Page 68 of Scars of the Sun
“Yes. He’s always loved you, Ramona. And he loves having you here. Despite enjoying his solitude, Orion has always craved family. To have you here means it’s complete.” When I stared dumbly at her, struck stupid by her words, her laugh was lighter now, almost teasing, “Have you not realized? You two have your own language where you don’t even need to speak. It’s kinda creepy to watch, actually.”
I glared, “Says the one who wanders barefoot in the forest at night.”
Sylvie grinned, flashing her teeth and crinkling her eyes, “All the better to make my blood sacrifices.”
“… You don’t actually do that, right?” When she gave a nonchalant shrug, I let my question fly, “Can I see?”
She threw her head back, laughing in a musical lilt, and I found myself snickering, too. Yeah, totally joking. It was doing a good job in making me feel a little steadier.
Sylvie leaned forward, and I sat still as she pressed a kiss to my forehead. She still wasn’t giving me calm through her magic, just her words and presence, and her scent was filled with the sweet, pure love that smelled like warm pastries and so often coursed between Dahlia and Ollie.
Because… because I was her sister.
“Now, what do you need?” WhatdidI need? Was it different from what I wanted? “Because I can hear your brother pacing while he tries to keep Dahlia occupied. And your Jaguar’s still sitting on the porch. Just say the word, and I’ll get rid of everyone. I’ll even make myself scarce.”
I sniffed. Fuck, I’d not been thinking about Río and the mess he’d caused with O. Or how the onslaught of worry coming from my brother had made me want to crumple. “Uh… I’ll apologizeto O before I handle Río. I’m sorry again that he went off.” Yeah, when I gathered myself a bit more, I was going to let him fucking have it.
And if that didn’t fill my stomach with excited little bubbles.
“All right, honey,” Sylvie stood and helped me up. “I’ll keep the babies occupied so you and Orion can talk a sec. Let me know if you need me to intervene with your Jaguar, too. Though, his skin’s still probably stinging, so maybe he’ll show some respect.”
I groaned, “Oh, god, Sylvie what did you do?”
She shrugged as she went to Ollie and picked him up. He stayed clinging onto a teething toy, fighting through the discomfort of a few new teeth that had been cutting through his gums as of late. “Taught him not to even think about insultingmymate.” She opened the door and called over her shoulder, “Make sure he knows that next time he tries, he won’t be walking away from it.”
And then she was gone, meeting Dahlia’s questions with more assurances, this time telling her that I was fine and that I just needed to talk to the grown-ups. No, she couldn’t go skating with me and Río right now.
The shiver at her ominous threat had just reached my toes when my brother’s broad shoulders filled the doorway. Purplish bags hung heavy below his eyes, which weren’t meeting mine but stayed on my arms that I was just managing to not hide behind my back. Sylvie said that he would understand.
We stood in silence, in letting our creepy way of communicating, as Sylvie so lovingly put it, flow. I shifted my forearms, took a deep breath, and presented them to him. Let him see.
Even when a tear, and then another, trailed into his beard, wetting the white hair, he didn’t look away. He nodded, his fingers on both hands flicked and twitched, and my bodysomehow tapped into my reserves and let a pair of silent tears run down the sides of my face, too.
I’m sorry. I won’t hide from you anymore.
I’m so sorry, I love you.
We met in the middle, me and my brother, and his arms crushed me to him. His heart was beating frantically, and I wrapped my scarred arms around his waist. We trembled and breathed and swayed, and his hard kisses into my hair helped me stand more firmly. His heavy pats on my back made me feel stronger.
And when we pulled away at the same time, O held my shoulders, and managed to meet my eyes. I nodded, lips shaking again but back straight. The pastry scent was taking over the room, now, never having fully dispersed from my conversation with Sylvie, and I again fought to accept it. To let it flow over the walls I’d constructed around myself and cast me in the sweet glow.
You belong here. You are strong.
Thank you.
O pursed his lips, but when he opened his mouth a moment later, it was a scratchy and reverberating whisper. “I—I love you, Mona. Anything I can do for you. There’s no hesitation.”
“Even if it’s to talk? About feelings?” My lips twitched in half-jest, but my stomach flipped with real nerves for what his answer would be.
He didn’t waver. Orion gave a steady, sure nod. “Even to talk about feelings. I’m getting better at it, and I would do anything for you.”
And when an aftershock in the form of a hitching sob wracked my chest, Orion just pulled me into him again, where it was warm and safe, and I whined pitifully. Like a puppy that was finally being soothed.
“I didn’t even kill your mate.” O said dryly, and my whining cries turned to laughs once more.
“He’s not.”
Orion grunted, and I felt the vibration of it against my cheek. “I may miss some things, but I’m not stupid, Mona. I can tell that he makes you happy.” I sighed, resigning myself to just accept his assertion. Not to mention that it made the non-human part of me grumble in delight. “I’d say be careful, but I know you can take him.”