Asteria POV.I wake with a smile as I remember what we did. I don’t regret it one bit. I feel completely relaxed yet a little bit sore. Shifters heal instantly but I’m human, so I don’t know how long it will take for me to heal from the mating. Either way, the ache between my legs is a dull ache, and it’s nice.I shift slightly, but the arm that is wrapped around me tightens as I turn to face him. Carter is beautiful. He sleeps peacefully and I fight the urge to trace his features with my fingers.I smile to myself and blush at what we did. I lean forward and kiss his lips and he kisses me back before he rolls so I’m under him and I giggle at this. He kisses my face and leans up. His eyes open lazily, still filled with sleep. He smiles at me with a sly grin.“Hey, how you feeling?” he asks as he takes me in and I bite my bottom lip.“Aching, but in a good way, if that is even a thing.” I say, and he chuckles as he kisses my nose.“Yes, my love, it is a thing. Are you sore anywhere?” h
Asteria POV.I reach for her to make sure she is real. I touch her face and I gasp. This is real. My mother and brother are alive and are really here.“Mamma. Oh Gods. Why didn’t he tell me?” I sob as I hug her to me. I break in my mother’s arms as she rocks us back and forth as she hums the song.“I told him not to tell you. I was wrong my little sea flower. I was so very wrong. Can you forgive me?” I pull back and she wipes my tears. I nod my head at her.“Yes, I can forgive you, but I can’t forgive him for this. All these years I have mourned you all. Lived with the nightmares and the guilt, and he kept this from me. What else has he kept from me?” I say as I stand and back away.“Asteria. I asked him to keep us secret from you until the time was right. The time is right.” I shake my head at this new betrayal from my father. I turn and storm out of the room and run.I run through the hotel, ignoring the calls from Carter and my mother as I run through the doors of the hotel and loo
Asteria POV.I have been at the temple every day for the past week, pleading with my father to come to me and every day he ignores me, the stubborn bastard.Some days I just sit here and wait. I learnt that the sirens are the ones who take care of the temple and that the town is actually run by sirens. That’s why no-one looked shocked to see me.For the time being, the temple has been closed to the public so that I can stay here and wait for the stubborn arsehole to show himself. So far zip, nada, nothing.I’m in two minds to go to Athena, but then again, if my own father won’t speak to me, then it is highly doubtful she will. After all, I am his daughter.Another day of sitting and waiting comes and goes. I stand and go to leave when I hear the rumble of thunder and look over the Aegean Sea and shake my head.“Asteria.” I stop and turn to see him standing there as he looks at me with the same violet eyes that I see every morning staring back at me.“Father.” I say, my voice devoid of
Carter POV.The past week, being with Asteria’s mother and brother has been nice. I know Asteria is worried that she will wake up and all of this would have been a dream and who could blame her? She has spent the last 5,000 years believing they all died.Even though she has spent every day at the temple, I did want to go with her, but I knew this is what she needed to do on her own. Now she has her answers, but I know she is concerned about something else.“Whatever it is, we will deal with it together.” I tell her as I hug her from behind and I know she is uneasy because of how she tenses. She turns in my arms and faces me. The full moon offering its silvery light into the room.“I can’t help but think of the worst-case scenarios. I need you to stay safe when the time comes. I can’t be worrying about you whilst trying to stop the attack.” She says as she cups my cheek and I kiss her forehead.“I promise. Besides, Lykos and I will be fine, you know this. I’m sure Gaia and Fenrir will
Asteria POV.That sneaky, sly little whore. I storm through the hotel and many sirens look up and follow behind me as I head towards the beach.The morning sun warms as it rises. Its glow makes the surface of the water a golden orange colour as I move closer to the shoreline.“Fan out and find her.” I say when sirens enter the water and disappear under the waves. My mother and brother run towards me on the beach.“What’s happened?” she asks me and I feel bad for not spending a lot of time with them since being here, but I wasn’t expecting to find them alive.“Sephone. She was in Carter’s head. Which means.”“She is here somewhere.” My brother finishes my sentence, and he hisses as he removes his shirt and enters the water.“Asteria, let them do their job. If she is or has been in the area, they will know. Come.” My mother takes my hand and I stop and look around for Carter, but I don’t see him. Where is he?“Mamma, can it wait? I need to find Carter. He was right behind me.” I say to
Asteria POV.Sitting in the hotel suite, I am watching him. I know she is in his head. But this is not the song that all sirens use. This isn’t compulsion, this is something else.“How long would it take for a siren to swim here?” I ask as I watch Carter as he stares off into space. I know she is calling to him, but the question is why and for what purpose?“Not long, maybe a couple of days, give or take.” I nod at her words. We have been here over a week now so it is possible, but why do this to Carter? Well, of course it is to get to me, but how did she do this with the song?I sit lost in thought, trying to think of how. I stand and walk to the balcony, leaning against it, looking at the Aegean.“Unless.” I mutter as I turn and look at Carter, whose eyes now look clear again and not foggy or glassy.“Asteria?” I smile as I walk to him, but still being cautious. Could she be using Carter to kill me? Wouldn’t that just be a cliché? Using my mate to kill me.“Carter. What do you remem
Asteria POV.The flight back is different from the one on the way here. He is sitting nowhere near me. He won’t even look at me or even speak to me. He is flirting with the flight attendant, but I ignore it, as I know this isn’t him.He stands and walks past me, heading towards the bedroom, and I grab his wrist.“Where are you going?” I ask him when he looks down at me. His gaze makes me wince. There is no love in his eyes, only disgust.“Away from you.” I hold his gaze and feel like I’ve been burnt from the look in his eyes and I gasp, not at his words but the way he is looking at me.“What have I done to you?” I ask when he scoffs and walks away. I lean back and look out of the window. This isn’t him.“Can I get you something to drink, miss?” I look at her and nod my head.“A bottle of water please and do me a favour and stay the fuck away from him or you and I will have a problem. I wonder if you know how to fly.” I grin at her and she steps back before she turns and walks quickly
Asteria POV.It has been a few weeks since we arrived back and each day Carter is slipping and no matter what I do; he pushes me further away.I have gone to sleep on my own but have woken in his arms, but I know it’s Lykos and not him.Jerome has been here every day, and they have argued, and Carter has told him to leave and never come back. I have explained to Jerome what is happening with Carter and he has told me that he will be there for us both, even if Carter completely gives in to Sephone and her song.I have been able to find out what song it is she has used. Artemis came and told me that my suspicions were right. That the song Sephone is using is a new song. It is a combination of the song we used to calm and the song to lure. But she has added compulsion to it. To say I’m fucking angry is an understatement. Only the queen can use compulsion, and she isn’t the queen because I still live.Everyday Carter becomes more distant and I find him standing by the water looking out ov
Carter POV.18 Months later.Coming back to the surface after being in my siren form for a few months was strange. Not much had changed, but still it was weird.“It would be the same if you were stuck in Lycan form for that amount of time.” Lykos had said to me when it was taking me a little bit longer to adjust to being back on two legs. But here we are sitting watching the two most important women in our lives.“Lykos, we are truly blessed. Look at them both.” I say with a big smile on my face as we watch Asteria chase after Ione in the palace gardens. Both are wearing matching outfits. Lykos purrs watching our mate and daughter playing.When we came back, everyone was shocked to see not only how much Ione had grew and changed but also the change in myself. I have bulked up in the water. But not overly bulky.I watch as Asteria runs away from Ione, and she chases her mom. With Set beside her, the second we got home, Set pounced on them both. Ione has said she remembers him and so
Asteria POV.“Swim Carter, she is right on your tail.” I shout from the top of the abyss as the meg gains on him. It has been two months since Carter’s and Ione’s training began.I watch as the meg slams her jaws shut as he picks up speed. That was close. The rest of us move along the top, watching the test play out.Carter swims and stops turning. What is he doing? I look at Artemis and she looks at me. When I see him throw the trident towards the meg. She rolls to the side, avoiding it. She gains speed and my eyes widen. When she slams into him and I go to stop it when Artemis holds me back.“Look!” she says and I wait for the sand and debris to settle when I slowly smile, seeing Carter has his hands on her snout. She is wiggling her fin to move forward, but he isn’t budging.Carter has grown in size, strength, and speed. He is a great hunter and fighter.He shoves hard, and she flies back, shaking her head. He moves like a bullet and lands blows to her gills and she roars. Swimming
Asteria POV.It has been a few days since the wedding and the crowning ceremony. The celebration ended yesterday and I’m glad it did.There are only so many times you can shake hands and give kisses before you become tired of it.Selene and Lycaon congratulated us both, and I decided it was high time we drew a line in the sand and move forward without the hostility. Grated the hostility came from me, but still it was time to move forward.Zeus was still a prick and that will never change. Even though it has been just over a week since I gave birth to Ione, she is a lot bigger now and crawling. I wasn’t kidding when I said sirens grow quicker.We think once she hits a few years old in siren time that she will slow her growth down. Last thing we want to come back from her training and her being an adult.Today we start her training, and Fenrir will be in charge alongside Lycaon. Carter enters the bedroom carrying an excited Ione. She has been swimming in her siren form in the bath. We a
Asteria POV.The elders have been on my ass today, and I’m ready to flip out. According to them, it is not traditional for the luna queen to not wear a ballgown! I laughed at the dress.Even Artemis and my mother laughed as I stood there is this dress that looks all puffy and it’s tight around my chest and neck. Gaia counted the layers to this cloud like dress and counted twenty. I look like a fairy. It’s red and gold and really puffy, as Gaia said. I don’t like it.It weighs a tonne too. When I told the elders, I don’t like it that it wasn’t comfortable; they sneered at me, muttering I was a savage, so I did the only thing I could. I tore it to shreds. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t sit down, and I couldn’t fit through the damn door. Being called a savage was the final straw. So I showed them how savage I could be.So here I am with my females around me as they get me ready. My long, wavy raven hair is down flowing against my lower back. I have my coral crown on my head adorned with
Carter POV.Watching Asteria assert her dominance is always fun to watch. He did deserve it and she is right. Even I didn’t like the way he was looking at Ione. If Asteria hadn’t stepped in to protect her when she did, I would have killed him. Lykos was on the verge of shifting when she put him and the others in their place.The bedroom we are in is nice. The wealth of the Lycans is evident. However, it is pretentious. Yes, I have mansions and top of the line supercars, but this. There is too much gold and reds. I get it furnishings fit for a king and his queen, but this is not what I’m comfortable with and, by the looks of it, neither is Asteria.I understand the palace is filled with history but I would like to make some adjustments, but I doubt the elders will be too pleased with that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice, but it’s too much.Asteria is standing on the balcony that looks out over the kingdom and beyond that, the ocean. Ione is having a nap and so it is just the two of us f
Asteria POV.Walking the path towards the Lycan Palace. It hits me that the palace is shielded from the world using an illusion spell. But this is the royal pack.The palace sits in the middle with houses surrounding it, similar to a packhouse. Wolves and Lycans leave their homes to see what is happening as Carter and I, plus our entourage, walk towards the palace.I keep my head high as Carter carries Ione. The wolves and Lycans bow as we pass, showing their respect to us. My eyes connect with a few and they bow lower. We walk up the steps to the palace and come face to face with what I can only assume are the elders.They bow in respect as Fenrir moves closer to us.“Welcome home your majesty, we’re thrilled that you are here.” One of the dusty old men says not acknowledging me. I ignore the disrespect because if I was to act on it, then he would die.I ignore their conversation as I look around, surveying everything when Carter takes my hand, pulling me out of what I’m doing.“Plea
Asteria POV.There hasn’t been a day of peace since before Ione has been born. Now don’t get me wrong, I love seeing everyone, but is it too much to ask for us just to have time together with just the three of us? The only time we get to ourselves is when it’s bedtime.“Fen, just the man I wanted to see,” Carter says as the wolves take their seats and coo over Ione.“Oh-oh, that sounds ominous. What can I do for you both?” Fen asks with a chuckle and I roll my eyes as I lay Ione on my legs. Her feet against my tummy, as I gently sway my knees from side to side as I make silly faces at her, earning me big giggles from her.“We need your help with running the kingdom, well, looking after the kingdom for a couple of months. Ione will begin her training before the end of next week, and I need to be with both her and Asteria. So, would be the interim ruler while we are away?” Carter asks, and I look up at Fen and smile at him.“I will only do it if I get Ione cuddles.” He says as he stands
Carter POV.Words can’t describe what I had witnessed. The birth of my daughter Ione. Asteria handled it like a pro and I now have more respect for the females in the world. It was scary when she started to death roll, but then she pulled Ione free.I saw her tail before Asteria did; I know she was panicked that Ione may not shift. So she didn’t notice that little detail before she took off like a bat out of hell to get to the surface.But here we are in the living room with a sleeping Ione in my arms. Asteria is back to normal. She appears to be stronger than before. She is breastfeeding her but also supplementing her with blended fish. Gross, I know, but sirens feed their children differently. Hence why they are born with teeth and talons.We have had so many visitors over the past few days and Ione has taken it all in her stride. She is a dream, though. She never cries and Asteria said it’s because siren babies don’t cry. She is content and happy. Lykos is in love with her the same
Asteria POV.I wake up in the night wincing in pain. Trying to get comfortable is a nightmare. Odessa has told me she is low in my pelvis, but I knew that already she has been for a while now.I pull myself up and shuffle to the end of the bed and place my feet on the ground and stand. I’m exhausted, but nature calls. I hold my bump with one hand and the wall with the other as I make my way to the bathroom.I’m out of breath and I feel like I’ve run a damn marathon in flip-flops. I move to the toilet and do my business and wash my hands.A low pain spreads across my belly and I brace my hands on the vanity, my chin tucked as I breathe in through my nose and slowly out of my mouth until it passes. Once it does, I stand up straight. I look at the bath in the mirror.I turn slowly and move towards it and turn the water on. Placing the plug in. I strip down. And climb in as the bath fills.Leaning my head back, I place my hands on my bump that pokes out of the water and I hum, the song wa