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• Luna •

Lying flat on a metal slab in a treatment room, Luna feared for her life. She was strapped down and almost stuck to the table, sweat pouring down her body. As she heard the doorknob twist and watched Dr. Kim stroll in like he wasn't doing anything wrong, completely at ease with no remorse for hurting her, a slow smile crept onto his face.

With her hands wrapped around the loop of her restraints, trying to wiggle her fingers to unhook them, he spoke before she could get free. 

"Don't even think about it. You nor Camille are getting any better. I knew she'd be tough to crack, but you were the one who surprised me the most." He barely passed her a glance as he walked around the slab, eying her. Then he pulled up his small seat and sat down. "Cami and the one she is tethered to will be captured before long. So will yours and both of you will talk. You need to understand these sessions will continue until you tell me what I want to know." 

A deep growl settled inside Luna's throat as she lay there, helpless.

He glanced at the monitors and then back to her and tsked in a quiet tone. "Luna, I had so much hope for you to utter your companion's name. Once we locate him, well, you get the picture." 

It took everything in her not to shoot a wad of spit on him. "You jerk! I hope you get what you deserve!" 

One dark eyebrow rose. "Yes, I hear that a lot. Does it seem like I care?"

Grinding her teeth again, irritated by how much agony she'd endured over this, Dr. Kim was trying to make her say Amir's name. "You don't have to care, but kidnapping people who have a special gift is grounds for torture?"

Dr. Kim brushed his fingers down his pants and flipped one knee over the other. "Don't think of it as torture, Luna. This is different." He laid a hand over one of the tubes hooked up to her, adjusting it. "Hopefully that is less . . . uncomfortable." 

"Lying here numb and defenseless is uncomfortable." 

He tensed close to her face and gazed down. She couldn't understand how she ended up there, or how he knew about the Tethered Species. That must be what this hospital was about. Collecting them and doing horrible things to patients.

"I was really hoping you would say the person's name by now. We need to locate them and find out everything we can. I'm thinking it's a man. Maybe in Morocco, or perhaps Moscow? You've yelled out those locations before while we shocked your brain." 

Anger was like poisonous acid in her body as she stared up at the doctor. She doubted he was a real doctor. His methods of getting information were horrendous.

It was the nurse who broke the silence between them; her soft voice was level as she stared down at Luna. "We just need a name."

Glaring up at her, Luna saw how her face was pale and her eyes were round but overdone with eyeliner. They wanted Amir's name because they'll capture him and torture him the same way they do to her. 

Maybe a false name would do?

Dr. Kim spoke as he kept his eyes on her. "Tell me, Luna, why are you insistent on keeping quiet about this? Do you care for this person?" 

"What do you want to do with them?"

"Just answer the question, please." He cocked his head to the side. "I'm curious." 

Every heartbeat sent a surge of shivers in her chest as if it were being torn apart. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"You and Cami, among others, are part of a rare species who can communicate exceptionally well." His gaze flickered over at the nurse and back to Luna. "Your race of people are curious . . . beings. I'd like to know more about what you can do." 

"Why?"

"You're a Tethered Soul, Luna. You are paired with someone out there who will be hurt repeatedly when I shock your temples. It would be best if you just tell me what I want to know."

"You won't get anything out of me."

"Is that right? Because I know the Luna who hates these therapy sessions and hurting all the time. I know this must be miserable for you." He softly chuckled and looked away. "I know that some part of you wants to answer me, to put your mind at ease." 

"That would never put my mind at ease to put my partner in danger. I would never turn on them because we are linked, and this facility will go down once my friend sees what is happening to me!" 

"Oh, so the connection is still open. Good to know." 

She looked sternly into his gaze and growled. He knew about their connection, and now he'll hurt her to hurt Amir. Her brain couldn't comprehend this, and all she could think about was keeping that jerk talking. She couldn't go through another shock treatment. An electrifying ache coursed through her, contorting her body just by thinking about it. 

"I didn't tell you anything." 

She needed to block their connection. But it wasn't as simple as turning off a car. Shutting him out was harder.

"You can't tell me that after enduring all this discomfort, you will keep this information to yourself. I'm shocked at how difficult it is for you to open up. For Cami, she blurted her partner's name. Darren is from New Zealand. And now I have one more to go." 

A muscle along her temple throbbed. God knows what will happen to them. Luna bet he'd perform countless things to Cami to get to Darren, and she will not let this man hurt Amir.

"You think telling me that will make me talk?" she spat while his gaze stayed on her. "Because guess what? I won't say my companion's name." 

A flare of impatience made him pop up from his seat and scoot lower down to her face. "What if I told you that Sarah may not be as safe as you think?" 

"What?" she whimpered.

My baby. What has he done to my family?

He didn't look away, not even blink. His eyes stayed locked on her as his hand tightened a restraint. "Your daughter, Luna. What if I told you she, Liberty, and Mr. Rahul are being monitored? Would you say your companion's name then? Or do you continue keeping that a secret?" 

There was a light knock at the door, and the nurse cracked it open and spoke to whoever it was on the other side. She then walked to the doctor and whispered something into his ear. He stepped away from Luna's body and opened the door wider. Luna's heart sped up as she saw a tall, dark, and attractive figure standing before her. 

Amir.

Amir was there. He stood near the edge where her feet were. Taking one step closer to her legs, he stared into her eyes and shook his head, as if he knew what was happening. 

Dr. Kim came back to the table and looked her over. "Luna, this is a geneticist who came a long way and was curious about what we're conducting in this facility." 

Several men in military uniforms stepped into the doorway and lined up against the wall. The doctor then stood beside Amir as she kept her eyes on him. Neither of them could talk privately because they couldn't get caught. Dr. Kim then did something she didn't expect him to do.

He brought up his taser to Amir's neck and shocked him, causing her partner to fall face down onto the ground.

He knew.

Somehow, Dr. Kim knew about Amir. They were about to experiment on both of them, and her heart nearly exploded out of her chest with fear of the unknown. 

Her soul felt the sting inside her chest as he shocked Amir's skin again. 

"Stop! Please!" She swallowed, but the realization hit her like a freight train. "Don't hurt him!"

Dr. Kim stared up at her eyes, an evil grin spreading across his face. "He came here on his own, Ms. Carlyle. I have him right where I need him, so why would I stop now?"

"I'll tell you whatever you need to know."

"I will too . . . don't hurt us," Amir gasped out, his hands pushing himself up. "Anything . . . you need to . . . know."

"Amir," Luna cried out, tears falling slowly out of her eyes.

Dr. Kim's hand raised, and the military men rushed to Amir's body, pulling him up. "I will get the answers I need?" the doctor urged.

"Yes!" Luna cried as the agony inside her body spread further. Dr. Kim then shocked Amir on his back and caused her to shake rapidly all over her bed.

She jerked herself up and panted, realizing that was all a dream. Amir was safe. She was safe. Her chest pounded in its chambers, not daring to slow down. 

Then she felt a hand rub her cheek, and she turned her neck around quickly.

"Amir?"

"Yeah, Luna. You're okay. It was just a dream," he said, soothing her spine. 

"But it felt so real," she replied, almost whispering.

"It wasn't. We aren't discovered."

Huh? Did we just share the same nightmare? Did our connection reach that far?

"Did you see what I dreamed about?"

He quietly snickered, the tip of his lips turning up into a small grin. "Not exactly. I was lying down when I felt you sweating and almost like you were smothered. I couldn't breathe. And then when I connected to you, I wrapped my arms around you tightly, and somehow I could feel what was going on inside your mind. You felt my body getting shocked by a taser. I felt that."

"How did you know the reason we were being tased?"

"You screamed in your sleep. Then you thrashed around, looking frightened."

"It was so surreal. It was almost like they knew about us, and they tortured us for that reason."

"I doubt they have any clue who we are. I think they believe when they see a patient speaking to the air, that person has an imaginary friend, so the staff keeps them in this place. They have proof of you and Cami doing that, and you both need to be careful around here."

"I knew we should've been more careful when we spoke to you and Faisal."

"It's okay.  You only dreamed about your worst fear—being discovered."

"Why are you acting so cool about this?"

"I'm not. I understand how you feel. I hate the thought of you having nightmares, and I want to be here to comfort you."

"I'm still shaking over it. I had to put up a fight," Luna said, feeling slightly better by his hand running around her shoulders. "We need to get out of here. Cami and me. I want to be there for Sarah's birthday."

"It's the first of July, right?" he asked, and she nodded as her eyes welled up. "We're all trying to accomplish that, Moon. You will get out of here."

"I don't know what I'd do if you and I weren't connected like this, Amir. I'm glad you're in my life." 

"I'm glad too, Moon." 

"I've heard you call me Moon several times. I like it." 

Amir grinned. "Your name means moon, and it fits you."

"Now, I need to figure out a nickname for you. I'm thinking . . . A." 

"Hm. I can go with that." 

"You get in A for being a great partner, friend, companion, and soulmate."

Tilting her head up, Amir stared into her eyes, and said, "Soulmate, huh? I've never been more honored to be called that." 

A loud knock banged on the doorframes outside in the hallway, startling them.

"It's morning!" a female yelled outside in the hall. "Taylor, Carlyle, and Montgomery! Dr. Kim's office in three minutes!"

Luna looked at Amir and shivered. "Stay with me. I can't go in there alone."

"I'll be right there with you, Moon."

Luna held him for ten more seconds until her door swung open, and Cami stood beside the guards along with Lily Montgomery, another victim of that place. She threw on a sweatshirt and stepped into the sandals Cami lent her the other day, then walked down the hallway toward Dr. Kim's office, dreading what's to come.

She was grateful they had Amir there to keep an eye on them. Just looking at him helped calm her nerves.

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  Of course, you all know where the name Lily is derived from. That is the author's first name. Thanks for reading you guys!