Page 34 of Orin

Orin stiffened, and I felt a wee sense of panic.

He remained motionless for a millisecond before shaking his head. “Only my sister. She raised me after my mother died and my father left.”

It broke my heart to see his eyes lose some of their sparkle. It was definitely a sore spot for him.Way to go, Liv.I was back to worrying my bottom lip.

It surprised me when he added, “My father is...was...a warrior for the Protectorate. Just like his father before him.” Pride lingered in his voice.

Lost in his thoughts, Orin let out a deep sigh, his gaze passing right through me. “After the death of my mother, my father accepted a mission that would take him to a different planet.”

I didn’t interrupt him. It was clear he needed to talk, but the sadness in his voice left me feeling choked up. My chest constricted as I felt the weight of his pain.

“My sister told me my father’s grief for my mother overwhelmed him. We were constant reminders of my mother and he couldn’t bear it. We haven’t heard from him since he left. I have no idea if he’s alive or deceased.”

A mist formed in my eyes.

“Orin. I’m so sorry.” I managed to resist the temptation to hold his hand. My biggest concern was that he might interpret my intentions as pity, when in truth, I empathized with him.

Beneath Orin’s calm exterior, there was a complexity to him that made me like him even more. I wasn’t sure why he was opening up to me.

Then it dawned on me that he had never said so many words at once in the time I’d known him. Even though he shrugged off my apology, I couldn’t ignore the emotional scar that he carried.

17

Olivia

“WHERE DID YOU GET THEbeautiful bouquet, anyway?” I asked, sitting back.

His face turned a lighter shade of teal, and he glanced at the vase before answering.

“Once I had finished unpacking following my meeting with Captain Kagin, it was too late to buy flowers for you from the market.” His lips curved at the corners. “I decided to pick some from the palace gardens. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

You could never disappoint me.Orin was a treasure, and I almost melted on the spot. He appeared to be as honest as they come. An endearing trait for a guy. And rare.

“You didn’t have to bring me anything.”

He casually shrugged and smirked, letting me know he was going to keep bringing me flowers even if I told him not to.

“Are you glad to be back working here?” I asked him. Grace mentioned he was coming back to work at the palace, which made me happy that he would be living nearby again.

His posture changed, and he sat up tall. “Yes. My first shift starts in the morning. It is an honor to be the King’s new personal guard.”

My head bobbed and my mind raced, wondering what to say to him next.

The effect Orin had on me was indescribable; he had the power to make my heart race and my mind go blank. The pull to him was irresistible, like a strong magnetic force. Whenever hegazed at me with his intense dark eyes, a whirlwind of emotions stirred within me, leaving me breathless.

I smoothed my hair, trying to maintain the same look of calm his face reflected but his eyes betrayed. Then I cleared my throat. “Now that we’re alone, can you tell me why you’ve been avoiding me?” I asked with a slight grimace.

Orin looked me in the eye and I almost averted my gaze, worried about his answer. “Before my talk with Queen Grace, I believed you did not want to be with me.”

Seriously?“That’s why you’ve been avoiding me?” I was stunned by his confession even though Grace hinted at it. “What changed your mind?” My eyes drifted to the mating marks on his biceps, and he noticed. Orin’s markings had darkened in color and confirmed I was his fated mate, and I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.

When he looked down at his biceps, and I saw a touch of uncertainty in his expression, I wished I could hear what he was thinking. Alaran’s had telepathic powers, and communicated with one another mind to mind most of the time. They were also empathic by nature.

Blushing, I wondered if Orin had ever read my mind. Clearly not. If he had, he’d know how badly I wanted him. I knew it was possible for him to sense or pick up on my emotions, but figured he hadn’t done that either.

Given that he thought I didn’t want to be with him.

Seeing Orin’s mating marks were visible made my stomach flutter as I waited for him to say something.

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