Chapter 426

“I’m sorry, baby,” I wipe her tears. “I’m so sorry about everything.”

“I hate you.”

“I know, but can you do something for me? Take my hand,” I offer, visualising reaching for her behind my eyes, hoping she sees everything behind my eyes too.

“I can’t,” she whispers. “I can’t reach you. I’m scared, did I die?”

“No, you’re fine.” I place a kiss on her forehead. “You’re just taking a tap, but I need you to wake up. Come back to me, okay? It’ll be fine, follow the sound of my voice.”

“Why did you do it?” She whispers. “You said you’d always be there for me, King. Where were you?” She chokes out, sobbing harder now.

I can feel her slipping away, her presence is fading fast. “Siren, my voice.” I swallow, trying to guide her back into her consciousness. “Follow my voice, you can hear me, right?”

“I’m tired.”

“No, no.” I swallow, “Don’t get tired, wake up, and you can rest later, okay?”

“It’s enough, it's enough, it’s enough.” She breathlessly repeats, each word more broken and strangled than the last.

“Open your eyes, please,” I tell her, my voice pleading. “Ellie, feel this pull…feel our bond and let my voice guide you back.”

“I’m lost,” she gasps. “She pushed me.”

“You’re fine. I’m with you,” I try to reassure her, but she’s barely there anymore. “Wake up, please, siren. I need you to come back to me right now. I don't know how I’ll carry on without you,” I tell her, smoothing my thumb over my mark on my neck as a last resort, a desperate plea. “Fight, Aeliana, please, please wake up.”

Her eyes fly open, and she gasps, her chest heaving. “Aeliana?” I choke out.

She blinks, tears rolling down her face. “What?”

“Is that you, baby?” I ask, my eyes searching hers with a hopeful gleam, even though I know she’s slipped away, I can’t feel her in the bond like I did just now.

She frowns, “Why are you staring at me that way? What is it with you?”

“Riley,” I painfully swallow.

She huffs, rolling her eyes. “What, Kingston?”

“Nothing,” I shake my head. “I just—”

Her gaze shifts to where I hold her true Luna mark, which is now glowing under her skin. She gasps, “Wha-what did you do to me?” She squeaks, pulling her hand away. “Oh, clutz, you bewitched me.”

“That’s our bond mark,” I tell her, giving her some space. She stares down at her arm with horror. “It glows sometimes.”

Aeliana shakes her head, “That’s impossible, it hasn’t done that once.”

It hasn’t?

I hadn’t noticed. I thought only mine was acting up, but it wasn’t. The bond was disturbed. The day mine stopped flickering when I touched it, thinking of her, was the day Aeliana became Riley.

“Because you’re not her,” I swallow. “She’s lost somewhere inside you.”

“In my mouth?” Her head tilts.

“What?”

“Exactly,” she snarls. “Do you hear how stupid you sound? You’re always going on and on about the same thing!”

I sigh, “Go back to sleep.” I tell her. I was close before. I could feel her. When she rests, she is herself again. I can bring her back if I try again. The bond mark glowing proves she’s still here, it gives me hope. “Close your eyes and—”

“I just woke up,” she snaps, pushing up against the headboard. “Are you loose up there, boy? Why would I be well rested and sleeping still?”

“Never mind,” I shake my head.

She will fall asleep again tonight, and I’ll try, I’ll try as many times as I can to bring her back. She can be herself again.

“I’m going out.” She declares, toying with the strands of her hair.

“Where?”

A smile tugs at her lips, making her eyes light up. “Maddox’s friend invited me to his wedding tonight.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Come on,” she groans. “It will be fun, plus, my friends are going too.”

Friends.

Something about that term coming from her unsettles me. It’s not the way she says it, but who she refers to as her friends. “Aeli, Seraphine and Audrey are not your friends,” I tell her. “You’ve never had any desire to be friends with them.”

“Really?” Her nose scrunches up. “Why? We get along great, and that Seraphine is a little creepy, but I like Audrey.”

God, that sounds so wrong.

Aeliana would have a breakdown if she ever heard herself say this.

“Wouldn’t you rather go to the theatre?” I offer. “Wolf Arts has a program on historical—”

“Wedding,” she says, her tone final. “I’m going, you hear?”

I sigh. She’ll definitely get her way regardless of what I say, so I give in to avoid losing her like the previous night. “Do you have a dress?”

“I’ll just take your card and buy one.”

I nod. “We will go to this wedding party, but I have a few rules for you.”

“Why are you always giving me rules like some sort of child?” She pouts, “I am not your daughter.”

“We will be back home by nine,” I continue, ignoring her tantrum. “You can not drink anything that I don’t offer you, and most importantly, stay fucking close to me.”

“Okay,” she grumbles. “Fine, and no. Just because I kissed you does not mean that you can tell me what to do.”