Chapter 8
It had been two months since Orion had taken the mysterious woman into his pack, and she still hadn't woken up. At this point, Orion was starting to question Lysander's skills, or perhaps it was just the woman herself stubbornly clinging to unconsciousness. Things had been moving at a slow pace, and Orion was a man of action. He had sent a carefully worded reply to the Enclave, a carefully worded reply that concluded to the answer, no. Furthermore, Tobias's research into Victoria's potential dabbling in black magic hadn't yielded the desired results yet. Orion wasn't scared though. He knew that they would get something, he just hoped it wasn't too late when they did.
The Enclave's silence was unsettling, and he suspected they might be plotting something, some way to spite him. Their occasional spies hadn't been sent to Orion's pack anymore, although he was sure that was because of the reply he had sent to the Enclave. Perhaps that was why they were quiet for now, biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. However, dealing with the Enclave would have to wait; his priority was getting the woman to wake up so that his pack could finally find some peace. The uncertainty surrounding her identity was keeping everyone on edge, fueling rumors and anxieties.
At night, Orion decided to visit the woman. Brynhild had been standing guard at the medical facility, her presence reassuring, but he had given her the night off to spend with her mate. Considering her pregnancy and the stress she was under, Orion knew she needed a break, a chance to relax and recharge. Brynhild smiled appreciatively, her eyes filled with gratitude, before leaving, her hand resting protectively on her now bulging stomach.
Orion was alone in the medical facility with the woman, and he had assured Lysander that he would send word immediately if anything happened. With no patients or ongoing research, everyone else had the night off, leaving the facility eerily silent. Orion took a stool and sat down beside the woman's bed, staring at her delicate features. He couldn't help but notice how pale she was. There was a dusting of freckles around her nose that, strangely, added to her appeal, giving her a touch of vulnerability. Her black hair seemed out of place, almost unnatural, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
"Who are you?" Orion asked, his voice soft, barely a whisper, knowing he probably wouldn't get an answer. He was grasping at straws, hoping that talking to her might spark something, might somehow break through the barrier of her unconsciousness.
The voice he had heard when he first took her to the pack, the voice that had pleaded with him to save her, hadn't spoken to him again, leaving him wondering if he had imagined it, a figment of his imagination born out of stress and exhaustion. Perhaps if she woke up, he would hear the voice again, and it would finally reveal the truth.
According to Lysander, her injuries had healed nicely with Madam Tyler's help, the cuts and bruises fading, the broken bones mending, but no one knew what was keeping her from waking up.
Orion had no idea when he fell asleep next to her, his head resting on his arm, his body slumped in the chair. He was jolted awake by a loud scream, a piercing sound that shattered the silence and sent a jolt of adrenaline through his veins. He opened his eyes, his senses on high alert, and found the woman hiding at the far end of the room, her eyes wide with terror, her body trembling. She was holding a candlestick, her knuckles white as she gripped it tightly, and staring at him with vibrant blue eyes that seemed strangely familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice firm, though it trembled slightly, betraying her fear. "What are you doing? What have you done to me?"
Orion raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes despite the seriousness of the situation. He couldn't help but notice the candlestick in her hand, a potential weapon that she seemed ready to use. Although, how she was going to use it was a question he wasn't sure even she knew the answer to.
"Uh, don't you think that's going to hurt me?" he asked dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm.
The woman looked down at the candlestick, her expression softening slightly, as if she was just realizing what she was holding. She swallowed, her throat bobbing nervously, and then looked back up at him, her eyes still filled with determination.
"It doesn't matter," she said, her voice regaining its firmness. "Who are you? What have you done to me?"
Orion sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't do anything to you," Orion said, his voice calm and reassuring. "I found you injured near my pack's territory and brought you here to help you."
"How am I supposed to know that?" the woman asked, her grip on the candlestick still firm, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Imagine waking up in a strange room and finding a six-foot mountain of a man next to you. What would be your first reaction?"
She eyed him warily, her gaze taking in his muscular build, his rugged features, the intensity in his eyes. "Wait, is this some kind of ploy to sleep with me? Just so you know, I don't sell my body. I'm not into stuff like that."
Orion couldn't help but be amused by her accusations. He had been called many things in his life, but never a predator. "Do you really think I want to sleep with you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, his lips twitching in a wry smile. "I have standards, you know."
"How am I supposed to know?" she retorted, still brandishing the candlestick, her cheeks flushing with anger. "I don't know you. I don't know anything about you."
Orion released a sigh, trying to contain his amusement. He knew she was scared, confused, and disoriented, but her accusations were starting to wear thin. He stood up slowly, careful not to startle her, and spoke calmly, his voice filled with sincerity. "Firstly, you are not my type," he said, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. "Secondly, you should really drop that candlestick. We need to talk, and this isn't exactly the best way to treat your savior."
She curved her lips slightly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Let me guess, you saved me when some men were trying to have their way with me?"
Orion rolled his eyes, his patience finally snapping. "Is everything going through your head about people trying to get their way with you?" he asked dryly, his voice laced with exasperation. "Not everyone is out to get you, you know."
The woman stammered, looking down, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I-I mean, it's not like that's the only thing going through my head, but..." She hesitated, unsure how to explain herself.
Orion raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to continue.
"Men mostly want women for their bodies," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze.
Orion couldn't help it, he released a boisterous laugh.
She glared at him. "Glad to see I could make you laugh."
Orion chuckled as his laughter died down. "I understand you being wary of men, but you should know men don't only want women for their bodies. Some men aren't even attracted to women," he said to her.
"You are lying."
"No, I'm not."
Her brows furrowed in intrigue. "But how is that possible?"
Orion observed her. "This is common knowledge. Where have you been living? Under a rock?" he asked her with furrowed brows, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice.
She shook her head. "Just because I'm not aware doesn't mean I've been living under a rock."
"My bad," he said with a twitch of his lips, acknowledging her point. "Now that that's out of the way, I need you to answer my questions."
"What do you want to know?" she asked him, her voice softening slightly, the fight seemingly draining out of her.
"Let's start with who you are. What's your name, where are you from?" he asked her, his voice gentle.
"My name is Sophia," she said almost immediately.
"Okay…answer the other questions," he told her.
She frowned, staring blankly at him. "I…I don't remember where I'm from."