“Luna,” I groaned, my voice rough as the wave of pleasure crashed over me. We held each other tight, both lost in the intensity of the moment.
But then, Luna’s phone buzzed. She groaned, reaching for it lazily. But when she read the message, her face went pale.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting up, suddenly alert.
She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s from an unknown number. It says, ‘Marcosias wants to use you for a ritual. You’re not safe.’”
“What!” My blood ran cold.
Chapter 17
Luna
The moment we got dressed and left the rooftop, the tension between Orion and me shifted from the intimacy we’d just shared to the gravity of the message I’d received. My phone screen stared back at me with those words, chilling my spine.
Marcosias wants to use you for a ritual. You’re not safe.
As the elevator descended to Orion’s condo, I couldn’t shake the dread building inside me. Orion’s hand rested protectively on my lower back, but even his touch couldn’t calm the storm brewing in my chest.
“Let me see it again,” he said, his voice laced with controlled anger.
I handed him my phone, and he read the message with a deepening frown. His jaw tightened as he pulled out his own phone.
“I’ll have Jake find out who this is,” he muttered. Without hesitation, he dialed.
“Jake, I need you to trace a number for me—ASAP. Luna just got a text from an unknown source, and I want everything on the owner of that number. No detail is too small.”
I could hear Jake’s voice on the other end, but the words were muffled, distant. All I could think about was Marcosias - his dark, malevolent presence looming over us like a shadow we couldn’t escape. Orion then put the call on speaker.
“And … Miranda?” His voice softened when he spoke her name, a note of vulnerability breaking through his usual control.
Jake’s voice was clearer this time when he responded. “She’s still staying at one of Marcosias’ properties. No movement.”
Orion rubbed his temples, his worry evident. “Make sure she’s safe, Jake. I don’t want to force her to come home, but I want eyes on her. If anything happens to her …”
“I’ve got it covered, Alpha,” Jake assured him. “We’ll keep her safe.”
“Good. Protect her with your life.” Orion hung up.
“He’ll trace it,” Orion said, his voice rough with frustration. “But until we know who sent it, you’re staying by my side. Always.”
I nodded, but fear gnawed at the edges of my mind. “Orion, you know Marcosias won’t stop, right? He’s relentless. If he really wants to use me in some ritual, I don’t know how we’re going to stop him.”
Orion’s expression softened, and he reached for me, pulling me into his arms.
“We will find him and make him pay. I promise you that.” His voice was firm, but I could sense the flicker of worry he tried to hide. “Jake is on it. We’ll find out who sent that message, and then we’ll deal with Marcosias.”
I wanted to believe him, but something deep inside me warned that this was far from over. “Have you found anything new on Marcosias?” I asked, feeling my pulse quicken.
Orion sighed and shook his head. “No. He’s gone off the grid. My men are looking for him, but it’s like Marcosias just vanished. We’ve got no leads.”
The frustration in his voice was palpable, and it only made my anxiety worse. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Marcosias was watching us. Planning, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
I’d been holding back something for a while now, but with everything escalating, I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.
“Orion,” I began cautiously. “There’s something you should know about Miranda.”
“What is it?” His eyes snapped to mine, a mixture of curiosity and concern on his face.