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  Awakened Chronicles:

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  Harley Austin’s

  Siren

  “Excellent story with a jaw-dropping secret reveal. If you’re into the Awakened, this will keep you wondering about who is really in-charge of whom. I hope we see a lot more of these!”

  — H. Rasmussen, Seattle, WA

  "I’ve been following this series from the very beginning. Going back to beginning with Siren was fun."

  — L. Nelson, Costa Mesa, CA

  “Guys—you need to get into this [series] … not at all like your wife’s normal-boring romance novels. Harley Austin will make you forget you’re reading a paranormal romance.”

  — C. Groveland, Celebration, FL

  “Siren was another great story. Now I want to go back to the very first book and start reading the whole series all over again!”

  — A. Reed, Birmingham, AL

  Harley Austin’s

  Awakened Series

  Series

  Awakened

  Dominion

  Legacy

  Invictus

  Paradisus

  Deception

  Meridian

  Valor

  Promethean

  Novus

  Ascension

  Chronicles

  Siren

  Relic

  Awakened Chronicles

  SIREN

  HARLEY AUSTIN

  Harley Austin Publishing

  harleyaustin.com

  SIREN—Copyright © 2017 Harley Austin. All rights reserved.

  Published by Harley Austin Publishing | HarleyAustin.com

  ISBN Paperback: 978-1-5483-4084-1

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyright materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Version 1.0—RELEASE COPY. This work may be periodically updated by the author/publisher with various corrections, additions and/or deletions to the work without a change of ISBN and without notice, guarantee or warranty of any kind.

  For my beautiful angel;

  the love of my life and the very best friend

  anyone could ever hope to have.

  SIREN

  1

  W arm hot summer sun bathed the double-wide chaise Tori found herself relaxing on. The huge sprawling pool within the almost new high-rise condo complex teamed with people in their swim trunks and bathing suits; splashing, shouting and carrying on with socializing; and with cannon balls spraying pool water onto the fine pebbled concrete. New tall palm trees, still held in place by wood supports, lined the outside of the pool fence but provided little shade with their heavily trimmed fronds.

  Fortunately, the reveling and splashing was far enough away that it didn't really bother Tori sandwiched in between dozens of other chaise lounge chairs lining the pool’s deck, and all of them filled with other sun bathers. She’d managed to find one of the few open chaises just as it was being abandoned by a slightly overweight middle-aged lady in a floral one-piece and huge sunhat, obviously leaving for a more quiet area to read.

  Tori took charge of the chaise-built-for-two, smoothed on some tanning lotion, and then relaxed to one side of the sun chair with a still cold bottle of Dr. Pepper stashed into the armrest’s cup holder.

  The late Saturday morning Florida sun felt perfect; not yet too hot, still warm enough to offset the gentle sea breeze that blew in from the beach next to their new resort-like condo complex. It was a relaxing end to an otherwise hectic week of unnecessary deadlines, email dramas, and manufactured emergencies at work. Nothing seemed to be working well, for anyone, the whole week. But now all of that was in the past; she was relaxing into a four-day Fourth-of-July weekend with no worries and none of the drama of her co-workers.

  The truth was, despite the office nonsense, Tori’s position of doing medical necessity reviews for insurance companies had become a dream job. Working out of her new condo remotely meant no frustrating commutes, little to no office politics, and very few impromptu meetings that typically accomplished next to nothing.

  But the remote gig also meant little to no interaction with other people. In a way she liked the solitude, but in other ways her relationships with other people had suffered. She’d dated plenty while in college, but almost no one now in Tampa. Right out of school, a previous job had called her to Orlando. But a year of the brutal nursing hours typical of the hospital got old very quickly. She’d bolted to the first job that came up. The salary wasn’t quite as good as she could make as a floor nurse, but it was close; and it was at least a salary; she never wanted to punch a time clock again.

  Still, working the hospital floor had given her a few dates with other staff—none of which she felt all that interested in continuing.

  With her apartment lease expiring, she’d decided to jump to the coastal city after falling into an opportunity she just couldn’t pass up. The new three-tower condo complex had barely been open a year. Right on the beach, the near-the-top ocean-view, three-bedroom unit was practically a steal. It was still more money than she wanted to pay, but it was an investment. Besides, she could always find a roommate or two to help cover the mortgage if finances got too tight.

  Besides the investment, she had an ulterior motive in moving into the condo resort: the huge new complex had been filling steadily with other, younger professional types. She hated to admit it, but yes, she was shopping—for a guy.

  In the months she had been living here, she’d seen a handful of men she could get interested in, but all of them seemed buried in the party scene. The complex had a number of street-facing bars and restaurants open to the public; some with dance floors. She had visited all of them at one time or another over the past several months and had plenty of offers from guys, even several other women; but for some reason, she had just not been interested. Was she being too picky? She didn’t think so. The last thing she needed right now was a disaster relationship with someone who lived in the same complex. She’d been there. Done that.

  The truth was—okay, she was being overly picky. And she knew exactly the reason why: none of the guys she had seen looked even half as good as one particular guy she’d seen hanging around the pool area for the past several weeks. He didn’t show up every weekend, she’d only seen him a handful of times in the past two months, but when he did show up, her eyes weren’t the only ones following him around the supersized pool area.

  He’d walked past her more than a few times; even stood beside her next to the pool’s island-inspired Tiki bar once. But he’d never once talked to her; or even looked at her for that matter.

  Maybe it was her one-piece she always wore? The darker fabric and semi-prude cut of the unfashionable swimsuit wasn’t the most flattering on her figure—nor would it have been on anyone’s figure for that matter. The only reason she’d bought the thing was because of exactly that—it looked a little frumpy and it helped to hide her curves. While other girls in college were flaunting their stuff all over in front of the boys, she was really trying to hide hers.

  Some women had been blessed with comely beauty, or fuller breasts, nicer hip curves, even astonishing butts—Tori had been ‘cursed’ with all of those and then some. Her thi
ck brunette hair, grown long, very long, practically to her mid-thighs, crowned a beautiful face with high cheekbones, perfect teeth and full pouting lips; and Nature hadn’t stopped there. Ample pert breasts, killer curves and long smooth legs had destined her to one day be a hyper-successful supermodel.

  But she’d ultimately walked away from the industry.

  The people and fans she’d attracted while modeling left her a little afraid. She’d been mobbed a couple of times. The last time had left her shirtless. That was the end of the modeling career.

  But that was a couple of years ago in college. Now she was wanting to attract some attention again—at least the attention of the handsome hunky guy she’d seen in her complex. He had to live in one the towers, but which one? The resort didn’t have a list of their tenants and owners like some yearbook. Probably a good thing; she didn’t want her own address out there for just anyone to see.

  Tori wasn't sure how long she had been relaxing in the sun, maybe half an hour with her earbuds drifting soft music into her mind, when she felt someone touching her foot. She hated that. People not paying attention to where they were going and bumping into others. There were a few kids and a lot of older teens playing all over the pool area. She figured it was just someone moving past the rows of chairs. But when she felt them touch her foot again, she sat up, slightly opening her eyes. The annoyed look behind her sunglasses quickly faded as her eyes took in the handsome visage of a tanned guy standing at the foot of her chaise. And not just any tanned guy—she was looking at him!

  She took out her earbuds one at a time.

  “Sorry to bother you.” He smiled, gripping a long white towel around his neck.

  His thick and nicely styled dark brown hair complimented his handsome smile with perfect dimples just under his dark designer Oakley’s. His very striking features gave her feelings a jump. Behind the towel he gripped around his neck were broad shoulders, well-rounded with smooth muscles and unusually cut thick pectorals that hovered over rippling abdominals. He was nicely muscled, bigger than most, but not huge like the bodybuilder magazines often showed. One of his legs was lifted with his bare foot resting on the end of her chair next to hers, still touching her ankle. His nicely thick thighs disappeared under a snug white square-cut swimsuit that looked a little small for his size. But it wasn't his thick thighs or thin waist that led to rippling abs that garnered Tori’s rapt attention for the moment. Beneath the spandex-like material of the guy's swimsuit was a very obvious lengthy package that his swimsuit was having a very difficult time concealing. She’d never seen him in this kind of suit before. His male glands alone filled the contoured front of the man-cut suit while an obvious tubular outline reached nearly to one of the side seams. She swallowed, then tore her eyes away to look at his face once again.

  “I didn’t know if anyone was sitting next to you,” he began. “Would you be interested in sharing the other side of your chaise? This place is really slammed today. All the rest of the chairs are taken.”

  “Oh, ah—” she stammered. She’d not been able to even get him to look at her before; and now he was asking to share her chaise?! She wanted to talk to him, but she also felt conflicted about being so uncomfortably close to someone she didn’t know. They’d both be right in each other’s personal space on the chaise.

  He seemed to pick up on her reticence. Maybe it was the look on her face? In any event, he apologized. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.” Taking his foot from her chair, he turned to survey the pool area landscape again, obviously looking for an empty chair.

  Tori’s lips parted slightly agape as she took in the rearview of the hunky guy taking a deep sigh. His short-cut swim trunks failed even worse at hiding a generously sculpted, perfectly rounded set of glutes that flexed beautifully as he shifted his weight from one leg to another while surveying their surroundings. She bit her lip.

  “Hey,” she managed to finally say.

  “Hmmm?” he turned around again.

  She pulled her things off the other side of the chase. She’d conspicuously placed them there to make it look as if the other side of the chair was taken. “I’m not really using it. You can.”

  “Oh, are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Have a seat.”

  “Oh, thank you. I really appreciate it.” He pulled the long towel from around his neck and laid it out over the one side, then gracefully laid himself onto the comfortable towel-covered mesh. Tori watched him sit down, her eyes taking in every movement of the tall, fit guy. His sunglass-covered eyes met hers. He smiled that dimpled grin at her.

  “Thanks again.”

  “Sure.” She found herself barely able to talk.

  “Are you from around here?” he asked. His voice was strange, cultured. It had an accent, but she couldn’t quite place it. He adjusted the back of his side of the chaise so that it was laying all the way down at the same level as hers.

  “I live here.” Her pulse seemed to have jumped. Was she really now talking to this unbelievable guy? “What about you?”

  He relaxed fully reclined onto the chair, lifting his arms above his head. Tori marveled at his near hairless armpits and perfectly huge biceps. He turned his head to look at her. “I’m a vagrant.”

  Tori smiled. “Vagrant? What does that mean?”

  “It means I don’t live here, but I like the new pool, so I sneak in from the beach.”

  Tori relaxed back into her chaise. She’d read the condo’s warnings about people coming into the pool area from the beach. It was a violation of the property rules and a few city ordinances. Only residents and their guests were allowed in the complex’s facilities.

  “I should report you.”

  He leaned up, the smile leaving his face. “Oh, please don’t—”

  She smiled now, looking over at him again. “Just kidding.”

  “Oh, you are just cruel.” He grinned at her again.

  She chuckled. “So where do you live?”

  “In town, not far from here. I watched them building this place last year. I come here a couple of times a week.”

  “I think I’ve seen you here before,” she admitted.

  “I’ve noticed you here a few times. Did you get a new swimsuit?”

  “I did, actually.”

  “It looks nice,” he complimented. “I wonder why we don’t see more of each other?”

  Tori mused his words—did he just prep her to ask her out?!

  “I’m usually only out here on the weekends,” she smiled. “I guess we just keep missing each other.”

  “That’s a shame.” He smiled, not looking at her. She didn’t reply to his comment but she didn’t disagree with it.

  2

  T he sun had become warmer with just a few lazy clouds hanging in the sky moving slowly by. Tori pulled her lotion from a bag and re-applied small dabs over the warmer parts of her shoulders and arms.

  “Do you use sunscreen?” she asked, offering him the bottle.

  “Not usually. I tan really easily.”

  “I wish I did.”

  He watched her turn to lay face down on her side of the chaise.

  “You should use some of that on your back. I can help if you like?”

  Tori smiled inside at the offer. She had hoped he would. She handed him the sunscreen.

  It felt nice feeling his hand smoothing the warm lotion over the skin of her back.

  “I’m Liam, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you, Liam. I’m Tori.”

  “That’s a cute name. It fits you.”

  “It’s short for Victoria—that name I never use.”

  “Too formal?”

  “I hate it.”

  “I knew someone named Victoria once.”

  “Was she old?” Tori only half smiled.

  “Not really, she was a lot like you. Cute, beautiful, actually. She worked at the same investment firm I was.”

  Tori smiled at the subtle compliment. “Is that what you do?” she a
sked. She was curious about what a handsome guy like Liam did for a living. Investing? That sounded interesting.

  “It is. But I’m on my own now. No partners.”

  “Do you have a lot of clients?” she probed.

  He chuckled. “No. Just one. One’s enough. Believe me.”

  “Sounds like a dream job.”

  “It keeps me busy. Thanks again for not reporting me.” Liam spoke softly as one of the complex’s life guards approached. He’d been kicked out of the place a few weeks ago by the same life guard. But Liam figured that rubbing lotion all over the back of one of the tenants probably qualified him as an official ‘guest’. The two guys exchanged nods as he walked by.

  “No problem. Besides, I needed someone to put some lotion my back,” she smiled. Tori felt his hand smooth slick with warm lotion under the tied strap of her bikini. His hand moved down her skin and then a little more firmly over her lower back.

  “Hmmm,” she groaned softly feeling his fingers push over her muscles and spine. It was like he was more giving her a backrub or a massage than he was just applying lotion. She couldn’t help but flex her hips it felt so nice.

  “I really like your swimsuit,” he complimented again. “It looks really nice on you.”

  “Thank you,” her sweet Texas drawl peeked out from her voice.

  The irony was, it was her least favorite swimsuit. The thin white material of the unlined bikini was a holdover from her very short lived modeling career. She’d worn it only on some shoots, but never in public. Unwittingly she’d discovered that the material lost half it’s opaqueness when it got wet and the bottoms were low enough in the front that she needed to wax before even thinking about wearing them. The triangles of the tie-up top also didn’t cover all of her standout round breasts, nor did it try to hide her nipples. Honestly, she hated it.