Page 32 of Forever My Siren Luna (The Hidden Cove #2)

Elelira

“I told you I could handle myself,” I muttered to Lachlan.

We were discussing strategy this morning, and he kept insisting that I stay out of the fighting. I had to prove to him that I knew how to defend myself.

“I saw,” he said in a dead tone, sounding more upset than impressed.

“I’m not staying here while everyone else is in battle. If you even suggest it again, I’m going to be mad. Val doesn’t take kindly to being underestimated anymore.”

Val huffed in my head in agreement.

“I know,” Lachlan muttered very unhappily.

He wasn’t going to argue with me. Not after our talk yesterday. I can tell he wants to, though. Submitting to me, especially with what we are about to do to my Uncle, is going to be really hard for him, but I appreciate that he is trying.

“Ela, lass. That was a good show,” Cherum threw his arms around me in a hug. “Now people can’t think I’m crazy when I tell them you got a true alpha beast in you.”

“Did someone not believe you before?” I lifted the corner of my mouth, wondering who Val needed to use as a test dummy next.

“No one thought our Luna was a seasoned fighter. You sure showed them. Now, if you will excuse me, I have quite a few bets to collect.”

I wanted to laugh at the gleeful expression on Cherum’s face as he runs off to collect from Maurice first, then boldly tells four other warriors to pay up.

Cherum is always dependable. He always has my back. Even if I couldn’t fight, I know he would still have bet on me.

“Luna! Luna!” I heard a little boy’s voice calling for me, and a smile lifted the corners of my lips, knowing that voice right away.

I turned to see Westley running over to me, the little skip in his step making me laugh.

“Westley!” I dropped on my knee to open my arms wide for him as he ran right to me. “Look at you. You’ve gotten so big!”

“I have! I have! Look at my muscles!” he flexed his little arm, moving my hand to squeeze the nonexistent bulge on his upper arm.

“How. Very impressive,” I grinned, “What are you going to do with all those muscles?”

“I’m going to be a big warrior like Uncle Mel one day,” Westley stated, pointing behind him to Meldec.

Kent is there with another little boy who is eyeing me nervously, and beside them is Cedric.

Cedric looks hesitant and nervous, and I know it’s my fault. I wasn’t exactly kind to him before.

“Gamma Meldec is a very good role model to take after,” I told Westley, running my hand through his hair. “Are you here to play with the Gamma today?”

“I’m here to play with you!” Westley exclaimed, throwing both hands up in the air. “I brought my friend too. Riley had never met a Luna before.”

The other little boy, Riley, looked uncertain about me. If he saw the fighting, I could understand why.

I tried to give him a reassuring smile before turning my attention back to Westley.

“Thank you so much for coming to play with me today.” I really am grateful.

After all the stress of the past few days, a break with children, whose lives are simpler and their hearts are still full of kindness sounds amazing.

Laughter and games with Westley and his friend sounds like just the thing I need.

I missed little Westley too. “Let me go get cleaned up and changed, then I can meet you. We can play in the castle.”

“You’re a good fighter, Luna,” Westley says shyly with his head tilted to the side, looking up at me through his little lashes.

“I know. I bet I could beat the Alpha, right?”

Lachlan snorted behind me as Westley nodded his head in agreement.

“You looked so cool.” Westley started jumping in place enthusiastically. “I can’t wait until I’m a Lycan as strong as you.”

“With muscles like yours, you might be even stronger,” I winked at him. “I’ll be right back.”

Lachlan followed me silently back to the bedroom I agreed to stay in for now.

Our old room, right by Mimi’s room. He understood when I told him I wasn’t ready to share a bed with him again, and I wasn’t sure if or when I ever would be.

He volunteered to take the new bedroom, since it was still under construction.

Staying there in the packhouse was a compromise, since he didn’t want me going back to the ship to sleep at night. I heard him out when he told me his reasons, though I suspect there was more to it than just having anxiety that I might disappear again.

I wanted to stay near Mimi anyway. One of my biggest regrets when running away was leaving her behind. Hearing her stories of how well Lachlan has been taking care of her made me soften my heart even more towards him.

He is trying. He really is. I’m trying too.

There are some things I will not budge on. Sharing a room right now is one of them.

Staying back and not fighting is another.

“I can feel your discontent, Lachlan,” I looked at him from over my shoulder. “Did I not prove myself to your satisfaction?”

He grunted. “Your fighting was more than satisfactory, which is why I’m discontent. I don’t like the idea of you being in harm's way.”

I laughed dryly. “You would lose your head if you only knew the danger I would put myself in daily out at sea.”

He growled deeply, and Val answered with a taunting growl of her own. She is proud of the warrior she has become. I’m proud of her too. Lachlan can kick rocks, because Val won’t bend over backwards to make him happy anymore. She is with me on this.

“Can we at least find a middle ground here?” Lachlan begged, following me into my room.

“There is no middle ground with this. I’m fighting.”

I discarded the jacket he forced me into, smirking when Lachlan’s eyes darken and he was forced to look away. He really didn’t like me being naked when I shifted back. He had to hiss at me that there were children present for me to put his jacket on.

Val, in her eagerness to prove herself, shifted before I could get my clothes off before the fight. I wanted to put them back on afterward, but she shredded them.

Cherum’s overcoat was on the side of the training ground’s fence, and I was planning on just using that instead, but then Lachlan insisted I use his jacket.

Beretta brought the bunk of my belongings to me last night, insisting I stay in the packhouse and work on things with my mate.

Her minx-like smile didn’t go unnoticed.

She is up to something, and with her being my best friend, I’m fine going along with whatever she is scheming. I can vacate my room if it helps her.

I slipped on a pair of fitted soft leather pants and one of my favorite tunics, then coughed to let Lachlan know he can turn his attention back to me right now.

He eyes my outfit warily. “Those pants look…. Uncomfortable.”

“They’re very comfortable. Want to try them on?” I grinned crookedly. “This makes me feel less restricted. Jack insisted all women wear pants instead of skirts out at sea, since the skirts can weigh us down if we accidentally fall overboard.”

He nodded, though he is still staring at my legs like he’s unhappy. “It makes sense, but you’re on land now.”

“Are you trying to say that you don’t like my pants?” I lifted an eyebrow.

He presses his lips together, and I can’t help but to laugh.

“I like my clothes, Lachlan. If you prefer skirts, you’re welcome to wear any you like,” I waved my hand towards my closet.

“I’m good.”

I skipped back out of my room with a chuckle, heading back to where we left Westley. Lachlan is following behind, still looking grumpy, but at least he is keeping it to himself.

“Hey, Lachlan?” I slowed down to match his pace. “Are Meldec and Cedric mated yet?”

He shook his head solemnly. “Not yet. Cedric wanted to wait.”

“For what?”

He gave me a scrutinizing look. “Cedric blamed himself a lot for your disappearance. He was with Mel when you swam away, so he’s been holding him at arms length since.”

My stomach dropped, guilt filling me. Poor Mel. I need to apologize to Cedric, and talk things out so he knows it’s not his fault what happened before.

I’ve decided all blame should be assigned to my Uncle. He was the catalyst of everyone’s unhappiness. Yes, we all made mistakes, some more than others, but he was the origin of all this.

Which is why I’m going to kill him. Painfully.

“ Very painfully, ” Val agreed.

“I’ll talk with Cedric,” I told Lachlan. “It wasn’t his fault.”

Lachlan smiled sadly. “I know Mel would appreciate that.”

“I’ll have Mel and Kent help me with something so you have time alone with Cedric,” Lachlan said, opening the door for me that leads back out towards the warrior’s training grounds.

“Thank you,” I smiled. That will make it less awkward for me and I appreciate it. I don’t think Meldec has ever been my biggest fan. Since he has been forced to wait for his mate because of me, I don’t blame him.

“I want you to do something for me in return.” Lachlan's voice was decisive, full of determination.

I stopped short, eyeing him skeptically. “I hardly think that this favor is an equal measure to me staying out of the fighting.”

Lachlan huffed. “I’m not naive enough to think that would work. You have gotten frustratingly stubborn in your time away.”

“I think I was fairly stubborn before,” I grinned. “I just have something to channel all my stubbornity into now.”

“It’s true,” he chuckled. “You always took a front at the most exasperating times.”

“Excuse me,” I scoffed. “I am not exasperating. I take quite an offense to that.”

Lachlan stares accusingly at me, then his eyes wander down to my pants he seems to hate.

“My pants are exasperating?” I fold my arms and glare.

“A bit, yeah. I am having a hard enough time giving in to your demands and holding myself back. Sacrificing because of my love for you is one thing, but then seeing you wear things so provocative is making it hard for me to keep my hands and mind off….things.”

Val turned giddy inside of me, understanding why it's so hard to see me in these pants.

“He wants to put his hands on you,” she snickers like a schoolgirl. “ Who knew pants would get him going instead of a skirt?”