Page 40 of Losing My Siren Luna (Hidden Cove #1)

“Good to see you here, Alpha. I was just about to call one of the other guards to come be with the Luna while I went to take care of some business. You’ve saved me the trouble.

” Looking over at Lachlan, I could tell by the tension in his neck that he was nervous.

What he has to be nervous about, I have no idea.

I’m nervous. I’m about to ask the man about my father.

I don’t want to fight with Val and I really don’t want to hurt her, but I’m still thinking the worst about Lachlan and the reasons he has to keep my father from me.

I’m trying not to, but I just can’t think of any logical reason why he wouldn’t tell me my father was the one to give me the necklace.

“Thanks, Cherum,” Lachlan mumbles, taking one of the small plates from his hands before Cherum could set it down in front of him like he did for me. “I think we got it from here.”

“Sure you do, Alpha. Well,” he looks to me for confirmation to make sure I really am okay being left alone with my husband. I nodded once again and smiled. “Guess I’ll go take care of that, um, thing I had to do. You both have a good talk now. Call for me if you need me, lass.”

“I will. Thank you,” I waved at him, then looked at my lap, playing with my fingers nervously. What now? How do I bring up the issue of my father?

“ Whatever you do or say, keep an open mind, Ela. Please,” Val begged me.

“ For you,” I told her. I will keep my composure and try not to let my pessimism show, but only for her.

“ Killian too,” she growls, being defensive of her mate, which makes me smile.

“ Okay, Val. For Killian too.” Val's desperation for her mate has grown substantially over the last 24 hours. I really need to figure out how to work through my issues because of my past life for her sake. I don't know if I can keep them apart now.

“Lira?” Lachan’s deep voice caused me to look up at him. He is leaning over the table, reaching to take the cloth cover off the pot of tea and then picks it up by the handle. It’s an odd sight seeing this very brusqued, burly man holding a delicate china teapot. “Do you want some?”

Gosh, I should have been the one to serve. I was the one that invited him. Thankfully, he doesn’t look at all offended. He just looked at me expectantly while waiting for my answer.

“Yes, thank you,” I nodded, hurrying to turn my cup over.

He smiles while clumsily filling my cup, leaving no room for milk or sugar. I am sure he has never done this for anyone else before. After he finishes pouring his own, he sets the pot back on the tray and lifts a couple of sugar cubes with the tongs, offering them to me.

I shook my head, fighting a smile, knowing how embarrassed he would be if he did put the sugar cubes in my cup. It would overflow and make a mess on the table.

He goes to put them in his own cup, and that’s exactly what happens, making him jump back in alarm. His chair falls to the ground and he grumbles, “Shit,” while trying to avoid the tea that is now dripping down the table’s edge.

I can’t stop myself. My laughter begins to bubble out of me, but I quickly try to cover my mouth to stop it. Lachlan’s awkwardly annoyed face looks at me for a few seconds before his own deep, throaty laughter begins to spill out.

“Sorry,” he groans, still smiling while rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, “I guess I overfilled my cup.”

I press my lips together while I regain enough of my composure to reply. This is definitely not the same Lachlan I remember. He’s flustered and it makes him look quite adorable.

“I’m sorry to you,” I managed to say, “I invited you. I should have been the one to serve.”

He picks up one of the folded tea towels on the side of the tray and begins to mop up his mess on the floor while I dab at the table with my towel, cleaning up the small puddle.

I lift his tea cup slowly and carefully to prevent more from spilling out, and then sip enough so he is no longer in danger of spilling before setting it back down, a lot further from the edge than before.

When I look back up, he is watching me with fascination, and the look on his face makes my face heat in embarrassment.

Gosh, I just drank from his glass without thinking. He probably won’t want it now.

“I’m sorry. I can trade you cups,” I offered.

“Oh, no,” he was quick to take the cup and lift it from the table. “I want this one now, more than ever.”

If my blush wasn’t showing before, it definitely is now.

I quickly looked down to try to hide it, nervously playing with my fingers again, but peeked up a few seconds later to see him drinking from the cup in the same spot where my lips just touched.

He doesn’t even appear to be drinking it.

It’s like he is just savoring the feeling of the glass against his lips.

“Just the way I like it,” he murmurs, setting the cup back down and then righting his chair so he can take his seat.

“ Tell me that that wasn’t adorable,” Val gushes, swooning in my head over our mate.

“ Stop. I can’t stop blushing as it is.”

“That was like he was kissing you indirectly. So cute!”

“Val, stop,” I told her, biting my lips to stop me from grinning.

“Sorry,” he husks, and when I look up, his face is bright red too, “That was probably weird. Shit, I can’t get anything right,” he groans.

“No,” I whispered, “It wasn’t, um, weird. Well, maybe a little, but it was, um, cute,” I managed to say, “My Lycan was just telling me that she thought that was cute.”

“ Yeah, act like I was the only one,” Val teases me.

“I couldn’t help myself,” Lachlan murmurs in a deep voice, “I could still see the imprint of your lips on the edge.”

“ Oh my gosh! I don’t care what he did this morning, that just made up for it. Absolutely heart-poundingly, adorable.”

My lycan is getting a bit too excited about Lachlan just drinking out of a cup after me.

You would think he had just ripped his shirt off and spilled tea down the front of his bare chest with the way she was gushing over him.

Her excitement must be bleeding into me, because even I am having a hard time not finding Lachlan’s behavior quite charming.

It has to be the influence of the mate bond….

“Mmh,” I hummed awkwardly, not able to think of any way to respond to his comment about my lip print. Well, Val is feeding me a few things to say, but I would never let any of her suggestions leave the privacy of our mind.

“Sorry,” he groans deeply, “I’m probably making you feel more uncomfortable, aren’t I?”

“No," I smiled shyly, “I was just caught off guard.”

He groans again, “Lord, I’m such a creep.” I shrugged, letting a giggle slip out.

“A cute creep,” I muttered under my breath, then cover my mouth quickly, realizing I said that thought out loud.

When I looked up, Lachlan was staring at me wide-eyed and with an expression that was full of surprise. His gaped mouth slowly started to quirk up into a truly radiant smile.

“Cute?” he repeats, “You think I’m cute?”

I press my lips together to keep my inner thoughts inside, feeling my cheeks light up as his smile stretches further on his handsome face.

“I think you’re cute too. Beautiful, actually,” he tells me, “The most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

“You mean for a whore?” I let slip out, then regretted it instantly. Val is growling and snarling at me for ruining the mood as Lachlan’s face falls. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I said things I shouldn’t have this morning as well.”

He scratches the back of his neck again, looking uncomfortable.

“You didn’t say anything that was not true, Lira.

I was the one out of line. I’m sorry that I said that.

I really didn’t mean it. At that moment I just…

.I don’t know. I get defensive easily and it slipped out before I could stop myself.

Killian was trying to make me stop, but I lost my head.

” He looked deep into my eyes, making my heart beat rapidly in my chest. “I’m sorry Lira. I really, truly am.”

I smiled slightly, feeling guilty for making him apologize again.

“I told you, it was my fault too. I should not have hit you like that.” I gulped, taking a deep breath before I continued, “I do want to ask one thing.”

“What is it?” he sat forward, eyebrows drawn down in concern.

“This necklace,” I lifted it from under the neck of my dress and held it up for him to see, “Where did it come from?”