Chapter 3.

Asteria POV.

What the fuck was Fenrir doing there? I shriek as I run fast. Everything moves in a blur as I smell the salt in the ocean’s air. My home, I whimper as I push on harder, faster as I turn and run towards the beach. Gun’s fire behind me, I turn my head and see military vehicles in pursuit. I smirk. The power I lost is slowly returning. I need the water.

The waves crash and a rumble of thunder moves across the sky. I smile as my chest heaves. I jump over the barricade and land in the sand. Tears leave my eyes as I run towards the water. More gun fire, I scream as I’m hit but I growl and keep moving. The humans didn’t learn.

I run into the water and wade as far as I can. A helicopter hovers overhead and I dive. I keep swimming as the vibration from above moves closer. Divers enter the water. Firing towards me.

I shriek as the shift takes over. My legs fuse together, my talons erupt and webbing forms. My gills split across my neck. I dive further down.

“I, queen Asteria, the first siren, call my power to me. I invoke my power, the power of the sea and storms.” I throw my arms out at my sides as lightning pierces the water and hits me. I throw my head back and scream. I open my eyes and smirk darkly. The power rolls through me. I am grabbed from behind. I lift my tail and hit the diver. I turn and shriek as I grab him and bite into his neck, ripping his throat out. My talons ripping him to shreds. Blood fills the water as I swim fast and attack the other divers, leaving nothing but corpses in my wake.

I breach the surface, looking up I raise my hands at the helicopter and raise an amused eyebrow as the wind whips around I turn my hand and the helicopter spins out of control I throw my hands towards the military vehicles on the shore and watch as they explode on impact. The storm rolls and lightning strikes the sand. Hitting the military, killing some instantly. I swish my tail as I watch from the waves.

Their screams of those that are injured make me smile as I watch as a few try to run away. I dive and swim forward. Grabbing the floating harpoon guns as I pass. I breach the surface and fire them at the survivors, well they aren’t alive now. I throw the harpoon guns away.

“ASTERIA!” Fenrir runs toward the waterline. I look to the side and see Carter. He stops in his tracks at the carnage on the beach.

“STOP THIS MADNESS!” I ignore him and swim towards him. I launch out of the water and tackle Fenrir onto the rock. I hiss and attack him.

“You are a traitor. I will kill you all.” I grip his throat. “Prepare for war, Fen.” I move away from him as he gasps for air. I dive back into the water and swim towards the hidden kingdom.

Swimming towards the abyss, the resting place of the ships, humans, and my people who have been slaughtered rest here. I move towards the opening in the wall. I push through and my eyesight adjusts to the darkness.

Bioluminescent plants and jelly fish glow in blues, purples, and pinks, lighting the way as I swim closer to my kingdom. The underwater kingdom. I pass some guards who bow their heads in respect, some gasp at seeing me. I swim towards the palace. The place is deserted.

“Majesty,” I stop swimming and float, treading water as I look around.

“Where is Artemis?” I ask, we don’t use body language and clicks, we are not dolphins, we use the mind link. Like the rest of the shifter scum.

“Upon your capture, she moved the colony to safety. She would have felt your return. The seas haven’t been the same without you, my queen.” I nod at his words. The seas have been dying without the balance. They have become soulless, just like me.

“She did what was right. Now I’m home. It is time to prepare.” I say to him as we swim closer to the palace. The lights here shine and glisten under the water. The kingdom has its own power source. Everything is enchanted down here.

“Forgive me Majesty, prepare for what?” I look at him with a smirk.

“War.” is all I say as I speed up and swim to the temple of Poseidon. I enter the temple and swim up to my father’s statue. I place my hand on his cheek and close my eyes.

“Father, I have returned. I need your help.” I say and feel a vibration in the surrounding water. A hand touches my shoulder and I turn into his arms.

“Daughter.” I’m not one to cry, but I do. I clutch him tighter to me. Everything rushes back, the torture, the pain, the humiliation. All for what? To save those I called friends.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks, and I move back and look at him. My father is beautiful, well, ruggedly handsome. His long black wavy hair and violet eyes. Packed with muscle. His golden skin glistens under the light.

“Yes, they abandoned me. They left me to my fate. Fenrir said I was stupid and he wouldn’t get involved. I did what I thought was right. I saved the shifters by becoming a prisoner.” I say to him and he nods his head.

“What about your mate? There is something you need you need to know about him.” I look away. I need to reject him. I can’t be mated to him. He is responsible for my people’s suffering. They are starving. The seas are dying and I need to bring back the balance.

“Tell me.” I say and he moves closer to me and raises my chin with his fingers as I gaze into his eyes.

“He is Lycan. His bloodline comes directly from Lycaon. He is from the royal bloodline. You kill him, you will condemn your people.” I shake my head. Well, isn’t that just outstanding? Note the sarcasm.

“I will just reject him. I don’t want or need a mate.” I scoff. Yes, I’m being petulant, but so would you after what I have been through. I can still feel their hands on my naked human form, the stabbing of needles in my spine, the scales being torn from my flesh. My vocal cords being cut. My brain prodded and poked. It all comes back, and it only fuels my rage and need for revenge.

They left me to suffer. To watch as they forced a female to partially shift, which ended up killing her and I was powerless to stop them. Her lifeless eyes haunt my dreams and my heart dies more each time I hear her screams, pleading with me to save her. Shanti. The girl I saved from the massacre of my people hundreds of years ago. She was an infant when I saved her; I raised her like she was my own. She died because of me. I have to avenge her.

“You reject him. You will always be drawn to him, regardless. Your bond was not created by Selene or forced by Fate. It is a natural bond. Yours and Carter’s came together a long time ago. It can’t be undone. Even if you reject him and he accepts, you will still both come back together.” FUCK!

“Who knows of this?” I ask as I try to process this information. I thought he was human when he and his mother were saved when he was a child. He smells human.

“Selene, Lycaon obviously, Gaia and Fenrir all know of this. They didn’t tell you because it would have been messing with the bond. Gaia wanted to tell you, but she didn’t want to be …”

“A hypocrite, by meddling with my bond the same way as Selene does with everyone else. I get it. He hasn’t shifted.” I say, biting my bottom lip and he shakes his head.

“No, the DNA is dormant. The question is, what are you going to do?” I look around the temple and take in all the artwork of the gods in gold and the giant marble statue of my father.

“The shifters turned my back on me when I saved them. No more, I will kill them and the humans. They don’t deserve to live.” I say solemnly.

“What about Carter?” I turn and look at my father.

“I will reject him, then he will die alongside them.” I say and he hangs his head at my words.

I move to swim when he grabs my wrist, stopping me.

“You do this, then you doom everyone. Don’t let history repeat itself.” I look at him with a sneer.

“The humans slaughtered my people. The shifters left me to rot. War is already upon them all. It is time we cleansed the land. They continue to pollute my waters. They have killed more marine life than anything. My people are starving. The humans are greedy, insatiable with their lust for more. The shifters are no better. They will die in a tsunami of my power. The world will be cleansed and the sirens will rule supreme like we are supposed to.” He lets my wrist go and I swim towards the entrance of the temple and I stop, turning to face him.

“Tell the gods if they save them I will come for them next. This is war father, I hope if you intervene, you fight on my side. I don’t want to kill you.” he nods his head before he disappears.

War is coming. The world will know my name and will fear it. The seas will rise and swallow the land whole. I will turn my fury on Moonlight Cove.