Sold To The Billionaire Alpha
Chapter 61

Orchid

I was speechless. Orion’s head was in my lap. He had just finished telling me everything his mother, Orla, had just revealed. A small part of my heart went out to her but most of it was just confused.

“Why hasn’t she looked for her little brother all of these years?” I asked.

The moment I had discovered I had a father I didn’t know out there, I had wanted to meet him. It was strange that she had simply become Luna and reigned without immediately ordering legions of subjects to search for her brother.

“I think she…I think she’s just not fully there,” said Orion decisively.

I nodded. I supposed it made sense. It was hard enough for someone mentally present to be goal-oriented. Orla seemed to become obsessed with one thing or person during each period of her life and she had been obsessing over her sons for years now.

“Her fixation on her sons may have been transferred from her little brother,” I hypothesised.

Orion shrugged.

“You know who you need to get on this case?” I said, smiling slightly.

Orion buried his head in my lap, facing away from me.

“Who?” He asked, his deep voice muffled.

“Fox!” I said excitedly.

I was no fool. Fox and Bisa had something going on. Fox might even be her mate. I knew Bisa’s days with me were probably numbered. Fox was a very successful wizard and he would undoubtedly try to take her back with him. I wouldn’t even blame her for going. Love was worth it. I wanted Fox busy to stall a bit while I spent some quality time with Bisa, one of my only friends here other than Rose. Hopefully, Bisa would still be here for my wedding. I wanted her and Rose to be my bridesmaids. I also wanted to ask Friday. I was thinking of asking Raelynn too.

“Go, get Fox!” I said, trying unsuccessfully to haul Orion to his feet.

We both fell back onto the bed.

“Orion!” I laughed.

He crawled under the covers and hid from me.

“What kind of Alpha behaviour is this?” I said, uncovering him from his hiding place.

He snatched the covers back and hid under them.

“I’m tired,” I heard him mumble. “My mother is draining.”

That she was. I could not argue with that.

“I’m going to do it!” I said, hopping off of the bed.

“What?!” Said Orion, peeking out of the covers.

“I’m going to get Fox on the case!” I said.

I was convinced now that Fox could do anything. He had saved my Dad with Friday’s gift. He had outed the Marys. He had worn white after Labour Day. He was a man of many talents.

I ran down the hallway. For some reason, I was tiptoeing and keeping close to the walls. I was probably just happy to be home. Orion followed me, walking normally, in the middle of each hallway.

“I don’t know where I’m going,” I realised.

Orion laughed, grabbing my hand. He showed me to Fox’s room and stepped away from the door when I knocked on it.

“What are you doing?!” I asked.

“You said you were asking him!” Said Orion, hiding his grin.

I rolled my eyes, waiting patiently for him to answer. No answer. I knocked again.

“Fox!” I called, putting my ear to the door.

I heard a gasp from inside the room. It did not sound like Fox.

“Bisa?!” I called.

Orion chuckled.

“What?” I said, looking at my Alpha.

“You probably just gave Bisa a heart attack! Couldn’t you have pretended not to hear her in there?” Said Orion.

“Why should I?” I said.

I liked for everything to be out in the open.

“I’m the cool one,” announced Orion.

“Excuse me,” I said.

Where was he cool? In what world?

“I’m cool. I don’t make a big deal over anything. You can tell me a secret. I won’t say anything,” said Orion, complimenting himself.

This was the man who had snapped someone’s neck whilst making a first impression on the woman he was in love with.

“Orion, you are not cool,” I said simply.

“I’m very cool and chill,” decided Orion.

“Are you drunk?” I asked.

I knew these rich werewolves liked drinking wine all day even at breakfast.

“I had one glass for the day. Of course not,” he said indignantly.

I looked at him, not buying his story.

The door creaked open.

“Three glasses,” mumbled Orion, admitting the truth. “Maybe four.”

Fox had opened the door a few inches wide.

“Hey Orchid. How’s it going?” Said Fox, smoothing his hair nervously.

“I’m here to talk to Bisa and Orion is here to ask you another favour,” I revealed.

Orion glared at me.

“What’s up, Orion?” Said Fox. “I haven’t seen Bisa unfortunately, Orchid,” he added.

“That’s weird,” I commented. “She’s not in her room,” I assumed, having not actually checked.

“Did you check?” Asked Fox with a twinkle in his eye.

I knew he was tricky. His name suited him.

“Yes,” I lied.

“Recently?” He questioned.

“Yes,” I lied again.

“How recently was that?” He asked.

I inhaled sharply and exhaled forcefully.

“I don’t know…five minutes ago,” I said.

“You should check again,” said Fox, folding his arms and smiling innocently at me.

“No that’s ok,” I said, trying to peer behind him.

He saw my movements and opened the door fully. He gestured towards his empty room. My cheeks reddened.

“Just me here,” reiterated Fox.

“Oh ok,” I said sweetly. “Could you please teleport me to Bisa’s room then like you just did for her?”

Fox burst into laughter.

“Orchid, you are so imaginative,” he said.

I laughed with him. I walked into his room.

“Orchid!” Hissed Orion following me into the room.

Fox came in and closed the door behind us. I brazenly sat on his bed and folded my arms and legs. My lupine senses were really coming in nicely. I quickly found what I was looking for.

“Fox,” I said. “You have amazing eyes!” I said, feeling like little red riding hood about to reveal the wolf.

Fox did indeed have amazing eyes. The medical term was Heterochromia. In Fox’s case, one eye was a brilliant blue and the other was a warm light golden brown. Orion raised an eyebrow, clearly trying not to act jealous. Fox shrugged.

“It’s just a Witch’s mark,” he said humbly.

“Heterochromia is a Witch’s mark?” I said, getting sidetracked.

“Yes,” said Fox. “Just like a mole on the cheek like a Marilyn mole, a sixth finger or toe on any hand or foot, a wart especially if on the nose, a prominent freckle on the wrist, a birthmark on the face or neck and lastly an un-healable blemish anywhere on the body. Those are the main seven associated with powerful witches or wizards.”

Wow. Good to know. Fox was schooling me today. I knew he was trying to steer me anywhere else but the topic of Bisa.

“What colour are they?” I asked, gesturing to Fox’s eyes.

Orion rolled his eyes.

“One is brown, one is blue,” said Fox dismissively. “Can I help you?” He added, gesturing towards me sitting quite comfortably on his bed.

I was very protective of my friends and I only had two girlfriends here so he was not getting away with sneaking around with one of them. He was going to come clean. Fox glanced at Orion for assistance. Orion looked too amused to put a stop to all of this.

“And your hair? Such a unique colour too? What colour would you say it is?” I asked.

He had hair the colour of an actual Fox. He almost looked brunette but on closer inspection, it was a very dark red.

“My mother says it’s Auburn,” said Fox awkwardly.

“Fascinating,” I commented.

Orion rolled his eyes again at my antics.

“Auburn,” I repeated to myself as I reached for a single hair on the sheets.

“What colour is this?” I asked, showing him the shiny curly dark brown strand.

Fox sighed. Gotcha! Orion peered at it and gasped.

“Bisa wants to keep it a secret. Not forever. Just until she’s ready to tell you. Please don’t tell her I said anything!” Said Fox all in one breath.

I got to my feet, a huge triumphant smile on my face.

“Are you mates?” I demanded.

“Are you auditioning for the privy council, Orchid? You’ve got the job. Now, let’s leave Fox alone,” chuckled Orion.

“There’s a privy council here?” I said, distracted.

“Of course, wolf country has a privy council,” said Orion. “They’re the final say on what the world of wolves can and can’t do regarding other creatures and realms.”

I looked at Fox.

“Well, are you?” I repeated.

“Yes,” Fox said, unable to hide his smile.

He was blushing deeply.

“That’s so cute!” I squealed.

I hugged him. He had not been expecting that. He hugged me back. He seemed relieved.

“I thought you’d be pissed,” he said.

“Why?” I said.

“Because…” said Fox, pausing nervously.

“I know you’re gonna take her away,” I said with a sigh. “Are you saying I can’t come visit in Ambrosia?” I asked.

Maze had gotten me a map of wolf country. He had given it to me this morning while Orion was still interrogating Orla.

“Every Luna should be well-versed in the geography of her territories and of those juxtaposed to hers, and you have a lot of catching up to do!” Maze had said sternly while Friday made an apologetic face over his shoulder. Thaddeus’ laughter had filled the whole hallway. He could replace humour in anything. I could see the similarities between him and Talus. Everything Thaddeus said seemed like bits from a comedic standup routine while everything Maze said seemed like excerpts from a university lecture. Friday had her hands full with those two.

“You know about Ambrosia?” Said Fox, seemingly impressed.

“Every Luna should be well-versed in the geography of wolf territories,” I said elegantly as I headed for the door.

Fox chucked. Orion looked impressed.

“You’re most welcome, Orchid. You and Orion. I know Jessie and Jamie would love to meet you both,” said Fox.

I grinned at him. I grabbed Orion’s hand and pulled him out of poor Fox’s room. We had pestered him enough.

“You’re not going to tell Bisa I told you right?!” He called after me.

“You’re not going to tell Bisa I told you right?!” He called after me.

“I won’t,” I said.

Fox was about to close the door.

“Wait,” said Orion suddenly, grabbing the door.

“What?” I asked. “Oh yeah!” I exclaimed.

I had completely forgotten about asking Fox to investigate Orla’s brother. Orion launched into the story, giving Fox a summary of it.

“She escaped the battle that killed their parents and she left that territory on foot, carrying the baby, as far as she could before she must have passed out. She and the baby boy woke up in this orphanage in Berryndale run by these strange humanoid nuns who had forsaken their religion for power it seemed. And then she named her own little half-brother because there was no one else left to name him. She named him after the heather land the orphanage was built on. Only the strongest plants can survive on acidic land like that and she wanted her brother to be a survivor so she named him…” said Orion.

“Heath?” Said Fox before Orion could finish.

“Wait? Was that just a good guess?” I asked.

Fox shook his head. He was sitting on his bed and Orion was sitting in front of the empty vanity in the room with me on his lap.

“Heath is here,” said Fox, his eyes bright, as he stood up and came closer to us.

“Here, in Cold Moon?” Asked Orion grabbing Fox’s shoulders.

“Here in the North,” said Fox.

I grinned at Orion. I was so happy for him. I knew how special this was, having just reunited with my own family, the Hawthornes.

“Where? Which pack?” Asked Orion eagerly.

Fox put his finger on the glass of the vanity’s mirror behind us. We turned to watch what he was doing. He was calling someone or somewhere magically with a mirror. He had blown frost over the entire mirror and was now writing on it.

“The Ice Moon Pack,” said Fox as he finished writing.

He had written: Alpha Harper of Ice Moon Castle. The frost absorbed the words and the mirror transformed. It seemed like we were looking through a window instead of a mirror now. A pretty girl with dark waves and olive skin appeared in the mirror. She looked very young, possibly in her late teens. She was richly dressed and heavily pregnant.

“Holly!” Said Fox.

She peered closely at him.

“Fox!” She squealed.

Fox laughed.

“Look at you!” He said, gesturing to her belly.

“Don’t remind me,” she said, laughing. “You were calling for my husband? His Excellency is asleep so I answered,” she said apologetically.

“No, actually, we were calling for your father-in-law?” Said Fox.

“Let me fetch Lord Heath,” said the pregnant Holly, gingerly getting to her feet.

Orion and I exchanged nervous glances.

“I didn’t think Fox would be quite this quick with a lead,” mumbled Orion anxiously in my ear.

“You’re going to meet your uncle like right now!” I squeaked softly in his ear.

“Wake Harper up or send a servant, Holly!” Said Fox, looking worried for her.

“It’s no trouble at all,” said Holly who was panting a bit, indicating that it was some trouble.

“Holly!” Called Fox indignantly but she had gone.

“Come and see the people in my mirror,” we heard Holly say happily as footsteps approached the mirror.

“Lord Heath is here,” announced Holly.

A man who looked absolutely nothing like Orla sat down with a confused expression on his face. He was very ruggedly handsome and Orla, though a pain, was quite beautiful but Orla was blonde with fair skin and blue eyes while this man had olive skin and glossy wavy dark hair. I supposed their mothers had been beautiful opposites.

“Heath,” said Orion cautiously. “I am Alpha Orion of Cold Moon, a fellow North pack.”

“I’m well aware,” said Heath.

“You are?” Said Orion, bemused.

Heath nodded.

“Heath is a very impressive warrior,” said Holly from somewhere outside of the mirror frame. “So he knows a lot about all large prominent wolf packs especially those in the North.”

“Do you know my parents then?” Asked Orion, raising his brows.

“I know of them,” said Heath. “I had the pleasure of meeting your father albeit briefly some time ago.”

“You’ve never met my mother?!” Asked Orion.

Heath shook his head.

“Is something wrong Alpha Orion?” Asked Heath.

“Call me Orion, please,” said Orion.

“Sure,” said Heath with a smile.

“My mother’s name is Orla,” said Orion, smiling expectantly at Heath.

Heath stared at him blankly.

“Orla!” Said Orion. “Your sister!”

Heath looked taken aback.

“Don’t you recall your sister from your time at the orphanage?” Asked Orion.

“Of course I remember my sister,” said Heath, looking hurt. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

“Of course not!” I said, intervening. “Didn’t your sister name you Heath?” I demanded. “After the heather lands near the outskirts of Berryndale?”

Heath nodded slowly.

“Yes…yes, she did….but my sister is dead,” said Heath softly. “And her name wasn’t Orla!”