Siren's Fall [Siren's Mark: Book 2]

Chapter 43

𝔸𝕧𝕒

Light peeks through the curtains as I slowly wake from sleep. My body aches and my stomach is in knots. Despite sleeping for hours, I feel more tired now than I did when I went to bed.

I stretch my arm out to find Zane, but instead I'm met with a cold, empty mattress.

Did Zane get up already?

He should've gone to bed later than me, so I expected him to sleep in today. The clock says it's only 7:30 am.

I hop out of bed and slip on a loose gray sweater and black leggings before heading downstairs. I follow soft sounds of movement to the kitchen, where I see a man's silhouette against the window light. As he turns around, I realize it's not Zane, but Morgan.

"Morning, Killer," he says, his voice hoarse and dry.

"What are you still doing here?" I ask. "Weren't you supposed to head home last night?"

"Yeah uh... after you went to bed, Kieran and I started watching a movie marathon and uh... well, about four beers and three dinosaur movies later, I ended up sleeping on the sofa."

"Oh, I guess that explains why you seem so tired."

"You seem pretty knackered yourself, love. Rough night?"

"Yeah um... not the best night's sleep I guess. Hey uh... have you seen Zane this morning?"

He furrows his brow and looks deep in thought for a moment.

"No. It's unlike him to leave you alone, isn't it?"

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere," I say, peeking out the window to see if he might be in the yard.

"Mmm... sorry, I don't think he is."

"What?" I say, my heart pounding harder as anxiety begins to build in my chest.

What does he mean by that? Where could he be if he's not here?

"If he were here I would be able to sense him."

"But you said that you can't tell the difference between his emotions and yours. Are you sure you're not just getting your wires crossed?"

"I'm sure. When he's around, I can sense his feelings for you. You're brilliant, but uh, I don't feel that way about you when he's not here. No offense."

The uneasy feeling in my stomach twists and expands.

Where is he? Did he get home safely last night?

"He came home last night, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he got some time after eleven... maybe midnight? Relax, Killer," he says, stepping toward me and giving me a reassuring pat on the back. "He probably just ran out to the corner shop."

"Yeah..."

I don't even believe myself as I say it. This isn't like Zane at all. He wouldn't just leave without leaving me a note or something.

It just feels wrong.

"You don't believe that," he says, shaking his head.

"Not really," I say with a sigh. "Something feels wrong."

He pinches his mouth into a narrow line and looks into my eyes.

"Trust that feeling," he says, his voice deep and monotone. "You have good instincts. If you say something is wrong, I believe you. But if I can't feel him... you still can."

He's right. If Zane's in trouble, I should be able to feel it.

I close my eyes and concentrate on any sensation that might be able to tell me what has happened to Zane.