“Why am I here?”
Orion looks at me, his eyes softening and twinkling in the light. “You know about shifters?” he asks.
I nod. I kind of do, about as much as anyone else.
“Well, all supernatural creatures have mates; you’re ours,” he says.
“What does that mean?” I raise an eyebrow. How can I be theirs? I don’t want to belong to the Dark Ones.
“You are ours, and we are yours. We are bound together,” Orion explains, too calmly for my liking.
I shake my head when something rushes over me, making me gasp. Orion’s eyes watch my face, a seductive smile on his full lips.
“You feel that?” he asks, and I nod. A moan escapes my lips, and I clamp my hand over my mouth. Arousal floods into me. “The mark on your neck makes you feel his emotions. It will get stronger. Eventually, you will go into what we call heat.”
“Heat?”
“Means you will want to have sex with him.” I choke on my smoke, coughing at his words. He chuckles. “Don’t panic. Not yet, but once we all mark you. You will still feel what he feels, and he can feel us, so in return, you’re picking up on both of them,” he says casually.
I just nod, not understanding. I’m not sure how long I sit on the balcony before eventually, I fall asleep, only to be awoken by Orion as he places me on the couch inside. My eyes flutter open to him leaning over me. “Go back to sleep. I will be back soon.”
“Don’t leave me here with them.” I sit up in a panic, looking around. Orion, noticing my panic, stops and sighs. Why does he have to sound so disappointed? They kidnapped me from my home, one of his mates attacked me, of course I’m fucking scared.
“I’m just going to have a shower. They’re asleep; they won’t hurt you, Evelyn,” he says, brushing my cheek with his hand. I nod and watch as he leaves, walking into the bathroom.
I sit there for a few minutes, waiting for him to return, when a thought hits me. If they are asleep and Orion is distracted, this is my chance to escape. I look around for my shoes and find them next to the couch.
My heart is pounding, my body buzzing with adrenaline at the thought of escaping them. Getting up, I walk to the bathroom door and can hear the shower running still. Quietly walking up the hallway, I find the front door and open it. The door creaks, and my breath hitches, getting caught in my throat. I look down the hall to see if anyone is coming. I pull the door open more, when suddenly, a hand hits the door right beside my face, closing the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His voice is next to my ear as he leans down, his chest pressing into my back. I gulp, my heart pounding in my chest.
Turning around, I come face to face with Thaddeus. His green eyes watch me as they sparkle brightly, flickering oddly between green and black. “Were you trying to leave me, Evelyn?” he asks. A cold shiver instantly runs up my spine as he presses me against the now-closed door.
I shake my head, words failing me. Thaddeus’ hand moves, brushing my cheek softly before gripping my face. “I would hate to see you get hurt because you disobeyed me,” he says, watching my face closely. He then straightens up before stepping aside, motioning for me to walk back down the hallway with his hand. He waits for me to move and follows close behind me.
I can feel his eyes roaming over me, and I fight the urge to run. When we get back to the room, I see the bathroom door open. I quickly step inside, preferring to be in Orion’s company rather than Thaddeus’.
I lock the door and step back into the bathroom, my eyes don’t leave the door as I wonder if he will come in after me. When he doesn’t, I turn around and quickly avert my gaze as I see Orion standing in the shower.
“Looking for me, little one? Care to join me?” he asks, making me look at him.
He has a smirk as my eyes roam down his toned body. A blush creeps onto my face as my eyes catch a glimpse of what sits between his legs, making me look away. I shake my head as I sit on the sink basin.
“So why have you invaded my shower if you don’t want to join me?”
“Thaddeus,” I tell him.
“Argh. Let me guess; you tried to leave.” I nod and suddenly, I hear the shower turn off.
Orion opens the glass door, reaches out, and grabs the towel next to me on the sink. He wraps the towel around his waist and stands there for a second, then pushes my legs open to stand between them, making me look at him.
“You’re safe here, Evelyn. You don’t need to run. Thaddeus isn’t so bad once you get to know him,” he says.
“He destroyed the world. How can you say that? He has killed innocent people, Orion,” I snap back.
Orion sighs. Before he can say anything, the door handle twists and snaps off, landing on the tiled floor with a loud clunking noise. Thaddeus steps in and leans on the door as if he has no worry in the world. I hold my breath as his eyes watch us and the position, we are standing in.
“We will be leaving in the morning. You should get some sleep before sunrise,” he says, watching me. He looks at Orion, his eyes roaming over his mate’s body, and I can see the lust in his eyes. Is he insatiable? He has spent all night in the room with Ryland. Orion steps back, grabbing my hand, pulling me off the sink. Thaddeus doesn’t move from the doorway; he just turns so we can walk past. Orion tugs me toward their room, and I stop. Thaddeus runs into my back, nearly knocking me over.
“What’s wrong?” Orion asks when I refuse to go any further.
“I’m not sleeping in there with them.” I hear Thaddeus growl. It is a guttural sound, primal. My hair stands on end, and I shiver.
“You will be sleeping in the room, Evelyn. I won’t have you trying to run off again,” Thaddeus says, pushing me toward the door.
“No, no, please, I won’t run,” I tell him as he drags me into the room.
Orion puts on a pair of pants. He then walks over to Thaddeus and places his hand on his shoulder. “Let her sleep in the living room. I will watch her,” he says, reassuring Thaddeus.
Thaddeus eyes me for a moment and finally lets me go. “If she escapes, I will hold you responsible,” he warns, and Orion nods. After the rather tense moment, Orion drags me out of the room.
“What time is it anyway?”
“A little after two. Go hop on the couch; I will get you a blanket and pillow.”
I walk over to the couch and flop down on it. Orion walks out, putting a comforter over me and handing me a pillow. I feel a fog roll over me as Orion sits on the couch, flicking the TV on. He scrolls through the channels until he finally sets on some movie in a foreign language.
“Sleep. I won’t leave, I promise,” he says, placing my feet on his lap and covering them with the blanket. My mind gets foggy and my eyelids heavy as I feel exhaustion wash over me. My eyes close, and I am plunged into the darkness of sleep.