Siren's Failure: Sea Seductress, #1

By K.N. Fray

A Siren. A sea captain. A murderous mayor. A sexy adult paranormal romance for The Little Mermaid fans.

When Kasha's song fails, her target saves her life instead of being dragged to his watery grave. Determined to find the reason behind Jack's survival and her ignited lust, she breaks her own rules and follows the sea captain onto land, attracting attention to their forbidden love.

Jack struggles with the truth of Kasha's nature. Can this beautiful, but deadly, creature really be his enemy? Their bond deepens as they work together to stay alive, the mayor closing in to assassinate them both. Shaken by revelations of his father's death and his close call, can he forgive her or will he condemn her for it?

Kasha's strength diminishes while away from her fated mate, and she fears he may reject her because of past mistakes. Not fulfilling the mating bond means death for them both. Can she accept there's more to her purpose and unlock her true potential, or will her failures lead to her demise?

Check out this fairytale retelling with the ultimate enemies to lovers arc.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiski Publishing, LLC.
• Release date: May 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224243396

Book preview

Chapter 1

Kasha

Kasha’s heart quickened its pace as she watched the formidable ship with white sails speed across the water’s surface toward her, throwing off foam. It thrilled her to know it would soon float down to Davy Jones’s Locker and there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. It was a marvelous sense of power she never grew tired of feeling. She always looked for the ship with black sails, but it always kept just out of her range. This one would have to do.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the luxurious salty air that invigorated her soul . . . If she had a soul. The ship was doomed. She was going to sink it. If she’d ever had a soul, it was gone by now.

Luring sailors to their deaths was her purpose, her reason for being, and she took pleasure in it for centuries. It was about the kill. About creating a sort of balance with nature. She remembered her father’s booming voice telling her how humans were evil and must be eliminated. That’s all she was doing.

Kasha slid into the water from the rocks she’d been sunning herself on, the cool water enveloping and lapping over her sizzling body. Her purple and blue iridescent scales rippled up her legs with each watery caress. Strength surged at their return. While she enjoyed her human form, she felt empowered in her Siren form. Unstoppable. Immortal.

It was almost evening, so the water had begun to lose its heat. She was home. The salt filling her pores was ecstasy. Her body hummed in anticipation of what she did best. She opened her mouth and began to sing.

Chapter 2

Jack

The fresh aroma of salt filled his nostrils as Jack leaned against the railing. He scanned the horizon, but there were no other ships around. While the pirate ship left them alone, Jack knew the captain liked to keep to himself, having encountered him once before. The water sprayed his face as the wind ruffled his raven hair. Sailing was in his blood, and he loved it. It was the one thing that his father had left him with. His mother still panicked every time he went out, as his father had been taken by the sea when Jack was a young boy. Jack couldn’t help but love the open sea, which was thankfully devoid of women. No, not women. One woman in particular. One who had broken his heart. Not that he’d ever admit that to his crew. No signs of weakness were allowed as captain. He already had to work harder in order for them to take him seriously. His father’s legacy was an asset, but one that other sailors underestimated in him.

Two more weeks on the ship and he would be home. While he loved the sea, he longed for the feeling of the sand between his toes. Only one thing was better: seeing his mother’s relieved face when he returned. They’d been at sea for nearly three weeks, fishing and docking to gather additional supplies. He would be glad to be home, even if it meant seeing Adrienne again.

Jack gazed out to sea as it churned around the boat. The waves rose and fell like a woman’s heaving chest in the throes of passion. He shook his head. He might need to go into town to find short-term female company. It was getting mighty lonely, and that loneliness only fed thoughts of her. He longed to drown out her memory with someone new. Someone easy. Without strings. Someone normal.

Jack’s breath fogged in front of his face and a chill ran down his spine. He trembled, but it was nothing compared to the haunting melody he heard next. It was just notes. Beautiful notes that pinned him in place, but just for a moment. He shivered and shook his head to pull him from the trance it had put him in. The air was charged with the power the notes exuded and as he attempted to move through it, it felt like moving through molasses.

The ship’s lurch to the right forced Jack to slide along the railing as his breath seized in his throat. He finally caught himself as he gripped the railing. What the hell? Something was horribly wrong. It was not only uncharacteristic to turn like that, it was dangerous for the ship and everyone aboard. He had to get to the first mate—who was steering—and fast. Could he be in trouble? Panic set in as the power tried but failed to grab ahold of him. Why was it so damn cold?

He was the only one on the port side but spotted Eddie, the second mate, on his way to the wheelhouse. Jack made his way toward him as the force containing him loosened its hold. He barely succeeded in not falling as it suddenly let go.

What’s happening? Jack asked. Eddie didn’t answer. Jack studied him closer. Eddie’s eyes were fixed on the sea. Jack’s chest grew tight as he realized the pupils, irises, and whites of Eddie’s eyes were indistinguishable from each other. Blank and black. Goosebumps cascaded down Jack’s arms from more than the cold.

He shoved his second mate, but it elicited no response. Eddie! Still nothing. He couldn’t be roused from his trance, as if the icy air had pinned him in place and wouldn’t let him free. As if Eddie himself were frozen. Jack rubbed his arms to force some semblance of warmth back into them.

He stopped as the ship gained speed. Jack looked to where Eddie was staring, and terror filled him. Rocks jutted from the water, and they were headed for them.

Oh, shit! Jack said, running along the starboard side and into the helm. Efren, the first mate, was stuck in his place at the wheel. His eyes were also as black as the night around them. What the hell was wrong with everyone? Efren! Jack yelled, but the man didn’t even flinch, in the same state as his second mate. The rocks were close now. Jack grabbed the wheel, but the man’s hands did not loosen as Jack attempted to turn the ship.

Chapter 3

Kasha

Kasha stopped swimming once she’d determined she was a safe distance away, treading water. She took in the ship’s design. It really was a magnificent, if foolish, human invention, so easily destroyed.

The ship lurched to its left but crashed into the rocks, breaking off a piece at the front and then hitting the side. Her heart pounded. She had made a horrible mistake and was not at all far enough from the ship.

It was coming right at her.

The piece from the front swung wildly as it was only now attached by ropes. Before she had a chance to react, it slammed into the side of her head. Intense pain reverberated through her skull. A sound escaped her that was neither human nor animal, but something in between. The world before her shimmered from clear to a fuzzy blackness. A foreign emotion filled her—utter panic—and then she slipped out of consciousness.

Chapter 4

Jack

Jack struggled to steady his hands as they shook against the sturdiness of the wheel. They had hit the rocks, but the damage wasn’t as bad as it would have been had they hit the rocks straight on and ripped open the entire front end and bottom of the ship.

Efren blinked from where Jack had shoved him to the floor. That had taken far more strength than it should have. Not to say that the first mate wasn’t a strong man, he was, but it almost felt as though something otherworldly was at work, which made sense, given what he had witnessed. No one was more skeptical than Jack when it came to things he couldn’t explain. He couldn’t, however, deny that something had happened here that shouldn’t have been possible.

The man’s eyes returned to normal before he spoke. Jack! What the hell happened? Efren said, shaking his head. Jack would let it slide about him not calling him captain this time.

Jack reached down to help him back up, but he refused, standing by his own power instead. We were heading for those rocks. I had to do something. You weren’t responding to anything I did. I tried to save the ship. Hitting head-on would have sunk us. He paused. We’re in good shape. I think all we lost was the bowsprit, but her starboard side scraped the rocks.

Efren stared at him. No doubt trying to process an overload of information with no memory of how any of it happened. The ship couldn’t wait while he figured it out. We will go survey the damage. What I outlined was but a guess.

Efren nodded. Of course, sir. Other men of the crew clambered toward them from different places of the ship as they came out of the trance. Throw down the anchor! Jack called to Efren as he peered over the side of the ship. Brady ran up the stairs from below.

Some help down here, fellas. It’s not bad, but we need to patch a bit of the side, he called up to them, and all but Jack and Efren went down into the belly of the ship.

Help me. Would ya, Captain? Efren asked him as he struggled to not let the anchor drop. Jack hurried to his side, but the anchor dropped faster than they’d intended it to.

What could that be? his friend asked, leaning over the side of the ship.

Squinting against the darkness, Jack saw a dark mass in the water. Did we lose something when we hit? Jack leaned over. The angry seas swirled around the enlarging darkness. Blood, it must be blood. And something else. Hair? Oh, by the gods.

We lost someone, Efren said, echoing Jack’s thoughts. His friend's chest heaved.

Wasting no time, Jack jumped overboard, taking care to land a few feet farther out than the unfortunate soul that was being dragged down by something unseen to Davy Jones’s Locker. The cold water stung as he dove down. Thankfully, the water was shallow next to these rocks. Hopefully his breath would hold out while he searched.

As he hunted through the dark water, his fingers encountered flesh. An arm, smooth and soft. Nothing like one of his crew. He grabbed the arm and tried to pull the person to him, but they were caught on something. Horror filled him. The person was stuck on the anchor. Jack swam farther down and strained to see in the murky water.

Then he saw it. The top of the anchor, which contained another sharp rod, was skewered through something dark. It must have been clothing. Jack struggled to pull the anchor out, realizing it was also through flesh. His lungs burned. He grew dizzy. The flesh gave and slipped off the anchor. Thank the gods! He wrapped his arms around what he discovered was a woman.

Jack mustered what strength he had left in his legs and propelled them off the bottom. He broke through the surface and sputtered. Efren shouted and reached down, pulling her to the deck before turning back to help him out of the water.

Jack collapsed next to the woman before remembering how much danger she was still in of bleeding out. He rolled over and placed a hand on her stomach and gasped when he realized she was naked. Her long hair trailed over her breasts but concealed nothing else.

Her face was stunning and her body . . . Jack’s breath caught in his throat. His hand on her stomach was too still. She wasn’t breathing. Oh, by the gods. He straddled her, trying to pump the water out and breathe fresh air into her lungs. His lips shook against hers as she finally sputtered and coughed. She remained unconscious, but she was breathing. Jack climbed off her before pulling off his shirt and covering her torso with it.

She’s alive, Jack said, wanting to collapse again. His lungs were burning from the second assault that had been bestowed upon them by needing to give breath to her.

Jack, Efren said, and Jack looked up to him. Efren trembled as he looked at her. We need to do something about her leg.

Jack glanced down to survey the damage on her leg, which was covered in blood. He may not have ripped the anchor through her, but he had certainly mangled her leg when freeing her. Where was the dark fabric? Maybe it ripped free when he pulled the anchor out. He grimaced, removed his bandanna and wrapped it around her calf, trying to tighten it as best he could without making it worse.

What in the world was she doing down there? Efren asked.

Jack shook his head. I don’t know, but we need to get her off the deck before anyone sees her. He looked at the stairs leading below. All the men were down there. How could he sneak her into his room? He could only hope that the chaos of the ship would keep them occupied, and if not, he would just give them another order.

You want to hide her? Why? Efren asked, giving him a look that implied Jack’s intentions were anything but honorable. And maybe they weren’t, but it