Orion continued to stare at me intently, as if he could read every emotion flickering across my face. The silence stretched on until finally, he broke it by slowly walking towards me.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached out and gently wiped the tears from my face. His touch made me feel incredibly vulnerable, yet somehow safe and loved at the same time.
"Can I give you a hug?" he asked with a hushed tone, his voice full of concern. I lowered my head as my heart ached for comfort, and nodded in response. At that moment, all I needed was a shoulder to lean on.
But as I moved closer, I realised that Orion had pulled his shirt and singlet off, and a jolt of electricity shot through me the instant my face made contact with his bare chest. It was too late to pull away, though, and his intoxicating masculine scent washed over me, causing a strange and unfamiliar sensation to stir within. To be honest, I desired him badly.
"May the pain in your heart be lightened by the love that is close to you. I love you to the moon and back baby," he whispered into my ear, his fingers tracing a soothing path along my bare upper arm. The intensity of the moment became too much for me to bear. Overwhelmed, I abruptly stood up and rushed into the closet to avoid any involuntary action.
I regretted ever revealing Jordan's popular phrase to Orion. It seemed that since I had mentioned it to him, he wouldn't stop using it, as if he wanted to completely replace Jordan in my heart. But he didn't need to do that. All Orion needed was to be himself. I still love him, just like I did four years ago.
A few minutes later, Orion walked into the closet and started pulling his denim right in front of me. I couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable. I turned and muttered, "I would have preferred a separate room."
Ignoring my comment, he simply stated, "It's a full moon, Stan!" Just as I was about to repeat what I said, perhaps thinking he hadn't heard me since he was standing behind me, I noticed he had wireless Bluetooth headphone on his ear, engaged in a phone conversation. He was only wearing a snug brief, and it accentuated his physique in a way that was undeniably attractive.
"Stan, Alpha Russell, and Alex are out of the country. The responsibility to perform the Esbat and Rite of the Bloodmoon has fallen on our shoulders. I just got married today and I need to spend time with my wife. You know how long I've waited for today. Both of us can't be absent. Stan, you need to conduct the full moon festival, perform the Rite of the Bloodmoon and other activities as the Alpha Prince!"
As he continued his phone call, I found my gaze fixated on his features, unable to tear my eyes away. Orion looked incredibly sexy in his tight snug brief, and every contour of his body was highlighted, capturing my full attention.
The sculpted lines of his abdomen were a stunning sight to behold. They exuded both strength and sensuality. The confident bulge between his legs hinted at a hidden power and filled me with a desire to see it in its full glory and action.
"I apologize for being on a phone call while you were speaking to me. Can you please repeat what you said?" Orion asked sincerely with his innocent eyes fixed on mine.
I shook my head quickly and responded, "It's nothing. Never…mind!"
"Okay," he said, stood still, and continued staring at me.
"I'm familiar with Esbat, the full moon festival, but I haven't heard of the Rite of the Bloodmoon. Could you please explain it to me?" I asked with curiosity.
Orion replied, "The Rite of the Bloodmoon is an initiation into our Feral Brotherhood."
"What does this initiation consist of?" I asked, intrigued by the idea.
"In our convention, Alphas with extraordinary strength are forbidden to marry humans. However, if it is necessary, the human must undergo the initiation into our Feral Brotherhood," he explained.
"Do you have extraordinary strength?"
"Yes, I'm second to the strongest Alphas in Sweden."
"So, as a human, I would need to be initiated, correct?" I inquired.
"Yes," Orion confirmed. "Your parents would need to be present to show their full support. If they are not, the Moon Goddess won't accept the sacrifice and the initiation won't be successful," he added. My heart sank as I realized I didn't even know my parents.
"But what if my parents are no longer alive?" I questioned, hoping for a more favorable answer.
"In that case, your guardian would stand in for you," Orion responded, observing my reaction. I blinked rapidly, the thought of Alpha Benjamin and Luna Rita standing in for me seemed far-fetched. They would rather die than do it for me. Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine.
"What would happen if I chose not to be initiated?" I asked, my voice trembling with uncertainty.
"We would never be able to mate successfully and the Alpha's scepter of my lineage would be passed down to my cousin if, after one year, I have not proven capable of producing an heir to continue the lineage " he stated nonchalantly with his head slightly lowered as he wrapped a towel around his waist as though he had another alternative.
"What? And... if we were to... mate without the initiation?" I pressed further, trying to make sense of it all.
"I am one of the strongest Alpha in Sweden. As a strong Alpha, I cannot mate with a human due to the significant power imbalance. The overwhelming strength possessed by me would overpower you and potentially harm you during the mating process. Mating without the initiation into the Feral Brotherhood would result in potential harm or even death," he replied, his tone grave and I froze. Just as he was about to leave the room, my confused chuckle halted him in his tracks.
"This must be a joke, right? I've never heard of anything like this before," I chuckled nervously.
"Feral Brotherhood is a cult and we have secrets we do not share with humans," Orion explained calmly.
"Does that mean strong Alphas in your Brotherhood have never mated with humans in their lives?" I asked curiously.
"Strong Alphas born in May are pure breeds. They have the ability to mate with any species," Orion, with a smile on his face, replied. "Alpha Russell Morgan - the Lord of the Alphas and the strongest Alpha in Sweden is one of them."
Taking note of where our conversation was leading, I asked, "Are you born in the month of May?" Orion's smile only grew wider, indicating he knew why I was asking but wasn't bothered by my line of questioning. He seemed to have another alternative in mind.
"Lia, today is my birthday. I was born in January," he responded with a smile. I was so confused and forgot that he just did his birthday.
Feeling skeptical about the possibility of our union, I began asking trivial questions.
"Have you ever mated with a human who then died?"
The smile that was on Orion's face disappeared immediately. He looked at me vulnerably and shook his head.
"I have never mated with any human or werewolf all my life," he murmured and I grimaced.
"Why haven't you mated with a werewolf?" I further asked.
"I have spent my entire life consumed by thoughts of a particular human. Because of her, I can't even look at another girl. I have mated with her countless times, but only in my dreams," he said with a hushed tone that was filled with sadness and my heart melted.
With a mixture of confusion and sadness in my heart, I watched him as he walked away. However, before he could get too far, I murmured with a sad tone.
"Now I understand why Jordan never kept his promise to me. He is Alpha Prince and one of the strongest too."
My words hit Orion like a ton of bricks. He halted in his tracks and turned to face me.