wc 426
The hand that tightened on her own was a welcome comfort, a bit of affection that had been long missed by the woman. It had almost been two months since she and Shawchert separated and before that the two had become disconnected, estranged. There had not been much affection or comfort in Orin's life in quite a while; too long for the quick to love wolfess.
Orin had a talent for tapping in to the old, primal nodes within and sensing the feelings of those who held sway over her. A true subordinate wolf, her ties were the strongest with her own alpha, Skye Collins, but now that she and Skye were separated by miles and Zalen was here, and they were in his territory, she felt that invisible, protective sensation that being in a good alpha's presence afforded an associate. It was like it didn't matter that for once she was voicing her darkest secrets, it was all ok right now, it would all be ok. There was an extra safety here, though, for later on she would leave this land, and wouldn't have to live with these wolves, wondering all the while if they were pitying her like she did in d'Arte.
“Noah's here?” She looked surprised. He hadn't told her then that he was coming to New Dawn. Was he still an Ichikan the last time they met? “Yes, I know he is Noah's father, too. I know Noah better, though, and I don't think the darkness got into him.” She shook her head gently. “I know of the good he has done. And I don't sense that... that...” She didn't know how to describe it, so the sentence trailed off, at a loss for words.
“At least we have one less worry, Lucifer is dead. Killed by one of the women he hurt, Jace Wolfe. After I abandoned the disguise of Desdemona Moonsong-” did Zalen know the story of how his mate had come to be called Moonsong, not Takekuro? Did he know that wasn't her father's surname? “-and returned to d'Arte she found me and told me the... good news.” She scoffed at herself as she said it. “It feels strange to be happy that someone's dead. I feel guilty about it.”
There was another span of silence, a new thought coming to mind but she wasn't sure if she should say it. It would make her sound foolish. He surely would think she was nuts if she asked...
“Do you believe in ghosts?”
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