Page 48 of Forever My Siren Luna

“Is that old maid not taking care of her needs?”

Cherum shrugged, “She is, but you said you didn’t want the lass to eat in the dining hall, so Niomi brings her food from the staff’s meals.”

I forgot about that. I didn’t want the woman to use her temptress magic on any of my people after hearing about her mother, so I chose to have her avoided altogether.

“Have Niomi bring her full meals from the dining hall then. It has nothing to do with me. She is probably just trying to make you feel pity for her to get to me.”

“It’s working,” Cherum muttered. “The Lass looks so frail.”

“Just stay away from her,” I groaned, annoyed with this topic. I need to get back to these plans for border defenses. The scouts found trails of demon beasts to the north. We need to be ready to anticipate an attack.

~

~6 months later~

“We need to get home,” Killian begged me for the millionth time.

“We’re almost there,” I reminded him, seeing the town in the distance.

“Go faster,” he demanded.

He has been like this the entire month we have been away. Actually, he has been acting weird for some time, since before we left.

It all stems from one person.

Elelira.

Lira.

I have started to shorten her name when talking about her with my beast, which is becoming a common occurrence now.

He caught sight of her about a month before we left for war again, and he had been curious about her more and more ever since.

I barely had to try to avoid her any longer. She stopped trying to find me, and has stayed well hidden. That day, she was walking with her maid to the maid’s bathhouse late at night after most everyone went to bed. Her long golden hair was down, almost touching her waist. The soft smile on her face as she carried the old maid’s belongings as well as her own drew Killian to the front of my mind. He had never been curious about her before, but now she was the only thing he seemed to want to talk about.

I can’t say I blame him. She was still every bit the temptress she was before, without ever trying. I asked Killian why he was curious about her now, even going so far as asking if she was our mate. He couldn’t scent her, though, so we know she wasn’t. She should be 19 now, and as a full-blooded Lycan, it is abundantly clear that she isn’t my mate. I just needed to be sure.

She is probably bewitching my beast as well now.

When the castle came into view, Killian started urging me to find her. I had that desire too, though I am trying to deny it. After seeing all the carnage from the battles, I just wanted to make sure she was safe. I have been away for so long. Even if I didn’t desire this marriage and I plan on ending it when the time limit is up, I should still make sure she is safe, right?

It takes some time to follow through the formalities of returning to the packhouse. My welcome party is crowded with excited faces, but as I look around I don’t see any sign of her. She isn’t there, even though every other face from the packhouse is.

After me and my commanders free ourselves from all the endless greetings and well-wishers, I break away to search for Lira before Killian takes control and finds her himself. I need to safeguard my beast. She is working her magic on him now too. It has to be some strong magic to effect an alpha Lycan. I can’t even hold back my own urge to see her now.

It takes me some time to figure out where she is. I never once sought her out before. I even forgot she was staying in this desolate tower.

Climbing the stairs, I could smell her scent wafting down from the top. She was definitely here.

When I got to the top, being as quiet as I could, I stood in her open doorway, watching her in silence. I was struck again by how beautiful she really was. I don’t know how I could have forgotten.

She is sitting at one of the small windows, staring out the cracked glass towards the ocean. I’m stunned again by her graceful beauty, though she seems more cold and distant than she did on the day of our wedding, or the evening I saw her walking with the old maid.

“What are you doing?” I asked, wishing to meet her gaze. I craved being under her hypnotizing stare again.

She didn’t even flinch when hearing my voice. I don’t know what I expected. Maybe some kind of excitement about my return. Maybe for her to be thankful I finally sought her out.

Lira doesn’t even turn around. She doesn’t move her gaze from the window, and she doesn’t give me any sort of reply.