His Cursed Mate

Chapter Eleven

**TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF SELF-HARM**

Ell's POV

My eyes widened at the suddenness of Ren's questioning statement. It felt like my heart had fallen into the pit of my stomach, eliciting a choked gasp from my throat as I looked up at him. How in the hell did Milo know about Jules? With how long ago my connection with her had been severed, there shouldn't have been any way for him to sense her presence. She was gone, and there was no bringing her back. Not to mention, none of the others had seemed to notice. So, how was he possibly able to tell?

All at once, the realization struck me - Milo was still able to sense Jules' presence, because she would have been his mate. Since Ren and I were mates and Milo was Ren's familiar, he shared somewhat of a connection with me; one that enabled him to physically sense the familiar bond I had shared with Jules. The two of them would have shared the closest bond, so it did make sense that he was able to pick up on the lingering fragments of the bond between Jules and I.

Warm tears began to well in my eyes as I turned back to Milo, meeting his gaze and clenching my jaw. Gods, how could I have been such an idiot as to forget that familiars also meet their mates when their werewolf counterparts meet theirs? My heart felt like it was being ripped into pieces all over again as I peered into Milo's soulful eyes. He appeared to be confused, just as Ren was.

I gently pressed my forehead against Milo's, wrapping my arms around his neck as I pulled myself closer to him. His fur was so soft, his body radiating warmth beneath his furry coat as he pressed his head into my shoulder and relaxed at my touch. I brought my mouth close to his ear, not wanting for anyone else to hear what I was about to tell him.

    "I'm so sorry Milo, but she isn't a part of this world anymore. I wish with everything in
my soul that she was still here with me today - here with you, too. Please forgive me..." I whispered, my voice hushed.

I buried my face in his fur in an attempt to hide the burning tears that had begun to trail down my cheeks. I could feel his body stiffen at my words, clearly taken aback by what I had just told him. He nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck in an attempt to comfort me as I tried to regain my composure; that was when I heard an unfamiliar voice begin speaking to me.

    "There is no need for you to apologize to me. You haven't done anything wrong."

I immediately pulled myself away from Milo, meeting his gaze as he sat before me. Was that his voice that I had just heard? No way - that shouldn't be possible. He wasn't my familiar, so why would I possibly be able to hear his words in my head like that?

His ears perked up, as if noticing my confusion. It seemed that he hadn't been expecting me to hear him either.

    "Wait, can you hear me?" He questioned, tilting his head.

I nodded slightly, closing my eyes and focusing my thoughts in an attempt to try and communicate with him via the link.

    "Yes, but how? I've never heard of anything like this happening before." I linked back.

    "I'm not sure, but maybe it's because your familiar has passed on and Ren is your mate.
Maybe I'm some sort of substitute familiar for you, since she is gone..." he responded,
his tone hesitant.

I shook my head and opened my eyes, looking around to ensure that none of the others were watching. Luckily for me, it seemed that Gen, Mari, Luther, and Harland were all preoccupied with talking amongst themselves.

Unfortunately, when I turned to look at Ren, his gaze was firmly positioned on me, confusion and concern playing across his face. If I wasn't careful about all of this, Ren would undoubtedly find out about everything. I didn't think Milo had told him anything yet, for his eyes were clear. I needed to find a way to discreetly talk to Milo without completely making it obvious that we were able to link with one another.