Page 23 of Bonded

He spins me around and pulls me back, a gasp escaping me. “I never had friends. I didn’t see the point when my brothers would scare them off or my parents would deem them useless for me. I was taught to be a fighter, to train and dedicate myself to protecting my oldest brother when he took the alpha seat.”

“That’s quite sad, Ori,” I whisper, using the nickname I haven’t called him in a long time, “to not grow up with anybody that you can trust. Friends outside of your family are important too.”

“Fifty years ago, I met the other heirs. I never said I didn’t have anyone to trust. Not anymore.” He leans in. “I trust them with you, which should tell you everything.”

The lack of friends until the heirs does explain some things about Orion. I stare at him for a long moment. “Tell me about your brothers and what happened. Your mother seemed to blame you.” I can tell he is going to say no, and I stop him. “You want me to trust you? Get to know you? This is part of that, and opening up is how we do this. Telling each other things that hurt is the point. Things that are real and raw, that only we know.”

He looks at me steadily. “You want to know about my brothers.”

“I’m trying to understand this entire court and, most importantly, you,” I admit.

He is quiet for a moment, and when he speaks, his voice is empty. Yet, I can tell it hurts him to tell me any of this at all. “Out all of my family members, my brothers were always with me. They enjoyed finding ways to taunt me and see if I would fail. I often did. They used to take me too far out on the edge of the mountains. We were all there. There’s a sport here where you can weave wings from branches and leaves and jump off the top of the mountain, flying down to the towns. Heart-racing to watch and do, but it was a bad year for storms, and no one else was mad enough to go up. But I was young and stupid, and I was making my wings as big as they possibly could be when my brothers came after me. I thought they came because they cared and they didn’t want me to fall and get hurt…but I was wrong. They were drunk, and they had placed bets on how fast I would die.”

I am shocked and angry that his own family would treat him that way, but Orion doesn’t notice my reaction because he won’t make eye contact as he continues, “They taunted me that I was useless, the spare my mother didn’t like and cursed. It was only then that I started to realise I was pulling from the ground itself—from the very mountain, and I wasn’t in control. My power…” He grows even more distant, lost in thought. “My brothers were winding me up, as brothers do, and I got angry. My power comes from emotion, and I pulled half the mountain range down on top of us. Four hundred and six people died that day, including my brothers. By some terrible miracle, I was uninjured. Even though I had caused it.”

He says nothing for a moment, just moves us through the dance, but now he watches me. “I’m so sorry, Ori. I’m sorry they ever spoke to you like that and cared so little. I’m sorry anyone feels that is your fault when it clearly was theirs.”

“People never forgot, and it ruined my mother. My father was distraught too, though he only cared that he still had an heir and instantly began training me for the position. My mother, on the other hand, was left with the one child she particularly did not want and never forgave for his birth.” He sighs. “You look like you might cry.”

“That’s not your fault. Your brothers were older than you, right? Your mother said they were ten years older than you,” I ask.

“Yes.”

“Then they should have known better, and it was an accident. You didn’t do it on purpose.” I touch his cheek with my hand, and he tilts his head into my hand. For a second, there is just us. A lonely, bullied heir and a woman who once thought she was human and weak and alone.

“Do you miss them?” I whisper.

“Every day.” He swings me around. “It must be like missing Tannith, perhaps. It’s not always blood that makes us siblings. It’s more than that.”

“True,” I whisper back. For some reason, there’s a warmth between us now. An acceptance. Something that wasn’t there before. “For the record, I would have been your friend. If we had met back then.”

He leans into me. “I would have been yours too, gladly, even if we drove each other mad.”

I think he might kiss me, but the announcer is shouting names, which stops the crowds from dancing. “Heir Blackfire of the Crone Pack and Heir Reed of the Maiden Pack!” We both turn, seeing Blackfire and Reed walking down the steps, but it’s not them who get to us first. Zyran lands in front of me and punches Orion straight in the face.

Chapter Thirteen

Gasps break out as Zyran pushes Orion to the ground. Orion just laughs like a madman, blood pouring from his crooked nose. He looks like he enjoyed being punched in the face, and Zyran looks like he is happy to swiftly repeat it. I quickly intervene.

“Zyran.” I grab his arm, and he pauses, looking back at me with his black eyes filled with pure fury.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. No, he didn’t.” I shake my head. “I’m okay, Zy. He’s an asshole, but reluctantly, he is my friend.”

Zy searches my face for a long moment before looking down at Orion. Orion’s eyes are on mine, and he smirks. “Take her again and I won’t stop,” Zyran warns.

“Try it, bat,” Orion growls, pushing himself to his feet. Zyran growls right back. I stand between both of them, and I become well aware we are not alone anymore. I look around at the dozens of people staring at us with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Zyran looks impossibly out of place, and people are gawking at him. I suppose they’ve never seen a gargoyle before. Or one quite like Zyran.

Zyran doesn’t even seem to notice them as his hand sinks into mine. He lifts my palm up, kissing my knuckles, and heat spreads down my spine. Orion snarls low. “Did you miss me?” Zyran asks me, winking.

I link our fingers. Maybe it is foolish to throw everything into this venture that I know so little about. But it’s Zy, who has been there in the Folkland for me, and he cared for me at my lowest, when Tannith died. “Yes, I did.” The truth is, I did miss Zyran. He’s become part of my life now—one I don’t want to willingly give up. There’s so much we don’t know about each other, complicated as it is, but he has become someone I can’t lose.

“You’re not a welcome guest in my court.” Orion looks at our joined hands in disgust. “In my pack, we prefer bats eaten as a snack.”

“Is everyone playing nice?” Reed steps up to my other side, his smooth, cheerful voice echoing around us. “There’s always some drama at the balls, don’t you agree, everyone?” He glances at Orion. “Your face looks sore, bastard. I’d hit you, but it seems our bat friend has done a good job of breaking your nose already.”

“It’s fine.” Orion just glares at Reed.