Asteria POV.The flight back is different from the one on the way here. He is sitting nowhere near me. He won’t even look at me or even speak to me. He is flirting with the flight attendant, but I ignore it, as I know this isn’t him.He stands and walks past me, heading towards the bedroom, and I grab his wrist.“Where are you going?” I ask him when he looks down at me. His gaze makes me wince. There is no love in his eyes, only disgust.“Away from you.” I hold his gaze and feel like I’ve been burnt from the look in his eyes and I gasp, not at his words but the way he is looking at me.“What have I done to you?” I ask when he scoffs and walks away. I lean back and look out of the window. This isn’t him.“Can I get you something to drink, miss?” I look at her and nod my head.“A bottle of water please and do me a favour and stay the fuck away from him or you and I will have a problem. I wonder if you know how to fly.” I grin at her and she steps back before she turns and walks quickly

Asteria POV.“We are sorry for not coming to you sooner. We always knew you were out there. When Poseidon brought us back the day he turned you, we told him not to say anything to you. I wish we hadn’t, then you would have been with us sooner. But if we did, you wouldn’t have become the queen you were meant to be. The world will bow to you,” he says, and I can’t help but think how things would have been different.“The impulse would have been the same. The need for revenge. I held it for so long. I watched you all die, papa. I was ready to join you all. The day he came to me, I was waiting for death. Then he gave me the choice. I chose. I don’t regret it. But the lust and the need for the death of the humans consumed me and it got out of hand. As you can see.” I say with a chuckle as I wave my hands in a dramatic flourish over myself. He chuckles before he kisses my head.“You did what you needed to do. You fought for what you thought was right. It is in your nature. Don’t lose that p

Asteria POV.Watching as Carter walks away from the settlement. I have a pain in my chest at how he looks so dejected.Fenrir placed an illusion around the settlement. Similar to the one in Hell. He could walk right past me and wouldn’t see, feel, or smell me. My father places his hand on my shoulder as I watch Carter disappear into the forest.I turn and face my father, who smiles softly down at me.“It will be ok, you love him. The pain you feel now. Will lessen over time. He doesn’t deserve you, Asteria.” I can’t help but feel that what he is saying is wrong. I know he was under the influence of the song. But I don’t think I can move past this. Can I forgive him when it wasn’t him?“Thank you for being there, father. I’m sorry for everything I have said to you and done. But right now, we need to prepare. She has shown her hand and has used her greatest weapon against me. She will believe that I have ran. She will believe she has won. But she has won nothing but my rage. She will kn

Carter POV.My world collapsed when Sephone thrust that spear into Asteria’s back. Lykos roared in pain as he had felt it. Something was telling me to take her to the water and when I did. I never expected her powers to return.And boy, did they return. She seemed stronger than before. The hardest part of all this was watching her leave with her people and family. Knowing I may never see her again.I watched, and I waited at the shoreline with the wolves. All of us waiting and watching for any sign that she was coming back.“She will be back. Just give her time, Carter. She needs this. She saved that little boy by once again sacrificing herself.” Destinee says to me and I turn to look at her. Her wolf, Aura, is beautiful and is so strong.“Where did that boy even come from?” I ask her when she looks behind me and I turn and smile, seeing the little boy being embraced by his sobbing family.“His family had nowhere to go, so they stayed. He left the house wanting to go to the beach. Not

Carter POV.“Carter, are you listening?” I turn away from the window and back to Jerome. I nod my head at him and he sighs as he moves closer to me.“She will be ok. You saw the news she was so bad ass releasing all the fish. I was cheering for her. Dani laughed, seeing Asteria wave at the cameras.” He says and I smile. It was all over the news what the sirens did. It is still mentioned even now. People wonder where the sirens went and have reported possible sightings, but nothing concrete.Animal activists are calling her a hero, for saving them. I couldn’t agree more. She is a hero not just to the fish and mammals, but to the town. The news also covered the war and what she did. The reporters interviewed the boy and his family, Asteria, has been named a hero of humanity.“I know, it’s just hard. She isn’t in the area and none of the sirens have been seen since that day. It has been nearly a year and no word from her or any sightings.” I tell him when he pats my shoulder, his lips in