Page 71 of Losing My Siren Luna (Hidden Cove #1)

Earlier…..

Elelira POV

My heart is racing listening to Cedric. My father is the Siren King?

My mind can’t keep up with everything he is telling me.

Not only who my father is, but the fact that my father is the one who gave me this second life.

He brought me back from the dead and sent me back in time, but.

...why? Why do all this for a daughter he never met?

A daughter he still chooses not to meet?

I thought this might be some alternate reality and, by some miracle, I was given a chance at happiness. I really, truly prayed it was. If this is the same life over again, then that means…..

That means this is the same Lachlan as before. He is the same.

No. He’s different. He can’t be the same husband I was married to in my first life.

“This doesn’t make sense,” I whispered, resting my head in my hands. “It can’t be. If this is the same life done over again, then why is….why is Lachlan different? It can’t be the same life.”

Cedric grew quiet, causing me to turn to look at his anxious expression. “You and your father aren’t the only ones who kept your memories of your first life. Your husband was key to your coming back, Ela. He has his memories too.”

My gut twists. Val is stunned, not knowing what to say or think.

She was so sure; so, so sure that this was not the same man who hurt us in our first life.

Hearing that he is not only the same man, but he still has every single memory that has been haunting us since we woke up in this life is crushing.

I feel like we were played. I feel like everyone deceived us. Why did he treat us differently, then? Is it because this time he knew we were his mate and he didn’t want to lose his Luna? He didn’t want to hurt his pack by rejecting me and hurting me like he did the first time?

“No,” I whispered. He said he loved me. I felt like he did. He can’t be that same man who destroyed our bond every day with his betrayals and rejections in my first life.

“I should let him tell you about his part, but I should warn you that he can't-”

“Why?” I asked, cutting off his words.

“Why what?” He furrows his brow.

“Why are you telling me this now?” If he didn’t tell me, I would have just gone on thinking my husband in this life was different than in my first. I would have….I would have mated with him. I would have been stuck in this without knowing the truth.

“Your father agreed that keeping this from you and letting you think this is all different is no longer in your best interest. We thought you might have just died from an accident since he couldn’t find a trace of your body.

Those men coming yesterday and your reaction to them made me think that maybe you suffered more than just death in your first life, Ela.

I want to know how to help you. Your father is going to come and-”

“My father thought keeping everything from me was beneficial to me? Is that not just some excuse for not taking responsibility for his part in any of this? My mother…” I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes, getting choked up while remembering how much my mom suffered to keep me safe.

She never told me much about my real father, just what he was and that she thought him to be a good man.

Would a good man have used my mother like that, though, and then abandoned her?

Why didn’t he come back to save her? Why did he give me this second chance at life but keep everything from me?

He never came to see me once. I still have no clue who my father truly is.

Hearing that he is the siren king means nothing to me.

I would have been happy with a peasant of a man as my father, as long as he knew about me and wanted me.

This does not make me feel wanted, safe, and I feel like everyone has been playing me for a fool this whole time. I have never felt more alone.

“You want to know what happened to me in my first life? The same thing happened to my mother. But you know what, he should not concern himself with me or my life, death, any of it anymore, and neither should you. Leave!” I stood on my feet and pointed to the door,

Cedric’s eyes went wide, “What? No, Ela. I’m here to help you.”

“You’ve helped enough. I’ve been deceived enough. Leave. I do not wish for my father’s pity or yours. I lived my first life alone. I don’t see why this life should be any different.”

“Ela, please just-”

“OUT!” I screamed, causing Cherum to race inside the room. “GET OUT!” I yelled again.

Cedric made a pained expression, then sighed heavily. “I won’t be far, my princess. Please, let me know when you are ready to talk.”

Cherum holds open the door for him as he solemnly walks out. Cherum’s expression is a mask of shock and confusion. He is looking between us for an explanation, but I don’t offer him one, and neither does Cedric as the door closes behind him.

What explanation can I give? Does he know everything too? Does everyone? Have I just been made a fool of this whole time?

I started to pace the room, my thoughts jumbled up inside my head.

I feel like a fool. I feel like everyone intentionally deceived me, trying to pacify their own guilt.

My father gave me this second chance but he didn’t think of coming to see me?

He sent Cedric instead and told him not to tell me anything?

Why didn’t Lachlan tell me?

That thought hurts the most.

“ Maybe he couldn’t, like Cedric,” Val tried to make up an excuse for him.

“ He couldn’t or wouldn’t? Was he scared I would leave him again if I knew the truth?

Think of our first morning here. He….” I closed my eyes tightly, remembering that horrible morning.

“ He acted as he did before. I lashed out for the first time against his anger. What if that is the only reason he changed?”

“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.