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

18. Face to Face

YILEYNA

"Ah, I could look at you all day." Ariella swooned, smiling as she looked at my tail. "And it seems like none of the males could stop staring too."

I know, Deliana had given me several more mermen, which didn't help the temptation they offered. Once I was on land, we wouldn't need them, but when I had come face to face with a deadly shark or two and a sea monster, I had felt relieved to have them handle it.

We were currently in Deliana's kingdom, it was my final night here tonight. I had seen the Emperor this moming and tomorrow we would set out for the surface.

I would go back on land and then I would get in touch with Raiden if I could. But more so I needed to head to the Iron Claw Pack, it was the only way into Naran, from their territory or unless of course, I went around to the deadly marshes. Then there was the Fae Kingdom on the other end which would take far too long.

I was worried too, I had felt some pack links break and it terrified me. What was happening? Who had died?

I looked at Deliana in the mirror. I was dressed in a silver breastplate like Deliana's, encrusted with blue and purple jewels, and she was now busy creating small plaits in my hair, adding in jewels and pearls.

I had told her she didn't need to do all this, but it was obvious she had wanted to.

"Oh, how could I have forgotten. I will go get it." Deliana murmured before she swarm off to get something.

Ariella looked at me as she combed her own hair.

"Let her, she is only taking care of her child for the one day she has, something she has yearned to do for years. Deliana holds a lot of anger and pain, she might come off haughty and reserved, but she loves you." She remarked, giving me a pointed look.

I nodded, I figured as much, for the last few days she had taken good care of me, and even Lavina and Ariella didn't think she'd forgive them for bringing me into the ocean. However, she seemed far happier to get to spend some time with me than any of us had thought possible.

"Here, look." Deliana's voice made us turn, to see her carrying a large, light blue, glittering box.

"That's..." Realisation struck Ariella, and she trailed off.

"Yes, the eighteen gifts I had purchased for her for the last eighteen years." Deliana confirmed, placing the box in front of me.

My heart skipped a beat, accompanied with a pang of pain remembering my mother, Hana.

The siren before me opened the box and I realised that although Deliana could never replace Hana, she may find her own place in my heart. Her love was obvious in her own way, and she wasn't afraid to express it.

I turned my attention to the box, just as she took out a multi-coloured jewelled necklace first, then she took out a coral pink jewelled one, followed by three necklaces with drop pendants.

"For your first five birthdays, I purchased these." She said, fastening them around my neck. "I apologise that they are not in the shades of your tail, I never knew what colour you would take."

"They are beautiful, thank you." I said quietly, admiring the pendants around my neck.

I was surely wearing more jewels than I ever had in my entire life, but I didn't complain, allowing her to show me the bracelets, arm bands, and body chains.

Seventeen items later I was decked out in earrings, rings, and hand chains as well.

"Now... the final piece was the headpiece. Let me finish your hair..." She went back to finishing the intricate plaits she was creating on the top layer of my hair, leaving most of it open. She then took out a stunning silver halo headpiece set with pale blue jewels.

"The final gift, with some of the most precious jewels in the seven seas." She said proudly, placing the head piece on my head. I stared in the mirror. "You look beautiful, and why wouldn't you? You are my daughter, and I'm certain no one will be able to resist your charm."

She looked at me proudly, I knew sirens were vain but it was obvious they took greater pride in their appearance than I thought.

"Well, I will leave you two to have some time together. I will sleep, since tomorrow we will be heading to the surface." Ariella said, swimming out of the room.

I looked at Dellana, who was preening a few strands of my hair again. "Do you... live here alone?" I asked.

She looked up at the silver roof of the room, casting a glance around it before she nodded.

"Yes, Ariella prefers to travel, and I do not have a mate. My harem is in a separate cove, away from the castle." She declared.

I nodded, feeling sad for her.

"When things are sorted.... I will come to visit you." I found myself mumbling. Her heart thudded as she stared into the mirror, our eyes meeting.

"You will?" She asked quietly.

Yes, she already told me how I'd be the future ruler of the Aethirian after she passed away. Although I had no idea how that would work, I wouldn't think of it now, but I was talking of the present.

"Yes, when we don't have the threat of war upon our heads, perhaps you can come to the surface too? If the emperor lifts the punishment. Westerfell is near the coast, I would like to do your hair and makeup in the style of our kingdom." I offered.

A smile crossed her face, and she nodded, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

"I would love that." She replied, giving me a squeeze.

She didn't move, resting her head against mine. We remained like that for a while, before she tilted her head.

"Do you have a lover?" She asked suddenly.

My heart thudded, and the suffocating pain in my chest returned with vengeance.

Theon...

"He isn't my lover anymore, but there is a man that I love..." I said quietly. "He turned out to be my mate too, but he betrayed me, he betrayed our pack. He was the one who set up the attack and targeted my parents, the reason they are dead."

My eyes filled with tears, and I looked down, the agony in my chest growing.

"How can I still love someone who has caused me so much pain?" I

whispered without looking at her, unable to hold her gaze any longer.

She sat beside me, placing her arms around me and resting my head against her chest.

"We can't control our hearts. I still loved him, even after he tried to kill me... even after he commanded the death of us all... and I still love him."

Her heart was pounding, her voice extremely low. I closed my eyes, simply letting my tears flow.

In a way, we were similar; both having been betrayed by our beloveds, yet neither of us could stop loving them.

In his own way, Theon showed some care towards me by accepting my rejection. The way he kept protecting me in front of his father, I needed to make him wake up and see the truth. Somehow. Not for the sake of my feelings, but for his sake.

"What is he like?" She asked.

"He's... very closed off, but he cares in his own way, he's protected me several times since my parents died... I wonder if he felt like he owed me that. "I mused, hoping it wasn't so. I stared at my hands, the ring he had given me was missing, along with my mother's ring.

When I had awoken in the cells after the takeover, all of my jewels had been removed.

"Then it is his loss. Perhaps you should kill him and eat his heart? It will take away some of the heartache." She suggested, so casually and seriously that I stared at her. Her words made my stomach churn.

"Uhh, that's a thing?"

"Yes, of course, it really helps too."

I think the only reason it would help is because you would feel guilt for murdering them - win win.

"I don't think I can do that, I don't want him dead."

Her small smile faded, and she ran her fingers through my hair, careful not to tug at the braids or jewels.

"Then perhaps there is hope." z

My heart clenched at her words, which held some confidence, but I highly doubted it. How do you forgive someone who killed your parents?

It was the following day, and we were headed to the surface. After I had bid Lavina farewell, she had given me a necklace which would help me keep in touch with them. It was me, Deliana, and Ariella. The mermen had come with us but they were staying far below from the surface, only the three of us were venturing upwards.

Aquarius had bid me farewell, hoping I returned soon, saying it was an honour to serve me.

Ariella had heard some disturbances, and she had swum ahead.

We needed to be careful, Lavina had told us something dark had been heading closer recently. When I had asked what she meant, Deliana had responded with 'Just the usual sea monsters who attack'.

'I'm to the west, we may just be in luck. Yileyna, that ship, The Siren Killer, isn't far from me, that handsome Alpha is aboard it too.'

The Siren Killer?

'Alpha?" I asked confused.

The copper-headed wolf who was with you at the coast. Aww, it seems he came looking for you. What a cutie, I wonder how his heart would taste?'From NôvelDrama.Org.

'Ariella.' Deliana warned.

"It's Theon..." My heart pounded as I looked at Deliana.

What was he doing here?

"We are coming, it's highly likely he is here for her.' Deliana deduced, before

we began swimming faster up towards the surface.

It was a good five minutes later before we finally saw Ariella circling the bottom of the ship.

My heart pounded as I saw the looming base of the ship from underneath. It looked even scarier from down here.

"We won't go any further, perhaps you should shift." Deliana suggested, her eyes were darker, and I could tell she was fighting herself.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There's an Alpha on board." She hissed.

No matter how much she didn't want this war, her hatred remained.

"It's Theon, the one I told you about." I whispered quietly, taking her hand. "Still, it's better that I do not surface." She said, tuming her gaze away from the ship and towards me. "Use the necklace if you ever need us, it will help you get in touch with us. When you find the pearl, call us; we will come for it."

I nodded as our eyes met. I was the first one to step forward and slowly wrap my arms around her shoulders.

"I will miss you." I said quietly, as she hugged me back tightly.

"I will miss-"

I gasped when something was shot into the water, as the huge bullet went zooming down into the depths.

"I'm getting one." Theon's faint growl came.

He had spotted us and he was about to jump in. Was he crazy? He knew there were sirens down here!

"No one attack him." I warned Deliana and Ariella, just as Theon jumped into the water, his eyes blazing gold.

His aura surged around us as he looked at Ariella, and then his eyes flicked to me. He was about to look away when he frowned, his eyes widening slightly, and realisation hit him. His gaze dipping to my tail.

My heart thumped with fear, would he want me dead? Would he turn his back on me quickly?

His eyes slowly raked over it, his heart thundering to match mine.

"How handsome... Ariella hummed, about to swim closer to him, when his eyes snapped away from me, and I saw that look in his eyes.

"Theon! They mean no harm! They helped me!" I wasn't sure if it was any use, so I swam towards him before he could attack her.

His eyes snapped to me; he couldn't speak underwater but I saw the distrust in his eyes as he grabbed hold of my elbows.

Our eyes met, and he was about to say something, when he caught sight of Deliana behind me.

I felt the change in him and the urge to calm him came over me.

"She's my mother." I explained quietly, but Theon was no longer listening.

His chest was heaving, his face pale, but what caught my attention was the look of recognition and hatred in his eyes.

He let go of me, his amber aura wrapping around him as my gaze snapped to Deliana as well.

She had her brows furrowed as she watched him edgily.

"Go." I ordered, and just when Theon sent a surge of amber flames spiralling towards her, I raised a shield between them both.

"Theon! She's not an enemy!" I shouted, my eyes blazing as I used the water to push us upwards, breaking the surface.

'Goodbye Tempest.' Deliana's voice came in my head, before I sensed them swimming away.

Theon's heart was raging.

"Let go of me! I can't let her get away!" He growled, trying to pull free, but I was strong enough to slow him down, much to my surprise.

"Theon! I said she isn't here to fight!" I shouted.

"I SAID LET ME GO, YILEYNA!" He growled, ripping free.

The faint smell of blood reached my nose. Was he injured somewhere?

"Theon, listen to me!" I cried, refusing to allow him to dive into the water.

The look of anguish on his handsome face was worrying me, my own heart was thumping with fear.

"I can't let her go, it's been too long." He replied hoarsely, trying to dive under. I grabbed hold of his arm, wrapping my tail around him.

"Theon. She's gone." I said, grabbing his face in my hands and staring into those amber eyes that were full of anger.

"I need to kill her, Yileyna, she's the one who killed my mother!" He shouted. My eyes flew open, shocked at his revelation.

Followed by the icy rush of devastation, my heart crumbling a little more.

My mother had killed his mother and sister... He killed my mother and father... How cruel life was...

I had never seen Theon so emotional as he was at that moment.

"Shush... calm down." I hummed. He tensed, about to pull away, when I pressed my forehead to his. "I know how it feels, seeing the one who killed your parents before you."

He froze, as if suddenly realising what was happening. We stayed there in the water, the rocky waves throwing us around.

Pain that would never leave us...

My words seemed to get to him, and he stared into my eyes, his chest still heaving.

I could sense the storm of emotions as he seemed to take in everything. I created an extremely heavy fog around us and manipulated the water to push us out and overboard, onto deck. Theon instantly caught me before we hit the deck. A big dose of water splashed over us both. I landed on top of him, gasping at the impact.

I was still shaken by the revelation.

I closed my eyes, focusing on my legs. The same odd heavy feeling overcame my lower body, and then I felt my legs appear.

Theon sat up, but I could tell his mind wasn't here.

Directly and indirectly, we had hurt one another far too many times...

He looked up at me and I looked back into his empty eyes.

I was unable to decipher what he was thinking...

My heart squeezed as we stared into one another's eyes, and I realised how true the fact that we were just not meant to be was...