Chains (Crave: 2) (FINISHED)

13 - WHAT'S HAPPENING

"What's happening?" Luna sobbed as the Elijah helping her scooped her up.

"Shhh..." he soothed as he quickly ran from the parking lot and dashed down the streets.

"You tried to kill me!" she cried. "And then... WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

Elijah kept running, holding her in his arms. "He's a doppelgänger, Luna."

Her breath shuttered. "What...?"

He gazed down at her softly when they reached his cabin. "He's a shapeshifter."

Her eyes widened.

So it wasn't Elijah all along...? Did doppelgänger Elijah knock real Elijah out in the bathroom and take her there? Was he trying to torment her...? Was that why he was being so mean?

"Elijah!" she sobbed as they entered his house, and he quickly closed the door behind him, locking it and rushing over to the fireplace. "Elijah!"

He just flicked a switch to turn on the fire, and opened the grate, rushing over to the couch to catch a blanket and then collapsed down next to the fire.

He pulled Luna away briefly to wrap her up like a burrito, and she sobbed quietly as he held her to him and rocked her form.

"Shhh..." he soothed. "I'm right here."

She clutched onto his shirt and sobbed into the fabric, continuing to cry as he held her to him, rocking her like a child in need of protection.

"I didn't know!" she cried. "They did that to me! I didn't know!"

"I know," he whispered, "I know."

She continued sobbing. "I thought he was you! I thought you were possessed! But he wasn't you! He looked like you! I didn't understand!"

Elijah continued shushing her, holding her tightly as her pain bled into him. "I know, Angel."

"I shouldn't have gone with him!" she cried this time. "He played me! He used me! He make me think he was you and he killed me! He broke me!"

"You're not broken," Elijah promised, still rocking her. "You're far from broken. You're strong-minded, strong physically, and you can fight off any attacker, Luna."

"I hurt!" she said this time. "I hurt so bad!" She hiccuped a little and sniffled. "I thought I die! I thought I going to die!"

Elijah just held her tighter. "I'd never allow that, Angel."

She continued sobbing in his chest, making him close his eyes tightly as he rocked back and forth.

"Shhh..." he cooed, "shhhh... You're safe now. Shhh.... Shhhh...."

He held her head to his chest, continuing to rock her as she continued sobbing.

"I love you, Luna," he whispered.

"Say it again!" she begged. "Please!"

He just smiled softly. "I love you, Luna."

She just shot out and caught onto him, making him gasp softly when she held him tightly to her.

"Don't leave me," she begged. "Never again."

He nodded, holding her to him. "Never again."

*****

It was very late now—probably one in the morning—and Luna was now asleep on Elijah's lap, breathing softly as he brushed his fingers through her hair.

They still sat by the fireplace, letting the light and the warmth bake their skin as they rested with each other.

He sat crisscross, and she had her head resting on his lap. She'd been like this for almost an hour.

They got here at ten o'clock last night, after the horrid events, and after letting her cry for almost two hours, at midnight, she finally calmed and crawled off him, curling up and falling asleep on his lap.

He just let her, brushing his fingers through her hair as she slept.

The master's plan had failed, once more. Now she and Elijah knew there was a doppelgänger and that they needed to be cautious of who was who.

He had an idea... what if he drew a mark on his arm? Something that meant something to Luna? And in order to show himself to her, he had to show her that mark?

If he hid it with the sleeve, the doppelgänger wouldn't have noticed it and formed it on himself.

Luna shifted on his lap then, and he smiled and adjusted the blanket over her more, so she was warmer.

He was beyond mad—he was seething—and nothing he could do would soothe this rage other than having the master's head on a platter.

But he couldn't do this right now.

Luna was damaged, and he needed to repair their relationship before he came up with more "evil plans."

This here was a sign of trust, but... the sad thing was that not only did she almost die, but those healing powers he used would've made an ogre fall unconscious with that many injuries.

He was honestly surprised for her staying awake as long as she did; she must've had an adrenaline rush that kicked in when he healed her, and it lasted until she stopped crying.

Elijah just sighed, setting his head back against the table behind him as he continued soothing Luna's hair back while she slept.

But she turned in his grip, and he glanced down at her.

She just buried her face in his jeans, and he smiled, leaning down to lightly kiss her shoulder as she remained asleep.