“I came to see you, of course.” My brow furrows. “In a way, Artemis was the reason both Actaeon and Orion met their unfortunate fate. One must always study their enemy to know what to expect. Myths teach us to be cautious for a reason, and those who ignore them are fools destined to fail and repeat history every single time.”
Now he sounds delusional. This Actaeon understands we aren’t actual characters in myths, right?
He extends his hand toward my face, about to make contact, when I feel heat at my back, and a brawny arm wraps around my waist, pulling me against a hard chest. The instant his warmth surrounds me, it calms all the alarm bells ringing in my ears.
My body grows soft at once, and relief fills every cell in my body when Orion’s voice echoes in the night, enveloping me in a protective cocoon. “Don’t touch my wife, Actaeon, unless you want me to break your hand.”
I know I should escape the embrace, but instead, I burrow deeper into it and put my hands on his arm, choosing the devil I know among the two.
Actaeon sighs dramatically and flips the lighter open again, amusement flashing in his eyes as he watches us. “I was just welcoming Diana into the family.” Into what now? “After all, she’s my sister-in-law, and since you guys are celebrating your one-month anniversary tonight, I figured it’s the perfect moment for that.” He lights up the lighter and brings it to hischin, tracing it over his skin, and it must burn him at least a little. He doesn’t so much as flinch at the action. “So I took our private jet and came here. Don’t you appreciate that, Diana?”
My jaw about hits the ground at this news that makes zero sense to me.
Brother-in-law? There was no information about Orion having a sibling.
Actaeon also doesn’t seem like the person who can be contained, so someone with his character would have made headlines by now.
Or maybe I misunderstood?
“Brother-in-law…as in you’re his cousin?”
Orion tenses behind me, and his grip around me grows stronger when Actaeon shakes his head, closing the lighter. “We’re siblings, half brothers to be precise. We share the same father. Unfortunately, that fucker procreated twice. Well, successfully, that is.” Anger seeps from his words, leaving no doubt that he shares everyone’s sentiments in this castle about the guy. “May he rot in eternal hell. Amen.”
“So you are a Walker?” It would explain why no one ever made the connection between the two.
“I’m not a Walker.”
“Oh.”
How is this possible? So he’s a Wright?
The brothers have little desire to address my confusion. Instead, Orion barks, “Why aren’t you at the boarding school?” Oh, so he’s, what? Seventeen or eighteen?
Actaeon snatches out a cigarette from the pack in his back pocket and rolls his eyes when my husband adds, “Don’t even think about smoking in front of Diana.”
He puts it behind his ear instead and hooks his thumbs in his front pockets. “A little break wouldn’t hurt anyone. Besides,I’m the best in my class, and most of them are boring as fuck. Teachers don’t mind, either.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“What did you hear?”
“You’re harassing a new student. She’s afraid to attend her classes because you’ve already crashed a few of them. She is also nonverbal due to a childhood trauma that took away her parents.”
Now it’s Actaeon’s turn to tense, and his fingers flex around the lighter. His face still stays emotionless, but a muscle on his cheek ticks. “Harassing is such a strong word for what’s going on between us. Let’s just say she saw something she shouldn’t have, and now we have a problem. In time, she’ll learn.”
If I thought he was crazy before, now he sounds downright insane, reminding me of those psychopaths psychiatrists speak about on various documentaries.
“It stops now, Actaeon. If you continue toharassthe girl, there will be consequences, and you won’t like any of them.” It seems my husband might be cruel, but not so cruel as to allow his spoiled brother to bully some innocent girl.
I expect Actaeon to say something bizarre once again, or argue with Orion, as he doesn’t seem like a person who listens to orders much. He does none of those things and instead shrugs. “As you wish, Brother.” I don’t miss the lack of sincerity in his words. He simply claps his hands. “I’m starving. Let’s eat. That witch forbade me from touching anything. Remember to invite me to her funeral. I’d toast to that.” With that, he goes toward the terrace as we stand still. Meanwhile, I’m trying to process it all.
A gasp slips past my lips when Orion turns me around, cupping my cheek. His other hand skims from my arm to my waist, gripping it. “Are you all right? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?” He tips my chin up. “You can tell me.”
“No, he only showed up five minutes ago. I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“It’s a long story.” His thumb brushes over my cheek, the touch evoking goose bumps and sending scorching heat through me. And my heartbeat speeds up when he leans forward, his breath fanning my lips. “He doesn’t know the truth. To him, this marriage is real, so we'd better act like we adore each other tonight.”
And just like that, his words burst the cocoon around me, reminding me about our situation and how staying close to this man is dangerous to my heart.
