Great! Here's Chapter 14 of Tamed by the Siren's Curse (6,500 words), continuing directly from the end of Chapter 13
It rained that night.
Not the dramatic sort—no thunderclaps, no wailing wind—but a quiet drizzle that blurred the horizon and kissed the sea with ghost-like ripples. Kael stood at the edge of the cliff, Miri's charm warm against his chest beneath the collar of his shirt. It pulsed softly, like a second heartbeat, one he hadn't asked for but couldn't ignore.
He wasn't sure why he was waiting. Lyra hadn't returned.
And every time he blinked, he still saw the way her tail had flicked away from him hours earlier—quick, defiant, like a door slamming shut.
"She's not coming back tonight," Thalen said quietly beside him, arms folded. "You scared her. Or she scared herself."
Kael didn't respond. He clenched his jaw, shifting his weight as the mist soaked into his shirt.
"You really don't know what she is, do you?" Thalen asked.
"I know enough."
"Do you?" Thalen raised a brow. "Because the girl you're following into the dark? She's not just cursed. She's the reason some stories don't have endings."
They returned to the cabin just past midnight. The silence stretched between them like a taut rope, neither snapping nor softening. Elli had fallen asleep by the hearth, curled in on herself with a shawl thrown over her shoulders. A cup of untouched tea sat beside her, now cold.
Kael crouched beside her and gently brushed a curl from her cheek. She stirred, murmured something in her sleep—something that might've been his name—and nestled deeper into the blanket.
"Poor thing's been waiting for you all evening," Thalen muttered. "You're getting good at disappointing women."
"Is that your attempt at humor?"
"Don't mistake honesty for cruelty." Thalen tossed his damp coat over the chair. "You're not the only one who's been tangled up with a siren."
Kael turned sharply. "You mean—?"
"I mean I've danced that dance before. Different ocean. Same eyes." Thalen poured himself a cup of the cold tea. "It never ends well, Kael."
"I'm not looking for an ending."
"Then you'll drown."
The morning came with a stubborn fog that refused to lift. Elli insisted on going into the village, something about needing fresh herbs and parchment. She avoided Vaelen's gaze as she packed her basket.
"I'll go with you," he offered.
"No need. I can manage."
"You shouldn't be alone. Not after—"
"I said I can manage."
Thalen raised a brow as she walked out without another word. "You're doing splendid, Prince Charming."
Kael ignored him.
Instead, he followed the pull in his chest—the quiet hum of Miri's charm—and found himself back at the shoreline where the cliff gave way to a hidden cove.
Lyra was there.
Of course she was.
She didn't look at him when he approached. Her tail shimmered lazily in the tide, half-submerged, the other half curled around a rock like a lazy cat.
"You came back," he said.
"I live here," she replied flatly.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
He hesitated, then sat beside her on the wet sand. Close, but not too close. Her hair was damp and wilder than usual, seaweed tangled in the ends.
"I shouldn't have touched your tail like that," he said quietly.
"No," she said. "You shouldn't have."
A beat passed.
"But you did."
She finally looked at him then, and her expression was unreadable. Not angry, not forgiving. Just… tired.
"I don't know what I'm doing," he admitted.
"I know."
"And I'm not asking you to trust me."
"Good. Because I don't."
Her honesty cut, but he welcomed it. It felt real. It felt earned.
"You left without saying anything," he said.
"You would've asked me to stay."
"Would that have been so terrible?"
"Yes," she said. "Because I might've said yes."
Kael froze as Lyra's fingers brushed his cheek, her gaze locked on his lips. Then she kissed him—soft, searching, like waves caressing shore. His arms closed around her, pulling her closer. The world stilled. Her taste was moonlight and salt, the promise of something wild, ancient, and heartbreakingly real.
The tide rose slowly as they sat in silence.
Kael reached into his shirt and pulled out the charm. Miri's charm. Lyra's eyes immediately narrowed.
"Where did you get that?"
"Miri gave it to me. She said it would protect me."
"She would."
"Is she one of you?"
"No," Lyra said. "She's worse."
That sent a chill through him. "What does that mean?"
But Lyra didn't answer. Her gaze had turned seaward, distant.
"She wants something from you," she whispered.
"She already took something," he replied.
Lyra looked at him sharply.
"My peace. My clarity. My ability to walk away."
She blinked. Then, slowly, her tail uncurled, and she moved closer.
"You think you're cursed, Kael," she said. "But you're not."
"Then what am I?"
"Stupid," she said softly, brushing his hair from his face. "For thinking you could come near the ocean and not fall in love with the storm."
"I'll ruin you," she warned.
"Too late."
When he returned to the cabin, Elli was already back—furious.
"Where were you?" she snapped.
"I had to—"
"You left me alone," she said. "Again."
"I didn't ask you to wait."
"That's not the point!" She slammed her basket down, herbs spilling everywhere. "You keep chasing something that's going to destroy you!"
Kael froze.
"It's not just about her," Elli whispered. "You don't see it. But she's pulling everything apart. You're not who you were."
"Maybe I was never that person to begin with."
She stared at him. "Do you love her?"
He didn't answer.
"You do," Elli said. "Gods help you."
That night, Kael dreamed.
He was drowning. Again. But this time, the water wasn't cold. It was warm—too warm—like blood.
And at the bottom, waiting for him, wasn't Lyra.
It was Miri.
Smiling. Holding the charm. Humming a song he couldn't remember the words to.