Orion paced the kitchen, looking at the door every few minutes. What was he saying to her? He'd expected his father to be upset, but he hadn't expected him to be that upset. His father was known for keeping a cool head. He'd also never seen his father scribble out a note as fast as he had after hearing about Draco. What bothered Orion most was that his father hadn't told him what the note was. It had been a long time since Leo had kept something from Orion.
"Orion, everything will be okay," Victoria assured him, although her eyes said otherwise. She was nearly as upset as Orion. Leo had completely blown her off in his anger, something he hadn't done before. Orion hadn't talked back to his father since he was a young boy, but today he would give him a piece of his mind. He'd wanted to march after them when he'd seen the fear in Skylar's eyes. He'd never wanted to talk back to his father like he had right then. To keep Skylar with him, out of his father's way until he'd calmed down. He had actually wanted to protect her from his dad. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Victoria.
"I haven't seen him that worked up in a long time," he told her, his voice tight with anxiety "I don't know what he's going to do."
"Honey," Victoria reached out to grab his hand, squeezing tightly. "She'll be alright. Your father isn't going to do anything to her."
Nana put a plate of food on the table and urged him to sit down just as Olly trotted into the room. His little brother's face was bright with a smile, his orange eyes dancing.
"Good morning, everyone," he announced as he headed straight for the food. He didn't seem to notice the tension until he was seated across from Orion and realized no one had responded to him. He met Orion's eyes, and Orion knew he was hiding nothing about how he felt.
"What's wrong?" Olly asked, his fork paused between his mouth and his plate. Orion glanced over at Nana and Victoria. He'd already told them everything. About how Skylar was a princess, how Draco was after her, and what that would mean for them as a clan. They were nothing but supportive in his decision to protect Skylar. But that would mean nothing if his father felt differently.
Olly's brows creased in irritation that no one was answering him. "You guys can't act like someone died and then not tell me what's going on. I'm part of the Alpha family too, you know."
"Dad's on a rampage, and I don't know what he's going to do," Orion responded, running his hands over his face.
"A rampage? About what?" Olly glanced around the kitchen, slowly piecing together that someone was missing. "Skylar."
"She's a bit more important to the humans that we previously thought," Orion answered.
"And that means what? There's no reason to be so cryptic, brother," Olly waved his fork at Orion, having resumed eating.
"Her human parents are the king and queen. She's the crown princess of one of the most powerful human kingdoms."
Olly's burnt orange eyes widened slightly and his eye brows raised. He was obviously impressed with this news. "Alright, I see how this could put a damper on things, but I don't see why that would send Dad on a rampage. Dad's not known for his explosive temper."
"It's about the man who discovered what she is," Orion sighed. "Draco's after her."
Olly very nearly choked. "Draco? The bastard whose knight killed Mom?"
Orion snarled at the mention of that day. He blocked it out as thoroughly as he could, and he didn't even let himself think about it when Skylar mentioned his name before, or when he thought about the king since then.
"Oliver," Nana snapped.
Olly blushed and looked down at his plate, realizing what he'd said and how he'd said it. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."
"We know, honey," Victoria said gently. "But you're right. Draco's knight killed Valerie. I think that could perhaps be why Leo responded the way he did. He couldn't handle it if something like that happened again. Orion, that's why he won't want you around her anymore."
Orion growled. "He can't keep me away from her."
"Yes, he can," she reminded him. "He's not only your father, but he's your Alpha. And it's very likely that he's going to keep her away from all of us, if he doesn't send her away altogether."
Orion hadn't thought of that. He was so against sending her away, the thought that Leo would feel differently hadn't crossed his mind.
Olly spoke first. "If he sends her away, she'll have nowhere to go. She'll be alone and vulnerable to Draco." Orion looked up at his brother, their eyes meeting, and Orion's heart broke when he realized the truth of his brother's words.
Nana's voice was laced with anger at her son-in-law. "She's not officially part of the clan. He won't feel any need to protect her, not with his mind clouded with thoughts of Draco."
Orion's heart rate increased with every second he thought about Skylar leaving. No, not leaving. Being sent away by his father. She'd be alone, she'd be vulnerable, and there was nothing he could do. Leo's word was law, and Orion wasn't Alpha yet. He promised he would protect her, but he hadn't given any thought to what his father would say about the whole thing. If only he knew what was in that message his father had scribbled out, and who it was to.
"What about Kellan and Penelope?" Olly asked. They'd told him all about their hunches. Victoria and Nana had guessed on their own who Skylar really was to the dragons. They'd all been sworn to secrecy. They couldn't tell Skylar, not yet. She wasn't ready to hear that. They couldn't put any more on her shoulders, strong as they seemed to be. She already had to worry about learning to be a dragon, having an Alpha like Kellan come and try to take her even further away from the only home she'd ever known would likely be too much. Besides, Orion couldn't handle the thought of her leaving and never seeing her again. His dragon immediately retaliated at such a thought. He'd go mad if Skylar left.
"What about them, love?" Victoria wondered.
"Dad can't exactly send Skylar away without telling them he found her. If they ever found out we had their lost daughter and then sent her to die-"
Without warning, a snarl ripped from Orion at the mention of Skylar dying. Three pairs of eyes turned to look at him, Olly's questioning, Victoria's and Nana's with a small sense of knowing. Orion took a deep breath and, not trusting himself to talk, nodded for his brother to continue. Olly gave him a cautious look before finishing his thought.
"If they found out we sent her away into danger," he glanced at Orion anxiously, "it would likely start a war. No matter how good of friends Dad and Kellan are, or if Orion is mated to Cassie."
Orion's dragon huffed with impatience. All he'd heard was Cassie's name and his mood only soured further. Why were they discussing the meek female when they should be figuring out how to protect Skylar from Leo's clouded judgement.
Before anyone could respond to Olly, the front door opened quietly and Skylar appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, Leo behind her. Orion stood up from his chair, relief flooding him until he saw the tears pooling in her eyes. The blue eyes that were filled with fear and sorrow. Orion's hands lifted, beginning to reach out for her without really thinking about what he was doing, when Leo put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently toward the stairs. Skylar didn't look back at Orion as she ran up the stairs and he heard her door close with a soft click.
"What did you do?" Orion demanded, all of his anger focused on his father. Seeing Skylar's tears, her fear, had been too much. Rage boiled in him. His father had made the kindest person he knew cry.
"You will not speak to me that way," Leo pointed a finger at Orion, but the young Alpha stood his ground.
"What did you do to her?" he repeated. His voice was icy cold, but his temper was quickly rising to explosive.
Leo narrowed his eyes at his son. Orion could sense his Alpha's own anger rising as well. He didn't do well with someone questioning his judgement.
"I did what was best for the clan," he replied. "I can't have her here, endangering everyone. She'll be gone in a few weeks."
"Dad!" Olly exclaimed before Orion had a chance to react. Not that he was quick. The worst outcome he'd thought of was unfolding, and his brain was now playing catch up as he tried to think of what he could do. "Dad, you can't abandon her."
Leo's anger was turned on Olly then. "And who are you to question me, Oliver? Sit down and remember your place." Olly glared and rose in his chair.
Valerie growled then, coming to Olly's defense before Olly could do something really stupid without thinking. "Leo, think about what you're doing."
"I have thought about it, and sending that girl away is what is best for the clan."
"I won't let her go," Orion promised, his voice coming back to him. What kind of Alpha would he be if he let his brother and stepmother talk for him. "I told her I would protect her."
"And you're not in any position to make a promise like that, are you? You seem to forget that you are not Alpha yet, I am. What I say is final, and I want her gone."
"None of this is her fault!"
"That doesn't matter! It will be my fault if my clan is targeted by the Dragon Killer because I harbored someone I had no obligation to!" Leo's eyes were glowing now, which was an odd appearance since they were so black. Orion felt his eyes begin glowing in return. He squared up to his father without being conscious of what he was doing. He didn't want to challenge his Alpha, but he would do it to protect Skylar.
That's when he realized how deep his feelings for her really went.
He would never have dreamed of standing up to his father like this, challenging his decision so strongly, before Skylar. It was incredible how quickly she'd managed to worm her way into his heart. It had only taken her a few days to do something no one had been able to do in twenty-four years.
"Don't you dare," Leo warned, observing Orion's stance. "You realize that you've changed since you've met her?"
"I have not."
Leo sighed, shaking his head. "Yes, you have. You've never growled at me, not once in your life, and yet when she walked into the kitchen that first day and I spoke to her, the first thing you did was growl and me. Not only that, you positioned yourself inbetween us, as if I was a threat. That was the first time. Since then, you've neglected every one of your duties as future Alpha."
"I was training her, something you told me to do, if I recall."
"At any point you could have had some else do it. You're going to be Alpha, you could have delegated. Instead you embraced it, and I've seen so little of you the past three days that someone could have convinced me that you were still gone searching for the dragons that you never found. And why didn't you find them? Because of that girl you decided to bring home with you like a wounded bird!"
"You expected me to abandon her? I don't remember you being so against this when I first brought her here. You even seemed impressed by her, as if you liked her. And then you find out Draco's targeting her and suddenly she's the enemy? Someone we have to send right into his arms simply because you're afraid?"
Leo's hand was around Orion's throat so fast, Orion had no chance of stopping him. He propelled Orion back into the cabinet, slamming him hard against the solid wood.
"You won't speak to me in such a way. Father or not, I am still your Alpha. I could kill you for daring to challenge me like this."
Orion stayed silent, meeting his father's gaze, not at all afraid of the hand around his throat. He'd never seen his father like this, and he knew he should be afraid. His father was on an edge of some sort, and if he crossed over it, no one knew what might happen. But Orion wasn't scared, or even worried that Leo would hurt him.
Leo took a deep breath through his nose and released Orion with a shove. "It no longer matters, either way. You'll come to your senses soon, once the distraction is out of the way. I've summoned Kellan and Penelope to arrive earlier than planned. I'll tell them about Skylar, and you'll dote on Cassie. They'll take Skylar away more than likely, and you'll be mated to Cassie. And all will be as it should."
Orion blinked in surprise, not expecting the last statement. He should have guessed the note his father wrote was to Kellan, but not the mated to Cassie statement. "We haven't set a date for the ceremony yet."
"We'll talk about it more when they get here, but you'll be mated to Cassie by the time they leave. She will remain here while they take Skylar back to their clan."
Dread washed over Orion as he grasped the seriousness of his father's words. Not only would he lose Skylar, but he'd be mated to Cassie. That was something he'd never minded before, but now...
"And if I don't agree to mate with her?"
"Kellan is a good friend, but I signed a document that said you would mate with Cassie to secure the allegiance between our clans. If you go back on that, I can't promise what the outcome will be. But I know it won't be good. So perhaps you should think about the consequences of your actions before you throw away the safety and security of your clan before choosing an outsider over them." And with that, Leo exited the kitchen without a look over his shoulder. The front door slammed behind him and no one moved. Finally Orion glanced around and realized that at some point through that exchange, Nana had escaped. He hoped she was with Skylar.
He met Victoria's eyes and saw that his stepmother was crying quietly. Olly was still glaring at the doorway where Leo had disappeared. Orion moved to embrace his stepmother, holding her tightly as he could with her belly wedged between them.
"I've never seen him like that," Victoria whispered, her green eyes wide in shock. "I didn't realize- He's just-"
"He's scared," Orion answered just as quietly.
Olly snarled. "You're going to defend him, after all that?"
"I'm not defending him, I'm simply speaking the truth."
He didn't know what this meant for him and his father, but a strained relationship between the current Alpha and Alpha-to-be wouldn't be a good mix for the clan. He and his father would need to have a real conversation about this when they both calmed down. He glanced at the ceiling, wondering what he would have to do about Skylar. He'd never have thought that the feisty female he'd found in the woods would cause this many problems so quickly, but he wouldn't go back and change the path he and Percy had taken that day. He was glad she was sitting upstairs, probably thinking about everything she'd just heard, because there was no way she, and half of the clan, hadn't heard it.
Olly snorted and tapped his fingers on the back of the chair he was grasping. Orion was proud of his brother for remaining as calm as he had. Having Leo tell him to remember his place had to have stung. Not being next in line for Alpha left the clan frequently forgetting that he was still a member of the Alpha family. Having Leo say something like that to him was something Olly likely wouldn't stop thinking about for a while. His little brother's only saving grace was that he had thick skin. So even if he was thinking about it, it wouldn't bother him quite so much as it might have someone else.
"I'm going to go fly for a while," Olly finally said as Orion released Victoria. His brother exited the Big House at a brisk walk, the door slamming behind him. Orion sighed and ran his hands over his face. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream. He wanted to see Skylar.
Victoria sat down in the chair at the table again, wiping her eyes. "Orion, something else is on Leo's mind that he's not telling us. You must see that."
Orion glanced at his stepmother, wondering if she was just look for a way to excuse her mate's actions.
"I was speaking with him only the other day. He truly likes Skylar. He thinks she's a lovely girl, and he thinks she's good for you. We've all seen that you're happier when you're with her. And you've been more... carefree, since you've met her. He wouldn't send her away, or," she took a shaky breath, "attack you, the way he did, if something else wasn't the matter. I know my mate, Orion, and you know your father. He isn't a cruel man. He isn't normally like that."
Orion looked over his shoulder at the front door, wondering if Victoria was right. He did know his father, and he'd never seen him like that before. Leo didn't lose his temper like that, and he would never physically harm Orion, or threaten to, like he had before. It was just that Orion had no idea what his father wouldn't tell him.
So, instead of answering Victoria, he just moved to clean up the kitchen where breakfast had been abandoned. It seemed like the easiest place to start.