Tarian Traitor

by T. S. Joyce

  “Where are you going?” Rose asked.

  “To change my shirt. Give me one minute, and I’ll be the best little worker bee.” She didn’t turn around when she said that because she was tearing up and didn’t want Sora to see. Orion’s sister was right to not want Annamora hovering around her brother.

  Someone like him. Well, Annamora was about as opposite as she could get from a man like Orion.

  They didn’t match, simple as that.

  Chapter Seven

  Well, that was the shittiest sleep Orion had ever gotten. He’d stayed restless, dozing in and out between thinking of Anna. He’d never been like this with a girl—obsessing over what she was doing, where she was, if she was happy or not…

  His imagination sucked, but suddenly he had this ability to remember every encounter with her in vivid detail. Every time he had bumped into her over the past couple of years, every shy smile she’d given him, every murmured conversation in Old Tarian Territory, every awkward exchange in New Tarian Territory. Every moment they’d shared took on a new meaning, took on a new light, because he had a feeling she’d been paying attention to him for a long time, just like he’d been secretly doing to her.

  His bed was comfortable, but here he laid, wide awake, the sunlight beaming him in the freaking face, his dick hard just thinking about her soft tits. And the taste of her lips. How soft her skin was. The little noise she had made deep in her throat when he’d clamped his teeth onto her ear. Fuck, his dick was throbbing.

  Giving up on sleep entirely, Orion made his way into the bathroom and locked his arms on either side of the sink, glared at himself in the mirror. He looked like his dad. Like a ghost. Same icy-cold eyes, same jawline, same lack of smile lines, same hard set to his lips. He was aging into his asshole father quite nicely. Dad was laughing from Hell right now. Orion had killed him for coming after Sora and the New Tarians, but Orion had been poisoned a long time ago. Dad’s final revenge was that Orion would end up just like him. And now he had to see Dad’s face every time he looked in the mirror.

  The war was over for the New Tarians, but the day he’d ended Dad’s life, the battle had begun inside of Orion.

  Should he tell Annamora? Tell her he was Alpha of the Deadlies now? Tell her they were just waiting for him to take his place on his father’s throne? Tell her that he was failing at keeping his lion steady? Tell her everything he hadn’t uttered out loud to anyone? Should he tell her Beaston’s prediction?

  Fuck.

  He ripped his gaze away from the monster in the mirror.

  No one would ever be a bigger traitor than him.

  He got in the shower, but no matter how much he scrubbed his skin, he couldn’t rid himself of the skin-crawling, filthy feeling that had resulted from the war. It had been months, and he still felt dirty. Probably always would. Anna was a beautiful distraction. A snarl rippled through him. Fuck you, man, she’s more than a distraction, and you know it.

  He turned the water hotter and rinsed shampoo out of his hair, closing his eyes to the world, only to open his imagination to Anna. The way her lips had curved up this morning when she’d found the orange drink on her porch. Because, yeah, he’d been hiding in the woods, spying on her just to witness her face when she saw it. A few days ago, he’d thought he would never be able to make anyone smile again. He was so messed up. If he was a good man, he would leave her alone, but the cold, hard truth was…he wasn’t a good man. He was his father’s son.

  If Annamora had good instincts, she would run. She would stop his hunt. She wouldn’t melt against him when he touched her. She would be cringing instead.

  Soft tits. Perfect tits. Full and spilling over that little bra she was wearing. Who would’ve thought she would have that lavender lacy little thing on under that forest-green tank top? Skinny jeans with holes at the knees, muddy hiking boots, hair pulled into a ponytail. She looked rough and tough on the outside, but had that pretty, dainty little panty set on underneath. He hadn’t seen her panties, but in his mind, they matched her bra. Orion locked his arm on the wall and took his throbbing dick in hand, stroked it slowly, imagining if he’d let them take it farther out there in the woods. Imagined if he’d unsnapped her bra in the back, kissed her throat, pulled her nipple into his mouth and sucked until she moaned his name. Boots off, jeans off, pulling those lavender panties down her hips slow. Laying her back on the muddy ground and sliding between her hips. Teasing her until she begged. Feeling how tight and wet she was as he pushed his fat cock into her. Fuuuuuck. He was stroking harder now, water rolling off his shoulders, streaming to the shower floor. Felt so good. Faster. Legs splayed, leaning forward as he reached his climax, he ground out Annamora’s name as the first jet of cum shot out of him. Dick pulsing, he emptied himself, growl in his throat, head arched back, muscles spasming, his imagination on Anna.

  And as he stood there, water rinsing his skin, aftershocks dying away, a new vision hit him. An ugly one. One of Annamora at his side in the Deadlies. Watching him fight to keep a throne he hated. Watching him slip into insanity. Watching him give into the bloodlust little by little. The disappointment on her face. The anguish of being in a Pride that was no different from the Old Tarians that had hurt her so much.

  He had nothing to offer her.

  His head circled that thought as he dressed and made coffee. He couldn’t think of a single benefit he could give her. Not a single long-term improvement he could make to her life.

  Just as he was feeling good and sick of himself, a knock sounded on the front door. And immediately another one, even louder. “Yeah, I’m coming,” he muttered, gripping the handle on his coffee mug.

  The second he opened the door, he was struck by a tornado, and that tornado’s name was Sora Burge. She pushed him hard in the shoulder, and he staggered back, his coffee spilling.

  “Shit, Sora!” he yelled as the scorching liquid burned his hand.

  She held up his hoodie, the one he’d given Annamora. Her eyes flashing with fury, she threw it at him. “She’s better than this, and you know it.”

  “What?” he asked. “For fuck’s sake, Sora. Go peddle your PMS somewhere else.”

  “I know what you are! I’ve known since the war. I knew it the second you killed Dad. I knew it the moment all those surviving Deadlies were looking at you like you were a god. Alpha. You’ll leave here and leave Annamora heartbroken, and she deserves better than the storm you are going to put her through. That woman is getting her shit together, and you’re coming in and standing directly in her way? I know you, Orion. You’re the one who is always there, but you’re quiet and you like being alone, and you are headed for that throne of that damn Pride who treats women like dirt. Usually, you protect people you care about, but this time you’re going to take her right into the fire. After all she’s been through?” Sora shook her head. “It’s going to break you both. She’s getting her life together, and you aren’t in a position where you can push her to improvement. You’re choosing to stand right in her way, Orion.”

  There it was. He couldn’t hide anything from Sora; she was too sensitive. She saw too much.

  Orion shook his head and gritted his teeth against verbally fileting his sister about what was and wasn’t her business. He spun and strode for the kitchen to get some paper towels for the mess on the floor.

  His ever-annoying sister followed him like a gnat. “She’s getting better. You can see that, right? And it had nothing to do with you. She was getting better from the inside out. She was getting over all the shit that happened with the Old Tarians and carving out a good life for herself, and you have her crying over taking off your hoodie. That’s what you already mean to her.” Fury flashed across her face, and her eyes turned the gold of her lioness as she stepped right up to him and jammed a finger in his face. “All you had to do was leave her alone until you left.”

  “What does that even mean? You think I’m doing this on purpose? I’m gonna ruin a good woman on purpose?”

  “Your b
ond was green, Orion!” She waved her hand around at him like she was swatting at a fly. “It was plain green, the color of grass and steady, and now look what you’ve done. Look at yourself!”

  Orion looked down at himself, but he didn’t know what she meant. He looked just like he always did.

  Sora’s eyes filled with tears, and her lip trembled. Her cheeks were red with anger. “She’s special, Orion. I wanted her to stay here, stay safe, and get better. You don’t think I know what’s coming for you? You’re grabbing onto her hand, and you’re going to drag her back to being broken.” She swallowed hard, and a tear streamed down her cheek. “Nice bond, Orion. Now it’s the same navy-blue Mom and Dad’s was.”

  A spear right through him would’ve meant less pain than those words. Dad had destroyed their beautiful mother one mistake at a time, one insult at a time, and now Orion had created the same color bond to the girl he cared about? To Annamora? Shit. His transition into his father was coming along nicely.

  Orion cleared his face of emotion, like he always did when something hurt. “Your radar is off, Sis. I just gave a girl a hoodie in the rain. Being a gentleman and all.”

  “Bullshit. I can hear the lie in your voice.”

  Orion shrugged and sipped his half-spilled coffee, gave her a little smirk like he didn’t give a care.

  “I wanted things to be different for you,” Sora whispered.

  Fuck, his chest hurt. They hadn’t talked like this in years. The real talk? She’d gone quiet, and so had he.

  He gave her his back and busied himself rinsing a plate in the sink. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m fine.”

  “Are you?”

  Frustration boiling through his blood, he spun and asked, “Am I what, Sora?”

  She wiped her damp cheek and lifted her chin higher. “Are you okay?”

  He couldn’t answer her. The truth would make this God-awful conversation continue, and he would have to admit to things he wasn’t ready to pick at. He just wanted to not think about all the shadows inside him. He wanted to think about anything else. He was so drained. He couldn’t meet her bright gold eyes. Couldn’t see all the tears built up there.

  “Your silence is answer enough.” Sora looked so sad as she murmured, “I’m still here, you know.”

  “Yeah,” Orion muttered thickly, still unable to pick his damn gaze off the ground.

  “Dad deserved it,” she whispered. “I never thanked you for what you did. I just let you carry that burden all this time, didn’t I?”

  “It’s no big deal,” Orion said. Fuck, look her in the eyes so she believes you. But he couldn’t.

  “It is, and it was, and you’ll always carry that guilt because that’s what you do. You shoulder everything. You’ve done it since we were cubs. No matter the toll, you protected me.”

  “Did I?” he asked, finally dragging his gaze to hers. “Did I save you from anything, Sora? I watched you break in that Old Tarian Pride.”

  “Because of Dad.”

  “I watched a man treat you like a possession.”

  “Because of Dad.”

  “I watched Cassius hurt you, and I couldn’t do a fucking thing about it without making everything worse.”

  “Because Dad sold me to him for an alliance!”

  “I watched you pine for Ford.”

  “Dad took me away from him, not you.”

  “I watched you break.”

  Sora strode over to him and grabbed his shoulders, searched his eyes. “Because. Of. Dad. And what did you do about that?”

  Orion’s lip trembled, so he bit it hard. He didn’t do this. He didn’t get emotional. Carefully, he gritted out, “I killed him, knowing I would be Alpha of the Deadlies, so that no one would come after you again. I wanted you to have that fairytale shit. That happily ever after.”

  “By giving yourself an unhappily ever after.” A slow smile took Sora’s face, and she hugged him tight. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I have Ford because of you. I’m safe here because of you. I’m happy. Guess why.”

  Because of me.

  It was enough. Everything she’d said was enough. Every sacrifice was worth it. Even the ones he still had to make.

  He hugged her back and sighed. And then he admitted something big. “I feel okay when I’m around Anna. I know I can’t have her. I know she can’t be a Deadlie with me. She’s better off here, but for a little while, she made me feel okay.”

  Sora squeezed him harder and released, eased back and looked up at him. “You should tell her that.”

  “Tell her what?”

  Sora made her way to the door. And just as she left, she said over her shoulder, “Tell her everything, or leave her alone.”

  Chapter Eight

  Annamora had lost his hoodie.

  She could’ve sworn she left it right on the front seat of her truck, but it wasn’t there. She was drenched from the rain and shivering after a long day of playing florist for that wedding. The team had done amazing, but down to her bones, Annamora was exhausted. And it wasn’t just from the long work day and the physical work of hauling and setting up all of the floral arrangements. Her mind circling Orion constantly had left her feeling drained. Truth be told, Sora’s reaction had made her sad. Annamora had wanted support, but Sora had barely talked to her all day.

  And now she came back to the hoodie missing from her front seat. She’d meant to return it, and now she was going to have to tell Orion she’d lost it instead. She definitely wouldn’t be awkward about it. Ha.

  Feeling like the slime on the bottom of a river rock, Annamora got out of the truck and lumbered up the trail that led to Orion’s cabin, shoulders slumped like a kid who had to admit to his mother that he drew on the walls. She was about to get in trouble.

  This was why she couldn’t have nice things. She got distracted and didn’t pay attention and—

  Orion’s cabin appeared through the trees, and there he was, sitting on an old lawn chair on the porch, the sky-blue hoodie folded neatly in his lap.

  What the heck?

  “Did you take that out of my truck?” she asked, squinting against the rain.

  “Sora did.”

  “Oooooh,” she murmured, shifting her weight and dropping her gaze to the ground.

  “Come here,” he said, soft as the rain pattering against the grass around her.

  “It’s okay,” she said, climbing the stairs. “I get dumped all the time. Tons of fish in and out of these flood gates. Constantly.” She gave a nervous laugh as she sat on the top stair and leaned against his porch railing. “By fish I mean boys. Men. Men break up with me a lot. I’m totally used to it.” She cleared her throat and smiled brightly. “So it’s no big deal, and you shouldn’t give it a second thought. I understand.” Annamora frowned. “Why are you smiling?”

  Orion smelled good, and his hair had some kind of spray in it that made the top the perfect amount of messy. He’d shaved his face, and his cheekbones belonged on a model. And, yep, he was definitely smiling. Rude.

  “Out of respect, one shouldn’t smile during a breakup,” she admonished him, crossing her arms over her chest. Her shirt made a slurpy wet sound.

  “To break up with someone, they have to be together in the first place,” Orion pointed out.

  Annamora waved her hand in the air and stared into the woods. “Technicalities.”

  Orion snorted. “I’m not breaking up with you…”

  She offered him a bright, open-mouthed smile as a reward.

  “But I am leaving.”

  And now he got a frown.

  “Leaving me?”

  “No. Yes.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I’m leaving everything. Shit, Anna, I’m not good at this.”

  “Where will you go?”

  Orion leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clenched in front of him as he searched her face. Uncertainty swirled in his bright blue eyes. “I don’t know how to explain. I’m not good at talking or sharing any of my
life. Never have been.” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and leaned forward, handing it to her. “Here.”

  She took it slowly. “What do you want me to do with it?”

  “Read the messages.”

  The lock screen lit up with text notifications. One minute ago, someone named Cale had written, Still need to hear from you. Things are falling apart.

  Four minutes ago, someone named Roden had texted him, Hunter was arrested last night. He Changed in public and went after a human. What do I do?

  Why aren’t you answering?

  This is so messed up. We have no Alpha. Help us.

  I don’t know what to fucking do. I’m Second. I never wanted to make these decisions.

  What the hell, man? You killed him. You won the Alpha fight. Come fix all these broken bonds. We’re getting sick without you. Claim us or lose an Alpha fight.

  You forgot something, dude. You left us all in purgatory.

  It’s still us. You’ve known us your whole life, and you’re going to let us fall apart like this? Fucking fix it.

  Coward.

  Traitor. You seriously fought against us?

  Hunter is getting sicker. He ain’t sleeping, and he’s fighting everyone. Your fault. Fix his bond.

  You’re a fucking Alpha, act like it. You should be reaching out to us. We shouldn’t have to beg you to do your job. You should be here for us.

  Something’s wrong with Hunter.

  There’s a grizzly shifter and a raven sniffing around here. Probably Bloodrunners. Wyatt James and that Novak Raven. They’ll figure out we’re crippled sooner or later. They got fuckin’ dragons, man, and we ain’t got no Alpha. Plus, we just lost half our damn Pride. Diesel and Nyle are talking about running in the night. We’re about to lose even more.

  Just tell us what to do. No one is stepping up for Alpha while you’re figuring your shit out, or whatever it is you’re doing. None of us want to fill your dad’s shoes. It’s gotta be you.

  Liam, Holt, and Jasper left last night. We can’t hold the territory like this. The Pride is too close to dragon territory to be this small. The Deadlies you guys didn’t kill? We’re going rogue one by one. Everyone is getting sick in the head.