NOVPUBAila stared back at Damon; his features were sharp, dark and dangerously sexy, his silver eyes were like two full moons, and they were calling to her silently, pleading with her to run to him. And oh, hard it was to ground her feet and keep her face impassive because she could already feel from the sire bond that Cassius was nearby. She wanted to cry, in happiness and in frustration.
Her mate was across from her, and she couldn’t do anything. Cassius, her master, was already down the corridor behind her, and she had to work on the overwhelming emotions that wanted to crush her. Lowering her gaze, she fought against all of her impulses, against the recklessness growing in her chest, at the undeniably delicious pull of the mate bond, trying to bring her back to her mate.
Malia whimpered and started whining, but Aila swiftly shushed her and blocked her from her mind just as Cassius swung the door open behind her.
Aila relaxed her shoulders, though her entire being was still tense, which was revealed in the way her hands clutched at her arms. Inhaling slowly, she looked behind and relaxed her fingers as she met Cassius’ gaze. He was standing at the far end of the room, his back against the wall, his arms crossed as his eyes scanned her body lazily, one corner of his lips tugged up.
"Did you wish to see me, Aila?" He asked quietly. His eyes flicked back to hers as she started to approach him.
Aila’s heart was racing in her chest, and she knew Cassius could hear it. She needed to calm it, but Damon’s presence was like a warm sun, one she wanted to bathe under all day; it wasn’t something she could ignore. And her body was reacting exactly as it would at the sudden appearance of her mate.
Taking another slow, deep breath in, she released a long sigh that helped slow her heartbeat and revealed the exasperation she had been feeling towards his guests.
"Yes. Where have you been?" Aila asked calmly. She observed him and kept her thoughts specifically about the vampires and the rotting corpse stench she’d smelt earlier in the drawing-room.
"I was.. detained by entertaining a certain guest," Cassius drawled as he pushed away from the wall.
"A.. female guest?" Aila asked though she did not care as long as she kept the vampire distracted.
Cassius chuckled. "Why? Does it bother you?" He asked, even though she’d already caught him in one too many positions with many women over the month. Unfortunately, they were all dead now due to Claudina and the vampires partying above them.
"If I told you it did?" Aila asked with a slight chuckle at his raised brows. She sauntered away from him and walked through the hallway away from the window that could very well show Damon’s location.
Was it just him, or were there others? No, he wouldn’t come alone; he had a whole pack and control of all the northern packs. She had been separated from him for far too long and with Cassius of all people. Damon was smarter than that. But would Finn be there? Ajax?
Kane?
Aila internally shook her head. She needed to focus; the vampire behind her had quickened his steps, his attention solely on her now. She’d given him a glimmer of hope, it sickened her, but she couldn’t very well annoy him when others needed to be kept safe from him.
"Then I would believe you to be lying. Unless you have had a change of heart, my sweet Aila?" Cassius caught up to her, his hand gripping her wrist slightly, stopping her from walking toward the stairs.
Aila looked back at him, and she smirked. "Hmm, it bothers me because I cannot stand them and what they are doing here. This castle is more like a stifling prison than the luxurious, airy and light atmosphere I have become accustomed to."
Cassius’ eyes flicked between hers as she watched him read her expression, and he relaxed his hold on her, the smile on his lips turning down before his features were shielded once more. "Come, you shouldn’t be inside on such a sunny day."
"I’ve already been out," Aila replied and reached out to his arm in the hopes of stopping him. But the vampire just scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"You said it was stifling in here. Come now, Aila. Otherwise, I fear your skin will turn deathly pale, and you will start to act more vampire than a wolf. Staying inside and enjoying the night more than sunny rays of daylight." Cassius smiled and snaked his arm around her waist, leading her towards the French doors to the gardens.
Her heart began to pound heavily in her chest at every step she took toward the doors. Aila was electrifyingly more aware of Cassius’ hand on her waist than usual. Her stomach tightened into knots and fluttered from the tugging of the mate bond, pulling her closer to Damon.
She felt like an emotional mess, but her expression was unreadable, a mask of indifference she had worked hard to learn over the last few weeks.
She knew at some point, if she could not escape, her mate would find her, and if she still had to continue to be by her master’s side, then she had to put on her best act to keep Cassius from figuring out that his enemies were much closer than he realised.
They walked along the gardens stopping before the central fountain. It took everything inside of Aila not to raise her eyes to Damon. She could feel his gaze sweeping over her, observing every little detail, every little movement of hers and of Cassius. The vampire had grabbed her hand and tugged her along, asking her in genuine concern if she felt better now that they were outside.
Aila would always feel better outside of the castle and away from those vampires. What would make her feel even better was if she was truly free, and she would leap into her mate’s arms. But the hybrid pushed her thoughts aside, knowing how dangerous they were, especially right now.
She needed to think of her desires, ones that would strongly cover up her thoughts of Damon and any who were watching right now.
"Revenge," Malia snarled. "Revenge on the hunters and on those freaking vampires still partying like there’s no damn care in the world."
Maila was right. They’d taken the lycan she was trying to protect and treated him so disgustingly. Not only that, but many humans had lost their lives since their arrival. Aila didn’t realise she’d let herself go into a chilling trance, staring at the water’s surface while thinking disturbing thoughts of the vampires’ punishment.
Cassius was by her side again, cupping her cheek and staring intently at her. He’d asked her a question, but she had been too lost in thought to pay him much attention. At least his attention was solely on her and nowhere else. "I need to make sure my little wolf is comfortable here."
Aila turned her head away, reading into what he was asking. "I’m not hungry anymore." Her eyes landed on a vampire who was peeking out from behind a curtain, and Aila felt her chest tighten. "Send them home. Your friends are giving me a headache. How old are they?"
Cassius chuckled. "I admit they are still young and impulsive. But sending them away now in the sun.." He trailed off, searching her features. "They will burn to ashes." 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
Good. Burn them to smithereens. But was that a long enough punishment? Aila shivered at how dark her thoughts were becoming, she didn’t torture anyone, but the lycan’s features, the piles of dead bodies, the slaves with collars around their necks kept flitting through her mind, making her heart grow cold.
Even though her loving mate was nearby and watching this, unaware of what had happened these past few weeks, there was no way to let him know she was still Aila, still his.
Cassius gripped her chin with his fingers and turned her to look back at him. "Should I send them away?" He whispered darkly with a sardonic smile. Aila stared back at him; his words were like a sweet caress, luring her back into the darkness.
Aila smirked at the idea of those vampires getting what they deserved, and a surge of blood lust rippled through her. "Let them burn."
"How cold," Cassius mocked before planting a long-lasting kiss on her cheek. It sent shockwaves across her body, and she felt rigid under his touch. It took everything in her not to look in Damon’s direction. What did he think of her right now? Was he hurt? Did he feel betrayed?
Aila’s heart twisted, but she kept her gaze cold, and her look uncaring. She was doing it for them. Cassius’s eyes flashed slightly, and she refocused her thoughts on the idea of the vampires burning; he smiled against her cheek and pulled back, his eyes flicking to the side in Damon’s direction.
Aila felt her body go cold and she stiffened slightly.
