The storm had intensified and it was more than a day of them having stuck there under the dome.
"Are you sure about this Razial?" Siroos asked, he didn’t wish to abandon his companion.
"I am. You people will return fresh and we can continue our journey." Razial was confident in his abilities. The cold bothered him the least, anyway.
Faris stepped forward and held Razial’s shoulders.
"I apologise for how I treated you in the past, you are a great man."
The man with the blue eyes smiled at Faris and gave him an understanding nod.
"All in the past, go get some proper sleep."
"Thank you, Commander Razial. We will bring you back fresh food," Cassandra promised.
Razial nodded and turned towards Lotus, she remained seated near the tree, making no effort to move.
"Can I have your ring?" He requested, extending his hand.
She lifted her head and watched him in confusion.
"It won’t even fit on your manly fingers and you might lose it. That’s why I have decided to stay with you."
Cassandra pursed her lips, and Razial was rendered speechless by her decision. He gathered himself, cleared his throat and began.
"You will be more comfortable and...."
"I am staying, and that’s final." She wrapped the blanket around her and glanced towards her snickering sister. Faris whistled; Siroos had a smirk on his face while Aiko was pursing her lips, trying to look anywhere but them.
"Bring me some hot bread," Lotus asked Cassandra.
"I will." Cassandra hugged her sister and naughtily whispered. "Take care, ride out some of those fantasies with the Commander. We won’t be back until you call us."
Lotus had to fight a rowdy laugh.
Cassandra let her power flow, intensifying the emotions they held for each other.
"It’s your time. Take care, man." Siroos squeezed Commander’s shoulder.
Aiko was ready to open the portal to Cassandra’s room. They didn’t want pack members to see them. Only Ranon and the few close ones would be notified of their return.
Faris, Siroos and Cassandra gathered around Aiko as she opened the portal.
The circle with a fiery boundary widened as the four of them stepped inside and soon disappeared into the warmer lands.
A sigh did fall from Lotus’s mouth, that hot bath was so tempting to think about. What would she not give to just submerge her body into warm water at that moment.
"You should have gone with them," Razial simply stated, heading back towards her and settling down on the soft mattress alongside the tree, Lotus was using as her resting place. Shoulder to shoulder, his knee collided with hers, although she was wrapped in layers and layers of blanket.
"And leave you here, alone, not happening. You most likely would make a blunder or be eaten up by some giant rodent, or be buried in the storm or worse lose your mind in this white hell we are trapped in...." Razial’s index finger landed on her lips, halting her blabbering.
She raised her eyes and he was watching her with a cheeky smile. Lotus didn’t know he possessed the ability to smile like that but it made her heart stop for the briefest of seconds.
"I understand, Lotus. You care about me, although you will try not to show it."
"I don’t know what you are talking about." Lotus pushed his finger away and hid her face in the blanket.
Razial had to fight back a snort.
Grabbing the self-burning lantern, Razial picked up the blanket from the side. He slid under it and placed the lantern beside Lotus’s foot. He pried the blanket away from her face, so he could stare at her flushed face.
She innocently blinked at him, placing her cheek on her bent knee she watched him with desire-riddled eyes. Razial placed his hand on her cheek and softly asked.
"What are you afraid of? Can’t you give me a chance? Or do you think I am below you in status and want a prince?"
She inhaled deeply at his words and shook her head. The depraved thoughts she had might push him away or he could end up getting hurt.
"You got me wrong, I don’t care about any prince. I am afraid of hurting you, Razial. What if you get turned off by my desires?" She pensively murmured the last words, they carried her unrevealed yearnings.
Her words that she didn’t care for anyone broke every barrier Razial had ever built to not make his move on her, to keep his distance but now his patience had worn thin.
Razial grabbed her lower leg and pulled, flattening her against the mattress. He hovered over her as his hands landed on both sides of her head. His sharp features were highlighted by the orange light from the small glass structure and he couldn’t look any more handsome.
"Try me." His voice came out deep and throaty, laced with desires that ripped through Lotus and seared her core.
She reached out and grabbed his warm face in her tender hands.
"You won’t think of me as innocent, any longer."
"You will be mine, your desires will be mine too, innocent or not I will fulfil them if you would have me."
That’s all she needed to hear to pull him over herself. He snugly settled between her legs as their tempt-filled bodies collided. The satisfactory moan from Lotus was followed by a restrained grunt from Razial.
"Don’t regret it Razial, my mind is corrupted," she whimpered before crashing her lips against him.
It was far from the gentle kiss Razial had given her a few days ago. Opposite to that, it was hungry, raw and visceral. Her tongue slammed into his mouth and hit the soft roof as it wriggled and tasted him. Her hands weaved into his hair and she pulled, keeping his face angled according to her wishes.
It was one thing to read about this and it was an entirely different experience to go through it.
Razial’s hand wandered down and he lifted her dress, it slowly slid up, sneaking past the layers of clothes she wore and finally reaching the desired destination.
Her perfectly round breast.