Page 41 of Forever My Siren Luna (The Hidden Cove #2)

Elelira

“Lira,” a deep, rough voice whispered into my ear, making the tiny hairs on my neck stick straight up as sparks moved under my skin. “It’s time to get up.”

I groaned, rubbing my face against his chest, trying to cling to sleep.

I have never slept better than I have in the past few weeks with Lachlan by my side.

It’s become the norm for him to coax me awake like this every morning, because all I want to do is stay in bed and let the soothing comfort he brings me give my body the rest that it hadn’t had in so long.

“You’re going to miss training,” Lachlan urged me, amusement thick in his voice.

“So,” I muttered.

I rolled away from him with a groan when he laughed.

“You pouted for the entire day the last time I didn’t get you up for training.” I felt his arm snake around my waist. I melted against him, the sparks soothing my disgruntled attitude. “I love seeing you pout. If you really want to sleep in, I’ll let you sleep.”

I groaned, pushing the blanket down my body. “Fine.”

Despite my grumpy mood, I smile when hearing him laugh. He has been laughing a lot more lately.

“I’ll see you at training,” he whispered before kissing me deeply and leaving.

Most of the men train in just their pants if they wear anything at all.

He doesn’t have to get ready like I do. I know he doesn't like me exposed at all during training, and though he hasn't asked me to, I still remained dressed fully, except when I let Val out.

Mimi and Gemma insist on dressing me every morning, even though it's early and I just wear pants and a loose tunic for training. After I'm dressed, Mimi brushes my hair and braids it down my back as Gemma laces up my boots.

Lachlan has a doctor that fusses over Mimi now, and he insists she do as little as possible. We discovered that in our first life, Mimi died of a heart condition, one that is starting to cause her issues now.

Me being gone for several months, as well as Lachlan taking such good care of her in my absence, has helped to ease some of the burden on her.

She wasn’t overly stressing her body or working herself to death to try and make my life a bit easier.

She has many other health concerns as well, due to her advanced age, but we have been taking extra care to ensure she is living as stress free as possible.

Gemma is always at her side, and Mimi only remains my maid because she insists on it.

I would prefer for her to live a life of nothing but comfort, and Lachlan has tried to convince her to do so.

She claims her only comfort is taking care of me, so if letting her brush my hair and plait it every morning fills her with any comfort, I’m glad.

Gemma handed me my robe, just in case I shift unexpectedly, and I head out for the training fields.

Training is the same as usual. Our warriors have gotten pretty well-acquainted with the pirates, and they work together as a cohesive unit now.

Jack showed up for practice this morning, which caused a bit of strain for Lachlan and me, but we tried to keep it hidden. When Lachlan and Jack begin to argue, it interrupts all of training for everyone and we get nothing productive done.

I need to actually talk to Jack soon. We have been in this awkward stand-still for weeks, tip-toeing around one another while tensions mount between him and Lachlan, tipping overboard at the worst of times.

If war were to break out tomorrow, I would like to know that Jack would have Lachlan’s back, because I know that even though Lachlan doesn’t like him, Lachlan would protect Jack, even if it was just for my sake.

Jack helped Val come out of her shell, and helped me become the warrior I am now. He also offered his entire fleet and all his men to me to defeat my uncle. I don’t want there to be a rift between us if there doesn’t need to be.

Plus, I see the way he has been eyeing Beretta, and how he often watches her and not me while we train.

I don’t think his affections are solely on me anymore.

I think if I were to clear things up between us, that would give him the push he needs to pursue Beretta, who looks at him just as often as he looks at her.

Why does love have to be such a battle?

“Ela,” Lucky, Jack’s first mate, called me over to the edge of the training field. He stayed with the navy and pirate ships to train our pack’s navy today. Lachlan is helping the pirates fight better on land and Jack’s men are teaching our navy how to fight better on the sea.

“Your father is at the castle dock. I told him I would come retrieve you for him.”

“Thanks, Lucky. I’m coming.”

I let Lachlan know I was leaving, and that I would be right back. When he insists on kissing me before I walk away, a long, deep, passionate kiss, my face reddens, hearing the hoots and hollers from everyone watching.

As long as Lachlan can show his claim to me, he has stuck to his word and submitted to me in everything else concerning us. It embarrasses me, but I like that all he wants from me is to show others that I am his and he is mine. Everything else is secondary to that in his mind.

I hurried out of the training grounds, hiding my face as I went towards the docks.

“Aren’t you both a sappy bunch,” Cherum chortled, following me. He is still the ever faithful shadow.

“You need to hurry up and find your mate so I can tease you the way you always insist on teasing me,” I grumbled.

“I’d be as sappy and slobbery as you and the Alpha,” Cherum admits. “I would give new meaning to the phrase, ‘tongue-tied’."

“Gross,” I giggled.

“You cross tongues with your mate plenty. Don’t be acting like a saint now, lass. It’s a wonder the two of you haven’t mated yet,” he nodded at my unmarked neck.

I self-consciously rubbed my hand over my markless nape. I have been thinking about that more and more lately, but don’t know how to broach the subject with Lachlan.

He hasn’t tried to do more than kiss me since I got back.

Even sleeping next to each other, his hands never wander, and he is always the perfect gentleman.

It’s a bit frustrating at times. He will kiss me passionately while out in public, but he is extra careful with me when we are alone, like he is trying not to scare me off when no one else is watching.

“Hey, Cherum. About that. Has…. Lachlan ever mentioned wanting to mark me since I have been back?”

“Why?” his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Do you want him to talk about it? Are you wanting to be marked, my Luna?”

My face flushes furiously. “Nevermind.”

“No, no. You brought it up. Are you ready for the Alpha to finally sink his teeth into you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought much about it.”

“Lies,” Cherum laughed. “I can sense your lies, Ela. I’m your delta, lass. I know your feelings the same as you. If you want the Alpha to mark you, tell him. He will be thrilled.”

“So he did say something?” I urged.

“No. He is just crazy about you.”

I grumbled under my breath, wishing there were an easier way to bring this up to Lachlan, like him bringing it up to me first.

We almost mated before. How did we get to that point before my uncle’s stupid men showed up and ruined it?

“ You could just bite him,” Val suggested. “ Tonight in bed, just ask if you could mark him first.”

“ Do you think he would agree to that?”

“ Uh, yeah,” Val said like I just asked the stupidest question. “ He could feel the bond at last then. He would be ecstatic.”

That’s right. Lachlan still can’t feel the bond. Killian can feel it at times again, just like before we ran away, but Lachlan feels nothing.

Cherum chuckled again, probably sensing the direction of my thoughts. He wisely doesn’t say anything on the subject again the rest of the way to the dock.

My father had several of his knights with him, waiting in the water for me.

A huge smile erupted on my face seeing his green eyes glimmering with affection as I drew near.

“My daughter,” he called, using his magic to raise himself in a pillar of water from the end of the dock so he can be level with me, even in siren form. “You look as lovely today as ever.”

I giggled, knowing that isn’t true. Only he and Lachlan would think I looked lovely with dirt caked in my hair and crevices from sparring.

“Many tell me I look just like you,” I reminded him, turning the praise around on him.

“I think you would look far lovelier with a beard,” Cherum snorted.

My father laughed, but I just rolled my eyes.

I waved at Cedric, who was also in the water, talking to a woman I have been introduced to several times now. Lillian, I believe her name is. She is one of the higher ranked knights.

“We are on our way to the western shores to see if we can discover the happenings of Wayne’s pack, as of late, but I wanted to see you and give you something before I left.

” My father reached down, resting a hand on my pendant around my throat, his eyes and fingers erupting with glowing magic.

I feel the pulse of it absorbing into the pendant, restoring it to how it once was.

I gasp when he is down, my throat catching from the feeling of the magic surrounding me once again.

“I wanted to do that sooner, but, given what happened before, I wanted to ensure you wouldn’t run off the moment your mate upset you again.” My father gave me a leveled stare, much like I imagine other fathers might do if they are softly chastising their children.

“I’m not running away again,” I reassured him. “I don’t think I could leave him. Not now.”

“I know,” my father gave me a tender smile. “I once had my doubts, but I can see the authenticity of your bond now.” His green eyes move to my neck. “It won’t be long now,” he grins knowingly, making Cherum snort.

Did everyone have a meeting before I got up today to plan out how to embarrass me over and over again about the lack of a mate mark on my neck? Jeez. Even Val is snorting in my head.