Chapter 166: Explore quietly

Orion’s lips were still on hers when the world around them seemed to fade, the flicker of the fire, the soft hum of the night, even the faint creak of the wooden floor under their feet. Everything melted into the warmth of his hands as they curved around her waist, firm but careful, like he was afraid she’d break if he held her too tightly.

Sophia’s breath caught as he lifted her effortlessly, and carried her to the bed, his mouth never leaving hers. The kiss deepened, slow at first, then hungrier, filled with the kind of need that made her head spin. Her arms wrapped around his neck on instinct, fingers sliding into his hair. He groaned quietly into her mouth, a low, rough sound that sent shivers racing down her spine.

But when they finally broke apart, gasping softly against each other, she pressed her palm against his chest and whispered between breaths, "Don’t even think about it."

Orion blinked, still dazed. "Think about what?"

She gave him a pointed look, still panting slightly. "Going any further. I’m still sore from last night."

For a heartbeat, his expression was blank, then he sputtered out a laugh, dropping his forehead against hers. "You’re kidding."

"I’m not," she said firmly, cheeks warm.

He leaned back a little, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. "Well, that’s just cruel."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "You’ll live."

"Barely," he muttered, but the grin never left his face. He released her gently, rolling to the side and lying back on the bed. "Fine. I can hang on," he said, voice light but eyes glinting with mischief.

Sophia laughed softly, shaking her head. "You sound like it’s torture."

He tilted his head toward her, pretending to think. "It kind of is."

A comfortable silence fell between them after that one that didn’t feel awkward or strained. The fire cracked quietly nearby, throwing shadows that danced across the walls. The night outside was still. Only their breathing filled the space.

After a while, Sophia shifted, glancing at him. "So..." she began hesitantly. "Are we going to tell anyone?"

Orion’s brow arched. "Tell anyone what?"

"That we’re mated," she said, lowering her voice as if someone might overhear them through the walls.

He exhaled through his nose, his expression turning thoughtful. "Ronan knows."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said, his tone casual, though his gaze stayed fixed on the ceiling. "He’s the one who brought the mark to my attention. He saw it this morning when I was changing."

Sophia groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Okay."

She peeked at him between her fingers. "So no one else knows?"

"No one, except the both of us," he said firmly, then turned his head toward her. "And I’d like to keep it that way for now."

"Why though?" she asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

He sighed, folding an arm behind his head. "Because if the council of elders finds out, they’ll lose their minds. They’ve been badgering me for months to find a partner, get married, have an heir just in case anything happens to me or the pack."

Sophia frowned slightly. "That’s... a lot of pressure."

"You have no idea," he said dryly. "If they find out I’m mated already, they won’t wait a single day before dragging us to the temple to swear vows before the Moon Goddess. They’ll probably start throwing flower petals and wedding robes at us before I can even finish breakfast."

Sophia blinked. "You make it sound like a horror story."

"It is," Orion said with mock gravity. "A horror story about overexcited elders who want every young member of the council to be mated."

She snorted, laughing before she could stop herself. "You’re unbelievable."

He grinned. "Thank you."

She shook her head, still smiling. "So you don’t want them to know because... you’re not ready to make it official yet?"

He hesitated, his expression softening. "I want us to have time first. Time to figure out what this is, what we are, without everyone else hovering." His eyes found hers again, earnest and steady. "I don’t want to rush it. Not because I don’t care. But because once it’s official, things change."

She tilted her head. "Change how?"

"If we marry," he said quietly, "you’ll have responsibilities. Duties. People will expect you to act like a leader immediately. You’ll have obligations, ceremonies, politics and we’ll barely have time for each other."

"You really think they’d just accept it?" She asked him. "I’m not really a part of the pack."

Orion released a sound. "We are mated already so that kinda makes you a member of the pack."

She doubted that that was enough but didn’t say anything.

She only sighed. "I’d like to explore Quietly too, take things slow. Who knows, if we rush into this and take an oath before the goddess, I may get tired of you and want to kick you to the curb."

Orion laughed at that. "The feeling’s mutual." He told her.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she shifted closer, sitting cross-legged beside him. Without realizing it, her fingers drifted into his hair, brushing through the soft strands.

Orion closed his eyes immediately, a low hum escaping him. "Don’t stop doing that," he murmured.

Sophia blinked, glancing down. "Doing what?"

"That," he said without opening his eyes, his voice deep and lazy. "If you keep touching my hair like that, I might never leave."

Her fingers paused mid-motion, and she smiled faintly. "You’re ridiculous."

"Maybe," he murmured. "But I’m also serious."

She rolled her eyes, but her fingers resumed their slow movements through his hair. It was... peaceful. The kind of peace she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.

His breathing slowed, his head resting more heavily against her thigh. The mark on his back pulsed faintly again, and she felt something a gentle warmth threading through her chest. It wasn’t overpowering, but it was there, a quiet reassurance that he was calm. Happy.

And maybe... he felt her peace too.

"Orion," she said softly after a long pause.

"Mhm?"

"You’re not supposed to be here, you know. You have a house. Next door."

He cracked one eye open. "So?"

"So," she said, trying to sound stern but failing when her lips curved into a smile, "you should probably go home."

He smirked, eyes half-lidded. "No."