Before she melted like candle wax in his arms and her heart exploded from beating so fast the moment broke due to a knock on the door.
Using all his willpower, Siroos tore his eyes away from Cassandra’s enticing lips and ordered.
"Proceed!"
The door screeched as it slowly slid open revealing Haylia and Healer Fownso. While Haylia held a relaxed smile, Fownso seemed utterly relieved.
Cassandra, on the other hand, wished for the ground to open and swallow her whole. How could he sit like that in front of his mother? What would she think of her? She had hardly joined the pack and was already climbing over his son. Although it was the other way around but still.
"How are you feeling? Child." Haylia asked with deep concerns, lacing her voice. She stepped closer and Siroos lifted his leg and moved it aside, freeing Cassandra’s thighs. But his arms still remained glued to her waist so she wouldn’t shuffle away.
"Better, thank you for asking."
"We were all very scared last night. Thanks to Siroos and healer Fownso’s prompt actions, we were able to nullify the effect." Haylia’s eyes strategically wavered to the hard ground where a dried pool of blood could be seen. Cassandra’s eyes followed her and she was left ashen. It seemed like they had to remove blood from her body to get rid of the poison, and she wondered who had to do it.
"I appreciate it," Cassandra said with a slow smile and the old healer took a step forward and respectfully sought permission from his Alpha. Who sat comparatively relaxed now.
"Can I take a look?"
"Go ahead," Siroos spoke in that deep throaty voice as his eyes wavered to her bare thigh. The thought of any other man touching her repulsed him but this was necessary. At least he gets to keep her in his arms.
Fownso squatted on the hard earthen floor and placed his brown satchel alongside him before taking out fresh bandages and a green salve.
Under the scrutinising supervision of his Alpha, Fownso very carefully removed the old ones and inspected the wound. Two puncture marks sat like craters with purplish veins spreading through them like spider webs. Like an eye sore on her blemish-free thighs. But the swelling had comparatively lessened and poisonous veins had stopped spreading any further.
Fownso pressed on the outer edges of her wound and asked.
"Nissa! Can you feel any sensations?"
"Yes." Cassandra nodded her head, not showing any signs of pain. He then slowly poked her near her wound upon a purple vein and she let out a small ’ssss’ of discomfort.
Siroos’s hold immediately tightened around her waist and a threatening growl escaped him.
"Careful!"
Her pain seemed to affect him, they were already tied together with these invisible threads of the bond they shared.
Haylia observed her son’s reactions very quietly. She stayed at the back and didn’t interfere.
"Apologies, Alpha. I am just trying to decipher how far the poison has spread and how much medication will be required. Seems like a few more days of rest and healing balm will do and Nissa will be able to walk again," he promptly answered while opening the glass bottle containing a green salve.
"A few more days? I won’t be able to walk?" Dread fell over Cassandra as her forehead broke into a cold sweat.
"It’s just a couple of days until your leg heals. The poison was strong, it will take time to completely remove it from your system." Fownso explained smearing her wound with the healing salve and Cassandra’s hand shifted to clutch Siroos’s arm which was shackling her to him. Unknowingly she squeezed it and pinched her eyes closed, trying to relax against him.
The medicine stung beyond her imagination as if it was eating out her flesh and she wished to scream in agony.
Seeing her in distress, Siroos placed his parted lips against her temple and whispered.
"Relax! It will pass."
His words were all she could hear after that and his touch was all she felt. The feel of his sumptuous lips against her burning skin was therapeutic beyond measure.
She drew in a sharp breath and then slowly let it out through her nostrils. Siroos felt the rise and fall of her breasts, as his fingers were just a breath away from touching the fleshy mounds. The moment was so sensual for them and yet it was normal for the onlookers, for this was how mates bonded and guided each other through pain.
Before she knew it, Fownso was done applying the balm and wrapping her leg in the new bandages. Cassandra slowly opened her eyes.
"Here, you will need to drink this Nissa after you have your breakfast." Fownso extended a small glass bottle with a cork towards her and Siroos accepted it on her behalf.
"I will ensure she does."
"Thank you!" Cassandra offered a small smile of gratitude to the healer who had saved her life. He bowed respectfully and took out what seemed like a small wooden scraper and an airtight jar.
Using it, he scraped a part of the dried blood from the floor and added it to the jar. Shutting the lid tightly he placed it in his satchel along with his other supplies and equipment.
The other three watched him with keen interest so he explained.
"Blood will have traces of poison in it, I will try to figure out what kind of poison it was so we can understand what kind of snake had bitten Nissa."
Siroos’s forehead slightly creased and he asked while slowly rubbing Cassandra’s arm.
"Why didn’t you do it before giving the antidote?"
"It takes about two days for the colour of the solution to change and reveal the kind of poison it had. It’s a slow process," the wise healer explained, picking up his satchel and bowing. He made his exit.
"I have asked Lana to stay with Cassandra until she heals. She will take care of all her needs while two guards will stay positioned outside her room. You can come have breakfast," Haylia addressed her son. He usually had breakfast with his mother.
"I will eat with my mate today and will stay with her. Lana can bring it and resume her duties later," he answered nonchalantly, making dread fall over Cassandra, for she could sense Haylia wished to take him along, but he refused to leave.