"Where you go, I go," Izzy said. "Whose idea was it that the warriors lived in one place and their mates another, that's stupid."
"Meryn thought so too, so she ignored centuries of practice and moved into the Alpha estate. At the time, I thought she'd be a distraction, but she's helped us out a lot. Plus, Aiden doesn't have to worry about what she's doing if they live together."
"And I have to make coffee for Meryn," Izzy reminded him.
"Gods forbid that woman doesn't get her coffee," Oron said in a sober tone.
When he had them stop at a wide wooden door, she eyed it carefully. "That is a very impressive door."
Oron shrugged. "Brennus helped me update mine, Darian's and mother's. They are reinforced with a steel coating spell and have an aura lock on it."
"Aura lock?"
"Place your hand in the center of the door."
She lifted her hand and laid it flat against the door. Oron placed his hand above the locking mechanism and whispered a phrase. For a second, her hand glowed and then the light dimmed. "What was that?"
"The spell registered your aura to act as a key. You now have access to the room." He turned the knob and pushed the door open. "Welcome home, Izzy."
CHAPTER NINE
Izzy looked around as Oron shut the door behind him placing her bags on the floor. She didn't know what to expect, she hadn't been in many men's rooms, so she wasn't sure why she was surprised at Oron's simple, yet elegant decor.
"What were you expecting?" he asked.
"I don't know, more bachelor-game-room-man cave I guess."
He shook his head. "Not really my thing."
She ran her hand over his duvet cover. It wasn't cotton, nor silk, but seemed to be a blend of the two. She walked past the bed to the wall by the bathroom. Portraits of every shape and size covered the large wall. Some were of Brennus, him frowning, scowling, laughing and even one of him rolling his eyes. There were many more of the queen. Like the ones done of Brennus, each portrait seemed to be dedicated to a certain expression, even one of her crossing her eyes and sucking in her cheeks. But it was the ones next to those that brought tears to her eyes. The sketches of the tiny baby were more amateurish but no less stunning. As the child grew, the portraits became more detailed. She turned to stare at her mate. "You did these," she said.
Oron gave a slow nod. "After my family was sent away, I realized I was having a hard time recalling certain details about my mother, my birth mother. I never wanted to forget Darian, so I started drawing."
"Why not take a picture?"
"Cameras hadn't been invented yet," he reminded her gently.
"Oh, yeah."
She went back to the wall and as she moved she watched Darian grow up. She ran her fingers along the frame of one of the last ones. "His eyes are different now," she observed.
Oron walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "This was drawn before he left for Lycaonia, before he suffered and knew darkness. This is how both mother and I still see him."
Izzy saw the light shining from Darian's eyes in the picture. Here was a young man who knew only love and happiness. "He seems stronger now."
"He is."
She turned in his arms. "Did you do any self-portraits?"
Oron blushed and nodded slowly.
"Where are they? I'd like to see them."
Oron sighed and shuffled over to his massive bed. He reached under the bed skirt and pulled out a box. He walked over and set it on the table by the window.
She hurried over and lifted the lid. As she lifted each picture from the box she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Every portrait he had drawn of himself made him look dark and sinister. It was nothing as overt as a forked tongue and horns, but there was a clear difference between the laughing Darian and the solemn Oron. This was how he saw himself and it couldn't be further from the truth. Carefully she placed the drawings back in the box.
"Why do you weep?" he asked, wiping away her tears.