🔹Act 7🔹

Orin’s Pov

I had barely gotten inside when I removed my jacket and carefully placed it on the rack where my other coats were.

My muscles ached as I straightened, and I dragged a hand through my hair, breathing out hard.

What was I thinking?

I almost lost myself today— so unlike me. I had always been meticulous in all my dealings and the only thing… the one thing that I had no control over was being a biker.

‘You didn’t lose control, you were simply claiming what was yours.’ Veythar growled.

Yes, he’d been pacing inside me since the arena. Since I left Kaelis and I wouldn’t blame him— we had both been lonely for too long.

It had been years…

‘Centuries, dumbass,’ he roared again, his claws scraping at my ribs.

“Centuries, sorry. My bad.” I murmured, raising my hand in total submission.

Veythar was my lycan, my other half and dare I say my best friend and my trusted companion— though he once had said he would rather die than admit I am his best friend. All he had ever wanted was to be with his mate and for centuries we had searched.

We had stopped counting after a while but no luck.

We had both given up on having a special someone that got us and would accept us despite our flaws…

‘We have no flaws— we are perfect, Orin,’

“I wouldn’t say perfect,” I scoffed.

‘I am perfect… if you say you aren’t and that’s on you,” he teased.

I let out a soft laugh. One might think I was mad most times but I got my humor, the dark and dry humor was what had kept us alive and I got it from my best friend.

I gave up on the hopes of finding a mate and although I thought the Moon Goddess had cursed me to wander this long, cold life without someone who would understand me, someone who would not flinch when they saw what I was but then… there she was.

Kaelis.

My hand found its way to my lips and wandered then her face flashed— I lost myself in the memory I had of her.

What would her lips have tasted like if I’d just taken that one step closer?

What would she have done if I had kissed her?

‘Well you miss the shot that you don’t take. So, I guess you will never know,’ he argued.

“I was bidding my time,” I shot back.

‘Time? This is the first woman that has ever gotten close to you and you did not get repulsed by her,’ he added, his voice having gone from a very violent tone to a calmer one. ‘She came to you but as usual you blew her off.’

I walked to the bar and poured a bottle of scotch into a cup and drank it— the sharp and hot taste soothed the ache in my bones and I felt a little bit relaxed… I was the most relaxed I had been all day.

I collapsed into my chair that sat at a corner in the room and I felt Veythar relax too, after being pissed but I knew that now that we had finally seen our mate— he wouldn’t let it pass.

‘Are you going to tell her?’, he queried.

“Tell her what?” I asked, raising myself up from the chair.

‘The truth?’

“Vey…” I groaned.

‘You are not going to tell her? Why?’ He roared.

“She needs to start afresh and she is better off not knowing,” I explained.

‘No! You do not lie about your mate,” he declared.

“You know nothing of our heart… Vey…”

“I have lived long enough to know how you lots behave and I have lived longer than anyone who is alive,’

He always found a way to remind me he was more than a millennial— he was older than the first war even the bloodlines of kings and queens and rather than being born with him; he merges with you.

He waited for years after his last body died and he chose me— just as he would only ever choose one. Not everyone could carry him and not everyone could survive him. Centuries of him had shaped me, had made me into what I was.

Now, he was going to make sure I would not let his mate go— heck I did not want that either. I too like him would want a significant other who I would love to share everything with.

‘Ssh… someone’s here,’ Veythar warns.

I jumped up and took a deep sniff and the smell was not familiar—

‘An intruder…’ he growled.

I unsheathed my claws as Veythar howled inside, ready for war… waiting for the intruder as muffled footsteps could be heard coming from the door… then the door clicked but a clash and howling soon followed— drawing my attention outside.

I opened the door…

“Your secret hideout is compromised,” Soren said as he raised a decapitated man's head.

My claws retracted and Veythar calmed.

“Can you be more discreet?” I queried.

“Well, you almost got your head blown out,” he teased as he threw the man’s head on the floor and slammed the door behind him.

“I said, I didn’t want to be disturbed,”

“Is that how you greet your king?” He asked.

“Eh,” I walked back to my chair and slumped into it. “Knock yourself out.” I motioned to the mini bar in the room.

“How are you holding up?” Soren asked as he poured himself a glass of wine

.

“When have you ever cared about me?”

“I do care about you, Orin?”

“Why? Cause I bring you more money than your shitty ass bikers?” I blurted out.

“You look like shit,” Soren said casually, swirling the wine in his cup as if this was a social call and not him barging into my place covered in blood.

“Glad you noticed,” I muttered.

He smirked. “So what happened out there today? You froze and that’s not like you.”

‘Fuck off, Soren,’ Veythar cursed.

“Shut up,” I growled under my breath, earning a raised brow from Soren.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” I downed another mouthful of scotch, the burn doing nothing to ease the ache in my chest.

Soren’s smirk widened as if he could hear every thought rattling inside my head. “You’re hiding something, Orin and it’s making you sloppy. You can’t afford to be sloppy.”

I stood slowly, every bone in my body protesting, but I didn’t care. I stepped toward him until the wine glass he held was caught in the shadow of my hand. “Careful,”

I said, voice low and rough. “You’re still breathing because I allow it.”

Soren chuckled, but his eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade. “Don’t forget who gave you a place in this pack. Don’t forget who kept you alive when others wanted you chained.”

I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would crack. “You talk like you’re my king, Soren, but kings bleed just like anyone else.”

The air snapped between us, tense and electric. His smile finally dropped, leaving only a cold calculation. “Watch your tongue, Orin. You’re dangerous, but even dangerous men can be put down.”

A growl ripped out of me before I could stop it, Veythar’s voice merging with mine. “Try.”

For a moment, silence. His eyes flicked, not with fear, but with interest — like he was measuring me for war.

One thing Soren knew was not to measure me for war because it would be a fool’s errand to do so.

Then he stepped back, slow, deliberate, and set the empty glass on the bar. “You’re lucky I like you,” he muttered, though his tone was laced with threat. “But luck runs out.”

Veythar growled as he almost jumped out of my body to fight off Soren but I held myself like I wasn’t two seconds from letting my Lycan tear the room apart.

He walked to the door and then came back in… “Just cause of this insolence, your little favor is on thin ice, and you better hope I don’t kill the spy.” He walked out and slammed the door in my face.