Darkly Ever After by Tana Rose

Author:Tana Rose [Rose, Tana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Orion

I wake up early. It’s nothing new, I hardly ever sleep in. Counter to the lions in Fable’s world that lounge around and let their lionesses do all the work, my beast incessantly needs to walk the perimeter of his realm, to check that the area is secure. That protective instinct has only gotten worse since Fable came into my life.

Logically, I know the area is secure. We have guards that do this for us now, and Rahm has put more protection spells on this suite of rooms than I knew existed, so the six of us are the only ones allowed in.

But it doesn’t stop my lion from nudging me awake and prodding at me to go check for myself.

It’s damn annoying when all I want to do is stay curled up with my mate. Next to me, Fable shifts, curling further into my body, her long rose gold hair tangled over her cheeks and her neck. I carefully stroke it away, running the tips of my calloused fingers over her soft skin. She mumbles and shifts again.

Behind her, Rook snuggles closer into her, pulling her away from me and into his chest. I have a moment of resentment, so minor it’s hardly a flicker. Which, for a fated mate, is virtually unheard of. If it was anyone else besides one of Fable’s other mates, they would have lost their hands, their hearts, their fucking lives.

That’s the way of fated mates. But my bond with Fable knows that she belongs to the others as well, so it’s willing to let go of that possessive rage.

My beast prods me out of bed, eager to make sure our mate is as safe as she can be. After grabbing my shirt from the floor and pulling on a pair of soft leather pants, I kiss Fable’s lips softly and then slip from the room.

The wing is quiet, no one else awake yet. I, once again, silently thank Everard for putting Fable in a wing with no one else, and Rahm for making sure no one but us can enter. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to settle my beast.

But I still walk the entire wing and when I find nothing, I move on to the rest of the castle, striding along the corridors. I speak to every guard I come across, and every one of them gives me the all clear. It takes almost two hours, but when I’m done, I’m finally able to breathe easier.

Fable is safe. The castle is secure.

I’ve done my job.

And that leaves me feeling strangely… bereft.

I need to be doing more to make sure my mate is safe. That Lavinia will not creep out of the shadows and snatch her, send her away again. I don’t think I’d survive if we lost her again. If we lost her for good this time.

We’re not even fully bonded, and the very idea sends a jolt of panic through me.

“You’re growling at nothing, Orion.” The smooth voice breaks through my thoughts.

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