Introspect [The Mating Games #3]

ORION KALLIS

That didn’t take as long as I thought it would, his wolf hummed as they walked out of the palace hand in hand.

You should give her more credit, Orion said, sparing a sideways glance at their mate who was walking beside them. She wasn’t nearly as bad at it as you anticipated.

You have to admit, it was much harder since you weren’t able to communicate with each other.

Oh, totally, he agreed. I’m just glad it’s over and we have the rest of the day to ourselves.

You can say that again.

Walking down the palace steps, Orion turned his head to glance at Phoenix. As she was native to the island, he intended to ask her what she recommended that they do the rest of the day. As they had finished quite early, despite the few wrong turns that they took at the beginning, they had plenty of time to spend together as long as they returned to their separate apartments at the end of the evening; something which they were graciously reminded of by Denver on their way out of the grand hall.

When he noted the confused, slightly tormented expression on his face,

“Are you still worrying about the punishment?”

“Yes,” Phoenix sighed in answer, not bothering to lie about it.

“Come here,” Orion said as he stopped walking. When he did, she had no choice but to do the same.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her lips curled into a small pout as she stared up at him.

“Come here, angel,” he prompted her again, tugging gently on her hand to tug her into him.

Unable to resist his touch, Phoenix sighed as she pressed her face into his chest, allowing him to curl his arms around her.

“I don’t want you to worry about anything,” Orion murmured into her hair, rubbing a soothing hand down her back in hopes that it would settle some of her nerves.

“But–” she began speaking in protest but a playful smack to her ample bottom was quick to shut her up.

“Like Denver said yesterday, let’s just get through the Mating Games. We’ll worry about the punishment when we get to the mating ceremony but there’s no point worrying ourselves sick about it. It’s already happened and there’s nothing that we can do to reverse it.”

“I know you’re right. I just always worry about these sorts of things.” Phoenix groaned after a few moments. Almost as if she needed a few more moments to herself, of bliss, she buried her face further in his chest and remained there.

“You don’t have to worry with me here,” Orion promised, squeezing just a little tighter.

At his words, she weaved her arms around his waist and held him just as hard as he held her; with all of her might.

“We have the rest of the day together,” Orion said, murmuring the words into her. “Any suggestions of what we should do?”

At his question, Phoenix hummed. When an idea sprang to mind after a few moments, she pulled away slightly and gazed up at him.

“How do you feel about meeting my parents?” she asked, a poker expression on her face as she watched carefully for his reaction.

“Your parents?” Orion couldn’t help but gulp in question; his natural reaction far too obvious for him to even attempt to conceal.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Phoenix was quick to deny, clearly picking up on the panic-stricken expression on his face. “I was only suggesting the idea. But it’s just that. Only an idea.”

“No, no!” Orion was quick to deny before she got ahead of herself. “I want to meet your parents.”

“But?” she prompted, very aware that he was in two minds right now.

“I’m nervous,” Orion admitted sheepishly, bowing his head so she would

“You don’t have to worry with me here,” she said, throwing his words back at him.

At that, they both shared a secret smile.

As they now had a clear plan set for the day, there was no point dawdling outside the palace, especially since they had already finished with today’s task. Hand in hand, they began walking to her house; the first time that she would be returning to it and her parents since before the Mating Games.

Orion was nervous for a number of reasons. Surprisingly, the age difference between them was not the top concern on his list. At the top of this very long list of things that he feared her parents would object against him was the fact that he was a wolf. While he wasn’t the least bit ashamed of who he was, he was very aware that Phoenix and him were of two very different species. They may have many physical things in common but there was a reason that the Moon Goddess had paired them together. He looked forward to spending the rest of his life exploring these many, many reasons but for now, it was the dreaded moment of meeting the parents.

Except, Phoenix’s parents were witches.

“You don’t have to look so terrified,” Phoenix chuckled, sparing him a sideways glance as she continued leading the way. As it was a short walk away from the palace, there was no need to ask one of the stewards to drive them.

This way, it also granted him some time to mentally prepare himself for the possible shark fest that he was to walk into.

“Tell me about your family,” he asked of her a few minutes into walking. “Just so I don’t turn up completely clueless.”

“Well, I live with both of my parents. My older brother, Nicholas, has moved out to live with his girlfriend. Her name is Chelsea and honestly, I can’t wait for them to get married,” Phoenix all but beamed, an extra pep in her step as she walked.

“What are your parent’s names?”

“Benjamin and Mary Evermoor,” she grinned, turning to face him. “My father has water affinity while my mother has fire.”

“Water cancels out fire,” Orion hummed, hanging off her every word for now, her parents were also his parents. “That sounds like a perfect match.”

“I like to think so,” she grinned, a particular twinkle in her eyes as she spoke so fondly of those that she held closest to her heart. Orion sincerely hoped that very soon, he would be included in that category. “My brother has taken after father with the water affinity.”

“And his girlfriend?”

“Chelsea has the Earth affinity. You should see her garden! It’s the most beautiful plot of land you’ll ever see.”

“That does sound beautiful. I can’t wait to meet them,” he squeezed her hand though struggled to rid himself of the unsettling feeling that had gathered in the pit of his stomach.

“You really don’t have anything to worry about,” Phoenix assured him. “My parents are going to love you. I’m absolutely certain of it.”

And with that, Orion had nothing but her word to go off of.

Thankfully, Phoenix had been correct. While her mother, Mary had been slightly apprehensive of him at first, more concerned with the age difference than his difference in species – something which he hadn’t expected but welcomed as it was far easier an issue to deal with – she warmed up pretty quickly.

What had started off as a family lunch quickly turned into an entire family day. And honestly, Orion couldn’t have wished for anything else. They had sat in the dining room, sipping tea as Phoenix’s parents took the opportunity to grill him in hopes of learning everything that they could possibly learn about him. It was only when Phoenix jumped into his defence that they ended the interrogation for a spot of lunch.

After lunch, they had grabbed dessert from a local bakery before heading over to Phoenix’s brother’s house – the house of Nicholas and Chelsea. As she had stated earlier, Chelsea’s garden was the most beautiful plot of land that he had ever seen.

It truly was the perfect spot for them to enjoy their dessert; a thick, tall slice of chocolate fudge cake.

With all the snacks, tea and coffee that they had consumed over the course of the evening, no one had been hungry enough for dinner.

It was only when the bright rays of the moon had greeted them that they decided to call it an evening. Mostly because they all wished for Orion and Phoenix to get a good night’s rest

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Orion,” Benjamin moved over to greet him, skipping the pleasantries and pulling him in for a hug instead. “I’m sure that we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other soon,” he chuckled and winked as he pulled away, allowing his wife, Mary, to stand up to bat.

“I look forward to getting to know you better, Orion, and I wish you the best of luck in the remainder of the Mating Games,” Mary smiled softly up at him, some of her walls still evidently up. “But for now, welcome to the family.”

“Thank you, Mary,” Orion couldn’t help but gulp as he leaned down to return her hug.

“Oh, don’t worry about mother,” Nicholas, Nic, chuckled as he patted Orion on the back and shook his hand in the way that men younger than him seemed to do. “She was the same way with Chelsea. Though she’ll probably be worse with you because Phoenix is her favourite child.”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Mary turned to yell at her first-born and only son. “I do not have favourites among my children.”

At that, everyone laughed. It was very evident that Mary was of the fire element.

With the promise that upon his next visit, they would introduce him to some members of their coven and extended family, Orion and Phoenix waved goodbye to her family before heading out for the night.

Orion was nervous before and he was still never now. Though he had to admit that he felt far better knowing that everyone’s first impression of him had been rather pleasant.

“What are you thinking of?” Phoenix asked, squeezing his hand as they walked back to her hotel.

With the way that they had broken the rules yesterday, they dared not step another foot out of line in fear of further retribution. And so, for that reason, Orion was walking her back to her hotel before he would head back to his for the night even though all he wanted was to crawl into bed behind his mate and fall asleep with her curled into his arms. Where she belonged. But alas, they would need to wait for the Mating Games to be over before that desire cold become a desire.

“I’m grateful that your parents were very accepting of me,” Orion exhaled, now feeling like a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

“I told you had nothing to worry about,” she grinned up at him. “My parents and brother loved you.”

“I think your mother doesn’t like me very much.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. She’ll take some time but she was warming up to you already,” she encouraged him. While he still found it hard to believe, probably because he didn’t have much experience with people, especially with mothers that were not his own, the conviction in her voice was enough to sway him.

They spend the rest of the short walk back to Phoenix’s hotel in comfortable silence. They only stopped once they reached the front of the building and could walk no more.

“I had such a wonderful day today. Thank you for taking me to meet your family today,” Orion thanked her, raising her hand to brush his mouth against the back of it.

“Like I said before, I’m your family now,” she promised him, reaching a hand up to brush through his hair. “That also means that my family is now yours.”

“It’s only been five days and you’ve already made me happier than I’ve ever felt before,” he whispered the words between the rise and dips of her knuckles, pulling her closer.

“And you, me,” she lifted her head, her eyes immediately focusing on his lips which parted immediately at the attention.

At her subtle movements of invitation, Orion could hold himself back no more. Pressing a hand into the small of her back, he pulled her forward until her chest was flush against his, just as it had been this morning on the floor of the cave that they had christened. Only without so many clothes.

In this moment, Orion wanted to do so much more than just kiss his mate. He wanted to show her just how truly grateful and indebted he was for her, to be granted her as a mate.

It was just too bad that they were already walking around on eggshells, especially with the eyes of the stewards and Alpha king on them.

Pressing one last bruising kiss to her lips, Orion forced himself to turn around and walk away from her; toward his hotel.

He had only the lingering the taste of her on his lips to put her to sleep. That, and the promise of tomorrow. And then every day after that for the rest of their lives.

Frankly, he couldn’t wait.

-

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Layla Knight

18.06.2021