Chapter 14: Promise me, Orion

Orion's POV

I felt my entire body run cold immediately after the words left my mouth, I knew I shouldn't have disrespected him in the presence of everyone, but I was so angry. Why was he blindly following tradition when the evidence was glaring?

His attitude was the reason my mother was no more, he had killed her!

My father didn't reply to my words and his silence was becoming unnerving as each moment passed. He moved slowly toward a warrior who was holding his chalice on a silver platter, picked up the cup and drank wine content in it.

“All of you, leave us,” he said it so calmly that the words drew goosebumps from my skin. He was never this calm, I was used to him shouting and demanding things to be done his way, but not this. I would prefer if he shouted and demanded I apologized in front of everyone, but not this.

The people in the room bowed slowly and left.

“You too, Kaia.”

I turned behind and saw Kaia still standing by my side, her eyes flicked toward me as if asking if she should leave, I gave a gentle nod to her and she left.

The lock clasped shut and it felt like I was trapped in a den with a lion who had a ticking time bomb attached to its body. The silence blanketed the entire room and I felt the weight of my actions rest on me. I sighed tiredly knowing what I had to do.

“Dad, I'm so—”

“Don't apologize,” he cut in quickly as he took another sip of his wine.

“It's a sign of weakness, and as the Alpha to be, you must show no weakness.”

I stared at him and his eyes were glued to the floor like he was slowly zoning out of this room.

“Your mother was…a beautiful woman,” he looked up and I connected with his hazel eyes. For the first time, I could read the emotions in them: he looked sad.

“I loved her so much that it was so unreal, Orion, but…my father on the other hand…” he chuckled but the laughter didn't seem like they reached his eyes. It felt like a reflection of how broken his heart was all those years ago.

The truth was, I had only seen glimpses of what my mother looked like through pictures or videos that were made of her. I don't have any conscious memory of what she looked like anymore, but the rumor was my father was the cause of her death.

“My father hated the fact that she was a commoner and was fated to me. He warned me, he told me there would be grave consequences if I got married to her. He told me that I should reject her because the goddess always gave second-chance mates, but I couldn't because…I was in love.”

He dropped the empty chalice on the desk and leaned on it, wiping the perspiration that was forming on his forehead.

“The priestess warned him that there will of the goddess didn't have to be challenged. She warned my father about the consequences of the thoughts he was planning, but I didn't understand until it was too late…”

My heart beat faster as the pace of his story increased. My mind ran miles as I tried to place the pieces of what could have happened. What did Grandfather do?

“One drunken mistake and she got pregnant, somehow, my father found out and we got married immediately. It was bliss for the 9 months that you were in there. My father switched, he was a completely different person: so receptive and it fooled me completely, and…”

He folded his fist and threw his head back before going into a brief coughing fit.

“Are you okay? Do you need some water?” I moved closer to him and wrapped my arm around his back.

“I'm okay,” he stood erect again and wiped his neck this time. I put some distance between us.

“After your birth, I was the happiest man in the world and my father was too, but the next day, when I woke up…your mother was…gone.”

His eyes stared into space like the painful memory is encroaching on the entirety of his mind.

“What do you mean gone?”

I scrunched my brows, this wasn't what I was told, the story didn't add up. I was told that she was tried for treason when she was found conversing with a member of the warring pack, who happened to be her brother. That my father had ordered her death as per tradition.

“I don't know where she is, Orion. My father told me that he saw her live but I doubt that. I feel he…”

He coughed again and this time, it felt like his entire lungs rattled.

“Dad, are you sure you're okay?” I patted his back.

“Yes, I think I need to rest a bit, everything seems to be a bit shaky.” He tried to take a step and wobbled. I clutched him and held on tightly.

“Let's take you to your room.”

“Promise me one thing, Orion, before I go to bed,” he said and I felt like I wasn't going to like it.

“What is that, dad?” I responded softly, hoping he wouldn't hear.

“You have to find Hope as soon as possible. The longer she is on the run, the greater the risk is.”

Risk for who? I didn't care if she ran her entire life, she could die for all I care.

“Dad, I—” he cut it again and he sounded more

serious this time.

“Promise me, Orion.”

I gently placed him on his bed, willing him to rest his eyes a bit because he was probably tired.

“You need to be wise, Orion, you need to think before you make decisions when you become the Alpha, put your emotions aside and use your head.”

My brows knitted in confusion, why was he talking like he was going to die? I snapped out of the evil thought and nodded to him before walking out of the room.

I closed the door gently when one of the warriors moved briskly toward me, holding a tablet in his hand.

“Alpha, we've located her.”