The bright meeting hall greets me with its white marble tiles and light wood furniture—a stark contrast to the rest of the castle's victorian interior.

Eleanor, Valerian's step-mother and the closest woman I had to a mother is seated on one of the many chairs around the circular wooden table beside the lycan king, Anthony Verakov.

They both turn to me as I flop down on the seat next to Eleanor rather dramatically, huffing and puffing.

"What's with you early in the morning, mermaid?" Anthony asks with a laugh and my reply is a simple grunt of annoyance.

"I'm a siren, kid. Not a mermaid." I call him kid because. . .fine, there's no solid reason, I just simply call him that.

"I don't see the difference in both." Anthony seems genuinely confused.

"Oh, there is. Mermaids are girly softies. I'm dangerous." I bare my sharp canines as if to emphasize, "Even Carla understands the difference." I roll my eyes when he still seems confused.

Anthony's wife, Carla, also the lycan queen, isn't accompanying him today since she's heavily pregnant and very close to child birth of the next Verakov twins.

"Oh, I think I know why you're so edgy." Eleanor murmurs as her eyes fleets over to the entrance and then back to me as she passes me a coy look.

Here's a thing you need to know, Eleanor might be my mother figure but she acts more like a teasing grandma half the time.

And sure enough, my darling—note the sarcasm, please—mate walks in followed by Kane and Valerian and Kaitlyn.

I keep my eyes on the wooden table, not sparing any of them—specially a certain demon king—a glance as the royalties take their seat one by one.

Not moments later, the boring meeting begins and I zone out like always.

My eyes flicker around from one face to another. One king and queen after another.

Ancientriova is a vast realm. Except the capital kingdom Raveria where all types of supernaturals live which is situated in the exact center of the realm, it has four other kingdoms.

Lycor that is to the west of Raveria, is the lycan kingdom ruled by Anthony Verakov who is Kaitlyn's twin. They don't look anything like twins but they apparently are, no matter how hard to believe. And that technically makes Valerian and Anthony brother-in-laws.

To the east is Vamplyre, the vampire kingdom, ruled by Kane Lazarus alongside his partner Ryrar. Kane is fun and Ryrar is the serious one, they make a great pair.

To the south is Seagill, the Sea Kingdom. My kingdom. Where yours truly, the siren queen, me myself and I rule over the merfolks.

To the north is Helvon, the Underworld kingdom, of the demons where. . .

Instinctively, my eyes narrow into slits as I glare up at Zander Hellion's annoying face who's acting as if he's actually paying attention to the conversation going on.

Well, his annoying face except his tempting lips that are always wet for some unfathomable reason. And his nose that is frustratingly angled too perfectly and his eyes. . .oh yes, definitely those bedroom grey eyes that reminds me of. . .

Okay, I rather not mention.

Gotta keep the hatred part intact now, don't we? Besides, this is all the mate bond is speaking. He's not that good-looking. Okay, that's a lie but whatever.

Focusing back on my mission to glare the hell out of the man across me, I see Zander run his hand through his inky black locks that were falling over his forehead. Nice hair.

Stop gawking at your enemy, you fool!

At that very moment, as if my the gods above were intend on making my life miserable, Zander's eyes flicker from the others to me.

I don't avert my eyes not wanting to seem like those flimsy teenage girls. Instead, I keep staring head on.

At first, his eyes grow cold the slightest bit but then a slow smirk pulls onto his lips and he leans back in chair, "Can't take your eyes off me, fish? I know I have that kind of effect on people."

Ladies and Gentlemen. I present to you my obnoxious mate who's too obsessed with himself.

I roll my eyes, "In your dreams, devil incarnation."

"My dreams? Or yours?"

"Correction : My nightmares." I just wanted that smug look of off his face.

Zander's brow raise a fraction, "What's your problem?"

"You. Your face. Your entire existence is my problem." I pass the demon king my most sarcastic smile.

"I should be the one saying that." Zander's eyes take that stony-ness again, "Afterall, you are the person who helped a traitor."

Ouch.

The others go silent around us, stopping their discussion. They don't interrupt though.

Last time they'd tried to meddle in between our conversation—more like, quarelling—or stop us from getting at each other's throat, we'd both ended up storming out of the meeting hall, in middle of an important discussion that needed our participation in it. Once in our rift, we'd both even ended up renovating the interior in here and not in a pretty way.

Valerian glances my way in question. He still doesn't believe Zander's accusation even after I confirmed him that the demon incarnation was right. His trust on me is heartwarming. But he's still an ass.

My eyes harden as I get off my seat and level my face to Zander's where he's seated, "Don't blame me when you weren't able to protect them."

Okay, that was a low blow. But he asked for it. No one tries to insult me and gets away with it. No one. Not even a mate.

Zander's fist clenches over the table and he inches his face closer to mine, "How could I when a certain 'siren queen' misused my mother's trust on her. It's surprising that they—" He points towards the kings and queens around, "—still trust you. Who knows? You might kill them one day for your own motives. Or they might actually realize they shouldn't trust you and leave you behind."

I feel my heart waver at the thought of Eleanor or Valerian or Kaitlyn leaving me. They're the only ones I have close to me after. . .

My eyes flash blue and my claws grow as I glower at the man in front of me, "You shouldn't have said that."

"Isn't it the truth though, siren queen?" His voice is a mock which makes my nails dig into the table, "Aren't you a trust-breaker?"

That was all it took for me to launch ahead and grab his neck.

Zander doesn't as much as flinch as his blazing grey eyes stare back at me with raw hatred.

I know what I did was wrong. But I didn't know Charlotte would kill someone. I'd helped only because. . .

Nonetheless the reason, he certainly had no right to accuse me of shit he isn't aware off.

Tell him the truth then.

My subconscious reminded but I couldn't do it. It would only make things worse. . .

My wavering attention is all it takes for Zander to shut his eyes and dissapear into darkness. The next thing I know, he's standing behind me.

His hands grab my arm and twist them behind my back in a way it isn't a painful grip but is still firm enough.

Zander leans in to whisper, "It hurts to even think of the ones you're close to get away from you, no? Have you ever thought how I'd have felt when you'd helped Charlotte take away every close person to me?" His voice carries a pain which makes me feel horrible than ever but my pride comes in the way of my guilt.

My form freezes but despite knowing I was wrong, I twist my arms out of his grasp and attempt to attack him back.

But this time, something shimmers in the air. We all go still as the temperature in the hall drops and a silhouette of a girl with dirty blonde hair and sparkling blue-green eyes appears in front of our sight.

"Mellisa." Valerian addresses our ultimate queen, the queen of all supernaturals, "It's been four years since you last visited-"

Before Valerian could complete his sentence though, Mellisa flashes in front of me and Zander.

Her desperate eyes glance between the pair of us, "I need both of your help."

If only we knew what this help would lead us to.

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