Page 61 of Rise of the Siren Queen
I tried to sound resolute, to cling to the idea that once he left, everything would return to normal. But I knew I couldn’t sever this connection, no matter how much I wanted to.
Elora had been silent, absorbing everything, but when she spoke, her voice edged with concern. “What are you going to do? The council ordered you to erase his memory, to make sure he isn’t a danger to us.”
“I think it’s a little too late for that, don’t you?” My throat tightened. I knew what the council expected, but it was impossible now. “To them, there’s no greater danger than a hybrid. A prisoner… who’s also my mate?” The bitterness flow into my voice and the frustration gnawed at me. My words were harsh, but Elora and Sienna didn’t push back. They knew the burden I was carrying.
I gathered myself, forcing the raw emotions down, stepping back into the regal mask I learn to use, and explained everything, thebargain I made, the training Adrian had agreed to, the oath, and the mating.
“Wait,” Elora’s eyes widened in disbelief, “beyond letting him leave, knowing it’ll weaken you, you’re also going to perform the Azure Oath? Are you out of your mind?” her words were sharp and deliberate, laced with exasperation, the concern palpable.
“Iryen,” Sienna’s voice was gentler, but firm, “I must advise against this. You know as much as I do that The Azure Oath will demand a lot from you. It will leave you vulnerable. You can’t afford that, not with that traitor still out there.”
My heart pounded at the mention of my ex, anger and fear colliding inside me.
I met Sienna’s gaze, my voice steady but cold.
“Even if it leaves me vulnerable, I will end that bastard, or I might as well die trying. This crown is mine. This kingdom is mine. It’s my people to protect.”
Silence fell between us, thick with tension, but I could see the resignation in their eyes. They knew I wouldn’t budge. Sienna sighed, and Elora crossed her arms, but neither of them spoke against me.
“I’ve made my choice,” I said, my tone final. “And you won’t say anything to Adrian. Either of you. He needs answers, and I’m running out of excuses to give him. So, until he leaves, both of you, along with Kieran and Ronan, will train him.”
“Ronan?” Elora’s eyes flashed with irritation. “No. No way am I spending more time with that cocky bastard.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You will, Elora. I’m not giving Adrian more answers, and I’m not telling him about the mate bond. Neither are you. Do you understand?”
Elora, always fierce, always rebellious, stared back at me, defiant but ultimately loyal. “Yes, Your Highness,” she muttered, her voice laced with reluctance, but she wouldn’t disobey me.
“I won’t tell him, but,” Sienna stepped forward, her expression softened with concern. “are you sure this is what you want? He’ll know something’s off. Feel it, especially after…” She trailed off, her meaning clear.
“Yes, I’m sure.” I cut her off before she could finish.
The words echoed in my mind. Doubt gnawed at me like a hungry beast. Was I really protecting him? Or was I just too terrified to face what was so glaringly obvious?
14
Abandoned fool
Adrian
She ran. Coward.
I stood frozen, staring at the spot where Iryen had disappeared beneath the water. A hollow ache spread through my chest, sharp and consuming, gnawing at me with every breath. It wasn’t just frustration. It was something darker. Something possessive.
The ghost of her touch burned against my skin. I could still feel the way she had moved beneath me, how her body had molded so perfectly to mine, how her voice had broken on my name like a whispered prayer. The way she hadclungto me, as if I was the only thing keeping her grounded. And now? Now she was gone.
It wasn’t just sex. It had been a symphony of sensation, driving me to the very edge of my control. The aftershocks of our shared orgasm still reverberated through me, like an electric current running beneath my skin.
I closed my eyes, the memory of her touch flooding my senses. Her body had arched and trembled beneath me for my touch, her muscles tightening around me with such intensity that it felt like she was pulling me deeper into her, into us. Every thrust, every caress, hadfelt like an exploration of something primal, something I hadn’t even known I was searching for. The way her skin had glowed beneath the sunlight, slick with sweat and desire, had burned itself into my mind.
I felt at easy, as I had finally found my place on this earth. Like she was home and belong to me and I to her, but that was impossible, she wasn’t only from another world she was a fucking princess, A siren who had no right to sink her claws into me, only to retreat when it suited her, she was everything I despised and denied my entire life, And yet, I had wanted nothing more.
She belonged to me.
The thought came unbidden, raw and unfiltered, but I didn’t push it away. Because it was the truth.
I could still taste her on my lips, still feel the tremor of her release as she screamed my name, as if that moment had been a collision of not just bodies, but souls. And yet, as overwhelming as it had been, as much as it had torn me apart in the best possible way, she had pulled away. She’d left.
I let out a slow, controlled breath, but it did nothing to temper the storm inside me. My fists clenched at my sides as my jaw tightened. She thought she could just leave? Just walk away after what we shared? Did she think I would accept that?
