YILEYNASparks erupted through every ounce of my body, so intense that I wasn’t sure where they started and where they ended. His hand that encased my waist, the way his hard chiselled body was crushed against mine, ignited that intense pleasure and desire that only he could. My core throbbed in response to his perfect plush lips moving dominatingly against mine. A soft whimper was on the tip of my tongue when reality hit.
StopUsing all my anger to give me strength, I pushed him away roughly, and no matter how much I had enjoyed that kiss of his, I placed a disgusted look on my face and made the obvious display of wiping my lips.
"How is that revenge?" I growled, sounding far too breathless for my liking.
I saw the tip of Charlene’s hair as she fled the room, shutting the door behind her. This girl…
"Oh, why not? Did you happen to enjoy it?" Theon asked coldly, raising an eyebrow.
"No!" I denied a little too quickly. He scoffed lightly, his cold intense gaze on me.
"Earlier, you attacked me with your fists, and I'm not one to hit a woman… unless, of course, she takes pleasure in it. So I simply used my lips instead." There it was, that coldness and hatred in his eyes again.
"I hated it," I said, glaring at him. He had thrown me off, once again.
"And I hate you, so we’re even," his reply came.
That stung. He had never said he loved me, but to express his hate so easily? That was harsh. Our eyes met before his gaze dipped down and I remembered what I was wearing.
"What do you want, Theon?" I asked, trying not to care.
"Aside from that, what you did today was fucking reckless. You say you care? You almost ripped that hospital apart."
"So, you came here to lecture me? You, who doesn’t really give a fuck about anyone?" I asked, crossing my arms under my breasts. He clenched his jaw.
"No, I don’t. However, the king expects me to train you alongside the Fae. He thinks you have the potential to actually become a true alpha, something that the fake princess does not have the potential for."
"She is not a fake princess." I glared at him. "Blood doesn’t make us something, Theon. She is still the one and only princess in my eyes. The king is not my father, he did not raise me. He will never be my father." Something about my words made his cold frown soften slightly, almost as if paying attention to those words. He looked at the ground, before glancing at me.
"We cannot run from our fate though. You may not consider him your father, but he is still your blood." I shook my head.
"You don’t get it, Theon. You never will. You and the king are actually more alike; your thinking, your mindset, and your values. Goddess, with the way he wants a powerful heir, he should just adopt you," I replied with contempt. He stepped closer to me, but I refused to back down.
"We are different," he said, looking down at me. My heart was pounding as I tried to not let his closeness affect me.
"You’re not, really. You both get on like a house on fire. In fact, even your preferences are so similar, right? Right down to the fact that you both seem incredibly infatuated with women of siren blood." I knew it was a low blow, but I wanted to hurt him. "Funny coming from two men who apparently hate sirens." It had the reaction I wanted from him, hearing the way his heart thudded at my words.
"You have no idea how much I fucking hate sirens. Don’t ever think that will change," he hissed. His eyes flashed gold as he glared at me.
"Hurts when I insult you, right?" I asked softly, stepping closer. "That’s exactly how I feel when you insult Charlene." For a moment, our eyes met, hatred clear in his, and it felt like I was being crushed inside…
How did we get here?
“Think whatever the fuck you want.”
I thought he was going to say more, but he simply shook his head, turning and storming out. The door shut with a resounding thud, and I exhaled, dropping onto the edge of the bed. Today had been too much to take in…
THEONHer words still remained imprinted in my mind, even as I poured myself another glass of wine. The boisterous sounds of the Tavern were drowned by my own thoughts.
“The king is not my father, he did not raise me.”She wasn’t wrong… but she was still of his blood.
I closed my eyes, trying to drill that into my head. Then why was I only seeing her for her? Why had that kiss felt so fucking good, despite knowing what and who she was?
I ran my hand through my hair, refusing to let it get to me, but it already was…
EARLIER THAT DAY“I told you to let her do it. She would have been able to break the seal,” Andres said seriously as I held the unconscious Yileyna in my arms protectively. She wasn’t a monster… she wasn’t a fucking traitor like Andres. I wiped the blood from her nose and lip, my own anger threatening to unleash upon the bastard before me. “You don’t care that she was fucking bleeding?” I almost growled. His response was a grin. “And you say you don’t love her… well, it all worked out, did it not? You get to be with the one you wanted all along!”Wrong… I didn’t want to be with her. Not like this… not ever… right? Fuck, I was only kidding myself… I had fallen for her, whether I ever admitted that out loud or not, but there was no fucking future for us. The time was coming ever closer, and then she would become something to be used. A weapon for the most power-hungry...
Dad could do this without her. Why couldn’t we just play this out without involving her…? But I knew neither Alpha would give up the heart.
I needed to protect her. I needed to talk to her.
I stood up suddenly, and I realised I couldn’t do it. I sat down again, running my hand through my hair. What would I say to her? To leave? That she wasn’t safe here?
“Did you hear Grayson Sanchez is in the cells?” A drunken voice asked.
“Ah, yes… what a shame. First the Beta, now the Gamma… they are all traitors!” I frowned, listening to the conversation behind me.
“Do you ever feel that we see nothing but ill luck here?” Another quieter voice asked his companion.
“Karma indeed.” I frowned ever so slightly. Karma? What were they insinuating? A shiver of unease ran down my spine. Who were they?
Trust no one…
I licked my lips, remembering the way her lips felt against mine once more. The way her body reacted, the way she had involuntarily pressed herself against me. My dick throbbed at the thought. All I had wanted was to throw her onto that bed and fuck her…
But I was told to stay away from her, by both dad and Andres, and now she is the very same woman that they expected me to be with. It doesn’t work like that… and knowing their reasons only makes me even more uneasy.
Yileyna was in grave danger, from my father more so. If he ever learned she was part Siren, he would make sure she died. I closed my eyes, but even then, her image flashed before them.
I should hate her.
She had become a thorn in my revenge. She had destroyed sex for me because no other woman appealed in the same way… she ruined my sleep with dreams of desires.
I downed another glass and refilled it.
The king still expected us to mark and mate… but it didn’t feel right. Not without her knowing the truth that I owed her, a truth that I knew I would never tell her.
I stood up, tossing a few coins onto the table.
I needed to see her. Now.