NOVPUBWith Aila’s hand tightening around Cassius’ throat, she had a sudden sense of blood lust. The red jewelled type specks in her eyes glowed; she could see her reflection in Cassius’ eyes. She’d become accustomed to those red specks meaning she craved blood and when her temper had reached past a point of no return.
That was another downside to having vampiric blood; her emotions were heightened even more.
"WELL!?" Aila growled and shook off Davian, who tried to grab her from behind. Her head whipped to the side, and she glared at him. The hybrid recoiled slightly, and he inhaled sharply, raising his hands as though he was trying to calm down a wild animal.
Maybe she was wild. Malia was on the verge of taking over; it showed in the way her body trembled, the way her hand started to shake on her master’s throat. She knew he could easily order her to stop what she was doing. Cassius looked at her, his expression bored as he wrapped his hand slowly around her wrist, holding her gaze as he did so. 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
Aila grimaced when his grip made the pressure in her bones shake, and she knew they would break.
But instead, he raised a brow. "Do I need to break your wrist to get off of me, Aila?" He asked calmly. Aila parted her lips, her fangs dropping down in disagreement, but she let Cassius pull her hand away. "I don’t mind a little rough foreplay, but maybe not in the dungeon in front of others? Although if you’re into that-"
Aila slapped Cassius across the face, and his head whipped to the side; the bangs of his hair flicked across his brows and cheek. Her chest was heaving as she tried to contain herself. "You think this is a joke?" She curled her hands into fists and let Davian pull her away from their master. He even stepped between them though his look of concern was directed at her more than anything.
Maybe there was a limit to how much Cassius would let her get away with, but so far, she had been following his every command.
Cassius chuckled dryly and slowly looked back at her, his eyes were burning into hers, and even from a distance between them, Aila could feel his heat pricking against her skin. He took a step forward and another, his face dangerously dark as he stared her down. He didn’t so much as glance Davian’s way before he shoved his chest, and the hybrid flew back into the other wall.
The vampire stopped just before her, where she stood her ground, and boldly tilted her chin up, glaring back at her master.
"Nothing I do is a joke," Cassius gritted out through clenched teeth, his lips stayed parted, and his fangs shone in the faint lighting. "Tell me, Aila.. Where else should I put them?"
Aila’s trembling stopped as she looked back at the lycans; the main black furry one still gripped the bars, his eyes full of intelligence and understanding. The other two paced the edges of the cell, and the last one was still unconscious on the ground.
"Tell me.. Queen Aila. What do you suggest I do?" Cassius said mockingly. But that mocking tone forced an idea from her irritated mind.
"Let them live in the surrounding woods," She said simply, her gaze still on the lycans with her brows furrowed. The longer she stared at them, the more fired up she became again.
Cassius chuckled. "Oh yes, let them live in the woods! Why didn’t I think of that!?" He waved his hand dramatically as he walked away. Aila took that moment to look over at Davian. He dragged his feet to standing again, his hand on the back of his head where the scent of blood filled the room.
Aila looked back at Cassius, arching a brow. "What is the issue with them staying in the woods? We just rescued them from the hunters, and then you’ve thrown them in a damn dungeon!" Aila growled back, her eyes narrowing from the rage burning in her being again. What was Cassius thinking? Did he not think she would be enraged by this?
Cassius looked back at her, his brows raised in surprise at her outburst, then he tilted his head to the side, a smirk crawling on those annoyingly beautiful lips. "Oh? You seem to have it all figured out.. Are you going to control them from here? Or are you going to live in the woods as well? Even if you could control them from here..
You will keep burning yourself out from using that power which will also mean you will need to drink more blood.. Any more brilliant ideas?"
She wanted to hit him. Oh, she’d already slapped him, and that wasn’t nearly enough.
Aila glanced at the middle lycan, who snarled at her. She walked towards him, her brows arching together as she wrapped her hands against the cell bars, looking up at him. He was bending down, so they were at the same eye level; his warm breath blew the messy strands of her hair away from her face. She stared into his blue eyes, hoping to convey that she was on their side.
The two other lycans growled at her, and she flashed her eyes at them, silencing them, and they bared their necks to her.
"What if I ordered them to patrol the woods?" Aila asked, her back still to the rest of the dungeon. She tensed when she felt Cassius behind her, so close she could feel the heat of his body radiating onto her; the proximity also made the lycan in front of her growl at the vampire, his mouth drooling like he would really eat him.
"And if they run off?" Cassius whispered. The smell of strawberries wafted across her senses.
"They are meant to be free.. Or is this part of your plan?" Aila whispered back as she felt a shiver run down her spine.
"It is a part of it. So, nothing will mess it up." His arm wrapped around her waist, and her back fell into his chest. His hand gripped her hip tightly to the point she knew a bruise would form. "Nothing will mess it up, right, Aila?"
Cassius was threatening her, but his words were laced in a sweet voice. The lycan growled again, its large claws tightening on the bars. Aila lowered her eyes from the beast, and she gulped. There was something in his voice that made her tread carefully. "It was only a suggestion, Cass." She placed her hand above his, then spun on the spot, looking up at him sadly. "This upsets me.
I don’t like seeing them here." She raised her hand and stroked his sharp jaw slowly. "It reminds me of when I was kidnapped."
Cassius placed his hand above hers then kissed her palm. "I understand," He replied softly. "We will figure something out. Be patient, little wolf. I don’t like seeing you upset."
He lowered their hands, lacing them together as he gazed at her with softened features. Aila stiffened when Cassius lowered his face to hers but stopped, his brows drawing together when his pocket vibrated. With a sigh, he let go of her hand and left a chaste kiss on her cheek before pulling his phone out of his suit jacket and walking away, putting the phone to his ear.
"What do you want?" He asked tersely.
Aila turned back to the lycan and mind-linked him. "I’m so sorry. I will work something out. Can you.. shift?"
"It’s too painful to shift. I’ve tried," The lycan sighed. "Why do you take his orders, Luna?"
Aila glanced in Cassius’ direction with a furrowed brow. "It’s complicated.. Have you guys at least been fed?"
Guilt was bubbling inside her the more she spent time with the lycans. "We have. Surprisingly the leech gave it to us himself," The lycan replied gruffly.
"What’s your name?" Aila asked; she didn’t want to keep calling him a beast or lycan in her mind, and maybe if she knew their names, it might help in some way. The other two seemed more like beasts, but perhaps she could bring their human side back out.
"Hmm.. my name.." The lycan replied thoughtfully. His head moved to the side slightly, and she could see his brows scrunching together. "Its.. Aldric."
Aila nodded. "Aldric, do you know your friends’ names?" She asked, looking at the others.
"I barely managed to remember my name. I do not know theirs," Aldric responded, his voice lacing with a slight growl. She wanted to ask him more questions; it was quite something to be able to mind-link with him and to find his mind still intact.
"Aila, what are you doing?" Cassius asked from behind her. Oh, it must look weird from Cassius and Davian’s point of view. She’d been silently staring at the beast before her. No, not a beast, Aldric.
"N-nothing!" Aila spun around. This was something she could hopefully keep to herself. It might come in handy in the future.
Cassius eyed her suspiciously while putting his phone away. "Let’s not stand around down here. I have some uninvited guests.. But.." He paused, his eyes gleaming at her. "It might do you some good to meet them."
The look on his face made her stomach tighten into knots. Aila knew she wasn’t going to like it. Cassius, at least to some degree, kept himself under control, but that was because of her. Maybe this was another test?
