Orion’s pov
The moment I saw her stare at the fish tank, I felt an instant connection. It was fucking crazy how drawn I was to her.
I stopped myself. No, don’t use those words, I reminded myself. Erin told me plenty of times I should stop calling myself crazy, but it wasn’t easy. Especially since doctors clearly did find me mentally unstable.
I stepped back from the fish tank, needing to distance myself.
They tested me while I was locked up in a psychiatric hospital, and their conclusion was that I had a psychosis when I turned eighteen, most likely due to genetic reasons. I didn’t know much about my mother, but some of the delusions I had were directly linked to the stories she used to tell me when I was young.
Perhaps that’s why Mom left—because she was dealing with her own mental health. I wish I knew, but she didn’t say a word to anyone. My mother just disappeared without a trace, and although Erin and I both told the police it was unlike my mother to leave like that, they refused to investigate any further and told us she had abandoned me. And when she didn’t come back, I started to believe they might have been right. Or she had died. If she cared, she would have come back for me, right?
I’ll probably never know why she left and where she is now. Just like I’ll never know who my dad is.
"Orion!" Erin called me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I had to focus on my job, so I pushed the thoughts about mom out of my head. The Sunflower Motel wasn’t big, but it was home to me and the only place willing to hire a former convict who spent time in a psychiatric hospital.
Everyone who lived in this town knew what I had done, but I didn’t want to leave. Erin and her son Ezra were the closest thing I had to family, and I needed that right now. I had only gotten out a few months ago, and they had been nothing but supportive, despite my past.
Ezra was born deaf, and when I was young, he taught me sign language. Ezra was awesome, and even when I lived with a foster family, he tried to keep in touch with me. He wrote me letters when I was locked up, and he and Erin visited me in the hospital. He was a true fucking friend.
He was a few years older than me, had his own business working in IT and had his own house, but would often stop by the motel to have dinner with his mother and me.
[Something’s up with her. Erin signed, [I think she’s in trouble.]
The young woman seemed oblivious to Erin signing behind her back, and I tried to get her attention by asking her if I could take her bag, but she seemed too busy staring at me. Did the pretty redhead have a crush on me?
She followed behind me as I took her to her room. I took the key from her hand, and my fingers brushed against hers. It almost felt like there was static electricity, but instead of it hurting, it felt good. It was crazy; I had never felt anything like it. Sorry, not crazy, odd.
I opened her door, and she smiled at me, "thank you. Orion is your name, right?"
I didn’t even notice the bruising on her neck and some faint bruising on her arm and eye before now, because I had been too busy admiring how beautiful she looked. She had gorgeous green eyes that looked even brighter because of her red hair. She had a cute button nose and lips that looked absolutely kissable. Her face was perfect, and she had a body to match. The young woman was wearing a summer dress that emphasized her curves and long legs.
"And your name is..." I asked, with one hand on the doorframe. I was tempted to step even closer to the woman, but I held myself back. It wasn’t safe for her to be around me anyway.
She looked up at me, "My name is Izzy."
"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here at the Sunflower Motel. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask." I said, looking down at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was shorter than me, but most people are, so I was used to it. My height and size meant that people left me alone in prison and the hospital, so I didn’t mind occasionally hitting my head against a doorframe or having trouble finding clothes that fit me.
Izzy blushed, which made her look even cuter. "Okay, thank you."
I walked away, and Izzy’s eyes followed me. Yeah, she definitely had a crush on me. Too bad I had a conscience, or I would have taken advantage of her crush. Besides, sleeping with hotel guests wasn’t something Erin allowed, although a few male and female guests had asked me to join them in their rooms from time to time, which I always politely declined.
I wasn’t ready for a relationship and wasn't looking for a fling either. I was focusing on getting better and making sure I proved Erin was right to trust me.
I spent the rest of the day focusing on work. It was my job to handle the maintenance of the motel, carry bags, and help unload the groceries for the kitchen staff. Our motel provided complimentary breakfast, but our restaurant also provided lunch or dinner for those willing and able to pay.
It sometimes felt like I was a glorified handyman and janitor, but at least I got paid and had a place to live. Maybe once I got myself together and had some money saved up, I could think about a different career path. I only had my high school diploma and some skills I picked up in prison before I was sent away. But for now, this was enough.
I grabbed some tools, ready to tackle the boiler that had been acting up. I had no clue if I could fix it, but YouTube and some common sense might do the trick. It was a lot cheaper than hiring an actual expert, and usually I’d be able to manage the small repairs myself.
I had my phone in my hand, already looking for the right DIY video, when I bumped straight into Izzy. I let my phone drop on the floor, making sure Izzy didn’t fall back. She held on to my shirt tightly, and for a few seconds, I could swear the voice was back inside my head.
‘Orion….please listen.’
‘Go away.’ I tried to tell him, pushing him back. He had called himself Knox. I mean, I called him Knox? He was inside my head, so I must have named him. It didn't matter. He wasn't real.
"I’m so sorry!" Izzy called out, and I quickly let her go.
It might have let go a little too fast because she almost looked hurt when I practically flinched at her touch. She had done nothing wrong, but I didn’t want to hear that voice again. I had been doing so well. I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t fucking go back.
She grabbed my phone from the floor, and the screen had a large crack. Shit. I have no money to fix that right now.
"I can pay for it." Izzy offered, but I was pretty sure if she had money she wouldn’t be staying here. Erin tried her best to make this motel nice, but it wasn’t a five star hotel, that was for sure.
"It was my fault; I shouldn't have been watching videos on my phone and walking around. Don’t worry about it." I tried my best to act like it wasn’t important. I wanted to go back to my room and get my pills. Hearing that voice again scared me. I scoffed; if people knew that the big tattooed guy was scared shitless of some voice inside his head, they’d probably think it was a joke. I was the one people feared, but they had no clue what was happening inside my head.
Izzy nodded her pretty head. Her red, wavy hair fell in front of her face. "Okay. I’m sorry, though. Really." she muttered, her voice sounding almost sad.
Izzy’s povFor years, Jordan has called me names. It started with making fun of my hair—the obvious carrot jokes. Jokes about how ugly I was or how dumb. And since he was supposed to be my future mate and he was saying these words, others would join him. Even my brother Finnegan would join them for a bit and then usually try to distract them with something else. I think it was his way of protecting me while still making sure he kept his beta position. Finn couldn’t go against Jordan.People would say he was teasing me because he liked me. But I knew that was bullshit. No girl would fall for someone who called them names, right? Or maybe they did, but I wouldn’t. So many girls and women tried to sleep with Jordan. Maybe he was different with them, or maybe they didn’t care, because the idea of him choosing them over me was enough to ignore his behavior.But Jordan never kept any girl longer than a few weeks. And then, when I became older and started looking more like a woman than a gir
Orion’s povIzzy sounded like she had cried but came down to eat a few minutes later looking fine—well, still bruised, but fine. Better than fine, actually beautiful.It was hard to take my eyes off her. With her red hair and green eyes, there was something almost fairylike about her. I don’t think she even realized how good she looked, which was sad. Did someone make her believe she was less? Is that who hurt her? A part of me wanted to find out who hurt her and go there and kill them, but I pushed it down, knowing these thoughts were dangerous.Ezra tapped on the table in front of me. [Orion, you have to actually look at me to see what I’m saying.] He signed with a wink. [I get that this woman is much more attractive than I am.]I stopped Ezra. [Sorry. What were you saying?]Ezra smiled, [How was your day? But I have a feeling I already know the answer.][Don’t start. She’s just a guest.]"Boys, it’s not polite to sign in front of people who can’t understand you." Erin said and sign
Izzy’s povWhy did he look at me that way? It was making me feel all kinds of things, and once again, I felt like I was stuck in some romantic novel or movie. I had never had someone look at me the way Orion did. As if I were the most beautiful person in the world.I had seen my dad look at my mother that way, but I was pretty sure there was no way Jordan would ever look at me the way Orion was looking right now.My eyes went down, and I took a few more bites of my food. While I enjoyed the company, it was hard to keep lying to these people. I barely knew them, but they invited me over to dinner and had been nothing but nice to me. I could never tell them anything important about my life. It would either put them in danger or make them think I was insane.Humans didn’t know about werewolves, and for good reason. They would try to hunt us, or worse. We had healing powers, we could shift, and our communities were completely different from the way humans lived. They had a president, cong
Orion’s povI couldn’t sleep. I felt drawn to Izzy in a way I had never felt before. Part of me felt like she needed my protection. From a very young age, I was always very aware of who needed protection. I did everything I could to protect my foster brothers and sisters, but even before that time, I would try to befriend kids who were bullied. Mom used to say I had a kind heart, but would she still think that if she knew what I had done?Another part of me just wanted to be close to her, which was crazy. I didn’t even know her. I should just stay away. It would be safer for Izzy if I kept my distance.I started walking around the motel, hoping to tire myself out. When I walked past Izzy’s room, I heard her scream. My instinct took over, and I used the master key Erin had given me. I used it when I needed to fix something inside one of the rooms or if one of the guests didn’t want to leave and I had to force them out. It had only happened once, though.I ran in, seeing Izzy trashing a
Izzy’s povThe interview went well. Luke needed someone to help during the morning and lunch rush, but I would be free after lunch was over. This would give me some time to figure out the next part of my plan. He didn’t even need my ID; he was planning to pay me under the table. At first, I didn’t realize what that was, but it meant he was going to pay me in cash and without a contract.This meant there was no paper trail to lead to me and no need to give an ID, but it was illegal. Normally I would have never done anything illegal, but did I really have a choice here? This was a safe way to earn money, and as soon as I made enough, I could find a legal job somewhere far away.While it was funny that he was named Luke and had a dinner, because of the similarities to Gilmore Girls, it didn’t mean I could trust Luke. I did trust Orion, even without having any reason to. He was there when I had a nightmare, and he only tried to help me. At no point during that night did I think he would d
Orion’s pov Maybe it was for the better. This whole thing with Izzy was crazy anyway. What was I thinking? I barely knew the girl, and I had already told her more than I had told most. I wanted to be there for her, for her to feel safe with me, but how could she? I didn’t even feel safe around myself, always worrying what would happen if I lost control again. If the sick part of my brain would take over. It made me nervous that since Izzy arrived here, I had growled and even thought I heard his voice again. I could feel him gnawing at the back of my head more than ever. I should just keep my distance. So that’s what I did. For the next two weeks, Izzy worked five days a week at the diner, so it was easy to avoid her in the mornings and afternoons. But at dinner, I was often forced to sit at the same table as Izzy. I let Erin talk to Izzy and only replied when a question was directed at me. I hated this, but it was better for Izzy if I left her alone. Izzy was off on Sunday, and I h
Izzy’s povOrion left soon after, and I felt all giddy thinking about the kiss. He liked me! And he wanted to go on a date with me. I knew Orion was avoiding me, and I thought it was because of the way I spoke to him. I had tried talking to him during dinner, but Erin was always there, and even when asked a direct question, Orion barely spoke.I wanted to go back to how it was those first two days. It was silly, I know, because I barely knew Orion. But he was someone who made me feel safe, and for some reason, I felt like I knew him my whole life. Without actually knowing anything about him. I laughed to myself; it was crazy to fall for someone like Orion. One, I barely knew him, and what I did know were reasons not to date him. I mean, it’s a pretty red flag hearing someone spent time in prison for beating up his foster father. And then the mental hospital? What would it mean to have a relationship with someone who has been mentally unstable in the past? He clearly still had moments w
Izzy’s pov"That customer, Tom, can be a bit handsy, but he tips very well." Luke said, pointing to an older gentleman sitting at one of the tables by himself.I wasn’t sure if he was telling me to warn me or just to accept it because of the tip. After working here for a few weeks, it was obvious that Luke ran his business very differently from Erin's.Erin’s motel staff was like her family; she was kind to everyone and really showed that she cared. But Luke ran a business, and although he wasn’t a bad guy, he didn’t really care how any of his staff were doing. He wasn’t asking if you had a good day, like Erin did every time a cleaning lady or someone from the kitchen came over.While I wasn’t exactly looking forward to handling this customer, I decided to suck it up and do my job. In thirty minutes, Orion would be picking me up from work, and we’d go on a date.A date!Although I knew it couldn’t last, that didn’t make me less nervous and excited. Goddess, I had fallen for this man qu