Page 90 of Cursed Heirs

Talon had gone the leather pants route too, his black that blended with his tight black tank that had the orange flames on it that matched his hair color.

And Xavier was in his classic attire, in a pair of ripped jeans, a white tee with a denim jacket with sleeves rolled up.

Just as they resided in my memory whenever I thought of them.

It was a shame it couldn’t be the same for them with me in this awful crimson robe.

“This is just a much more comfortable creation for you to reside in until we can get you out of here,” Orpheus went on.

“Thank you,” I said, reaching out and pulling him to me, so we were all immersed in a loving group embrace.

We just held one another for several moments, reveling in the closeness after too long apart.

In the comfort of it.

In the closeness.

The love.

“We missed you,” Xavier told me. “We missed you so much, beautiful.”

Tears welled in my eyes. “I missed you all too.” I eased back from them and wrapped my arms around myself as I spoke words that shamed me, “I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry I got so lost. That I still am, that it’s come to this, to me allowing myself to be magically corrupted. I’ve seen glimpses of some of the things he’s made me do and I know it’s hurting people, that it’s hurting you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Talon told me vehemently. “It’s not your fucking fault at all, Alena. It’s all on that monster.”

“He manipulated you because of me,” Xavier said. “If I hadn’t—”

I took his hands. “No,” I told him quickly, not wanting him to blame himself and put responsibility where it didn’t belong. “I made the choice that I did. No one else. And I wouldn’t change it.” I looked him over, frowning as I held his hands. “I can’t feel your magic. I mean, I see the blue, but it’s—"

“No. It’s not there. It’s coming from Ore’s blood.”

“He promised me.” I thought for a moment. “Wait. He said I have to prove my loyalty first.”

“How?” Talon asked.

“I’m not sure.”

Orpheus had remained quiet since he’d explained the illusion situation.

I looked out to see him studying me, looking me up and down and grimacing.

“It’s the robe, isn’t it? It’s what I found myself in when I woke up here. Well, not really “woke up”, but when I was shoved down here.”

“His mark of possession,” he growled.

“Ore—” Talon started, trying to get him to tone it down.

“No,” he rebutted. “I can’t allow this to stand. We can’t,” he said, stalking up to me with a dangerous look in his eyes.

That absolutely thrilling dangerous look of his that did all sorts of crazy intense things to me.

In the next second, he was grasping my arms, then shoving me against a tree just behind me.

His mouth crashed down on mine almost violently.

It was so intense and all-consuming that I could barely breathe with it as he took my mouth, claiming that part of me all over again.

I sank into it, letting it overwhelm me, needing to lose myself to it.

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