Page 41 of Missing

Chapter 36

Harper Hillstrom

Ifelt Orlando being ripped from me, his warmth disappearing with him. My heart clenched in my chest as I propped myself up on my elbows, frantically scanning the room. There he was, sprawled on the floor, writhing in what looked like pain.

"Orlando!" I yelled, leaping off the bed and sprinting towards him. "What's happening? Talk to me!"

His face contorted in agony, his green eyes nearly rolling back in his head as he clutched at his chest. "Harper... I don't know," he managed to choke out between gritted teeth.

"Shit." Panic surged through me as I crouched down next to him, feeling utterly helpless. What the hell was going on? Was it because we bonded? Goddamn it, I didn't know how any of this worked!

In a frenzy, I grabbed my pyjama bottoms from the floor and yanked them on, not even bothering to fix the twisted waistband. I sprinted out of the room, nearly tripping over myself in my haste. My heart raced as I pounded on Melody's door, screaming for her to come out.

"Melody! Melody, help! Something's wrong with Orlando!"

The door flew open, revealing a wide-eyed Melody. But before she could say anything, Griffin came barreling around the corner, his commanding presence filling the hallway. "What's going on? You're projecting waves of panic across the hall," he barked, blue eyes blazing with concern.

"Orlando!" was all I managed to gasp out, pointing back towards my room. He didn't hesitate for a second, sprinting past me and into my room, where Orlando still writhed on the floor, clutching at his chest.

"Shit, shit, shit," I muttered under my breath, following Griffin inside. My mind raced with thoughts of what could be happening to Orlando, my chest tightening with each unanswered question. What if this was my fault? What if our bond was killing him?

Griffin dropped to his knees beside Orlando, laying a hand on his chest. I stood there, feeling utterly useless. I wanted to help, but how? I didn't know enough about our connection or our powers. I didn't even know what the hell was going on.

"Did you guys bond?" Griffin's voice cut through the haze, his eyes flicking over Orlando's naked form. I blinked, feeling my cheeks flush red.

"I think so... I don't know. I don't know how this all works," I admitted, the words tumbling out of me like a confession. Panic and uncertainty gnawed at my insides, making it hard to breathe.

"Shit," Griffin cursed under his breath. "He might not be strong enough for your powers to merge with his!"

Every beat of my heart felt like a ticking time bomb, threatening to explode. The weight of what I'd done - what we'd done - came crashing down on me. I couldn't bear the thought of losing Orlando.

"Melody," Griffin said, his voice urgent as he looked at her. "You need to get Hunter. Now."

Without a moment's hesitation, Melody turned on her heels and sprinted down the hall, her short blonde hair bouncing as she disappeared from sight. I was left standing there, my hands trembling and my thoughts racing. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"Orlando, please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Stay with me."

I could feel the desperate ache in my chest, pulsing in time with the frantic beating of my heart. I needed him to be okay; I couldn't handle the alternative. But as the seconds ticked by, the crushing weight of guilt and fear threatened to suffocate me.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," I muttered, digging my nails into my palms as I tried to anchor myself in reality. This couldn't be happening. Not now.

"Griffin, what do I do?" My voice cracked as I looked back at him, my eyes filled with desperation. Just as the words left my lips, Hunter appeared in my room like a damn superhero, clad in blue and white striped pyjamas. He didn't waste a moment and immediately knelt down beside Orlando, placing his hand on his chest.

"Harper, you need to pull your powers back," Hunter said, his voice strained as he focused on Orlando. "At the moment, you're sharing yours with his, but you can pull it back so only he is sharing with you."

Tears pricked at my eyes as I stared helplessly at them. "I don't know how!" I choked out, feeling completely useless.

"Focus," Hunter instructed, his green eyes boring into mine. "Imagine your powers as a tether connecting the two of you. You need to take control of that connection and gently draw it back towards yourself."

I looked at him with wide eyes.

"Harper, listen to me," Hunter's voice broke through my panic, his green eyes intense and focused. "You can do this."

I nodded shakily, trying to steady my breathing as he instructed me. Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes and imagined tendrils snaking out from within me, connecting to Orlando. The sensation was both alien and intimate – I could feel the raw essence of our bond pulsing with energy.

"Okay," I whispered, focusing on the tendrils as they entwined with Orlando's core. "Now what?"

"Pull them back into yourself, Harper," Hunter urged, his voice calm but urgent. "Reel them in like you're drawing a line back towards your heart."

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