Page 126 of Losing My Siren Luna

“No,”Val whimpers, “Killian wouldn’t deceive me like that. He loves me. He loves us.”

“But does Lachlan?”

That’s the question that keeps plaguing me. If he really loved me like he claimed, despite everything that happened in our first life, how could he deceive me like that? He…he was going to mate and mark me yesterday. How could he think of doing that when….when it would have been a lie. Everything he did and said, everything I started to feel towards him feels like a lie now.

“Luna,” Cherum hesitantly says my name. No, not my name. The title that I have grown used to going by. The title that I was denied in my first life but Lachlan was too eager for me to go by in this one. “Are you alright? What was that about? Did he do something to upset you?”

I stopped pacing and stared at him. “Did you know too?”

“Know?” his thick brows furrow, “Know what?”

I purse my lips, trying to keep my tears at bay. “Cedric said that only you, your father and Lachlan had your memories,”Val reminds me.

“Yes, but Cedric KNEW this was my second life. Others might know as well.”

I stared at Cherum, waiting for his answer. I can tell by his confusion that he has no idea what I’m talking about. I sighed heavily, looking around the room to try and figure out what to do.

I need to talk to Lachlan. I need answers.

“Take me to Lachlan,” I told Cherum firmly, not leaving any room for argument.

“Ela, what’s wrong?” He took a step towards me, reaching out to grab my arm. I move out of his reach, not wanting to be soothed and comforted right now. I don’t want anything preventing me from getting my answers.

“Where is he?” I demanded, “Why has he not come back yet? Where is the alpha?!”

“He’s been busy,” Cherum looks hurt by my anger. “He’s indisposed. He’ll come see you later tonight or tomorrow, I’m sure.”

That’s not going to work for me.

I pushed past him, leaving the room. When he tries to stop me, Val pushes forward and snarls at him, making him stagger back in surprise. She wants answers too.

She uses the mate bond, pulling on it and using her senses to follow his scent to the part of the castle where his office is located. I have rarely been to this part of the castle. I wasn’t allowed to be here in my first life and had no reasons to go this way in this one. Lachlan always comes to find me.

I could almost see Lachlan’s office door from far down the hall when I felt this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Val grows restless, then howls of pain echo in my head when a sharp pain shoots through my chest.

No….

We’ve felt this pain before. We felt it all too often in our first life.

I staggered to the office, using the wall for support. Cherum is following behind me. He tries to help, but Val growls ferociously through me, not letting him touch me.

I smell her. I smell that horrid woman the closer we get. I can tell Cherum smells her too from the strangled sound that leaves him and the worried look on his face.

When I got to the door, it was already partially opened. I nudge it the rest of the way and that is when I see them. Lachlan has his pants undone and that woman is lying practically naked on top of her desk, his belongings scattered all over the place.

He has a grip on her throat, his hand not far from her bare chest, his face just inches from hers. His expression sends chills down my back. I know that face well. That is the face I used to associate with Lachlan from my first life. This is all too familiar for me. His crazed look of anger and his betrayal still shocks me, making me gasp.

When his eyes meet mine, I can’t think. I don’t know how to handle this. This is it. This is the final straw. I don’t want this life again. I don’t want to suffer like this again.

Before I can do or say anything, Val pushes forward, taking control.

“We run,”she tells me, her heart breaking into a million pieces.

That's what she did. She pushed my legs and feet to move, bolting past Cherum and down the hall as both Cherum and Lachlan yelled for me to stop. My hand drifts up to my chest, the pain radiating through me still. My hand connects with the necklace, and its magic flows through me, intensifying as Val's anger and need to protect me grows. It filters through every inch of my body. Val is in full control, starting to shift as she sprints for the docks.

The shift taking control of me feels different as the magic mixes with our transforming muscles. It feels like.... like fins are growing instead of Val's Lycan body.

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