My Alpha’s Betrayal: Burning In The Flames Of His Vengeance

9. Of Land & Sea Deliana...

She didn't respond as she watched me, her eyes growing darker, and | felt the anger spreading from her.

'What is the meaning of this, Lavina?' Her voice rang in my head, it held power and suppressed anger.

‘Forgive me, but we had no other choice..." Lavina replied, her head still bowed to the queen.

My birth mother was a queen. 2 It felt strange to see her before me, it just... | would do anything to have my mom back. My real mom who raised and held me... But instead, | was finding royal parents who | didn't want or need.

'Do explain.' 'She was in danger, we've been watching the shore, they were ready to kill her!" Lavina exclaimed.

'She is not a child; she can look after herself. Bringing her here is a death-wish...' She trailed off, before glaring at all the guards and the other sirens. "Leave US." They all listened, aside from Ariella, who raised an eyebrow.

"May | stay, sister?” Sister? Deliana pursed her lips before giving a small nod.

"Of course, since you were clearly a part of this. It seemed your last rendezvous with animal shifters wasn't a reminder enough." She said, looking at her sister's scars.

Ariella smirked.

"No, but fear not, the males tend to find them very sexy." Deliana didn't seem impressed, her gaze turning back toonce it was just the four of US in the room. She waved her hand and a shimmering veil-like cloak covered the entrance.

"Explain." She said to Lavina before her gaze turned to me.

"It's the prophecy, Deliana." She began.

Prophecy? "The heart of this world resides within the child born of the land and sea, she is the child born from land and sea." Lavina whispered. "We need to unlock the final seal. Your father-" "I do apologise, but can you please includein this conversation instead of acting like I'm not even here?" | asked, looking between the two women.

Deep down, | wanted to ask Deliana why she abandoned me, but | couldn't complain because | had found the best parents.

"She has your spark." Ariella added amused.

She was an entirely different person than the monster who had attacked our ship....

"Then let US start at the beginning." Deliana said, going to the seat Lavina had sat in previously and sat down, her tail flicking as she did so.

We all sat down and Lavina smiled at Deliana.

"Tell her the truth." "I know the king's version, | mean, Andres Apelion's version." | said.

Deliana's anger sent a wave through the room, her heart thundering. When she turned to| could see her long nails and the sheer hatred on her face, her eyes shimmering with hues of purples, blues and silver.

"Never mention that liar's nin front ofever again." She hissed.

| nodded.

"Understood... he's dead anyway." | said quietly.

"Good, he was too much of a coward to ever approach the sea... and father forbadefrom ever setting foot on land again, or | would turn to sea foam." She scoffed, clenching her fist.

A silence fell and Lavina looked at her.

"Go on my queen, she deserves the truth." Deliana closed her eyes and began telling her story. How she had saved Andres, spent the night watching him and had been greatly attracted to him. She sensed the bond was of a true mate, Andres seemed not to notice it but he was drawn to her. They began spending ttogether. Weeks becmonths and they got closer, until one day he said to her they had to end it. She had pleaded and begged for him to accept her, and he had given in.

"But | was fool... When | fell asleep that night, he tried to take my life." She opened her eyes, and | could see the pain in them. My own heart clenching at the story she was telling me. The pain in her eyes somehow toldshe was telling the truth. "He said | was a monster, but | had done nothing to be called one. He forcedto the ocean, knowing fore well my father would kill me. He didn't care, and from that day forth, he had the sea and coasts scoured for sirens, killing them mercilessly in fear his truth of having a relationship with a siren would cto light. Yes, we have killed men at sea, but not as often as they killed US. Stealing even our young." I felt... stunned, it was all too much to take in.

A true mate bond... 1 Andres had lied...

Deep down, | had a strong feeling that perhaps they had been mates, but Soleil had enchanted the king... If she hadn't, so much could have been prevented. 1 "But | too promised revenge and | followed up on it, taking an oath that | would kill every alphablooded male that set foot upon our seas. Something that father approved of, despite my sins. When | found out about my pregnancy, Lavina helpedhide it, and when you were born, we realised you were a hybrid. If you were a full siren | would have kept you here, but your lungs weren't made to live underwater constantly." Deliana continued. "It had been one of the more difficult decisions | had to make, but your health was vital, commanded Ariella to go on land to find a couple who could take care of you, and at the stmake sure you were close to that scum father of yours. Knowing he held power at least on land." | could see she was trying to act indifferent, but this topic was still painful for her. Her eyes were boring into mine, as if she wanted to asksomething, but her pride refused her from doing so.

"I saw this couple, who loverheard discussing how they were unable to conceive, and so | decided to do a little more research upon them. It turned out they were close to the king too." Ariella added smugly." Then | snuck you out of the water and left you there, since Deliana couldn't step foot on land. Our father is the ruler of the seven seas, and although he sees all, we managed to hide this pregnancy." "Before Ariella took you, | and Deliana placed the barriers upon you, so no one ever found out what you were. Without realising, we suppressed all your abilities. It was only after you were given away did we realise what you truly were, but we couldn't let the power-hungry wolves use you, and so we approached you once again to strengthen those spells.

We decided the barrier would weaken upon your eighteenth birthday and slowly, slowly you would cinto power." Lavina said quietly.

So did my parents know what | was? My heart was thundering as | struggled to process it all.

"But still, whenever you touched the water, the sirens sensed it." Ariella remarked, running her fingers through her hair. 1 "When you began playing in the water, sirens were drawn to you for who you are, and knowledge of your existence reached him. Of the legged siren who lived on land. Our Emperor, my father: Queseidon." Deliana continued. 1 My heart skipped a beat as | took in everything they said.

"Does he know about me?" "Yes he does, and he knows you are the child of prophecy. However, he does not know you are mine, but if he sees you he will." Deliana sighed with a tilt of her head.

Every move they made was full of grace and beauty, and | found myself enchanted by them.

"Which means you need to leave the waters soon, once we remove your final seal, you must fulfil your destiny." Deliana added. 1 "My destiny?" "Reunite the people of Kaeladia before we kill one another to the point of extinction." Lavina added quietly. "For if this continues, Kaeladia will not last long..." 1 Despite her soft melodious tone, her words held a sinister warning, and it was one that | knew held true.

"The Emperor has being building the imperial army for decades and the thas cfor US to destroy the surface dwellers, or more specifically; the werewolves." Ariel la added. 1 "And as much as | hate them, especially those of Alpha blood... killing them all will cause havoc.” Deliana added darkly.

| looked at her in surprise, trying to ignore the sliver of fear within me.

"But only the imperial sirens can walk upon land..." | said quietly. "There's not much they can do from just the coast." Deliana scoffed lightly, as if what | had said was ignorant.

"Indeed we know that, but father has over two thousand children and each one can walk the land with ease." 1 My heart sank at just the thought of that happening. Didn't they say the imperial sirens were far and few? "Many many years ago the werewolves drove another species to the brink of extinction, and now it's tthat we dealt them the hand of fate." Ariella added, examining her nails.

"But it will not end well, that is why you are here. You must protect our people from being sent to war and from those who seek US out. You are the heart of Kaeladia and the future queen of the Aethirian Ocean." Lavina claimed, now taking my hand in hers.

For a moment | forgot that she was a dangerous siren, she remindedof a wise grandmother.

"Queen?” | asked, realising what she said a moment late.

"Yes. Queen. | am the most-pure blooded of my siblings, and one of the rulers of the seven seas beneath our suprruler, my father. However, | only have one child. You." Deliana said quietly. "When | die, my title as queen of the Aethirian Ocean will pass to you." Confusion and panic hit me. Yes, | loved the sea, but live as a siren? | couldn't do that! "But you said | can’t live underwater! That my lungs aren't built for it. Plus, | shifted into a wolf! | can't shift into a siren!" | tried not to argue, not wanting to anger her either, but | was unable to keep the panic from my voice.

She raised a perfect brow.

"Yes, as a child you were not fit for the sea, because you were born from land. We realised we may have to wait until you were older to becone of US and Lavina discovered that you may be... Let's just say you are not a hybrid Yileyna, you may have a wolf form, but you will certainly get your tail." Deliana said it with such conviction that somehow | felt she was telling the truth.

"I don't think-" | was cut off by Deliana, her eyes darkening.

"You will, because you are a triform shifter, a miracle among species, and in your hand, you will hold the power of both earth and sea. You are the light of this world, and it's high tyou understood that." 3