"And suddenly all the love songs were about you."

                                                                          -Anonymous

Your blue eyes were wide, chest heaving as you watched the creature before you cradle his face, green blood pouring from his nose as he stared at you wide-eyed with shock as if he hadn't been expecting your attack.

You'd been angry since you'd learned about the mark on your finger. Jimin only served to make your mood even more sour than before...Honestly, you'd been searching for an opportunity to punch something so, when you saw the siren that had been the cause of your frustration, you did what any normal person would.

You punched him straight in his face. Hard.

You hoped that he was in pain. You prayed that he was suffering just as much as he had made you suffer, maybe even more.

As much as you would have loved to stay and watch him continue to groan in pain, you didn't think it would be safe to stay here.

"Never allow yourself to fight an opponent on their terms, it gives them the advantage. You're good, but no matter how good you may be, if you're fighting a man, he will always be stronger than you. You just need to worry about being better not stronger."

Hoseok's words rang in your ears as your eyes narrowed.

You took a step backwards, sending the man a harsh glare, mentally taking note of the fact that the pain in your head was now replaced with a dull ringing.

"Stay away from me." You spat, instantly defensive. "I don't know who you think you are, but I won't hesitate to end your-"

You yelped out as something long and scaly brushed against your ankles, causing you to jump in shock.

Jungkook watched you with an amused smile on his face, his body moving closer to yours as he straightened up, wiping his green blood from his face.

That's when you noticed it.

His tail was the color of midnight.

The dark blue scales glistened underneath the clear water that currently enveloped the two of you. His tail was long, longer than you had originally anticipated. When you thought of sirens, you thought of The Little Mermaid or something, but his tail was thinner and far more flexible than you had previously imagined.

The dark blue scales were scattered in various spots on his body as well, a few on his cheek and some on his shoulders. His ears were pointed almost like an elf and is bright blue eyes were accentuated by small gems that rested on the corners of his eyelids. A string of pearls were wrapped around his right bicep, the jewels shining in the sunlight.

He would have been beautiful...if he weren't such a dick.

"You struck me." He said.

Your face fell as you backed away, searching for the quickest way to get out of this situation without forcing an actual fight out of him.

"Oh my bad," You started sarcastically. "I guess you're allergic to getting punched in the face. Weird."

You weren't stupid.

Your body couldn't move like his could in the water. Your strikes would be useless as well as your running. He'd catch you if you tried to escape without a plan...then, your actions would have only served to anger him and show him that he had the advantage on you.

You couldn't act scared...You could only try your best to be smart in a situation like this.

Jungkook seemed to be amused your words, but only for a moment.

"I wonder..." He hummed, inspecting your face. "Why do you have so many songs? It almost makes me jealous."

You sneered at him, moving backwards and making sure to avoid his touch.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," You growled. "But, since you're here, I do think that we should have a chat about this."

His brows shot up as you raised your left hand, pointing to the mark that rested on your ring finger.

He tilted his head to the side.

"That is your mark..." He said, eyes moving between your hand and your face.

You nodded in understanding, eye twitching in annoyance.

"I am aware." You deadpanned, trying not to allow your rage to distract you. "I want to know what makes you think you have a right to give it to me."

He stared at you, utterly confused.

"Because I am a true siren," He explained. "I am one of the few allowed to bestow such gifts-"

"I know that." You snapped, angrily. "Do you have any idea of the trouble you're causing?! I have no intention of becoming your mate! Take it off!"

His brows furrowed.

"Off?" He repeated. "You want it off?"

"No, I'm only joking. This is a nice gift-Of course I want it off!"

He tilted his head.

"But...why?"

Your eyes widened.

"Why-"You huffed, jaw clenching. "After the way you treated me, I honestly would love nothing less that to kick you in the throat and watch you suffer in agony, but I'm willing to let this go if you take off this mark and leave me alone."

He frowned.

"I did that for your own good." He stated. "You would not listen to me!"

Your eyes widened in amazement.

Was he actually trying to defend his actions?

"I wouldn't listen to you because you were screaming in my ear." You gritted out. "I was not just going to sit there and listen to you when I was in pain."

He frowned, clenching his jaw.

"I am sorry." He said reluctantly. "I have not been among humans for some time...I forget how much your bodies can take."

You took a careful step backwards.

"You're lying." You deadpanned. "You were trying to hurt me. You had said so yourself. Do not take me for a fool."

His eyes snapped back to yours, dark intent swimming amongst the blue of his ocean iris'.

"I did want to hurt you."

"Yeah, I kind of guessed that." You stated. "Did you not hear what I just said?"

"But it was only for a show." He confessed, causing your brows to shoot up. "The Silent One was there...if I did not put on the falsehood of violence, he may have seen your importance to me...that could prove to be bad for you."

You blinked, trying to wrap your mind around what he had just said.

"Huh?"

Jungkook let out a long sigh, running his hands through his long hair.

"He's a pirate, my mate." He stated. "And a loyal one at that. If he would have known that my feelings for you were anything less than violent, I could not have guaranteed that he would not tell his captain of the situation and use you against me."

You frowned in confusion.

"Hoseok knows that I'm marked." You said. "Besides, wouldn't it be best for you if he did tell the captain? They'd just sell me to you, anyway...Hoseok already said he'd keep it a secret from Jimin."

Jungkook tilted his head as he stared at you.

"Is that what he told you?" He asked.

You remained silent, staring at him with narrowed eyes. You couldn't allow your guard to fall...especially when you knew he could be lying.

The siren ran a hand down his face.

"That mark on your finger signifies that we are bound together." He raised his left hand, showing you the small mark on his ring finger that was identical to yours. "You are bound to me and I to you...we will both be dependent upon each other...The Silent One knows that, if he were to take you away, I would be forced to follow...he wants me dead...he wants all of my kind dead...and, if I die, you will die with me."

Your mind went blank at his statement, his words ringing in your ears as you tried to force your face to remain neutral.

"So, you're saying that Hoseok is going to betray me and use me to kill you?" You asked, making sure you understood. "And that, in killing you, he plans to kill me as well?"

He nodded.

"The blood of a true siren will cure his own mark," He explained. "He will end both of us just to save himself...that's what kind of human he is. He longs for the death of every siren."

"None of this explains why you had to bust my ear drums." You deadpanned.

"If he believes that I do not have any actually feelings towards you, then he'll be forced to believe that I would remove your mark the second he began to use you to kill me. If he had seen that I hadn't tried to force you into anything, he'd know that he had the upper hand...he saw that mark the second he met you."

You frowned.

"If this mark is so dangerous, then why don't you just take it off of me?"

Jungkook paused, his blue eyes moving away from your own.

"Well..." He cleared his throat, a blush coming onto his face. "I...I don't really know how to..."

You blinked.

"I'm sorry," You inhaled. "What?"

He smiled awkwardly at you.

"I've never marked someone..." He admitted shyly. "My older brothers are the ones who take many mates...they have been marking and releasing for their entire lives...I've never even considered mating...not until I saw you that day on the beach."

You remained silent, listening with wide eyes.

"You were so pretty," He blushed, eyes never meeting yours as he smiled to himself. "The sun lit up your sleeping face. You were young and your song...it was so sorrowful...so beautiful...The second I heard it, I knew that I had found my real mate...your song was just like mine. I-uhm...I didn't mean to mark you...I just couldn't leave you without feeling a small part of you...I kissed your finger and it just appeared on you..."

You inhaled sharply, rubbing your temples with your fingers.

"This is why we don't kiss people when they're unconscious, pedophile."

He frowned, looking up at you.

"I don't know what that means."

You huffed, waving him off with your hand.

"I can't trust you." You stated. "For all I know, you could be lying straight to my face and I-"

"I can't lie." He interrupted. "None of us can. We are capable of deceit...but we cannot lie outright."

"You could be lying about that." You said "anyway, didn't you just lie about forgetting how much human bodies can take?"

He shook his head, taking your hands in his as he stared at you earnestly, his scaly tail wrapping around your ankles.

"That was the truth." He said. "I have not been among humans for a while...and I never intended to hurt you as harshly as I did. It truly was an accident."

You were silent.

You were judging him.

But silently.

"I will prove to you that I am no threat." He said softly. "I will bring you back to the shore and I vow to never harm you intentionally again. That is how I will prove myself to you."

You shook your head, pulling your hands away from him

"You're gonna have to do better than that, bub."

He swallowed.

"Then ask me something," He said. "Anything you wish to know, if it is within my knowledge, I will answer you truthfully."

You took in a breath, glancing around for a few moments before moving your gaze back to him.

"You said I had many songs," You started hesitantly. Even if you didn't trust him, you were still curious. "What exactly does that mean?"

Jungkook huffed, his long bangs flying upward at the breath.

He looked like an unhappy child.

"Typically every being on this planet has a single song." He started slowly, clearly not happy about answering that particular question. "A song is a part of you...it is your life force, your soul and your heart...when someone loves you-truly loves you...they give you their song. Although, most of the times, humans do it without even realizing it. In most cases, when two humans love one another and are able to be together, their songs bond together to form another melody...occasionally, there will be a human with two or three songs...but, you have twenty-two; yours and twenty-one others...all of them are so sad."

You straightened yourself up, forcing back your emotions.

Did he mean the others? The men you had met in the previous worlds?

You tried to remind yourself that you couldn't trust anything that he was saying...but some part of you wanted to believe that he was telling the truth...because, if he was, that meant that there was still some small part of them with you.

"And how did you know those voices?" You asked. "The ones you used to bring me out here?"

He gritted his teeth.

"Those three were the songs that resembled yours the most...I just sang their melodies to you. That is how humans recognize songs; By hearing the voice of the song's owner. That is why you heard their voices while I was singing to you."

You swallowed hard, clenching your jaw.

"I'm going back." You said, turning in the water.

"Be careful," The siren called. "The Silent One will betray you. I am sure of that. Be cautious about whom you trust."

You didn't turn back to him, instead opting to whisper to yourself.

"Trust me,

I am."

A/N,

Hewwo. :)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying the many layers that reside in this story. I always love writing plots where you never know who to trust.

Who do you think is telling the truth?

Thanks for you patience with me, guys!

I love you!

I adore you!

I purple you!

I'm out!

-Max