Orion

Twenty Five. Decisions

It was eight o'clock in the morning. Usually by this point, Adriel or Gianni would have taken over Orion's shift, but he needed the time that it took to patrol the pack lands to clear his mind. He hadn't been to sleep yet, and was still getting used to being able to do so since she'd given it back to him before she left. While they'd been separated, something had been happening. 

Her wolf was developing her cognizance. And she was calling for her mate. Even now, this early in the morning when he was almost a hundred percent sure that Chaos was sleeping, Orion was hearing the whining coming from his mate's wolf. He didn't know if she'd ever shift, but he could hear her calling out to him even in his human form. It was strange, hearing the pining and knowing exactly how far away Mahogany was unnerving.

He wanted to go to her.

He wanted her to come to him.

Neither of those things were going to happen.

Orion scoffed at himself as he continued his final lap around the outskirts of his territory.

He regretted what he'd done- losing his temper over finding her out in that clearing where he'd buried that piece of shit. He realized shortly after she'd left that she really hadn't known, and those big, brown eyes looking at him, wide with shock, confusion, and hurt haunted him day in and day out. He actually regretted how that had gone down.

Yes, he'd wanted her gone, but that was until she actually was.

It'd been nearly three months, and he hadn't heard a peep from her. He got his updates from Adriel, and he still didn't want to hear them, but found himself listening when his beta was freely giving him the information. Adriel knew that too.

She was happy. She was back with her mom and brother and her fucking cat.

Around the end of week four, Adriel had left to meet her halfway to pick up his car, and he'd come back with some pep in his step and a smile on his face. He'd missed his Luna. Gianni did too. Adriel didn't even tell his Alpha where he was going, just said he was going on a day trip. He'd been using a rental, but came back with his own vehicle. Orion had picked up his mate's scent on him, and when Adriel stepped out of his car, which he'd parked in Orion's driveway, and saw his leader's face, he let out a groan, and shifted seconds after Orion had.

Smelling her had set something off within him that had him losing his temper on his second in command. A crowd of pack members formed as the two fought in his yard. Orion knew he looked completely unhinged in his second form, spit dripping from his muzzle as the two snapped and growled at each other, both standing on their hind legs as they went at it.

By the time the two shifted back, they were both cut, bruised, and bloodied.

"DISPERSE!" Orion had roared after hearing the confused murmuring of his members as they watched the ordeal.

They scattered immediately, and it was a moment before Orion realized that Gian had been within the crowd. He looked agitated as he stared at the two, and spoke a moment later, "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

Adriel spit out some blood, the smirked at Orion, "Someone got jealous because he smelled the lady  that he terrorized into leaving on me because I went to pick up my car. Probably mad that I didn't tell him so he could come along for the ride."

"Shut the fuck up, Adriel," Orion growled, his lips pulling back to show his teeth. He wasn't In his other form but he was still acting like it . There was a sharp pain, telling him that Adriel had busted his lip at some point during the brawl. He couldn't even think of a response because he was right to an extent. The pack still didn't know that they had a Luna and that she'd been there and then left not long after. They didn't know he'd run her off.