*Amir*

Seventy-Two hours, twenty-two minutes, and ten seconds had passed since the incident with Luna at the hospital. She decided that it was better to shut me out and separate us, so I wouldn't become affected with whatever crap went down at that insane hospital she was stuck in. Forty-two hours, Forty-Four minutes, and fifteen seconds since I last laid my eyes on her. Since the Twenty-Eighth of May, Luna had been in the hands of that institute.

Each second, each minute, and each hour that kept ticking had driven me fucking crazy. 

Faisal had me locked up in my room, so I wouldn't leave the country and rescue my girl. It felt like I was in a cell and I was cut off from life. But staying in here hadn't stopped me. I'd escape and mentally connect to others that I'd come in contact with. Including him. Cassie as well. Even Cyrus. Talking to Cyrus helped me more. He was born to be a psychologist.

Each time Faisal connected to Luna, I'd pull him away every five seconds to get an update. I needed some news to soothe my aching soul. I knew she was miserable. I wished that I could be there now with her and take the pain they were doing to her. She didn't deserve any of this. Chase did, and we'll all team up and tranq him until he was old and gray. I don't care.

I'm coming for her, then him. 

Bitter anger surged through me, melting up my insides like acid as I came up with strategies to get her out. I wanted to leave before, but I can thank Cassie for talking me out of it. She said, "Get a work visa to go to different hospitals in Louisiana. Then find the one Luna is in and work there." I thought that plan could work, but Faisal being Faisal calmed me down. So we're now discussing different ways to save her. Luna had a part in that, in stopping me from coming out to her. Faisal let it slip out when he was talking to Cassie outside and didn't know I heard his conversation. My baby was worried about me while I was worried about her. It was cosmic.

Right now, I was coming up with ways to torture Chase. Oh, yeah. Bury him in the ground, throw hot coils on his face, or string him up on a tree and do whatever I wanted to him. Maybe chop off his manhood? He took my Luna away from me, and that was a big mistake. 

Even though she cut things off from continuing a life with me, she was still my girl, and I'd do whatever I could to protect her. Her choosing him over me meant nothing anymore, and I couldn't wait to see her and let her know that I still loved her no matter what.

She tried to block it out, but I accessed her mind the other day. I saw what that animal did to her in Liberty's guest bedroom. The scene that played out in my head almost caused me to lose myself and hunt Chase down, but I didn't need to focus on that. I needed to set her free and then find his rancid soul. He took advantage of her, and he was a dead man walking. Nobody harms my Moon and gets away with it. Nobody.

I shook my head and stood to my feet, then stared off into the trees, wishing my baby was in a better place. But I could no longer concentrate on pleasant thoughts of us when I heard Faisal on the other side of the door. "I have some news for you, Amir."

"Keep talking." I began stretching my body. Because if what he says was bad, he can forget about quarantining me anymore. I'm going after her on the first flight out of Pakistan. "I'm waiting."

He pondered if he should say anything, but then he appeared right behind me with his arms crossed. 

"You wouldn't do anything crazy?" 

"What do you think? Just let me out already." 

"I would, but I wouldn't be able to tell what you'll do next." 

If he doesn't say anything in the next two seconds, there was a good chance I'd bust down my door and make him talk. 

"You need to be patient, Amir. For her. At her request." He took a step forward. "You need to stay here. Going after her will only-" 

"Do more damage. I know. You've done told me." 

"Something like that," he muttered. 

I stepped around him and paced with my hands behind my head, itching to pull my strands out. I could see the shock from my cousin's face that indicated the news was bad. Real bad. A sickness in my stomach started taking over, and I could feel pain in my chest. What the hell are they doing to her? 

I hated cussing and using any bad language, but I was in agony.

"Are you going to tell me, or what?"

"Amir... it's worse than last time." I moved in closer to him and glared deeply into his eyes. "They are giving her shock therapy on top of medicine. They think it'll stop her apparent delusions." 

That was it. Time to smash something like The Incredible Hulk.

A burst of anger shot through me, causing me to slam my fist into the wall, cracking the wood panel. My vision blurred as I saw Chase's face in my view, and the only thing I could keep doing was slamming my hands to the paint, wishing it was him instead. "I hope you weren't serious, cousin." 

"I wanted to give you something, hoping you would focus on what we can do to get her out. Luna is frightened." 

"I know she is." I took a deep breath as I stepped up to him, going eye to eye. "Did you really believe giving me that information would stop me from becoming more furious than I already am? What they're doing is horrible!" 

"I know. Maybe-"

"Did you think that would stop me from going after her?" Fury flowed through me again, my fist hitting my bedroom door, causing me to smash the hinges in the edges. Breathing rapidly, I finished. "I'll go to the ends of the earth and burn that place down to save her. Nobody treats my lady like that. And each staff member in that place is on my hit list."

I stepped over the bottom half of my door and made my way into the kitchen, slamming my shoulder into Faisal. 

"What are you planning to do?"

It had taken everything in me not to punch another part of my house and tear everything up after he gave me my Luna Update. So, I gulped down some fruit juice I still had from a few days ago and slowly calmed down enough to not destroy everything within reach. 

"Better question is how many people will I lay out to save her?" I tensed, feeling riled up inside my head. Faisal stepped on the other side of my counter and sat down. "Don't fight me on this, Faisal. You won't win."

He kept his gaze on mine for a moment and then swore under his breath as he glanced away. I stepped to the counter and place my hands down, my head hanging low. 

"I think she's trying to cope with it as best as she can. The doctor is a real piece of work," he said, folding his hands together. "I'm sorry, Amir." 

"We've got to do something. I could make a few calls and figure out how to shut that place down. What they're doing is illegal."

"I know, Amir. We'll think of something." Faisal gazed my way and pinched his lips into a thin line. "If anyone can get her out, it's you."

"Where is she?" I murmured, staring at the wall.

"Here," came a soft feminine voice from the hallway. 

I turned around and, shit, it felt like our souls fused back together and were never apart. The horrible thing was, she looked thinner and had dark circles under her eyes. I could see the marks along her forehead where they gave her shock therapy. Those bastards.

Immediately throwing myself at her, I wrapped my arms around her body and held her tight, not wanting to let go. She was so slim and beautiful no matter what treatments they gave her. Holding her in my arms was the best part of my day. 

"Moon." Her body smelled like Clorox and bleach, and her hair felt stiff. I guess they were making her clean and didn't allow her to wash her hair. That's it, I'm saving her and anyone else who is inside and burning that place to the ground. "You opened our connection back up. Are you feeling better?"

Faisal stepped closer and gave her a soft hug. Then he walked outside to give us some space. "I don't know if he informed you of everyth-"

"He did. And Luna, I am getting you out. Okay? We plan on leaving for the States soon. I will get in touch with St. Matthew's Psychiatric Institute to work in their laboratory. Then I can see you. Those bastards are treating you, and probably others, like lab-rats. I'll do whatever I can to get you out." 

"But I don't want you to do anything stupid, you know, and ruin everything you've worked for. For me." Her eyes darted around to my trashed bedroom door, and she shuddered. She was dressed in a gray tee-shirt with black jogging pants and some shoes I've never seen her wear before. Holding me tighter with tears flowing down her eyelids, she glanced up at me and whispered, "Quite a mess you made there."

"All in the name of love," I told her. She chuckled and then frowned, probably feeling ashamed of choosing Chase. "Luna, I want you to understand something. I don't care about the choice you made. You made a choice you thought was best, and what's going on now is not your faught. I love you no matter what. You are still my girl."

She looked up at me and shook her head. "You still want me? After what I did?" I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"What you did- Luna? It's okay. I forgive you. Faisal made me realize something. Shortly before we found out about what Chase did, he said that he was trying to help us stay together. He informed you about the serum he was working on with a doctor in another country."

"Dr. Bankole. In Nigeria. I remember," she mumbled under her breath. I nodded back.

"Yeah. Him. Well, Faisal helped me realize that no matter what I wanted to do in my life or whatever path I took, I would never get over you. I could move onto the woman my parents chose for me, but I wouldn't ever be happy with her. And that wasn't because she wasn't a great person, but she wasn't you. I want you. I desire you. I want to meet Sarah and take her to all the places she loves, just like I wanted to do for her mother. Moon, you are my life. You keep my heart beating just thinking of you. And that may sound corny or silly-" 

She laughed a little, and I continued. "With all that has gone on lately, my life means nothing without you in it. That is what I meant by tearing my door to pieces. It happened all in the name of love."

Luna inhaled a deep breath as her lips trembled. "I'm sorry you smashed your door for me." I laughed as I brought my chin down to her neck.

"If you think that's the only thing I'm capable of, you hadn't seen nothin' yet." She smiled at my country accent.

"I loved what you expressed because I feel the same way. I wish I never made a choice. I should've waited a little while longer."

I brought my hand up and pressed my finger onto her lips, quieting her. "Hey. That is all in the past. You thought you were doing the right thing by following your heart. You spent many years with Chase and not choosing him would have made you wonder about things in the future. That was something you wouldn't be able to handle. I know you too well." She smiled up at me as a tear slid down her face, and I swipped it away, then said, "Let's take this one step at a time. Together."

"Together," she whispered as I tuned into her location.

But something else happened. It was like we were inside of a cloud of smoke, and I couldn't see anything. Not even her. "Where are you?" 

"I'm in a private bathroom. I was at the lunch table with a new friend and suddenly felt this ache in my chest like I was suffocating. I had to see you. I had to find out what was going on with you." 

"Oh." Damn. Our connection was very strong. She felt my fury. That's kind of hot. "But why is it so cloudy?" 

"It's probably the medication I'm under." She tightened her arms around me and leaned up to place a kiss on my chin. "Whatever it is, it's blocking you."

We were now back in my kitchen, and I cupped my hands around her tiny, enchanted face. "I'm glad you were able to reach out to me. Thank you, Moon. I have missed you so much."

"I hated that I had to block you out, but I didn't know what they'd do to me. I had a needle near my artery."

"Speaking of that, never do that again. If you're hurt, I'm hurt. If you die, you take me with you. I have nothing else keeping me here," I expressed, holding her tight.

She stepped back and stood against the counter, placing her hands down. "Don't say that. Honestly, that wasn't what I had in mind. I was furious and mad, and then my knight and shining armor came to save the day. I wouldn't be here if you weren't able to come through."

"I was in my room when Faisal burst through my door and told me I needed to get to you quickly. He said it was a matter of life and death, and you are my life, so I had to concentrate very hard to connect to you. I could feel my soul was being... stabbed." 

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do in that situation. Dr. Kim was making it clear that I would not be released anytime soon. I felt sick."

I took her hands and kissed each of  her knuckles gently, then she kissed my bruises and gazed into my eyes. "If you're sick, I'm sick. We'll get you free. Then you can go to London or wherever you want, Luna."

"That is one thing that continued to surprise me most about you. You've never pressured me into anything, and I can be myself with you. My daughter is treated equal, and you've dealt with my poly shit between you and Chase. I'm blessed to have you as my companion."

I removed some strands of sticky hair from her eyes and kissed her lips. "I'm the blessed one. My life will always be with you." 

"I hate to cut this short, but a few ladies are standing in line for the bathroom. I've been in here too long. I'll connect to you when it's safe. Maybe when I'm in my room."

"Mmm... your room, you say? I like that idea." I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. 

"I love how you're flirting with me when I'm dealing with all this."

"Anything to help ease our current situation," I murmured, smiling gently against her chin.

"Thanks. I needed something to cheer me up."

"I know. I hate how things are going for you. I know you are miserable. I am, too."

She sniffed and nodded. "I know you are."

I kissed her temples where they shocked her and slowly left a trail down her neck. "Can I tell you something before you leave?" 

"Hm?" she murmured.

"I love you," I said, softly.

"I love you, too, Amir. You know, sometimes while being in here, I couldn't help but think of you as more than just my companion. I dreamed of us getting married and living life together as one. As husband and wife."

She smiled at me as she stepped back and let go. Then she was gone, just like that.

Did I hear that right? Did she-no. No. She couldn't have dreamed of a life of us as a happily married couple. Me as her husband? Oh, wow. Oh, God. I need to break her butt out fast. Did she really see a potential future with me? How will we become married when we can't even hold each other physically, much less kiss? That doesn't matter right now because our souls are married. They were married from day one. 

I called Faisal back in, and we sat down at my table to devise a plan. Getting nowhere, I jumped up and began sorting out my bedroom door that was torn in half by me. Trying to keep myself distracted, I pushed the doorframe up against the wall and leaned forward, catching my breath. I needed a break and to calm myself down. I was just now thinking of flying out there as fast as I could and get her out. But that wasn't an option, yet. We had to come up with a plausible plan first.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and guzzled it down, then laid back on the couch. It was after eleven pm, and Faisal was playing a game on his phone outside on the back patio. I guess he was Amir-sitting tonight. So I gently closed my eyes, grabbing a pillow, and thought of her.

I'll burn everything down if it meant keeping her safe. Nothing in this world was going to stop me from saving her. 

Nothing.

***

Amir-sitting, like babysitting. 
Tee-hee-hee.
And don't you all just love these
two and how they can overcome every obstacle thrown in
their faces? Aluna is love.
Aluna is life. Aluna are soulmates.
Aluna are Tethered Lovers. 💕