Chapter 155: Alpha and the Vanishing Shadow

Chapter 154: The Alpha and the Vanishing Shadow

The square was emptying fast. The murmuring of the crowd had faded into the usual rhythm of post-festival cleanup, brooms scraping stone, voices calling across the open yard, the clatter of tables being stacked and benches dragged away.

Orion stretched his arms behind his back, the last of the parchments signed and sealed. The moment Daniel gave him a nod, Orion took off.

Daniel laughed at the way he ran like listening to the complains of his people which he did with rapt attention was punishment and he was finally free.

He turned to Garrett. "See what I mean Garfield?"

Garrett frowned. "Sir?"

"If you keep this up you’ll forever be Garfield. I’m telling you that this..." He said pointing at Orion. "...or rather that is who you will be working with. Someone who escapes work at any chance he got."

"Oh." Garrett said as it dawned on him.

Daniel shook his head as he walked down from the dias. Meanwhile Garrett tried to reconcile the two characters...the alpha, Orion who always made sure his people were safe, their needs were met and always listened and the alpha who also ran away from work.

Perhaps there was a reason why Ronan had asked him if he really wanted to work with Orion. But this was just his first day, he was sure things would get better.

Orion was already in the far end of the square where he saw Sophia. He searched for her but couldn’t find her. It was like she had vanished from the square. But he was sure she had been around because there was no way he could have imagined it.

Orion continued searching and started moving towards the training grounds to see if she was still there, perhaps. And he saw her. Her fingers were in her mouth and she looked anxious. Her face was turned away but then she turned to him and they locked eyes. Her eyes widened and she ran away like a mouse being pursued by a cat.

Orion moved towards her but Daniel held him in place.

"Where do you think you are going?" Daniel asked him.

"We just finished holding court, Daniel. I’m free right?" Orion asked hopefully even if he knew that there was no way he was free.

There was always work to do and Daniel made sure Orion did his work without postponing anything. Orion never thought he’d say this so soon but he missed his best friend.

"Free? There’s still work to do." Daniel told him.

"I can’t take a break?" Orion asked him.

Daniel shook his head. "I know you and if I let you out of my sight, it’ll be a while until I see you again."

With a dejected sigh, Orion moved with Daniel towards the office. They just finished the festival so he was sure there wouldn’t be much work to do...he thought wrong because when he walked into the office and saw the scrolls and parchments on it, he felt like drowning.

Orion was so swamped with work that he didn’t have the time to think about why Sophia would run away from him. The entire afternoon vanished under Daniel’s relentless supervision. Even Tobias avoided rescuing him, muttering something about "never getting between Daniel and duty." By the time Orion managed to slip out of the office, the sun was beginning to dip low behind the watchtowers. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The compound had quieted again voices softer now, laughter carrying from somewhere near the dining hall. The air smelled of stew and woodsmoke. He loosened his collar and took a long breath, then turned toward the library.

While it was getting dark already, he was sure Sophia would still be at the library. Maybe he could find her there and speak with her.

Joseph was at his usual post at the front desk, nose deep in a ledger. The old man looked up when Orion entered, adjusting his spectacles. "Alpha Orion," he greeted with his mild smile. "This is a rare sight."

"A rare sight indeed. Is Sophia in?" Orion asked him.

Joseph blinked. "No, she left a while ago."

Truth.

Orion’s brow furrowed. "You’re sure?"

"Quite sure."

But Orion could feel her unmistakable presence. That unmistakable calm rolled through him, the same quiet peace he only ever felt when she was close. The scent was faint but fresh, the warmth in the air lingering like a ghost of her presence.

There were only two conclusions, perhaps Sophia saw him coming and his herself or she was still in the library and Joseph wasn’t aware.

Orion was more inclined to believe the first one especially after he saw her hiding from him earlier. What he couldn’t understand was why. Why was she avoiding him?

At first, he had doubts but after this, he was certain that she was avoiding him. She was very skilled at it too. For someone who couldn’t run for even give minutes without breathing like she was about to collapse, she was very good at it.

Oh, and also the fact that she always had the tendency to trip on her own feet, so how was she able to hide from him so easily now?

Orion gave Joseph a nod. He didn’t linger. There was no need to. Sophia could hide all she wanted but he was going to get her. She could only run for so long after all.

Orion walked out of the library and thank the gods he was done with his work. He was about to go tonone if his favourite spots when he took a detour and moved to the forge Instead.

The heat struck him first...the familiar, roaring warmth that smelled of iron and coal and oil. Sparks danced in the dim light, hammer meeting steel in steady rhythm. The forge was quieter now, most of the apprentices gone, save for Mary, who stood by the anvil with her sleeves rolled high and a fresh blade cooling in the trough.

She looked up as he approached, one brow arching. "Orion," she said,"What brings you to my humble domain? Don’t tell me, part of your work now is to fix weapons?"

Orion smirked. "No. I came for something different."

"Different?"

He nodded toward the rack of half-forged knives. "I need you to help craft throwing daggers."

Mary raised a brow, wiping her hands on her apron. "That’s a strange request from you. You already have daggers and you don’t fancy them that much. What more do you need them for?"

"They are not for me," Orion replied simply.

Mary paused, then leaned her hip against the anvil, studying him. The glow of the forge painted her hair like molten copper, her scar catching the light as she crossed her arms. "Then who for?"

Orion hesitated a beat, then gave her a faint grin. "Someone."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and he could see the question forming but she didn’t ask it. She only watched him, her expression unreadable, the faintest tug of amusement in the corner of her mouth.

"Someone," she repeated, her tone layered with understanding that made Orion shift on his feet.

Mary turned, selecting a thin piece of steel from the bench, then set it against the anvil. "You know," she said as she began to heat the metal, "I noticed this earlier when you were holding court but you seem happy."