Adrian POV
The tension in the air was thick as we drove toward the Siren's colony. Every breath I took felt like fire in my lungs, my mind spinning with everything Valeria had said. The consummation. The bond. The other Sirens. Talon.
My hand gripped the wheel, knuckles white, as I tried to steady myself. I wasn't prepared for this. For the other Sirens. For the challenge Talon would undoubtedly throw my way. For the overwhelming, scorching need that I felt for her.
Valeria had said I could claim her, but only if I could prove I could handle the power that came with it. I didn't care about the rules. All I cared about was making her mine-completely, irrevocably mine. No one else could have her. Not Talon. Not the other Sirens. Not anyone.
But as we pulled into the colony, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. The atmosphere in the air was charged, thick with ancient magic, the sounds of the ocean crashing against the rocks creating a hypnotic rhythm.
But it wasn't just the magic of the place that had my heart pounding. It was the eyes. The eyes of the other Sirens as they watched Valeria with a hunger that mirrored my own.
I wasn't used to feeling threatened, but standing here, surrounded by these powerful beings, I felt the weight of the world pressing down on me. The air was alive with lust and power, the scent of the ocean mixed with something intoxicating, like honeyed blood and saltwater.
I glanced at Valeria, but she was unfazed, the calm, composed force that I had come to expect from her. Her eyes locked with mine, a quiet confidence radiating from her.
"I'll handle this," she said, her voice low, and though her words were meant for comfort, they only made the fire inside me burn hotter.
---
The moment we entered the heart of the Siren's colony, the air thickened with an intoxicating mix of power and raw hunger. It felt like the ocean itself was breathing around us, its waves crashing against the cliffs like the pulse of the land itself, all the while the power of the Sirens vibrated through the air. Every corner, every shadow seemed to contain the shimmering glow of their ethereal magic, the silent hum of a world ancient and alive.
But amidst it all, my attention was locked on one thing. Valeria.
She walked ahead of me, her movements graceful and predatory, every inch of her a symbol of power. She was untouchable, and yet, in this place, the eyes of the other Sirens followed her like wolves stalking their prey. My teeth ground together as the male Sirens made their way closer to us, their eyes never leaving her. Lust and admiration radiated from them, but more than that, I could feel the challenge in their gaze.
And then there was Talon.
He stood at the center of the gathering, the very air around him bending to his will. The other Sirens, male and female alike, seemed to defer to him, as if his presence alone commanded respect and submission. His eyes flicked over to me with a quiet smugness, his lips curling into a dangerous, knowing smile.
I felt the weight of his stare like a physical blow, a reminder of how much more powerful he was than I was in this world-this place. But the anger in my veins only grew stronger. I would never let him have her. I didn't care what rules he or anyone else had set in place. Valeria was mine, and I wasn't going to let anyone, especially him, stand in my way.
I could feel the bond between Valeria and me burning inside me. It was growing stronger, pulsing with the promise of what was to come. But it wasn't enough yet. Not until the consummation was complete.
I caught up to Valeria, my hand brushing hers briefly before she turned her head toward me. Her violet eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, it felt like the world stopped. I could see it in her-her desire, her hesitation. She was just as drawn to me as I was to her. But this place, the colony, it held secrets, and they weren't all pleasant.
"We need to get through this, Adrian," she whispered, her voice low but firm, laced with power that made my blood heat.
I nodded but didn't speak. My eyes were on Talon, who had now moved toward us, his steps slow and deliberate. The tension between us was undeniable.
"Talon," Valeria said, her voice cutting through the air, cool and indifferent.
He stopped before her, his gaze lingering on her like a predator savoring a meal. "Valeria," he responded, his voice smooth, almost too smooth. "I see you've brought your human companion with you."
My fists clenched at his words, but I held my tongue. Talon was testing me, pushing at the edges of my patience.
"I told you before," Valeria continued, her voice like a blade. "I'm not here to play games. This is between me and Adrian."
Talon's gaze flicked over to me, and the gleam in his eyes was enough to ignite every ounce of rage inside me. He knew exactly what he was doing-provoking me, making sure I felt like I was nothing here.
"You think you're the only one who can claim her, human?" Talon asked, his voice thick with malice. "You're wrong. She's meant for me. You can't handle the power she holds. You won't be able to keep her. Not here."
My breath hitched, the intensity of his words striking deeper than I cared to admit. Every fiber of my being wanted to lunge at him, to show him that I could protect her, claim her, and keep her safe.
But Valeria stepped forward, standing between us with her body straight and proud. She faced Talon without flinching, her gaze piercing as she met his challenge head-on.
"I'm not yours, Talon. Accept it," she said, her voice thick with power.
Talon's eyes darkened, and a wave of jealousy flared in me like an inferno. He was testing her-testing us. And it wasn't just about the bond; it was about control, dominance, and who would rule over her.
"Then you don't understand the consequences of what you're doing, do you?" Talon's smile was almost too pleased, like a man who already knew he was going to win. "The bond is incomplete, Valeria. You'll need more than him to finish it. And even then, you'll never truly be his because I'll be right there to tear it apart."
I could feel my blood boil at his words. He was trying to break us-break me.
But what he didn't realize was that the more he spoke, the more my desire to claim her grew. My hands shook with barely contained anger and lust, my body burning with an urge to pull her close, to mark her as mine.
The other Sirens circled us, their eyes never leaving Valeria, and I could feel their energy, their lust, rising with the waves. Every single one of them wanted her-desired her.
It was maddening.
But Valeria stood strong, unmoved by Talon's challenge. "I know what I'm doing, Talon," she said, her voice unwavering. "And I will finish the bond on my terms."
Talon's smile faltered for a brief second, before it returned with a sharp edge. "We'll see about that," he murmured, his eyes flashing with something dark and dangerous.
As he turned to leave, his gaze lingered on me one last time-taunting, mocking, daring me to follow.
But I wasn't going to let him get under my skin. Not anymore.
I turned to Valeria, my chest tight with the weight of everything she had just said. The bond. The consummation. The threat of Talon.
"I won't let him take you from me," I said, my voice low and rough. "No one will."
Valeria's eyes softened for a moment, and she stepped closer to me, her hand brushing against mine. "You'll have to prove that, Adrian."
And that was when I knew. The fight was far from over. But I would stop at nothing to claim her. To make her mine.
--
We approached the heart of the colony, a vast clearing surrounded by stone pillars, their surfaces covered in intricate, glowing runes. The Sirens here were more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Their bodies glowed with ethereal light, their eyes glowing with power as they moved through the colony like ancient predators.
And they were all looking at her. At Valeria.
I could feel it-their eyes were on her with a possessive hunger, a longing that I could practically taste in the air. They were powerful. Beautiful. Dangerous. And they wanted her.
But she was mine. She had to be mine.
The smug smile on Talon's face made my blood boil. He was enjoying this-enjoying seeing me squirm, watching me react to the waves of lust that radiated from every other male Siren.
I could feel the jealousy gnawing at my insides, making my body tense, every muscle coiled with barely contained fury.
Talon pushed himself off the pillar and strode toward us, his movements smooth, calculated. He was a king in his element here-undeniably powerful, a true predator. And he was challenging me.
I clenched my jaw. "Stay away from her, Talon," I growled.
Valeria didn't flinch at his proximity, but I could see the faint tightening of her jaw. She wasn't going to let him get to her. Not yet.
Valeria stepped between us, her eyes flashing with that dangerous calm. "Enough, Adrian," she said, her voice sharp. "We're not here to fight. Not now."
I wanted to argue, to rip Talon's throat out with my bare hands, but Valeria's hand on my arm held me back. I could feel the power in her touch, the bond between us thrumming with the promise of what was to come.
I looked at her-at her face, her eyes-before my gaze moved to the other Sirens surrounding us. I could see the male Sirens eyeing her with the same ferocity, the same hunger. It made me want to claim her right here, right now, in front of them all. To make them see that she belonged to me.
But I couldn't. Not yet. Not until the bond was complete.
"Let's go," Valeria said, her voice softer now, but still commanding. "We don't have time for this. We need to prepare for what comes next."
I followed her without a word, the weight of her decision pressing down on me. I couldn't let Talon, or any other male Siren, come anywhere near her. I couldn't let anyone touch her, look at her the way they wanted to even though they kept trailing us.
She was mine.
But she still wasn't completely mine. Not yet.
And once the bond was sealed-once I had claimed her-there would be no one left to challenge me.