigtor was not happy. "None of your business." The leader shot back. "Tens of t

  • Tidal Souls   Chapter Forty Three

    Galene glanced at her sister as they made their way through the NIRL facility. The building's design worked on Galene's nerves. For a brief, surreal moment, she wondered how she'd ended up in a covert facility, layered with security and surrounded by alien friends and family. What was Miro thinking? The mauve-haired beauty hadn't said much on the trip over.Galene would finally meet dad number one. Would the ruler of the fisheri species embrace his lost daughter warmly? Did she want that embrace? No. Galene wanted to turn and run in the opposite direction. Stralath had given her a choice. She didn't have to meet her siren father, yet she'd agreed to the inevitable. "Vigtor won't take me away, will he?" She asked the question for the tenth time. Stralath touched her waist as he guided her into an elevator. "He'll have to fight the NIRL soldiers and me first."Soldiers indeed—Galene glanced at the two armed men who stood at the rear—guards on every corner. A chill ran down her spine

  • Tidal Souls   Chapter Forty Two

    Kalder waited in the shadows. Hoping he'd guessed correctly, he shifted to get comfortable. The soft sand encouraged sleep, and he rolled back onto his knees while scanning the dark beach. This location was where the male fisheri had entered the water eight days ago, and Kalder had scouted the area for days, waiting for his return. Kalder had other vibrio informants stationed along the coast. Some cautiously swam the shallows, looking for the fisheri warrior. Movement within the species always indicated opportunity. The fisheri and vibrio were Calder's target market—fish who would buy his product. Kalder needed pod citizens to choose the land. What a world that would be—a new dominant species who could control the humans and exploit their businesses and resources. Only three percent of all sirens had become land walkers. Kalder wanted a new world for his kind. Imagine catering to land-walking pods—everything from preferred foods to skin products, salt water spas, and pod-designed

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