Chapter 142: The Gift Beneath the Lanterns

Chapter 141: The Gift Beneath the Lanterns

The hum of the festival lingered behind them like the echo of a song slowly fading into the night. Lanterns still glowed along the paths, their golden light trembling in the gentle wind, while laughter and music drifted faintly from the distant heart of the celebration. Sophia’s steps were slower now, the gravel crunching softly beneath her boots as she followed beside Orion down the dim, winding lane that led back to his home.

It was quieter here...the air cooler, touched with pine and faint smoke from bonfires still burning at the edge of the grounds. The sounds of the crowd dimmed with every step until only the whisper of leaves and their steady breathing filled the space between them.

Sophia tucked her hands into her cloak, eyes roaming over the gentle slope of the hillside ahead. The moonlight silvered the roofs of the houses, each one glowing faintly as if blessed by the goddess herself. Lanterns bobbed in the distance, swinging from hooks and porches, soft as fireflies.

She glanced sideways at Orion. His broad shoulders were relaxed, the hard lines of his jaw softened by the pale light. His expression was unreadable but there was something in the corner of his mouth that suggested he was fighting the urge to smile.

They reached the wooden steps leading up to his porch. The carved wolf sigils along the railings gleamed faintly, their forms half-shadowed in the dark. The scent of cedar and smoke drifted from the chimney, curling through the cold air.

Orion paused at the door and turned the handle. The hinges groaned softly. "Come in," he said, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter first.

Sophia blinked. "What?"

"I said, come in," he repeated, a faint teasing lilt in his voice.

She crossed her arms. "I’m not supposed to just walk into a gentleman’s home like that."

He quirked a brow, leaning against the doorframe. "A gentleman, am I? That’s new. I seem to remember you saying I wasn’t one."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "You’re twisting my words. And I didn’t say you weren’t one exactly, I said you didn’t act like one."

Orion’s smirk deepened. "Ah, so it’s my behavior that offends you, not my existence."

"Your behavior, your arrogance, your..." she waved her hand vaguely, searching for the right insult, "...your everything."

He gave a quiet laugh, the sound low and easy. "Then you should definitely come in. It’s safer to criticize me indoors."

"I’m not supposed to walk into an unmarried man’s house," she said pointedly.

He shrugged. "You’ve been in my house before."

"That’s different," she countered immediately. "You dragged me here that time. And that was while you were deciding whether to throw me out of your pack or not."

"Ah, yes," he said, his tone light, almost nostalgic. "I remember that day. I had to keep the pack safe."

Sophia gasped, half laughing, half indignant. "You’re not even apologetic!"

"Why would I be?" he replied with a grin that carried both warmth and mischief. "If I hadn’t sent you away, how else would I have had the chance to save you later?"

Her jaw dropped. "You...! That’s not how that works, Orion. No wonder you’re still single."

"Unlike you, I’ve not been single my whole life." He told her.

"Who said I’ve been single my whole life?" She asked him.

Orion tilted his head as he stared at her. "Haven’t you?"

Sophia was quiet as if in deep thoughts but then she gave him a small smile. "I don’t remember."

Orion chuckled at her words.

"Now, can you stop making silly excuses," Orion said finally, gesturing toward the open door with mock seriousness. "And get your ass inside?"

Sophia pressed her lips together to keep from smiling but she wasn’t going to give in so easily. "My house is right there." She said pointing to the house right next to his own.

"Sophia." Orion called dragging out her name.

"Orion." She said mimicking his tone.

Orion sighed even as his lips twitched. "Please, get your short self into my house okay?"

Sophia smiled despite herself. "So polite."

"I’m known for my charm."

"Yeah, charm from the slumps."

"Oh cute, you know what slumps are."

"Fuck off Orion."

"Just get inside, it’s not like you can even stand the cold."

"I’m learning." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"And shivering." He told her dryly.

As they spoke, she stepped forward anyway, crossing the porch and pausing just at the threshold. The warmth that spilled from inside brushed her skin like an invisible welcome.

The door shut softly behind her, a good reprieve from the cold that was now sleeping into her bones.

Now that she was in his home, she decided to take a good look at it.

A steady fire burned at the hearth, the flames casting an amber glow across the room. Shadows swayed along the stone walls and wooden beams, painting them in gold and bronze. The air was heavy with the scent of cedar, smoke, and a hint of spice... something familiar she couldn’t quite name but somehow associated with him.

His home wasn’t grand or overly decorated. There were no gold trimmings or lavish furniture. Instead, it was comfortably rugged, every surface purposeful, every item touched by use and care.

The floors were covered by woven wolf-fur rugs. On one wall hung an incomplete map of Nirvana’s forests, hand-drawn and marked with charcoal lines. A pair of swords crossed above the fireplace, their handles carved with runes that shimmered faintly when the firelight caught them.

Near the window stood a sturdy oak table scattered with parchments, ink pots, and an unrolled scroll that looked half read. Beside it, a small shelf held a few books bound in worn leather, not many, but clearly read often. Sophia suspected Orion wasn’t the one reading those books.

There were touches of warmth she hadn’t expected:

A soft quilt folded neatly over the back of the couch. A clay cup on the mantel, half full of cold tea. A wolf carving sitting beside it, crude but clearly handmade.

It wasn’t a warrior’s lair. It was a home.

"Are you done looking around like this is the first time you’ve been in here?" He asked her.

"I’m taking everything in. It’s like I’m seeing everything with my eyes now." She told him.

"So what were you using to see before? Your height?" Orion asked her as he removed his gloves.

Sophia drew in a slow breath, "Goddess give me strength." She muttered under her breath.

"Pray she gives me strength too. Gods know I need it when dealing with you." Orion replied.

Sophia replied with an eye roll. "I’m tempted to throw my gloves at you."

"Wow, I only taught you to throw a dagger this morning and you want to try it with gloves too?" He asked her with a smile.

Sophia’s lips twitched too but she pretended like she was annoyed by him.

She wandered toward the fireplace, holding her hands out toward the heat. The flames danced and crackled, reflecting in her eyes. "You know," she added playfully, glancing over her shoulder, "I’m beginning to think you brought me here to kidnap me."

Orion, who had moved toward his desk in the corner, barked out a laugh. "Kidnap you?"

"Mm-hmm." She nodded, feigning seriousness. "That’s why you’re being even more annoying tonight. You’re luring me into your den. It’s the perfect plan, really. I just don’t think you came up with it yourself."

He chuckled as he reached the desk and began unfolding a small cloth from the surface. "If I truly wanted to kidnap you, shorty," he said, his tone dropping low and teasing, "I wouldn’t have waited this long."

She chuckled."Thats why I said it wasn’t your plan."

"Thought you said me being dumb was debatable?" He asked her.

"That’s what it is... debatable." She told him with a soft smile.

Their banter settled into a comfortable silence. The fire popped. The warmth of it wrapped around them like a shared secret.

Sophia turned slightly to watch him. Orion’s back was to her as he carefully unfolded the cloth on the desk, movements deliberate and precise. There was a gentleness in the way he moved.

The faint light from the fire caught something within the fabric, a glimmer of blue, like the color of the sky right before dawn.

Sophia frowned, curious. "What’s that?"

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he lifted something small and delicate from the cloth and turned toward her. His eyes met hers, softened by the flicker of the fire.

Sophia froze.

Her throat tightened.

Orion watched her quietly, his expression unreadable but his gaze gentle.

She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper.

"Are those..."