Page 20 of Forever My Siren Luna

I didn’t give the man a chance to answer. I grabbed Cedric, still glaring at the pirate captain, and pulled him with me as I started walking back towards the castle. I need to find Mimi and get the others out of the bunkers, then have them start preparing for Luna's return.

“Mel, assign guards for the docks and all entrances into the towns.” Lira seems to trust them, but just in case I’m missing information again, I don’t want a repeat of what happened to Yasmin. I want my people protected.

“Yes, Alpha,” he says, taking several of the men to get started giving orders.

“Call for your King,” I told Cedric as we took the path to the castle. We have a lot to discuss, starting with the demise of Alpha Wayne.

~

Jack

That bastard. My entire frame is shaking. Oisin, my Lycan, is snarling loudly, wanting blood.

That bastard, Alpha Lachlan, basically called me a coward. Me. Cowardly is something no one has called me before. Oisin’s pride is critically damaged, and it’s taking all my strength to keep him at bay.

Alpha Lachlan was the one who harmed Ela. He was the one who betrayed her endlessly for two years. He was the reason she ran away from him, not once but twice. Why am I the one who feels ashamed right now?

He said I ran away? I’m a runner? He insulted not just me, but all my men.

Running is what we all had to do. It was the only way of life for us after our packs were destroyed. He doesn’t know what it’s like being overrun but Alpha Wayne’s forces….

But that’s what he was trying to protect himself from. The thing he told Ela about thinking she was a trap sent by Wayne comes back to mind.

Maybe he has an idea, but he doesn’t know what it feels like to have your mate raped and killed….

Maybe he does. He didn’t accept her rejection either. He had to be suffering from the distance from his mate, and then he had to feel her being tortured and her death.

When I faced my mate being raped and killed, being forced to watch it all happen right in front of me, what did I do? He’s right. I ran. I didn’t even try for revenge. He didn’t know Alpha Wayne was the culprit behind his mate’s death and he still managed to kill him. I did just as he accused me of.

I ran.

He called me out for exactly what I’ve been unconsciously hiding over the last several years. I really might be a coward. I’m a runner, just as he said.

I need a drink. I don’t want to deal with this right now. I don’t want to think about all the ways I am a failure. The one thing I know I am not a failure at is bringing a fire into Ela and helping her to come out of the quivering shell her mate left her in. This is all for her. At the end of this, she will see that I’m the better choice. She couldn’t even stand to be near her mate. Even if I have the faults her husband claimed I had, she will still see me as the better choice.

I hope.

Fuck it, I need a drink.

Some of his warriors are still watching me warily on the dock. I looked around, taking my pick of the one who looked to be the least stuffy.

“You, there,” I pointed to a tall, young, skinny one with a hesitant expression.

“Me?” he points to himself.

I nodded, pasting back on an easy smile to hide my disgruntled thoughts and emotions. “You heard your Alpha. I need an escort. Escort me to a tavern with the best collection of spirits. Rum specifically, if you will.”

The young man looked at one of the older warriors with a questioning stare. The older man sighs, raking a hand down his face. “Gerald is newly mated and needs to get home to his pregnant wife. I can take you.”

I cringe inwardly, not liking the older warrior’s tough demeanor. He doesn’t look to be any fun at all.

“Lead the way,” I faked enthusiasm, waving my hand in the direction of the town.

He sighs, then tells the younger man, “Beta Nilo took her to the shelter with the other warriors' wives. She is safe and waiting for you.”

The younger man, Gerald I guess, smiles gratefully. “She told me. Thank you, Commander.”

Commander, huh. Even more of a reason to believe he will be a stickler. I had commanders myself, once, and drinking with a pirate captain was never on their agenda.