7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Luna

T he weight of my secret was finally off my chest, but the look on Orion’s face when I told him—shock, maybe even betrayal—left me feeling hollow. Orion was about to reveal his secret to me, but before he could say anything, his phone buzzed, cutting through the thick tension between us. The expression on his face darkened instantly, as he listened to the voice on the other end.

I couldn’t hear what was being said, but the sudden shift in his posture, the rigid set of his jaw, told me something was terribly wrong.

“What?” His voice was harsh, filled with disbelief and fury.

He paced away from me, his back tense, as he gripped the phone tighter. “Tremont is dead? How? When?”

Dead? I thought, as I felt a cold chill running down my spine, the reality of what I had seen in my visions crashing over me.

Orion ended the call and stood still for a moment, his back to me, his hand still gripping the phone tightly. I could see the strain in his muscles, the barely contained anger.

“Orion,” I said softly, my voice trembling. “What’s going on?”

He turned to face me, his eyes hard and unreadable. “There’s definitely something you need to know Luna. You are right, I am not who I portray myself to be.” He exhaled and sat next to me.

“I am a werewolf. I’m the Alpha of the Ronala Clan.”

“Does … does that mean Miranda is a werewolf too?”

“Yes, we are a family of werewolves”

“I … I can’t believe this. This is like a movie. I saw visions but just couldn’t understand …”

“Yeah, I understand, I still can’t believe you are a seer, either.”

I exhaled and stroked my hair, as my brain tried to process everything.

“Who’s dead? What’s going on?”

“It’s the rival clan,” he said through gritted teeth. “Marcosias. He’s making his move. Tremont, one of my closest men, was just killed.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered, horror flooding me. I’d seen flashes of violence in my visions, but hearing it now, knowing it was happening in real-time, hit me hard.

“He’s coming for me.” Orion’s voice was dark, filled with barely controlled rage.

I swallowed, stepping closer to him. “Orion, I need to know everything. What does this mean? Who is Marcosias?”

Orion exhaled sharply, running a hand through his brown hair, streaked with grey. His eyes softened as they met mine, but the tension still radiated off him.

“Marcosias is the alpha of a rival clan. Ruthless, power-hungry. He’s been trying to overthrow me for years. Marcosias is known for being brutal, but you don’t have to worry, I’ll make him regret messing with me.”

The cool evening breeze brushed against my skin, as I stood at the edge of the yacht, staring out at the fading sunset. The marina was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city, and the gentle lapping of water against the boat.

It should have felt peaceful, but my nerves were on edge. I could feel something was wrong, and Orion’s tense demeanor wasn’t helping.

I glanced over at him. He was pacing, phone in hand, his jaw clenched tight, as he dialed a number. His fingers gripped the phone with a force that made my heart pound a little harder. I knew this wasn’t just another business call.

“Jake, I need you to come to the marina. Now,” Orion said, his voice low but commanding. His eyes flicked to mine, and I could see the worry hidden beneath his calm exterior. “It’s about Tremont.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to push away the chill creeping up my spine.

"Jake’s coming," he said quietly, his voice gentle, in contrast to the storm brewing inside him. "We’ll talk when he gets here."

"Do you think we’re safe here?" I asked softly, unable to keep the fear from my voice. "What if Marcosias comes for us?"

Orion reached out, his large hand resting on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We’re safe. No one, absolutely no one, can harm you under my watch. I’ll make the person beg for death.”

His words didn’t ease my worry, but I trusted him. Orion always had a plan. He always knew what to do. But even he couldn’t hide the darkness in his eyes. Something was coming, and I had a sinking feeling that it was coming for us.

Minutes later, the distant rumble of a car engine reached my ears, and I turned to see headlights flickering on the dock. Orion’s second-in-command, Jake, climbed out of the car, and made his way toward the yacht, his face set in a hard, unreadable expression.

As Jake stepped aboard, the air was saturated with tension. Whatever they were about to discuss, it wasn’t good. Orion gestured for Jake to follow him to a more private corner of the deck, and I watched as they huddled close, their voices low but intense.

"Marcosias’ men killed Tremont," I heard Orion say, his voice tight with anger. "It was an ambush."

Jake’s face darkened. "Yes sir, it was. I made my inquiries immediately, as soon as I heard of the incident.”

“I know that look Jake. You found out about something else, right? What is it?”

“Sir … I don’t know how to tell you.” I watched Jake’s eyes flick to me for a split second before he turned back to Orion. "He knows about Luna."

My stomach twisted at the sound of my name.

"What ... What do you mean?" Orion asked, his voice dropping to a near growl.

"He’s known for days now," Jake said, running a hand through his hair. "Ever since he realized you were interested in her, he’s been watching her. Following her. Does Luna have …"

“Have what Jake?”

“Seer abilities …”

“How do you know that? I just found out today, so how is it possible you know that already? What’s going on?”

“Marcosias knows that she is a seer and wants to use her to his own advantage. He believes her powers and seer abilities can help him overthrown you.”

“What!”

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I felt frozen in place .

Marcosias had been watching me? Following me? For months? He knows I’m a seer? I thought, as fear engulfed me.

Orion cursed under his breath. "We’ve underestimated him."

I stood there, heart racing, trying to process everything.

Why was Marcosias following me? What benefit are my powers to him? I thought.

Before I could spiral any further, I heard Orion’s voice again, this time more urgent. "We can’t let him get near her, Jake. We have to take her to a safe place. I can’t risk losing her."

Jake nodded, his face grave. "Yes sir. I’ll also double the security.”

Orion lowered his voice even further, but I caught the next part.

"I need you to do something else. I need you to hire some men to watch Miranda. Secretly."

Miranda. I hadn’t thought about the danger Marcosias might pose to her. My heart ached at the thought.

"Miranda? You think Marcosias would go after her too?" Jake asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"He’ll go after anyone connected to me," Orion said firmly. "I won’t take any chances. Make sure she’s protected, but don’t let her know. She can’t know about this."

"Understood," Jake said. "I’ll have the best men on it."

I couldn’t stay silent any longer. I stepped forward, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "Orion," I said quietly, my voice trembling slightly. "How will I be able to help him with my powers? What if he kills me? I …"

Orion turned to face me, his expression softening as he took a step closer. "Hey. Look at me," he said, slightly lifting my chin. “I won’t let him do anything to you …” He trailed off, frustration and worry etched into his features.

"Now, I can’t take any chances. I need to make sure you are in a safe place. I’m sure he’d want to take advantage of my weaknesses, which are you and Miranda."

I felt a tear slip down my cheek, the fear I’d been trying to push away finally catching up with me. "I’m scared," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Orion’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest. His warmth and strength anchored me, but I could feel the tension in his muscles, the weight of everything pressing down on him, too.

"We’ll leave tonight. I’ll keep you safe."

“Leave? Where?” My voice was shaky.

“My estate, in the Berkshires” Orion replied, his voice firm, decisive. “It’s secluded, heavily guarded. It’ll give us time to figure this out and keep you safe.”

I blinked, trying to process everything. “You want me to come with you? For how long?”

“A week,” he said, already moving toward the door. “Maybe longer, depending on how things unfold.”

I followed him, my mind swirling with questions. “Orion, I don’t know if this is—”

“Luna,” he interrupted, turning back to me with a look that silenced my hesitation. His eyes softened, filled with something more than just concern. “I need you with me. I need to keep you safe. I don’t trust anyone else with your protection.”

My breath caught. The intensity in his gaze was undeniable, and I realized that this wasn’t just about protecting me from the Marcosias. There was something deeper here, something neither of us had fully acknowledged yet.

“Okay,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He nodded, relief flickering across his features. “Good. I’ll help you pack. We are to leave in an hour.”

“I’ll get the car ready, and also call for the estate to be prepared for your coming, sir,” Jake said, and left. We left to gather my things. My mind was still racing, when his voice stopped me.

The drive to the estate was quiet. The sun had already set by the time we arrived, the darkness outside adding to the ominous feeling that had settled in my chest.

The estate was enormous—remote, surrounded by dense forest, and guarded by high, imposing gates. It felt like a fortress, and for the first time since we left, I felt a tiny flicker of safety.

Orion led me inside, his hand lightly resting on my back, as we walked through the grand entrance.

“I’ll show you to your room,” he said, his voice tight, his mind clearly still preoccupied with everything that had happened.

I followed him through the spacious halls until we reached a large, luxurious bedroom. The bed was massive, draped in soft linens, and the view overlooked the dark forest below.

“This is … beautiful,” I said softly, trying to break the heavy silence between us.

Orion nodded, but his gaze was distant. “It’s safe,” he murmured. “That’s what matters right now.”

I turned to face him, my heart pounding as I stepped closer. “Orion … about earlier—before everything happened. We need to talk about us.”

He exhaled, his eyes meeting mine. “I know,” he said quietly. “But right now we have to focus on staying ahead of Marcosias.”

I placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath my palm. “And we will. But we can’t ignore what’s happening between us, either.”

Orion’s gaze darkened, his hand coming up to rest on mine. “Luna, I want you. God, I’ve wanted you since the moment we met. But with everything going on … I have to figure out how to protect you from what’s coming.”

I stepped closer, until I was inches away from him. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

His resolve cracked, and before I knew it, his lips were on mine, fierce and demanding. All the fear, the tension, the unspoken desire between us spilled out in that kiss, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist.

But as we pulled apart, reality crashed back in.

“I’ll protect you, Luna,” Orion whispered, his voice filled with raw emotion. “I promise you that. I won’t let you have the same fate as Katherine”

“Who is Katherine?”