Asteria POV.I wake up groaning. I open my eyes and take in the unfamiliar surroundings. This isn’t the institute or any pack. Where am I?I try to move and wince as I clutch my side. I look down and see I’m in a long white shirt and some shorts. I lift the hem of the shirt and see a covering over my side. I poke it and boy, was that a bad idea and gasp at the pain. Fuck!The room is white with one wall that is dark grey. The cover on the bed is white with a black trim. It is so soft and cool. I lean back down as I look around. I can smell something in the air. Something sweet and spicy at the same time. I look towards the window and hear the water. My eyes widen as I rip the covers away and scoot towards the end of the bed and I pull myself up to stand. I stagger and fall to my knees and I scream, clutching my side. I move my hand and see blood. Great, just great.I lean my head back against the bed. When the door opens and I turn my head and sneer at the intruder, when I see it’s Ca

Asteria POV.I’m currently sitting in Carter’s home office as he shows me the statistics of his hauls and I feel myself growl at the numbers in front of me.“You said these lanes are sustainable?” I ask as I look from the high numbers on the paper to his face and he nods his head and I scoff.“They aren’t. The lane you are saying is sustainable isn’t. If I’m being honest with you, none of the lanes that surround Moonlight Cove are sustainable. Who told you they were?” I ask as I look into his eyes and see his eyes flash with his Lycan. Lykos, he isn’t angry with me for severing the bond with them. He understands. I wake some morning in the furry arms of him. At first I screamed and tried to fight, but I am a weak human with no fangs or talons, so I let him hold me and nothing more.“The game and fishing made sure they are sustainable.” He replies and I chuckle, shaking my head at his naivety.“They lied to you. I have been swimming these waters for a very long time and I can tell you

Carter POV.It has been a few weeks now since Asteria has begun working at the company. She thinks I don’t see the hostility she has been shown by my staff; she is wrong.Jerome has helped where he can. She showed us what we missed and how we can all benefit from what she had suggested. It is safe to say that Jerome has seen her in a different light.I enter the office and hear her giggling at something Jerome has said, and she is explaining something. I stand and listen to her.“No, we sometimes use spears, not nets.” She says as she shows him something. I watch as he looks at her like she is crazy.“But the blood, doesn’t that attract sharks and other predators?” I move further into the room and listen. Asteria laughs, holding her belly.“Sharks and other predators. Gods above, the sirens are an apex predator. In both the water and on land. Animals on land and in the sea know this. The sirens create balance. We only hunt what we need. The sirens don’t need to use nets to catch the f

Carter POV.Watching Asteria fight and argue with her father was something else. I knew she needed to get this off her chest, so I wasn’t going to intervene. I know Asteria can handle herself. Even so, I will be there for her.“Asteria is going to leave.” Lykos says in my head with a whimper when I see her turn to walk back to the steps.“We will be there no matter what she needs, but she isn’t leaving.” I say to him as he hums. Asteria moves closer to me, and I wrap a blanket around her shoulders. Her full lips are slightly blue, and her legs are shaking. I move aside for her, and she follows me in. I move towards the kitchen and make us both a drink.She is sitting on the sofa. Her elbows were on her knees with her face in her hands.“Asteria, I got you this.” I hand her the mug, and she smiles at me and takes it. And visibly shivers with the heat of the mug and sits, bringing her legs up onto the sofa. I sit beside her but give her some space. She blows the steam from the mug and t

Carter POV.“What the fuck Dani? Why did you tell her you are my girlfriend?” Dani rolls her eyes and folds her arms over her chest. She is in no way shape or form my girlfriend. She is a girl who is my friend, not the other kind.“Oh please Carter, you know what I meant. Didn’t you want to see how she felt about you, well I think it is safe to say you have your answer. Besides, Jerome told me she is a nice person.” I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose.Jerome and Danielle are engaged, and he has told her about Asteria, well not everything about her but the basics. Dani doesn’t know that Asteria is or was a siren. The less she knows, the better, especially when it was Asteria who nearly killed Jerome.“No, you have just made it worse. She was finally coming out of her shell and you have to pull a dumb stunt like that.” She rolls her eye again and I swear to all that is good if she was a man, I would knock her ass out.“Carter, it worked. Yes, I shouldn’t have sat on your lap, but y