The Triplets And Their Mysterious Mate

Club

Dean POV

"Demons," Tate growled, frustration etched on his face as he repeatedly dialed His phone number with my cell. The shrill ringtone pierced through the car's quiet interior, but she didn't answer. "f**k, now she's going to ignore us," he snarled, slamming my phone into the car's cup holder as we sped towards the hotel.

"Drive to the pub," Tate demanded, his voice laced with impatience.

"No," Cade replied calmly, only fueling Tate's anger. "Let her work. You already got a hold of her, and we know where she is."

Tate's temper flared. "She's our mate. Are you really going to risk her vanishing on us?"

"Constantly bugging her may just scare her away. She told you where she was, so leave her be. She knows what she means to us, so now you need to let her come to us," Cade reasoned, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Let's look into her report of demons. That may explain the weird shift in the air," I suggested, trying to redirect the conversation. "And maybe we should dig deeper into Calista herself. Why does she bounce around? Why does she claim to be leaving? It can't be just for the sake of it. Is she running from someone? From something? She typically masks her scent, and that's not done unless you're hiding. And why would she need to do that if she's human? I think she may be a witch. It would explain her ability to sense different species."

"She has the scent of a human without masking it. Witches don't smell like humans. But she's strong. She pulled me along at the club, and I could feel her strength," Tate admitted.

"What exactly happened at the club?" Cade demanded.

Tate remained silent, refusing to provide an explanation. "You really are just a big child," I murmured, exasperated.

"Child? More like I don't owe the two of you any explanation. You wanted to keep me away from her. You even told her not to be near me when Hero is fighting me. But guess what? She isn't afraid. She actually tried to calm me, and it worked," Tate confessed.

"Calm you?" I asked, confusion evident in my voice. "What the hell did you do at the club?"

"She took it upon herself to create space between me and everyone else. But she stayed with me, told me she wasn't afraid, and asked me to chill. Just the fact that she wanted to be with me like that, it calmed Hero," Tate revealed.

"I guess I understand," I said. “I think she only came outside at the club last night because I was alone. It was as if she sensed I needed company."

Cade nodded in agreement. "That's why we need to let her come to us. She feels the mate bond, but if we force it, that's when we will lose her."

"We can all agree that none of us want to let her go. So now, let's work on making her feel the same way about us. Let's not be like the guys she turns down, the ones who bug her and want her simply because of her looks." Cade continued.

I nodded, realizing the truth in his words. She was more than just a pretty face. She deserved someone who saw her for who she truly was.

"She hates how she attracts men," Cade explained. "She may look like she has fun toying with them, but I could tell just by talking with her that she doesn't like attention. She likes real conversation."

I agreed, remembering the conversation we had shared. She was looking for something more meaningful than superficial flattery.

"The mate bond makes us crave her even more," I admitted, feeling the pull of desire. "But we need to fight past that and win her over first. She needs to trust us, and we haven't earned that yet."

As we pulled up to the hotel, I offered my help. "I'll spend time asking around town about her."

Cade nodded, his eyes focused on the task at hand. "You two look into the demons. If she really did spot some, that suggests we are indeed in the right spot. We need to find this dark siren before they do." I said.

"It would be helpful if we knew more about them. All the books and knowledge we have found have provided limited details. Just that they are dangerous. Many books describe them as a sea monster, yet they are also a shape-shifter, one who can take more than one form. And lure their prey in with their voice. Their voice holds immense power to do many things." I explained.

Cade's face grew serious. "That means we should all be cautious. I know we came out here for some fun, but it seems like this Siren may actually be around."

Tate grumbled, voicing his concern. "Yet we leave our mate alone. Don't you think we should at least keep an eye from a distance?"

"We will check into the pub in a little while. First, let's focus on the demons. Then, you can go see her."Cade reassured him.

I had planned to walk by the pub regardless, just like Tate. I was worried, yet then again, she was surviving without us, so maybe I did not need to. I got out of the car and pulled my pack of cigarettes out, feeling the cool metal of the lighter in my hand. I lit one and took a deep drag, the smoke curling and filling the air with its scent. As I exhaled I started walking towards the club.

My goal was to stop at the club and find the owner. She was renting a room directly from him, so he may have some more information on her. The club's entrance was unlocked as I entered, and the sound of muffled music reached my ears. I stepped inside, and an older gentleman, with a hint of whiskey on his breath, stopped me in my tracks.

"We open at 9," he said gruffly.

"I'm here to speak to the owner," I replied.

"I'm him, what do you need?" the man said, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"I came about Calista," I said.

"Awww, I see. Did she cause some sort of trouble? She rents a small space from me, but she is no employee of mine," he explained.

"No trouble, just trying to get more information on her," I clarified.

"I'm sorry, you have come to the wrong man. She simply pays for a place to sleep, that's it," he said.

"Do you typically rent that room out?" I asked, trying to gather any information I could.

"No, she approached me. I assumed she really needed a roof over her head if she was desperate enough to ask a club owner. She asked if I had a storage closet or small space she could use to sleep. She's a pretty one, that's for sure. Wasn't going to say yes, but worried what may happen to her if I said no," he explained, his voice filled with a mix of caution and compassion.

"So she simply pays in cash to crash here then," I said, trying to piece together the puzzle.

"If you want answers, find and ask her," he said, his voice firm but respectful, protecting her privacy.

"I'm not out to hurt her. I'm just concerned. I've been told she skips towns fast, but my brothers and I want to help her," I said, hoping to gain his trust.

"You're one of the Prince's, right?" he asked, his voice filled with recognition.

"I am," I responded.

"Very well. Your family has helped even areas like this clean up, so they are safer. So, I'll assume you are doing the same. She pays with cash, no identification. She attracts most single men, but as far as I've seen, she turns them down. I am here most nights, so I've seen her a handful of times in the four weeks she has been here. She stands up for herself, but she also stays alone. She travels in and out at all hours as well. She has a pin to get in the back entrance when the place is locked up. I get alerts when it is used for security, and she leaves at odd hours, sometimes 3 am, and returns an hour later. She also is almost always outside when it is storming, and that's been happening often. Looks like she may have left, her bag it's gone. Go look in the office if you want, the only thing in there is a water bottle," he explained.

He showed me the way through the dimly lit hallway. As I entered the room, a musty smell filled my nostrils. There, in the center, was nothing but a small space. No bed, just a worn out couch. I bent down and picked up a pink water bottle from the dusty ground. On it, the name of a beach town and a restaurant, perhaps where she worked.

Frustration built up inside me as I realized my phone was still in the car. I walked back into the main part of the club. The owner stood there. "Excuse me," I said, trying to sound polite. "Do you happen to have a cell phone I could borrow? Sorry for the inconvenience."

"No problem," he said as he handed me his phone. Worries about the club owner's demeanor vanished as I took hold of the device. I quickly navigated to the search engine and looked up the restaurant. With a deep breath, I dialed the number, the sound of the ringing filling the air.

A soft, feminine voice answered on the other end. "Hello, I am calling about a friend of mine, I think she may have been employed by your establishment. Her name is Calista," I explained, my voice steady but my heart pounding in my chest.

"Oh, yes, Calista. Did something happen to her?" the lady replied, her worry evident in her tone.

"I am just trying to track her down. I am family, and she has been missing for some time. I don't need a location for her if you have it. I am simply calling places we believed she may have worked or lived to see if she is okay," I fabricated, my words laced with a touch of deception.

"I'm afraid she is no longer here. She has been gone for a few months now. We were all worried when she left. She was such a sweet girl and a hard worker. But most of the staff worried she was in some sort of trouble. She only worked here for three weeks. I actually let her stay in a small apartment I had above the restaurant since she had no place to stay and only one bag. I figured she may be a runaway," she revealed, her voice tinged with sadness.

"I see. Do you know why she left? Did she provide any notice?" I inquired, hoping to gather more information.

"She gave no notice, she just vanished one night," the lady's voice trembled over the crackling phone line. "But I will say a few strange men were seen lurking around town the day before, as well as a few days after. They seemed to be searching for someone, and I think it may have been her. I even filed a missing persons report out of concern. But I had very limited information. I paid her under the table, something I do not typically do, but I felt bad for her. I didn't have her last name or any identification. I do hope she is okay. If you find her, please call again and let me know she is safe."

"Thank you, I will," I assured her. After the call ended, I handed the club owner his phone. As I handed it over, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, "What danger are you in?"

"Can I ask one more favor of you? I can even compensate you for your help," I requested. "I am concerned about Calista, and we are also looking into other strange activities in these small beach towns. I will provide you with my number. Can you call if you notice any suspicious characters around the club or in the town? I know places like this attract many students and tourists since summer has just ended, but if anyone seems odd, please let me know."

"Will do. No compensation needed. I'm glad to help keep this town safe. My family lives here, so I am not one who wants to see any trouble here," he replied.

"Thank you," I responded gratefully, quickly jotting down my number for him. As I left, I took Calista's water bottle, which was halfway full. I planned to dump it out outside, but as I twisted it open, a peculiar scent wafted towards me. Intrigued, I brought the bottle up to my nose.

"Saltwater," I muttered, my confusion growing. Why on earth was she keeping saltwater? Shaking my head, I realized that we needed to uncover the identity of our mate and the danger she was running from. I was confident that she was escaping something, and if we didn't learn what that was or gain her trust soon, she would vanish from our lives as well.