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.”