A/N: I hope you all enjoy it!

Cody's Pov:

"I'm sorry", The words tumbled from my mouth again as I wrapped my arms around my torso.

"Stop apologizing, it wasn't anyone's fault. None of us knew this could even happen" Gannon tried to reassure me as he finished wiping out the tub from our second shower of the day.

"But you were so cautious and I didn't do my part. What if she doesn't wake up?" My throat tightened as I pushed the words out, how could we be over before we even began?

I turned my head to face Nia's sleeping form on the bed, Gannon cleaned and dressed her into a different shirt and boxers. While we wore clean boxers, my eyes zeroed in on the rise and fall of her chest, proof that my mistake didn't cost her life.

Gannon's thick arm wrapped around my waist pulling me flush against his chest. His warm breath fanned over my neck before I felt his teeth bite my ear.

"Looks like Nia isn't the only overthinker within our mates huh?" He teased before kissing the slight sting he left on the shell of my ear.

"Says the half-god who literally said I could kill you with my power if I'm not careful. So excuse me if I'm slightly freaking out because I encouraged you to loosen up a bit!" The words slowly increased in volume as my emotions heightened, my body almost buzzing with all the energy I got from Gannon earlier.

He spun me in his hold and cupped my face, tilting my head up until our eyes locked, "Focus on what you can do now Cody"

"I don't know what that is" I sighed feeling helpless.

"Talk to me about what we did. Was there anything you didn't like? Aside from the obvious", Gannon asked as he peppered kisses all over my face.

A smile came onto my face from the easy affection he gave me. I leaned into his right hand before I spoke the truth, "It was great. Your energy tastes amazing. And well your other skills are incredible obviously. It makes me wonder if you were always this skilled or if you were a blushing fumbling virgin like me at one point?"

Gannon guided me to the bed and I followed, within seconds we were cuddling together as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I scratched at his red chest hair while waiting for him to answer my question.

One of Gannon's hands was lazily rubbed against my ass as he finally spoke, "I can tell you that pleasure was never a factor for me during sex not until you and our mates. However, I will tell you that I was nervous during my first time. I sirened myself into not being nervous. Honestly, I don't even remember who I lost my virginity to"

"Sirened yourself, what does that mean?" I tilted my head up to look at his face, taking in his cooled expression.

"Ok. Do you know the old tale of sirens singing and drowning sailors? " He paused waiting for my confirmation as he stared at the wall, seemingly lost in thought.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah. I heard the stories but never seen a siren or a mermaid before you" 

"In some stories, women don't get affected and save the sailors. Well, Sirens evolved and became more powerful, and now both sexes are affected. A siren's song isn't the only thing to fear but their voice is as well especially when their eyes change.", He paused, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

A few seconds passed before Gannon opened his eyes, but instead of the emerald green, I was used to they were now purple with waves of white. I lifted my head off his shoulder to get a better look at his new eye color.

"I can make you do anything right now and you won't be able to fight against it. Or even know you're doing what I asked in some cases. It's very dangerous, that's why I hate my siren side", Gannon spoke with clear distaste in his voice.

"You hate yourself", I repeated the words in a whisper with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

The Gannon that I've come to know has been nothing but a gentleman, not too controlling, caring yet firm, good. How could he hate himself over something that he was born with? 

"I committed an unforgivable sin within the siren community, I ruined their society, I killed 20 sirens using this ability and I was banished for it. You won't remember this confession, only remember I told you I wasn't ready to talk about it yet", His voice washed over my body and sent tingles in my skull.

I slowly nodded in understanding, "It's ok. We don't have to get into it right now. Want to watch something to unwind until Auden and Roger return?"

Gannon closed his eyes and opened them to show the familiar emerald green eyes before he sighed with a sad-ish weary smile, "Sure, do you mind if I pick?"

"Go for it", I smiled back at him before watching him flip through Netflix.

I wrapped my arms around myself again as I realized that I felt more genderless as Cody than I thought. I closed my eyes and tightened my hold on my arms because I always felt ridiculous for looking in the mirror sometimes and not seeing a man.

So I would shift from different versions of what a man looks like. Then to women then back to myself. Back to Cody and felt in-between.

I always ignored that feeling when I could. Remembered how my mother would tell me, "You can look like anyone you see but don't forget to always return to you. Because you are you and there's no one like you"

Perhaps I simply wasn't ready to face the truth in this way. So I'll ignore it, I mean it's not like I can tell Gannon that his power didn't work because I'm.

No, there had to be a different reason right? Maybe his power didn't work because I took too much of his energy?

Yes, that makes way more sense than me being even more different from everyone than I already am. How can I even be worrying about myself with Nia knocked out beside us?

I glanced over at her again, watching the rise and fall of her chest. Reaching out I grazed my fingers against her cheek, feeling her warmth and her energy.

I pulled my eyebrows together as I realized it felt different than it did before. Could this be a byproduct of the curse she has?

With a sigh, I let go of Nia as I whispered while lowering my head in shame to Gannon, "Did you find out anything about her curse before I ruined things?"

Gannon gently cupped my neck and pushed my head up until his face is inches from mine, "You didn't ruin anything, say it"

"I didn't ruin anything", I repeated after swallowing a lump in my throat.

"Good boy", He praised me as his eyes bore into mine, seeing everything of me.

I closed my eyes and swallowed again, ignoring the question that popped into my mind about how I'd feel if the word boy was replaced with anything else.

"To answer your question, all I found is that it is very powerful. I need to do a different method to find out more" Gannon told me as he relaxed back against the bed I pressed my hands flat against his chest.

"We'll figure this out together, it's not all on you", I told him as I shifted on his lap and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

He kissed me back and I let my worries melt away at least for now.

A/N: Thank you all for reading! Please leave a comment! The next chapter should be up next Sunday! If you want to read ahead, check out my pateron!