22

They seem to think for a second until Orion breaks the silence to ask another question. “What about other families?”
“No idea; I grew up in foster care.”
“And the foster carers never had any information on them?” Orion raises an eyebrow.
“Nope, I was dropped out in front of a church when I was a few days old; a nun found me.” I shrug.
“That explains the newspaper clipping we found,” Ryland says, looking at Thaddeus.
“Newspaper clipping?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah, the box we found under your bed.”
I nod, not really knowing what to think about knowing they snooped through my stuff. Not like I have much or anything valuable.
“You’re not upset we went through your stuff?” Thaddeus asks.
Shrugging, I pick up my plate and wash it in the sink. “Not really; I doubt you would have found much. Besides, everyone has skeletons in the closet,” I tell him.
“And what are yours, then?” Thaddeus asks curiously.
“You tell me yours, and I will tell you mine,” I challenge. He shakes his head. “That’s what I thought.” I chuckle, for once feeling better that I might have won a battle with him.
“Like the burn on your back?” Thaddeus adds.
“Yes, exactly like that,” I tell him.
E
velyn
After having breakfast for dinner, I head into the living room. Orion follows me out of the kitchen and sits right next to me the moment I take a seat on the couch.
“We should head to bed soon,” Orion tells me. Thaddeus and Ryland walk out and head upstairs, and I see Orion watch them go. “Come on. You should sleep,” he says, and I shake my head, not wanting to go to bed.
I don’t want to sleep in a bed with Thaddeus and Ryland. I have spent most of the day and night asleep. “I’m not tired. You go to bed,” I tell him. Orion chuckles to himself, making me look at him. “What?” I ask, wondering what he thinks is so funny.
“Nothing. I don’t sleep. I wish I could; I miss sleeping,” he says.
I furrow my eyebrows. “You don’t sleep?” Orion shakes his head. “At all?”
“I’m not human, Evelyn. I don’t require sleep. Not like Ryland and humans,” he says.
“But Thaddeus sleeps?” The statement comes out more like a question and Orion nods in agreement.
“Yes, but he is a Tribrid, so like Ryland, he needs sleep. He can go weeks without it, but he becomes manic without sleeping,” Orion explains.
Manic? Great, not only do I have a psychopath for a mate, but he is fucking bonkers. I have heard so many rumors about the Dark King, and I know that most of them are correct, but how can someone be more than one thing? Probably a stupid thought, considering the world just found out that there is an entirely different world from the one I grew up in.
“So exactly what is Thaddeus?”
“It’s complicated. He is a vampire and Lycan, but his mother is a witch hybrid, so it’s too hard to explain. Just be careful, Evelyn. I don’t mean to scare you, but Thaddeus is the first tribrid, and not even he understands it completely. He’s…” Orion thinks, trying to find the right word when Thaddeus answers for him.
“A monster,” Thaddeus says, making Orion look up. I didn’t even hear him sneak up on us or notice him walk down the stairs. Knowing he heard us makes me a little uneasy.
“I wasn’t going to say that. Don’t put words in my mouth, Thaddeus,” Orion tells him.
“Not like you weren’t thinking it,” Thaddeus replies.
Orion shakes his head, disagreeing, but Thaddeus doesn’t even glance in his direction; his eyes don’t leave mine.
“What about your sister?” I ask, wondering if she is the same as Thaddeus.
“Amara is the same, but the darkness doesn’t affect her. Her magic is purer; mine is old magic, tainted and dark and not of this realm,” Thaddeus answers, making me more confused. “Enough with the questions. Now get up and come to bed,” Thaddeus says, stepping closer to the couch.
“I’m not tired, and I am not sleeping in any room you are in,” I tell him. Thaddeus growls, and his eyes darken. It is like a switch just goes off in his head, or an alter ego takes over. Walking over, he rips me off the couch. “Ow! Thaddeus, you’re hurting me,” I tell him, trying to pry his fingers from my wrist.
“That’s nothing compared to what I will do if you don’t get upstairs now,” he growls, causing goosebumps to spread over me and a shiver to run up my spine.
“What the fuck is your problem? You don’t just force people to do what you want,” I tell him, trying to pull my hand away.
“And who is going to stop me, little one? Not Orion, not Ryland. No one can do anything; no one can save you from me. You are weak and human, no match for me.”
“Thaddeus, please let her sleep down here until she is ready,” Orion insists.
Yeah, that will most likely never happen. The first chance I get, I am out of here and will happily live my life on the run if it means never seeing Thaddeus again.
Thaddeus glares at Orion. “Clearly, you’re forgetting the deal we made, Evelyn. For your friend’s life,” Thaddeus says, his eyes darting to mine.
I watch as veins run down his face and his fangs protrude. Orion stands up, moving to my side, and I feel his hand on my lower back. My breath becomes stuck in my throat, and I begin to panic.
“You know you can’t, especially when you are like this, Thaddeus. You could kill her.”
“I don’t care,” Thaddeus says, shoving him away from me.
“That’s exactly my point. I won’t let you mark her while you’re surrounded by darkness. Ryland!” Orion yells, and I hear footsteps. Soon, I see him coming up behind Thaddeus as he runs down the stairs. Ryland grips his arm, but Thaddeus backhands him, not letting my arm go. Thaddeus pulls me towards himself, pressing me against his chest.
Orion reaches for me when I hear a menacing growl escape Thaddeus, and the lights suddenly flicker, the air around us becomes dense. I can hear the sound of static.
“Thaddeus!” Orion yells when I feel my arms burning.
My skin burns so hot that I think it is melting off. I scream, his grip sears into my flesh, and Orion tackles him, forcing him to let go, while I am thrown violently onto the floor. My head smacks the floor with so much force, I see black, and my vision turns blurry.
Sitting up, I clutch my head, feeling blood trickle down the side of my face. As I pull my hand back, I see it’s coated in blood, and I feel my eyes roll into the back of my head.