Page 59 of The Lost Siren

“Nothingis as it should be. There was no courtship, no claiming ceremony, and no celebration with friends and family. I amforcedto mate with you so our species survives, andthatis what I hate. I wanted to wait until our species was strong and had our homeland back.ThenI would raise you in our culture and reveal your identity. I grew impatient, and too afraid to wait any longer.”

He hung his head, and I knew I needed to distract him from his own morose thoughts. I stepped out of the pool, uncaring of my naked body. My enhanced eyes took in the glowing stones set into the walls with magick, something my human eyes had never noticed.

“You didn’t act like anyone wasforcingyou a few minutes ago.”

“I just wanted a choice!” He snapped back, and then I lost it.

“Choice?You dare speak tomeabout choice? Youchoseto kidnap me, and then treat me like garbage. Youchoseto stalk me, wearing down my defenses until I couldn’t think about anything except your body against mine, andhatingmyself for it because of how much you hated me. Youchoseto sit in this mountain and do absolutely nothing for centuries, while your people despaired, and your blood relatives turned against you for your inaction. Don’t you DARE talk about CHOICE to ME.”

My shoulders were heaving, quivering with rage. He took a step towards me, but I held out a clawed hand, shifting unconsciously back into my Draken form.

“Ididn’t choose to be kidnapped, but here I am. I didn’tchoosethe Draken people at first, but I still fought and bled with them. I didn’tchooseto be the lost siren, but Iacceptyou Benedict, Iloveyou, for all the good it will do me.”

I took a deep breath as he flinched, pain spreading across his face. I crumpled, my heart breaking into a thousand tiny pieces.

“Would it really be that bad to love me?”

I turned, not wanting to see his reaction.

“I’m leaving this mountain and taking any Drakens who wish to come now that the curse is broken. We will return to Lyoness and ward it with magick and rebuild our race. Ichooseto help the Draken race, because sometimes whatI wantisn’t what matters most. I guess I’ll have to thank several dozen lifetimes as a human for that lesson.”

Benedict stood stonily, not reacting. I spread my wings and imagined the grand entrance hall. Benedict lunged towards me, but his hands only grasped air.

EIGHTEEN

The moment my feet hit the stone of the entrance hall, I glanced up to find them all gathered, offering each other blood and licking wounds. Stunned silence fell upon the hall, neither of us knowing what to say first. I patted each part of my body and found everything important where it should be. I guess as his mate, I now had a few of Benedict’sabilities. Gelf approached slowly, his grey head bowed.

“May I?”

I offered him my clawed hand, which he handled like spun glass between his weathered, mottled scales. Gelf fell to his knees in front of me, pressing my hand gently to his forehead. Tears glistened at the corners of his eyes, and as one they fell to their knees before me. Gelf rose, lifting my hand in the air, his face radiating with a joy that was contagious. I spread my wings wide to the assembled Drakens, and everyone gaped at the dazzling white color that covered every part of my body except for my wings, whose edges looked like they had been dragged in black and purple ink. Benedict’s colors.

“The lost siren has returned!”

The Drakens roared, stomping their feet and singing in exuberance as I stood before them, Benedict’s colors painted on the edges of my Draken body. The Drakens pressed in close to me but didn’t approach past Gelf. In a way, I was thankful of Benedict’s claim on me; otherwise, I’d probably be buried under a pile of feral Drakens.

Gelf turned to me, his eyes shimmering with unshed emotion.

“We’ve waitedsolong. How is this possible?”

Benedict’s tortured face swam in my head, isolated by the consequences of his choices and mine. His people were all he had left; I couldn’t take them from him by telling them the truth.

“It doesn’t matter,” I replied simply. “I’m here now.”

His leathered hand squeezed mine, and the respect I saw in his grey eyes gave me the confidence to keep pushing.

“Where are the rest?” I demanded, my eyes scanning the crowd and seeing too few Drakens. Kieran and Ronan approached Gelf, who let them pass when I gave him a slight nod. Their eyes held the same fervor of animalistic madness Benedict’s did right after my change. I put a warning hand on Gelf’s shoulder, and he tensed, stepping between me and my other two mates.

“You need to hold on. Soon, I promise.”

Kieran licked his lips, but nodded, putting an arm across Ronan’s chest.

“We lost twenty-six in the fight, my queen,” Kieran replied, his voice rough with need and desire.Queen?I descended the dais, strutting amongst the other males, my wings spread, and my head held high. The mountain was no longer safe, and it was up to me to get everyone moving if Benedict continued to wallow in self-pity.

“Drakens, the Demon hordes have found us, and it is only a matter of time before they return. We cannot fight as we were meant to in this mountain, encumbered by rock and unable to fly. We must return to Lyoness and reclaim the land.”

Stunned silence greeted my announcement, followed by an explosion of sound so loud I flinched. Their cheers were deafening, my blood singing as I felt every male Draken pledge their loyalty tome. My head was fuzzy with fear and uncertainty, but I reached inward and found strength. If I could love Benedict in the face of his disdain, this would be a piece of cake. I had been through fire, forged by the flames of hatred and pain. I was a queen with steel in my blood and determination in my eyes.

“How will we ensure Lyoness is safe?”

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