Once the door closed, Cassandra let out the breath she had been holding.
Siroos scared her and yet somehow her heart urged her to give in to the temptation and embrace him.
To put her trust in the man who claimed to be her mate and saviour. And yet her brain told her to be wary. Something was off.
The carriage door knocked and she had to gather her thoughts.
Covering herself properly Cassandra went to open the door and found Ranon there holding a wooden bucket filled with water, a washcloth and a brown cleansing bar made from special oils and herbs.
He respectfully bowed, seeing her.
"Nissa! I brought some water for morning rituals. We arranged a place where you can cleanse and can have privacy."
Cassandra hadn’t been so thankful to see a bucket of water before as she was at that moment. Her clothes were sticking to her because of sweat. She would have preferred a bath but this would suffice for now. She also needed to relieve herself.
"I appreciate it."
Grabbing another gown from the luggage that had been placed in her carriage she climbed down.
The sun had begun to rise, spreading its golden rays. Soon it would be hot again. Any lingering effect of the night and whatever creatures had arrived was long gone.
Cassandra was curious but knew Siroos won’t give her answers.
She could see a bonfire lit up between the stones she had sat last night on and some animal was being roasted on the low flames. The burning smell of the meat was heavy in the air.
Ranon guided her towards a small set-up area behind the bushes. It had been barricaded with erected long tree branches and covered using skin hides and foliage.
A makeshift door had been made so Cassandra could enter. She knew this was all done to give her privacy and comfort.
With gratification, she peeked a glance at Ranon as he placed everything inside and said.
"You will have privacy. No one will enter."
Swiftly nodding at the man whose eyes reminded her of a panther Cassandra entered the makeshift shaft.
Ranon closed it behind her and turned, finding himself face-to-face with his extremely angered Alpha.
"Go tend to the meal," he ordered, the gold in his eyes inking to blood red. His Alpha aura leaked through like misty tendrils. Ranon instantly bowed his head, seeing him on the edge.
"Alpha!" He retreated as hurriedly as was possible for him.
Siroos stood there for a few seconds, hearing any and every sound coming from inside. His super hearing made his ears extra sensitive.
Apart from the shuffling of her clothes and slow dipping of the washcloth in the water, he could even hear her slow shallow breathing.
It agitated and beguiled him at the same time. Her scent had seeped into his very existence now and he had no clue how to stay away.
Cassandra took her time cleaning herself and putting on the golden silk gown with an inbuilt corset. It wasn’t too tight though and had been built to leave room for breathing. She was extremely grateful for that.
Her golden curls were still wet and she didn’t have anything to absorb the extra water, so she spread them on her back and let them dry on their own.
Finally, she opened the door and stepped out only to come face to face with a very fuming Sirros.
He had his arms crossed, his overly large biceps bulged as his molten lava-shaded eyes brimmed with a fire of his desires. They danced naked for her to see. His gaze dipped and focused on the wet gown clinging to her skin. The water droplets dripped from her open locks and merged in her dress, wetting it further.
"You are not going anywhere like this," he fumed, stepping closer and invading her breathing space. He planted both his hands at her sides as his muscular frame blocked all of her view.
Siroos gripped the branches behind her, capturing Cassandra between his herculean arms, fervently staring down at her. She slowly shifted her gaze upwards to understand what was going through his mind but could sense smoke coming out of his flared nostrils.
The churning gold bled into sanguine as his orbs changed colour and the dragon came to the surface, filling her brain with a haze of need and turning it into mush.
"Why?" She asked in defiance, keeping her chin high and trying not to be intimidated by him.
"I can see every curve of your body, you are like a siren."
"I am not a siren," she retorted back, his body heat was unsettling her. It was like he was smothering her without even touching any part of her body.
’Why was he always almost naked? The alpha doesn’t have clothes to wear? Poor alpha.’ Cassandra thought to herself not giving in to the temptation of making her eyes dip and take a peek at the glistening torso that was almost in her face.
"Oh! Bless my memory. You are a princess," he sarcastically blasted.
"I don’t know what I am anymore." It always itched her the way he kept calling her a princess as if she was an entitled spoiled brat.
"You will be my Luna. The queen of my people." His scalding breath was on her damp hair, he wished to transform and dry them with his dragon breath. But knew she would probably get scared out of her mind. Keeping her trapped was the best decision.
The word ’my’ hit her right in the heart and she absorbed the ardency it carried. No one had declared ownership of her like that.
At least he cared enough even though he was a heartless barbarian who participated in bloodshed and chaos.
Siroos observed how her heartbeat intensified and her chest heaved, giving him a peek of her upper swells. The skin was still damp and smoother than any silken material he had ever seen.
"Do I have a choice?" She finally asked, slowly. Weighing each of her words.
"No!" He growled, trying to reel in the emotional battles that raged inside of him every time he was in her vicinity.
This was not going to be a single battle, he sensed. It was going to be a bloody war and none of them would come out unscathed.