Blood Chained (Dark Siren Book 3) by Eden Ashley Page B

down by thoughts of Rhane. Orrin was willing to do anything to bring Rhane back to her, just like he was willing to do anything to bring Warren back. As hard as she tried to hide it, Kali carried her loss like a millstone around her neck. She squared her shoulders each day, jaw set with determination to grin and bear it, but the girl was sinking. Orrin didn’t think it’d be long before despair consumed her.
Every moment was a lesson in the new creature developing before his eyes. She was becoming less like Kali and more like the Kalista who Rhane talked about endlessly during Orrin’s childhood. He admired her spirit—indomitable even as it fractured, but refusing to shatter. He would gladly submit to her command on any battlefield. 
Orrin stopped with the realization. Kali turned back to him. Her face was a question. “What’s wrong?”
There it was. She’d asked him directly. He’d just admitted, though only to himself, a willingness to follow Kali into conflict. And that was exactly what was about to happen.
Still, Orrin hesitated for just a beat. “There’s trouble,” he finally said.
Kali stiffened and was instantly alert. “Where? Who?” His confession stopped her motion of swiping the key card to enter her suite. Now she backed away from the door. The move put her closer to Orrin’s side. Good instincts, he noted.
“It is alright.” Taking the key, he waved it through the access panel and shoved the door open. “Go inside.”
“First you tell me there’s trouble. Now everything is peachy again.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I don’t get it.”
“It is something I must deal with first.” He motioned her into the room, but remained behind the threshold. “It will involve you soon enough. But hopefully not until morning. Get some rest.”
Inclining his head, he bid her goodnight and closed the door. Orrin left and entered his own hotel room where York waited in the dark, calmly seething. Dull light lashed out from a lamp switched on as soon as he set foot in the bedroom. “I’ve had about enough of this secrecy. Tell me what the hell is going on.”
“I needed some air. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Don’t give me that shit.” York’s eyes flashed angrily. “You and Kali went sneaking off into the night on an unsanctioned operation. Why?”
“She was starving. I fed her.”
“What?”
“The siren has not been satisfied since Rhane’s departure.”
“Orrin, I need you to be completely level with me. We all need to be together, if there’s any chance to succeed.”
Orrin dipped his chin in acquiescence. “What would you like to know?”
“Where did you go?”
“The Red Cellar. I believe you are familiar with it, no?”
York frowned. The mention of the underground night club brought back semi-fond memories of a certain long-legged, fire in her eyes, brunette. Ignoring Orrin’s question, he replied with another. “Do you really expect me to buy that? I don’t accept for one second that Kali hasn’t fed since Rhane left.”
“I did not say she has not fed. I said she was starving.” Orrin scrunched his brow. “Besides, you know of her feedings…at least of the attempted ones.” At the mention of that, York calmed down a bit. Orrin had been betting on it.
“Yeah. I was there.” His frown deepened. At first, Kali had tried taking energy from the kin. But her need was too great. Three feedings brought York to his knees. After the last one, he didn’t think he could endure another. And the realization must have been written plainly on his face, for Kali had looked as if she understood it too. She didn’t take from him after that. Really, York could blame himself for not asking what solution she found to satisfy the urgings. Maybe he didn’t want to know. Maybe he already knew. Let’s test that theory. “Who did she find to feed from back home?”
Orrin didn’t bat an eye. “Callan, naturally. As Gabriel’s host, his life source is stronger than any of ours