Chapter 1.

Asteria POV.

I’m laying on my favourite rock, the sun is high in the clear blue sky. The water laps gently against the shore. The ocean is calm. The sun’s rays warm my cold scales as I flick my fin lazily in the water. The ocean, my home, how I miss it. For I know this is just a dream. A drug induced sedation to make me compliant.

“Wakey, wakey little mermaid.” A vibration through the water and a voice I have come to hate. I open my eyes and move my large black fin away from my muzzled face. Looking into the cold and cruel green eyes of the man I made a deal with nine years, three hundred and fifty-one days ago. General Andrew Patterson.

The man who caught me alongside the military and threatened every shifter with death if I didn’t agree to be a lab rat for two years and the remaining eight I was to become an attraction in an aquarium, lovingly called Poseidon’s Underwater Kingdom. I complied and I regret it. The shifters turned their backs on me for my stupidity. They will pay with their blood, same as the humans will.

The floor of the isolation tank moves up with me on top of it. The lid opens as I lay on the cold metal as I shift from siren to human. I look around as blurry figures and distorted voices speak as rough hands grab me. Putting me inside what I believe is a straight jacket as I’m lifted onto a trolley.

Apparently, when I’m secured like this, I remind them of Hannibal Lector, whoever that is. My head rolls forward as I’m moved towards the Underwater Kingdom. Where I do my daily exercise and get gawked at by the humans. I’m not alone in the tank, no I am surrounded by many tropical and colourful fish. Plus two Navy divers armed with harpoon guns. Idiots.

I smile to myself at the memory when I used my compulsion on the scientist and military personnel and watched as they killed each other. Fun times. Their screams make me happy, the look of horror on their faces help me sleep at night.

That day I was knocked out and when I came back around my throat was sore, they had cut my vocal cords. Little do they know they healed. So since then, I am muzzled like a dangerous dog and sedated, making me more complaint. Jokes on them, though. Again, I am now immune to it. But it’s better to act weak and have them believe it so I can escape.

I no longer have my powers or mind link because I’ve been away from the waters for too long. I’m hoping that changes when I run away.

I’m rolled to the edge of an enormous tank unsecured and the muzzle is removed. I open and close my mouth, stretching my jaw from the ache. They lift the trolley and I dive into the warm, tropical water. I scream as I shift. Looking around, I swim high away from the view of the humans.

Placing my hand on the glass, I close my eyes and feel the vibrations of the other sea life in this prison. I feel their pain, their longing to be with their families, and it breaks my heart.

The sound of the killer whales and dolphins fills me. Their loss is evident at their songs of mourning, mourning their calves that died and the families they were taken from.

I will free them and every fish and creature in this wretched place.

Divers jump in and I turn and flash my fangs at them before I dive deeper and swim against the sand. My hand rubs against a shark who is sleeping and I chuckle as its eyes open and he wiggles on the sand forming a sand cloud, now these remind me of pups, always wanting affection and a good scratch under their chins which I will gladly give.

A tapping grabs my attention and I swim closer to see a little girl smiling and waving at me. She points towards me, excitement evident on her little face. I smile back and wave at her as I get closer to the glass. I place my hand on it and she does the same. Not all humans are bad, children are innocent even if their parents aren’t.

“Look it mommy, look it. The mermaid is my friend.” I chuckle at her words and think to myself, oh cutie, I wish I was. But unfortunately, when I leave here, death will be in my wake. I will regain my power and wipe out every human and shifter from the face of the planet. I will rule over a boneyard to exact my revenge.

“Carter, look. I told you this is a fun place to hold...” I know that voice. I turn my head away from the little girl and see her. General Patterson’s daughter. Bethany. Or as I affectionately call her Bitchany. Whore!

This aquarium is run by the military and many benefactors pretending they give a shit about the oceans and those that live in it. I scoff at the hypocrisy. These so-called benefactors will gladly eat fish and then want to save the turtles. Go figure!

Bitchany was eleven when I came here. At first, she was kind, but then she became like her father, cruel and merciless. She is the definition of a mean girl.

Typical, only child born with a silver spoon shame she didn’t choke on it. Mommy and daddy would be so proud to learn she has fucked her a way through the ranks and is responsible for the deaths of countless endangered fish and mammals here.

I wonder who the poor unfortunate soul is this time. I chuckle as I hum the song. Yes, it is played here as well as other songs, but I like this one.

I swim closer to where she is and bang my tail as hard as I can against the glass and she screams, jumping back, clutching her chest and I smile before I laugh at her reaction. Oh, I want to rip her head from her body and feed her to the sharks.

“Bitch, just you wait.” She points at me, and I snarl at her as I move closer to the glass. She moves back again. She knows what I’m capable of and why I have to be sedated, she too, holds scars on her hip and shoulders from when I tried to drown her a few years back.

Barbs had emerged along my tail as I wrapped it around her to pull her further under. I smile at her, but it’s anything but friendly. She remembers what I did to her and was ordered by her father to stay away from the lab. She didn’t listen, but she got more creative with my torture. Which I will pay her back in kind.

I look up and see the man standing behind her. He is tall and muscular. His arms bulge under his white T-shirt his long muscular legs are hugged in jeans, blue eyes dark hair, he is handsome, no way is he a human, he is huge if he is then he must have shifter DNA dormant in his veins. His eyes lock on mine and I know what this means. I see him mouth the word I know will change everything.

This man, this Carter, whoever he is to her, is the child I saved over twenty years ago. He is my mate. I blink as I swim backwards away from the glass. No, this is not happening.

I swim around the tank and he follows me; he needs to leave and Bitchany needs to take him with her. This can’t happen.

“What time do you get off work?” he shouts, but I ignore him. Does he honestly think I’m like the humans who mascaraed as a siren, which are four tanks over? If he does, then the joke is on him. I’m the real fucking deal, not a wannabe.

I swim higher to the surface of the tank and think maybe this could work to my advantage? Maybe he could help me escape, then I can reject him and go home? How will I get him to ask her to bring him to me? I shake my head, no I will have to do this myself. Tonight.

Tonight the institute will be painted red. I will leave this place and return with my army and slaughter everyone.

For the seas are soulless, and so am I.