Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
WHAT TO DO NEXT?
ORIE
As soon as Orian and I are inside my house, I whirl on him and sock him right in the shoulder.
Startled, his mouth opens, his eyebrows furrowed over wide eyes. “Okay, ow,” he grunts, rubbing his shoulder.
I point a finger at him. “You have been less than helpful, brother, and you think you’re staying here? And working at my business?”
He shrugs before pushing a hand through his hair. “Listen, the timing of your call also happened to be while I was in the middle of my own crisis. I was unhappy with the life I found myself in, and thought your call might be a sign.”
I take a deep breath, processing each word as I stare into him. He doesn’t seem to be lying; his tone has the same sincerity as when he arrived. That means that he really does want to be here and start anew—and not mess up the life I’ve built.
Maybe there is room in this town for two shadow demons.
“Promise you’re telling the truth?” I ask, crossing my arms.
He nods. “I swear it.”
“Tail swear?” I cock a brow, taking a step closer.
This time he rolls his eyes, the corner of his lips ticking upward. “Really? Are we children?”
With a one-shouldered shrug, I simply respond, “Just making up for lost time, dear brother.”
Slowly, a grin takes over his lips, and he turns to the side. I put my hip to his, and our tails intertwine at the tips a few times over. We used to do this when we were young—before other demons pitted us against each other.
There could only be a single number-one shadow demon assassin, after all.
Releasing our tails, we face each other again, and I sigh. “So, whose issues are we dealing with first—mine or yours?”
“Definitely yours,” he answers without hesitation. “Yours are currently affecting you, mine is all just, well, lore, I suppose.”
It’s only lore—history—if he stays here. Otherwise, it’s his active story. Even now, I know I’ll let him stay. He came all this way to help me, the least I can do is return the favor.
Besides, I’m happier than I thought I would be to have my brother back in my life—especially since we aren’t in competition with each other anymore. It’s like when we were kids.
Taking a few steps back, I turn and head toward my living room. I hear his footsteps behind me, and once we’re there, we plop down on couches opposite one another.
“So, you left out a part about the feelings that this guy, Carson, has stirred up inside of you,” Orian says, sprawling out and kicking his feet up. “I’m assuming that besides making you feel things that are more intense and out of your control than you’re used to, he’s also making you feel—”
“Stop,” I interrupt, waving my hands out in front of me and squinting my eyes closed. “I don’t want to even hear you say the word.”
He laughs. “But am I right?”
Shit, am I really about to admit that amongst all of these uncontrollable emotions, feelings, and urges, there are intimate ones? Fuck me.
At first, I didn’t know that’s what I was feeling. The pure desire that his presence awakened in me was different than anything I’ve experienced. I mean, I hadn’t even seen him, so I knew it couldn’t be lust.
“But how could I feel anything for a man I had never met? That I had never even seen? That’s why I’ve been assuming he has to be dangerous,” I blurt, letting my thoughts flow freely and quickly from my mouth.
Orian shrugs. “A mate bond, maybe?”
“A mate bond?” I gawk. “Aren’t those only for, like, werewolves?”
He rolls his eyes, sitting up a bit more. “We are demons, Orie, or have you forgotten since living a human’s life? Things that are possible for other monster races are also possible for us. We can travel across the world through shadows.”
Okay, he may have a point. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve been a bit ignorant of the fact that I’m not human since I integrated into their society. I just want to live normally, peacefully, and forget everything terrible about my life before, including being a demon.
Is that too much to ask?
“I feel like it’s pretty clear what you have to do,” Orian says, meeting my eyes.
Nodding, I let out a sigh, my shoulders falling. He’s right, there’s only one reasonable answer in this situation. I mean, Carson is causing me a lot of internal problems.
He’s on the move right now, faster than normal—maybe he’s in a car or something.
Gods, I need him out of my head.
Orian and I speak at the exact same time, something we’ve accidentally done since we were little.
“I have to kill him.”
“You have to fuck him.”
We stare at each other, silence thickening around us. He sits straighter, his eyebrows furrowing and lips curving downward. His tail beats against the side of the couch, just as mine does.
“Okay, no—I was not implying to kill the man who might be your mate,” Orian clarifies with a stern tone that makes me instantly annoyed.
Exasperated, I toss my arms out. “I can’t just go fuck him. I don’t know him—he doesn’t know me. Besides, what if he’s—”
“Orie, he’s not some sort of evil mastermind here to uproot specifically your life in Harmony Glen.” He lets out a frustrated groan as he rubs his temples. “I see that you’re still quick as ever to trust.”
Leaning back, I sink down a bit on the couch, recrossing my arms. “And you’re still quick to point out anything wrong with me.”
“As if you haven’t done the same to me,” he argues, but a hint of a smile peeks through at the corners of his lips. “But be realistic—he’s a human. Clearly, he really is an artist. There are literally no bad vibes being emitted from his soul.”
Damn it, I really hate when Orian is right.
I chew on my bottom lip for a moment, contemplating my real options—which don’t include Carson’s premature demise.
Well, I can attempt to get to know him and see if there really might be some deeply rooted connection. That means opening up to yet another person, and the more people that know about me, the greater the likelihood I’ll get hurt.
Letting Raya in was easy, we just meshed so well. It’s been a struggle to even let Orian back in…though less of a struggle than I expected. If I let in Carson—if he even wants to be let in—will it feel natural, or will it be forced?
Even now, my body buzzes as his presence remains at the front of my mind. Carson’s in his cabin now, or at least, I’m assuming that’s his location, based on the tracking I’m doing against my will.
“Fine, maybe I’ll make a small pinch of effort to get to know him,” I grudgingly agree. “But only maybe.”
Orian lays back down, closing his eyes and resting his arms behind his head. “It’s your life, dear sister. If you want to potentially miss out on your fated mate, that’s on you.”
That’s not something I want, is it?
Fuck.