THIRTY ONE

The wagon loomed ahead, stacked high with barrels and crates, its rider cursing at a stubborn ox that refused to move. Erik shoved through the bodies, dragging Rey with him, his eyes locked on their escape."Climb," he muttered under his breath, voice sharp with urgency.But Rey's steps faltered. That heat pulsed through her veins again, raw and demanding, and she knew he was close. Too close. Her gaze flicked back despite herself, and her heart seized at the sight of him, towering above the crowd, head tilted as if he could smell her fear through the smoke and dust.Then the air broke.One of the oxen pulling a nearby wagon reared violently, foam spraying from its mouth, eyes rolling white. It bellowed, hooves striking the ground with a force that rattled the stones. The driver shouted, yanking on the reins, but it only panicked the beast further. The second ox caught the terror and lurched sideways, their massive yokes dragging the wagon into a wild tilt.The crowd screamed as barre

THIRTY TWO

Hours had passed since they narrowly slipped from Clan One.The wagon groaned beneath its load as it creaked along the narrow woodland trail, each turn of the wheels sending a shudder through the wooden frame. Crates of grain and stacked barns hemmed Rey in, their wooden edges pressing into her spine each time the wagon lurched and swayed.Dust seeped through the gaps in the canvas, motes drifting in the dim light. The air smelt of earth and hay, heavy and stale.Rey sat with her knees pulled close to her chest. She hadn't spoken since they climbed aboard, not since Clan One fell away behind them. Silence hung between her and Erik like a third body, shifting with every sway of the wagon.She could feel him watching her sometimes. His eyes cracked open, his jaw tight as though words sat heavy on his tongue but refused to leave. When their gazes met once, just once, he looked away too quickly.But Rey's thoughts wouldn't still. They circled back, again and again, to the image she couldn

THIRTY THREE

They slipped out from the wagon under the cover of dusk, moving quickly before the rider or other travellers could notice. The road split near the border, one path continuing on with the merchants' caravan, the other winding deeper into the forest.Erik guided her toward the narrower track, boots crunching softly over pine needles, his hand briefly steadying her when she stumbled.The air grew colder as they left the road behind, trees pressing close on either side. Somewhere in the distance, an owl called, and Rey felt the hair on her arms prickle.They walked until the darkness grew too thick to risk another step, and then Erik led her to the yawning mouth of a cave tucked between two jagged rocks."Here," he said quietly, setting down his satchel. "We'll rest until dawn."Inside, the cave was shallow but dry, the walls rough and cool beneath Rey's palms. Erik struck a spark, lighting a small fire that cast the stone in a weak amber glow.He didn't sit long after handing her a blank

THIRTY FOUR

Rey tried to slam the door in his face in a desperate attempt to shut him out at the last second, but he was faster. His boot hooked the frame, shoving it back with such force that splinters cracked across the wood.She stumbled back, and he walked in leisurely like he owned the place, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips."Now, now... is that any way to welcome a guest?" His voice was silk over steel, eerily calm as if her defiance amused him more than it angered him.Her eyes widened, disbelief rooting her in place even as her instincts screamed for her to move but there was nowhere to run, she was trapped. She took slow steps back, but he kept advancing until her spine hit the wall."S–stay away from me," she snapped.He chuckled, stopping just short of her, eyes raking over her like he was reading every hidden thought. "You look so surprised that I found you," he murmured, tilting his head as he watched her. "But you've felt it, haven't you, little storm?" he rasped.He close

THIRTY FIVE

Erik had been slipping through the temple's shadowed halls for hours, searching every corridor and every corner for Beau. He had seen other boys about his age, but no matter who he asked, no one had heard of Beau. From Rey's description, he hadn't seen anyone that even remotely resembled him. Frustration burnt in his chest as the hours bled away; he started to wonder if perhaps his informant had been wrong about the boy's whereabouts. At last, he decided to head back to check on Rey. He needed to make sure she was safe, but just as he slipped into the outer passage of the building he'd left her, a hand shot out of the darkness, dragging him into an arched alcove. He stiffened, ready to fight, until he saw the familiar cloak. The informant. "You shouldn't be here," the figure rasped, their voice low and urgent. "The Alpha is here, and he found the girl." Erik froze. His heart hammered against his rib cage at the words. The Alpha? Here? He lurched forward, instinct screaming at h

THIRTY SIX

Erik's roar cut off in a choking, animal sound as Orion's hand plunged into his chest and ripped his heart out. The world collapsed into a single, unbearable moment: the sick, wet sound of the once-beating organ hitting the floor and echoing faintly in the silence, the spray of red across the walls, and the violent shudder of Erik's body as it buckled against the Alpha's hold.Rey's cry split the chamber. She lunged, dagger raised, but the world slowed, every heartbeat dragging. Orion didn't release his grip, and Erik's eye, wild and desperate only seconds before, clouded over, dull and unseeing. His limbs sagged. The warmth in him fled, leaving nothing but a husk.He was gone.Erik crumpled in Orion's arms, cold and lifeless, and the sight hollowed something inside her.With a low groan, Orion's other hand, coated in blood, wrapped around the wooden stake buried in his gut. He ripped it out in one brutal motion, blood spilling in rivulets as the jagged wood clattered to the floor. He

Alle Kapitel von Alpha Orion: Kapitel 31 – Kapitel 36

THIRTY ONE

THIRTY TWO

THIRTY THREE

THIRTY FOUR

THIRTY FIVE

THIRTY SIX