Chapter 27
Orion
Iinspect the upper hallway again, ensuring the windows are shut and tapping the frames to see if they’re stable. Old windows can fall out if the wood has degraded, especially in winds like these.
These windows seem sturdy, so we should be safe there.
Unless a tree falls on the house and the glass shatters.
I wipe my breath off the glass and look for nearby trees. There’s a decent stretch of empty land between the cabin and the forest, at least on this side of the house. It’s unlikely any trees will fall on us over here.
I carefully cover the window back up with the drapes, blocking out the cold.
I’ve checked all the exterior walls now, but only from the inside. I should walk the perimeter to make sure there aren’t any dangers lurking. An outside wall could be on the verge of collapse, imperceptible from the inside.
I still have my gear on, so I can be out the door in seconds.
At home, I know Hestia is protected, but out here anything could happen. I don’t know this cabin well enough to trust it with my mate and packmates’ safety.
I’m halfway down the stairs when I remember I never called for a dinner break. I should have made everyone eat when we got in.
I’ll detour to the kitchen first and see what kind of meal Henri can put together.
I already made notes of what was in the pantry. I’m looking over the list as I reach the landing and almost run into Hestia as she flies around the corner.
I grab her waist as she slides past and pick her up, carrying her back toward the lit room down the hall.
“What are you doing running around? You don’t even have a coat on. You need to stay by the fire,” I tell her.
My packmates weren’t far behind, and I hand Hestia off to Magnus as she sputters something about looking for me.
“Make sure she gets warmed up,” I say before turning away.
But Magnus lets Hestia go, and she follows after me.
“You should come sit with us,” she says, grabbing my arm.
I glare at Magnus over her shoulder, but he ignores my order to take Hestia back where it’s safe.
I gently try to unwrap her from my arm, but she won’t budge, squeezing it tighter against her chest. I let go since I don’t want to risk hurting her.
“I’ll join you when I’m done searching the cabin,” I say.
“But you guys already checked everything,” Hestia says, looking between me and my packmates.
“I still have a few more things to take stock of. If you need anything, they’ll get it for you.” I try again to get her to release me.
“This place is fine, it’s safe. Come with us, you need to rest too,” she says.
“She’s right. We have plenty of food and firewood, so come relax,” Charm says.
“I need to check the pantry again. I have to make sure my list is accurate,” I say, and take a step away, hoping to slide out of her grasp.
“There’s more food than we’ll need, even without counting what we brought with us,” Magnus says.
“We’ve been snacking already, but I can put something together for dinner once you join us,” Henri adds.
I clench my jaw and exhale hard, avoiding looking at my packmates. I don’t want to take out my irritation on them, but I don’t understand why they don’t get it.
I need to make sure we’ll be safe here. Anything could happen with a blizzard like this. We could end up snowed in for days. We have to ration our supplies, otherwise, we won’t survive. I can’t let anything happen to my pack.
I won’t, my alpha growls.
That means I have to track everything. I need to take stock of the pantry again, and I need to check the firewood supply one more time. How much wood have they gone through already?
There was an axe in the garage. I should sharpen it in case we need to cut more.
Heat, food…what about water?
I still have to test the tap water quality. I used our test kit on the kitchen sink, and it was safe to drink, but I haven’t checked all the faucets yet. Some might not be potable.
Or maybe I should look outside for a generator first. If we get the electricity on, that will make Hestia much more comfortable.
There’s a buzzing noise in my ears, but I ignore it. It’s not important.
What’s important is taking care of my pack, my mate. I have to take stock of our supplies, or we’ll die.
I have to—
“Orion! Stop!” Hestia’s voice comes through loud and clear.
It’s the only thing that exists to me now—it’s all I can hear, all I can feel, all I can think about. I’m vibrating in place, like a gong she struck.
As the echoes fade, my mind clears.
I remember I was going to check the pantry, but now I don’t know why it was so imperative to do so. I’ve already taken stock of the food three times. Looking again isn’t going to change anything.
Ah.
That’s right.
My thoughts were spiraling. I couldn’t stop them.
“I’m so sorry, Orion,” Hestia says.
I blink and focus on her face staring up at me.
“I didn’t mean to do that. Or I did. But I didn’t really mean to. I don’t want to take control of you, but it looked like you were wearing yourself out. I just wanted you to stop for a second and listen. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hiss at you,” she says, talking so fast she’s out of breath.
“It’s okay, Hestia. You were trying to help. I’m sure he understands,” Charm says.
“Just give him a minute,” Magnus says, stroking her hair to settle her.
Now I realize my packmates were pounding on our bond before Hestia cut through everything. They were just background noise, the buzzing of an insect I ignored. It feels like I have a mental bruise from where they pressed so hard trying to break through and help me.
Hestia’s hiss finally releases me, and my body goes lax. It was peaceful being in her grip, not allowed to do anything but what she tells me to.
I pull her into a hug, cutting off another apology.
After a moment, she hugs me back.
“Thank you for helping me. I couldn’t make myself stop, but you did,” I say into her hair.
“Are you sure you’re okay? I didn’t want to hiss at you, but you wouldn’t listen to anyone,” Hestia whines.
“Yes, your hiss was a relief. It didn’t hurt at all, and it was…comforting to have you take control,” I admit.
“Oh,” she exhales.
That may have been too much information to drop on her, but I don’t want her to think she upset me.
I rub her back, and my purr stutters out, surprising me. I can’t remember the last time I purred for anyone.
Hestia freezes and I think she’s going to push me away. A purr can be an intimate thing. But then she melts into me, body so limp that I’m basically holding her up.
I purr for her until her fruity scent is no longer tart and anxious.
I reluctantly release her, and she sways for a second before steadying.
“Feel better?” I ask, and she nods.
“Good. Your hiss is a gift that you use to help people, so I don’t want you feeling bad about it afterward,” I say.
She smiles bashfully and says, “Okay, I’ll do my best.”
“You don’t need to hiss to get me to do what you want,” Cato says, sliding up behind her.
Hestia rolls her eyes, but her face flushes and her candied fruit scent blooms around us.
I inhale deeply, tasting the warm, rich scent on my tongue.
Of course, there are no air filters in here, and our descenters must be wearing off.
I choke off an interested growl as our scents rise in response, an enticing blend of alpha and omega.
I’m not overthinking now with all the blood rushing to my cock, but I still vaguely remember there’s some reason I shouldn’t act on this tension between us.
“So, everyone feels better now, right? Back to normal,” Charm says, chipper tone diffusing the situation.
“Why don’t you go with Magnus and Cato and have them draw you a bath,” I tell Hestia. “There’s a bathroom with a wood-fired bathtub upstairs. We’ll get dinner going and eat when you’re out.”
“That sounds nice. You’re going to sit down and relax while I’m gone, aren’t you?” she says sternly.
“I’ll sit down right after we have the food cooking, I promise,” I say.
Hestia narrows her eyes at me and nods, pausing to give me one last look before following them up the stairs.
I’m finally breathing easy thanks to her.
We have a safe place to wait out the blizzard, and we’re able to provide Hestia with a hot bath, a hot meal, and a warm bed.
Everything will be just fine.