Page 39 of Losing My Siren Luna (Hidden Cove #1)

Elelira POV

“Thanks, Alpha. We’ll do that," I heard Percy say.

I couldn’t believe the conversation I just heard between Lachlan and Yasmin.

When I heard Percy say ‘Alpha’ as the bedroom door began to close, I hurried over to step in and defend Yasmin once again if I needed to.

I never expected to hear Lachlan apologize to Yasmin and be so generous and congratulatory about Percy taking her as a chosen mate.

“ See. He’s different in this life, and he had his reasons,” Val tells me once again.

I’m still not convinced. I’m sure he is different in this life. That can not be argued. I’m not sure if he is someone I can trust.

“ Apologizing to her was a huge sign of humility, Elelira. He’s an alpha, and he clearly had his reasons for acting the way he did towards her.

He didn’t have to apologize, and he sure didn’t have to go out of his way to do it.

I half expected him to only apologize to you, and if he did apologize to her, I thought he would do it in front of you so you could witness it. ”

“I did witness it,” I reminded her.

“ He doesn’t know you did. He sounded genuinely sorry. I bet your stubborn butt isn’t the least bit sorry for hitting him,” she growls.

“ Whose side are you on?” I grumbled.

“ Mine,” she huffs, “ Yours too, if you quit being so stubborn. You don’t have to accept the man yet, but you could maybe stop trying to provoke him. Stop expecting the worst out of him. If that’s all you are waiting for, that’s all you are going to see.”

“Did you forget that he knew of my father and chose not to tell me?” I reminded her.

“ Ask him about it!” she exclaims, “ Don’t assume he didn’t tell you because he didn’t want to.

Ask him about it before you start going on another tirade about him being the worst. He didn’t sleep with anyone else last night, he has tried to be more than kind to you up until the moment you slapped him.

He has just proven his character out there in the hall while speaking with that woman.

He didn’t even lose his head when you allowed that siren man to put his hands all over you. ”

“I hardly think his placing an arm around my shoulder can be described as putting his hands all over me,” I say defensively.

“ He was naked and you were hanging on the man in a very inappropriate way, Ela,” Val scolds me, “ You didn’t discourage his behavior in front of our mate either.

We have already established that this Lachlan is different, and you are doing to him what the other Lachlan did to you in our first life.

You are the one hurting him this time, Elelira, and I think it's about time that you quit using our previous life as an excuse to shun our mate like the old Lachlan did to us.”

She’s right. It's obvious that this is not the same timeline as before. This is not the same Lachlan as before. I am treating him poorly and punishing him for things he hasn’t even done.

Just then, Lachlan steps in front of the cracked door and notices me peeking out. He looks surprised for a moment, then a guilty expression spreads on his handsome face.

I stand frozen, feeling awkward having been caught eavesdropping. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Lachlan asks, “Lira, uh, can I, um, come in?”

I bit my lip nervously, then nodded, moving aside to open the door further for him to come in. He smiles, breathing out a sigh of relief that I didn’t say no, I’m guessing, then comes into the room.

“Where are Cherum and Niomi?” He asks.

My body’s inclination when he asks me a question is to go numb and wait for him to be done talking to me or berating me.

For our whole previous marriage, that's what I had to do to survive. To not go mad with my pain and sorrow. What Val told me, though, is still echoing in my head. This is not the same Lachlan as before. This Lachlan keeps trying to connect with me, and I’m just building my walls higher and higher each and every time.

Maybe I really do need to give him a chance?

“The Gamma went to the kitchens to retrieve some tea and snacks. He insisted it was time for me to eat again, though I assured him I was not hungry.”

For some reason, this makes Lachlan smile, and my apprehension towards him leaves me a bit more as his smile transforms his face, making it look impossibly more handsome while also appearing much less threatening.

“Mimi is still getting her room settled,” I bit my lip, hesitating for a moment before I said this next thing. “Thank you. For granting her that bedroom. I’m glad she will be so close to me now.”

“Of course,” he grins, scratching the back of his neck like he’s nervous. “I checked in on her earlier. She seemed to be happy with the arrangement too.”

“You checked in on her?” I asked in disbelief.

He shrugs. “She is assigned to help the most important person in my life. I think she deserves some perks for being up to the task.”

“ See,” Val squeals excitedly, “ he isn’t the same thoughtless and cruel Lachlan.”

She’s right. The previous Lachlan didn’t care about me, and sure as can be didn’t care for Mimi. This Lachlan really isn’t the same man I held so much disdain for in my previous life. I suddenly feel guilty that I am harboring hatred for an innocent man.

My cheeks feel hot from hearing him call me the most important person in his life, and my eyes drift to the ground, not knowing how to react or what to say back. I have never had someone show me favoritism or praise me before.

“ You could just tell him ‘thank you’,” Val rolled her eyes at me.

“Thank you,” I told him, still staring at the ground.

"You're welcome," he tells me softly, and we just stand in that awkward silence again, neither of us knowing what else to say. I started to gnaw on my lip harder, feeling anxiety at the prolonged silence and not knowing how to proceed. What are we to do now?

“Lira,” he whispers, and I see his feet take a step closer to me.

I looked up at him through my lashes only to see a pained expression on his face and his hands flexing at his side, like he was restraining himself from touching me.

“About this morning, I was wrong in the way I reacted. I should have found out what was going on before I behaved so appallingly. Not to mention, before I said such harsh things and acted so violently towards you. I have a bit of a temper, I always have, but that is no excuse for my actions this morning. I am truly sorry for scaring you the way I did.”

I bit my lip even harder, unsure of what to say.

Slowly, Lachlan raises his hand, making it very clear to me what his intentions are, before he cups my face, and uses his thumb to free my lip from my teeth.

His thumb grazes over my bottom lip a few times, and then my chin, before he slowly lowers his hand back to his side.

My skin is buzzing from the bond, and Valerina is mewling in my head, wanting more.

I don’t know if I can handle any more with all these confusing feelings and thoughts swirling in my head. No matter if this is a different Lachlan, I still need time to get over what feels like happened only yesterday.

I can apologize, though. He wasn’t the only one who reacted badly this morning.

“I’m sorry as well. I should never have hit you or insulted you in front of your pack in such a public way.”

His chest heaves, breathing deeply in excitement or relief, I do not know. Maybe both. A stunning smile lifts his whole face, making his usual scowl all but disappear.

“You never have to apologize to me, Lira. Never. I deserved far worse for my behavior.”

A small, nervous smile lifts the corners of my mouth, but then the question of my father and Lachlan’s knowledge of him comes to me again.

“Alpha?” I meekly murmured.

“Lachlan, Lira. I am your husband. Please just call me Lachlan. You never have to be formal with me.”

I bite my lip again, unsure if I am comfortable calling him by name out loud. Leona addressed him so familiarly, but it was ingrained in me in my last life that I was never to be familiar or take those liberties with him. It may take me some time to get over those habits.

“Okay,” I whispered, not ready to call him by name out loud while I was feeling so vulnerable. “Would you like to have tea with me? I have a question I want to ask you.”

He grins brightly. “Nothing would make me happier, Lira. Thank you.”

“Ela, I brought the, uh...,” Cherum stops mid-speech as he walks past the door to the parlor in my bedchambers to find Lachlan and I sitting at the cozy table at the center of the room.

“Alpha? I didn’t expect to see you here,” he states, looking worriedly at me, as if he was gauging if I was okay with this situation I put myself in.

Not that he knows that I was the one who invited Lachlan to stay.

He probably assumed that I was being forced into this arrangement.

“I invited him for tea, Cherum,” I smiled reassuringly at him, “Thank you for bringing it.” Cherum sighs deeply, looking much relieved, then smiles as he continues walking towards the table and sets the tea tray down in front of me.

There are two cups turned upside down on the tray, along with a covered teapot and a plate piled high with cookies and pastries.

I know he had every intention of joining me, but with Lachlan here, he sets the extra tea cup in front of Lachlan instead.