Page 93 of Rise of the Siren Queen
I tried to look away, to focus on the plate in front of me, but my body refused to obey. His gaze was magnetic, drawing me in like the pull of the ocean.
Those beautiful hazel eyes, dusted with flecks of gold, mirrored the sunrise. Warm, breathtaking, full of promises I wasn’t sure I could survive.
Every time our eyes met, it felt like the world blurred, until it was just him and me, tethered together.
I knew I should look away, knew it was dangerous. But how could I?
He wasn’t just looking at me. Hesawme.
And in that moment, I would’ve gladly drowned in him.
“You know,” he spoke, his voice hoarse but controlled, like he was holding something back. “If you keep doing that, biting that lip of yours… I’m going to pick you up and we won’t leave that bedroom in time for our lunch reservation—we won’t leave at all.”
“Reservation, right,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, and all I wanted in that moment was for him to keep that promise. But I knew I couldn’t let myself get caught up in it. I had to keep my distance from him—not just for my heart, but for the sake of my people, too. There was so much more at stake than the will of the goddess.
I knew this distance would come with consequences from the divine, but I’m scared. I couldn’t trust myself in the partner department. The vulnerability, the heartbreak, the mess I was trying to avoid. I feared that if I let myself fall too deep, I’d loseeverything I was trying to protect, including the strength I needed to avenge my parents.
Shaking those thoughts away, I focused on the plate in front of me and ate. The flavors burst on my tongue, but I barely tasted them. My mind kept circling back, weaving between the doubts, the desires, and the ache of knowing that keeping my distance might protect me, yet it also left a deeper void. Just as I was spiraling again, his rich baritone voice rang in my ears.
“Would you like to go for a drive around the city?”
I hesitated, my fork pausing mid-air as I glanced at him. The idea was tempting—a chance to see the world through his eyes and maybe, for just a moment, forget the chaos that tethered us to separate destinies. But the same temptation made my chest tighten, knowing that every moment we spent together chipped away at the resolve I fought so hard to keep.
Still, I managed a small smile. “I… I’d like that,” I said. I wanted to know him, every part of him, to understand the man who had made his way past all my defenses.
My people hunted hybrids, considering them abominations, cursed beings unworthy of a place among the pure-blooded. Their existence alone was enough to set the council and our people on edge, sowing unease and mistrust like seeds in fertile soil. The uncertainty gnawed at everyone, and I couldn’t blame them. Not after losing their queen and king.
How could I be with him, knowing the risks? How could I ignore the shadow that this mating cast over everything I held dear? Yet, how could I turn away from him, when every fiber of my being felt compelled toward him? Loving him meant risking everything, not just for my heart, but for his very life. I had to protect him, even if it meant breaking my heart and having my soul shattered.
I caught him watching me, his hazel eyes burning with an intensityI couldn’t quite place. It was more than curiosity, more than simple admiration. It was longing.
I swallowed hard, biting my lower lip. He held my gaze as if trying to decipher the secrets I was keeping, as if he wanted to unravel every layer of my guarded heart.
“I know I said a lot last night.” His tone was warm and deep. “But you are the most stunning woman I have ever seen. Your eyes mirror the depths of a forest under the setting sun, reflecting the unknown and mysteries I can barely fathom.”
He stepped closer, caging me between the counter and his body. The heat radiating off him made it hard to breathe. His words wrapped around my heart, tempting me to let my guard down. The sincerity in his gaze made my resolve waver, and I had to fight the urge to lose myself in his presence, knowing all too well how fragile our momentary bliss truly was.
“Thank you,” I whispered, lowering my eyes, trying to hide the rush of emotion that had surged inside me.
He cleared his throat, breaking the spell that had momentarily tethered us in place. “We should go if we don’t want to lose our reservation for a second time,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of playfulness.
A small smile tugged at my lips despite the apprehension inside me. It was so like him to defuse a moment with humor, to pretend that our reality wasn’t pressing in on us from every side. Still, the thought of going on a date with him, as if we were any other pair, sent a flutter of nervousness through me.
He stepped back, giving me space as I hopped off the stool. Taking our plates to the sink, I rinsed them and loaded the dishwasher. The action was so mundane, yet it sent a pang of familiarity coursing through me. I had done this countless times before, back when this city had felt like a home five years ago.
The memory of those days, simple and warm, threatened to resurface, but I forced it back. Those memories belonged to a past that should remain buried where I couldn’t feel them, where they couldn’t haunt me with what I had lost.
“I’m going to change,” I said, trying to distract myself from the memories flooding my mind.
“You don’t need to. Your clothes are fine,” he replied, following me to his bedroom, his voice gentle yet insistent.
“But aren’t we going to a restaurant?” I asked, stopping in my tracks, feeling a hint of concern about my simple outfit. I had never felt like this, but, weirdly, I had a feeling that I needed to dress up.
He stepped closer, his gaze soft yet unwavering. “You are stunning, Iryen,” he said, his voice thick with sincerity. “Your beauty is beyond what any outfit could ever capture. It’s in the way you move, the way you look at me, the way you simply exist. Trust me, you’re perfect as you are.”
The intensity of his words sent warmth spreading through my core, and I struggled to hold his gaze, feeling vulnerable.
He was a vision of effortless beauty, the kind that left you breathless without even trying. His muscular arms, chiseled abs, and broad shoulders spoke of strength, of a body built for both power and protection. But it was his eyes that undid me, those hazel depths, often burning with a fire I could never fully decipher, now shone with flecks of gold, like sunlight dancing across restless waves.
