Page 18

CHAPTER 18

ORION

T he streets blur as I race forward, my legs pounding the pavement with enough force to crack it. My heart hammers—not from exertion, but from the thought of Cora in danger. The commotion grows louder, a cacophony of shouts and footsteps. When I turn the corner, there she is, sprinting down the alley with a mob hot on her heels. Her hair is wild, her face flushed with exertion and fear. She’s holding her own, but they’re gaining.

“Cora!” My voice booms like thunder, and her head snaps toward me. Relief floods her features, but there’s no time for niceties. She ducks behind me as I step forward, shielding her with my body. The mob halts, a sea of anger and confusion, their eyes wide at the sight of me—Orion Weller, towering and furious.

“Stay behind me,” I growl, my voice low and dangerous. My hands flex, ready to tear through them one by one. I’ve fought worse. I’ve killed worse.

Cora’s fingers grip my arm, her nails digging into my skin like a plea. “Orion, no! They’re just people! They’ve been lied to—manipulated by Lars. They don’t know what they’re doing.”

I glance down at her, my jaw clenched so tight it aches. Her green eyes are wide, pleading, and for a moment, I’m torn. I want to crush these fools. I want to make them pay for daring to chase her. But Cora—she’s looking at me like I’m the one who can fix this instead of escalating it.

“Fine,” I grit out, though it costs me. I turn back to the mob, my voice rising like a storm. “Stop!”

The word leaves my mouth with such force that it seems to ripple through the air. They freeze, stumbling over each other, their momentum broken. A few glance at each other nervously. It’s a temporary hold, but it’s enough.

“You!” I point to a man in the front—mid-forties, hollow eyes, desperation etched into every line of his face. “What’s your grievance?”

He stumbles over his words, caught off guard. “I—I lost my job! I’m about to lose my house! It’s these alien corporations—they’re rigging the system!” His voice cracks, a mix of anger and despair.

I snort, loud enough to cut through the tension. “That’s ridiculous. How much do you need?”

His face scrunches in confusion. “What?”

“Your mortgage,” I snap. “How much is it? I’ll pay it. And you’ll have a job waiting for you at Orion Industries tomorrow.”

The crowd murmurs, whispers spreading like wildfire. A woman steps forward, her face streaked with tears. “I’m drowning in medical bills! My son?—”

“Done.” I cut her off with a sharp nod. “Your son’s care is covered. You’ll work for me too.”

The mob shifts, their anger wavering as uncertainty takes its place. They’re not ready to trust me yet, but they’re listening. Cora peeks out from behind me, her hand still gripping my arm like she’s anchoring me to diplomacy instead of destruction.

“Listen to me,” I bark, my voice carrying the weight of command. “There are no aliens. No conspiracies. Just people who’ve fallen through the cracks. I’m here to make it right. Every single one of you will leave here with a job and a future. But this?” I gesture to the chaos around us. “This ends now.”

The silence that follows is heavy, a tentative truce. Cora’s fingers loosen their grip, and for the first time since I found her, she breathes.

Lars bursts through the remnants of the mob, his face twisted with rage. He shoves people aside, his voice a venomous hiss. “What are you doing? They’re the enemy! They’re the ones ruining your lives! Attack them!”

The crowd hesitates, their eyes darting between Lars and me. One man, the same one I just offered a job, steps forward. His face is hard, his jaw set. “You’re the one who’s been lying to us. You’re the one who’s been using us.”

Lars snarls, shoving the man back. “You’re weak! All of you! You’ll never?—”

The man shoves Lars back with a force that sends him sprawling to the ground. The crowd murmurs, their anger shifting from me to Lars. I step forward, looming over him, my lips curling into a grin. “You’ve lost this time, Luhr. No one will follow you anymore.”

Luhr glares up at me, his yellow eyes burning with hatred. He sneers, his voice dripping with venom. “Maybe I did lose, but so have you!”

Before I can react, his arm stretches out unnaturally, elongating like rubber. His hand closes around Cora’s throat, yanking her toward him. The mob scatters, their fear of the unnatural driving them away. In seconds, the street is empty except for the three of us.

Cora gasps, her hands clawing at Luhr’s grip. Her face flushes red, her eyes wide with panic. I take a step forward, my fists clenched, but Luhr tightens his hold, his grin widening. “One more step, Orion, and I’ll snap her neck.”

I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest. Cora’s eyes meet mine, and I see the fear there, but also the determination. She’s not giving up, and neither am I.

“Let her go, Luhr,” I growl, my voice low and dangerous. “This is between you and me.”

Luhr chuckles, a cold, humorless sound. “Oh, but this is so much more fun. You care about her, don’t you? I can see it in your eyes. You’re weak, Orion. You’ve let this human cloud your judgment.”

Cora’s voice is strained, but she manages to speak. “He’s not weak. He’s stronger than you’ll ever be.”

Luhr’s grip tightens, and Cora chokes, her words cut off. I take another step forward, my rage boiling over. “If you hurt her, I’ll tear you apart piece by piece.”

Luhr’s grin widens, his yellow eyes gleaming with malice. “Promises, promises. But you’re not in a position to make threats, are you? You’re at my mercy now.”

I clench my fists, my mind racing. I need to get Cora out of this, but one wrong move and Luhr could kill her. I can’t risk it. I can’t lose her.

“What do you want, Luhr?” I demand, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

Luhr’s grin turns into a smirk. “Oh, I think you know what I want. I want you to suffer. I want you to watch as I take everything from you, starting with her.”

Cora’s eyes meet mine again, and I see the unspoken message there. She’s not afraid. She’s ready to fight. And so am I.

Cora’s nails rake down Luhr’s arm, her poison nail polish sizzling as it disrupts his shapeshifting grip. His hand splinters, fragments of his form breaking off like shattered glass. He stumbles, his yellow eyes wide with shock. “What the?—?”

“That’s for grabbing me, lizard boy!” Cora spits, kicking him in the shin for good measure before darting back.

I don’t waste a second. My fist connects with Luhr’s jaw, the impact sending him sprawling. He recovers fast, a blur of green scales and fury. He’s quick—too quick. I barely register the first punch before it lands, a sharp crack against my ribs.

“You’ve gotten slow, Orion,” Luhr hisses, his voice dripping with venom. “Too soft. Too human .”

I grit my teeth, my claws extending as I swipe at him. He ducks, his laugh grating against my ears. “What’s the matter? Can’t keep up?”

Another blow, this time to my temple. My vision blurs, but I shake it off, lunging forward. I catch him by the arm, twisting hard enough to hear something pop. He snarls, his free hand slamming into my side. Pain flares, but I hold on, slamming him into the pavement.

“You’re outmatched, Luhr,” I growl, my voice a low rumble.

He grins, blood staining his teeth. “Am I? Or are you just too stubborn to admit you’re losing?”

Cora’s voice cuts through the chaos. “Orion, watch out!”

I turn just in time to avoid a kick aimed at my head. Luhr’s speed is relentless—every move he makes is a blur. My body aches from the hits I couldn’t dodge, but I force myself to stay focused.

He lands another blow, this time to my gut. I stagger, but I’m not done yet. I grab him by the throat, my claws digging into his scales. His eyes widen as I slam him into the ground once, twice, until the green of his scales is stained red with his own blood.

“Nobody threatens my Cora,” I roar, my grip tightening. His claws scratch at my arm, but I don’t let go.

Luhr chokes out a laugh, his voice weak but taunting. “You think this is over? You think you’ve won? I’ll keep her as a pet until I get tired of her. Then I’ll sell her on Gur…nice and cheap.”

Rage burns through me, hot and consuming. I lift him again, bringing him down with all my strength. The ground shakes beneath us, and Luhr’s body goes limp. His scales are almost completely red now, his breaths shallow and labored.

“You’re done,” I snarl, my voice like thunder. “You’re never touching her again.”

Cora runs to me, her small frame colliding with my chest like a storm breaking against a mountain. Her arms wrap around my waist, and I feel her trembling—not from fear anymore, but from the adrenaline crash, the sheer relief of being alive. My hand finds the back of her head, fingers threading through her soft brown hair. I press my lips to her forehead, inhaling the faint scent of sweat and the coffee she must’ve had earlier.

“You came,” she whispers, her voice muffled against my chest. “I knew you’d come for me. I knew it.”

My heart clenches, a strange, unfamiliar warmth spreading through me. “Always,” I say, my voice low but firm. “I will always be there for you.”

She pulls back just enough to look up at me, her green eyes searching mine. There’s a flicker of something unspoken there, a decision made in the heat of the moment.

“Fuck it,” she says suddenly, her voice steady despite the chaos around us. “Yes.”

I blink down at her, my brow furrowing. “Yes what?”

“Yes, I’ll be your mate. Marry you. Whatever.” She waves a hand dismissively, but there’s a fire in her eyes that tells me she means every word. “I don’t care what we call it, I just don’t want to be apart from you any longer.”

For a moment, I’m speechless. This isn’t how I imagined this moment—not that I’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time imagining it. But Cora, ever unpredictable, has a way of throwing me off balance in the best possible way.

“I thought you wanted the most romantic proposal ever?” I ask, my voice tinged with amusement.

She shakes her head, a small laugh escaping her lips. “Oriyn, you not only saved my life today, you saved the lives of every single person who was in that dreadful basement meeting with me.” Her hand rests on my chest, right over my heart. “I’m not sure if it gets much more romantic than that. At least, not for me.”

I cup her face with one hand, my thumb brushing across her cheek. “We’ll see about that,” I murmur, leaning down to capture her lips with mine. The kiss is slow, deliberate, a promise sealed without words. Her body molds against mine, and for a moment, the chaos of the world fades away.

When we finally break apart, she’s smiling, that same mischievous glint in her eyes that always makes my chest tighten. “So,” she says, stepping back and crossing her arms, “what’s next, Mr. Weller?”

“Next,” I say, my voice laced with determination, “we make sure Luhr can’t hurt anyone ever again.”