“Oh, wow,” Orpheus murmured.
His sudden exclamation distracted me from my thoughts. I followed his gaze, and smiled. He was staring at the bright blue open sky. Not a single cloud speckled the azure expanse.
For the first time since I’d met him, Orpheus was completely silent. He didn’t say a word as he stared up at the vast sky in deep longing. I felt a pang of sympathy for him. I wasn’t a bird shifter, so I had no idea what it felt like to fly, but I could imagine it felt terrible to have that ability taken away.
I put my hand comfortingly on his lower back. “You’ll be back to flying soon,” I promised.
Breaking out of his reverie, Orpheus faced me. He smiled slightly. I noticed his eyes were a bit watery, like he was trying not to cry. My heart broke for him.
“Ah, I wish you hadn’t seen me like this,” Orpheus said with a chuckle, turning away from me. He tried to raise an arm to wipe his eyes but they must’ve been too sore because he gave up halfway.
“You don’t have to hide how you feel,” I said gently. “But if you want a moment alone without a stranger hovering over you, I can come back and get you later.”
He blinked in surprise. “Red, you’re not a stranger to me. You’re my friend. If there’s anyone I’d want around right now, it’s you.”
I tried not to mirror his surprise, even though I felt it deeply. This wasn’t a flirtatious comment—it was a real glimpse into his true feelings. I was both happy and honoured that he considered me a friend.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll stay as long as you like. Take your time.”
We fell into a peaceful quiet as we looked up at the sky together. It was a tranquil, pleasant moment. The cool breeze tickled my face and I shut my eyes to inhale the clean scent of the air.
But it wasn’t just the air that I smelled. Orpheus’s scent was impossible to ignore. He didn’t smell anything like any of the other alphas in the pack. Was it because he was a raven, or was it something else?
As my mind drifted into dangerous territory, I had to pull myself back. There were one million reasons why Orpheus wasn’t my fated mate. For one thing, he always said he didn’t believe in them. Even if he hadn’t said as much earlier, I could tell that was the way he thought and he was holding his comments back to prevent hurting my feelings.
On top of that, Orpheus said he’d already had a mate in the past and that things didn’t work out. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it, so I assumed it was very painful for him. If a mate had hurt him that much, I doubted he would want another one.
And even if he did, it wouldn’t be me. Itcouldn’tbe me.
I hadn’t told him yet. If I did, I’d surely scare him away, even as a friend. That was the same reason I hadn’t told the rest of the pack, either. I’d had a rocky start with them and I didn’t want to ruin what we had because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut about my identity.
Bad feelings swirled in my chest like a storm. I clenched my eyes tighter. This was why I never talked about it—because even thinking about it was too hard.
“Well, that’s enough staring at the big blue for now,” Orpheus announced. “I think I’d like to sit down again, if that’s all right with you.”
Crap, I’d let myself get too deep into my thoughts. I tried to shake it off. I put on a smile. “Okay. Whatever you want.”
“I gotta be honest, though. That dirt alcove gets boring after a while. It’s fine for sleeping in, but while I’m still awake, is there anywhere else we can go?”
Orpheus’s happiness and comfort were more important than my stupid brain spiralling. I had to focus. “Sure. There’s plenty of nice places in the grove. But only if you don’t mind been mobbed by kids.”
He grinned. “Are you joking? I’m always down for that. Bring on the mob.”
—
It didn’t take long for the curious stream of kids to show up. We’d taken a few steps into the grove proper before three of the older ones dashed over. Lupa and Ashe were in the front, followed by a wide-eyed Leveret in the back. It took her a second to catch up, but Starry wasn't far behind, though she remained in her kitten form, probably so she could playfully dig her nails into the newcomer.
"Who's that?" Lupa asked excitedly.
"He smells weird," Leveret said, wrinkling his nose.
Starry sneezed as if in agreement.
Orpheus chuckled. Thankfully, he didn't seem overwhelmed by their rowdiness or slew of questions. "Let's start at the beginning, shall we? The name’s Orpheus, I'm a raven shifter and that's probably the reason why I smell weird. That, or the yucky medicine I had to take earlier. Now, who's who in this bunch?"
I laughed as each kid frantically tried to introduce themselves first. They were like a stampede. By the time Orpheus got through all the introductions, he must've been dizzy with information. I knew it must not have been easy for a newcomer to remember every single child.
"Let's see if I got this right," Orpheus said. He raised a finger as he listed off each one's name. "Lupa and Leveret, the twins. Then we’ve got Ashe, this tall fellow over here." Ashe beamed at the compliment, puffing out his chest. "After him, there's Starry, the kitten who's currently trying to gnaw my leg off."
