The Ocean's Call: Part One | ✔

Part Twenty Five

Part Twenty-Five 

I text Harley to let her know the others are on their way right now. I don't know how she manages to get away from Alex and nana, but she does. She joins me sitting on the end of the jetty.

"What did you tell Alex?" I ask, curious to see how she got away.

"Girl stuff, told him you needed to have a good chat and that I'd see him before I go home."

I scrunch up my nose. "Late night booty call I bet."

She rolls her eyes. "Before I left, he was offering to help your nana off to bed. I think she's lost her filter."

I snort, that's an understatement. "No kidding."

She bumps my arm with hers to get my attention. "You told her about Austin though? It must be nice to talk to someone about all of this."

"But they don't really understand though. I mean I don't even think I really understand what it's like to have a mate. I've been raised my entire life expecting to work for love, not to have it handed to me on a silver platter."

She laughs. "Having a mate doesn't mean it's on a silver platter. Sure, the person you're meant to be with is easier to find, but the bond drives you together and forces one interaction the rest is up to you."

"What do you mean? I am kind of out of the loop because of this, it dulls my senses so I'm not entirely sure how it is actually supposed to feel." I show her the bracelet on my hand.

She stares at it before nodding. "That must be driving Austin loopy."

I raise a brow. She's the second person to say that. "What do you mean?"

"The longer you are around each other without completing the bond the more...ah intense it will get. Or so I've heard. I did watch my brother go through it though, and it was..." she shudders, pulling a face.

But Austin said he was fine, that Anya was exaggerating about the effect it's having on him. The longer I think about it he seems like the kind of guy to lie about something like that. Is he just trying to keep me in the dark about it?

"What would happen if I took the bracelet off?"

"Your senses would probably be on fire but that depends on how long you've been wearing it. You know that could be why we couldn't find you..."

That confirms what Austin said about the bracelet hiding me basically. The blonde mermaid can't find me when I'm wearing it, and neither can he. It would make sense that if Harley were trying to find me during the time I was missing she wouldn't be able to find me either. At least I can now surmise I've been wearing the bracelet for the duration of the missing four months of my life.

"Do you know who could've given this to me?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "They aren't all that uncommon, anyone could've given it to you. Pure bloods wear them from a young age until their family deems it appropriate to be aware of their mate." She explains.

I nod, absorbing the new information she's giving me. The silver baton and those two circle disks with the yellow crystals come to mind and I wonder if Harley would happen to know anything about them. I open my mouth to ask her but then my phone starts ringing.

Austin.

I can feel him watching me immediately. I look over my shoulder to find two shadowy figures standing near the large rock marking the boundary. Harley looks over my shoulder at my phone, smiling.

"They're here." She whispers, making a move on getting up.

I swipe to answer, putting the phone to my ear. "You said you were going to text."