Chapter 197: I'd rather starve.
~Cassius POV~
It started with a sound. A rustling one at first but I ignored. Knowing it was her handwork.
Again, the faint clinking came again. This time it was distinct. It wasn't faint. It was loud.
I paused mid-step, just outside the tent. The others were asleep or pretending to be. Only the fire sparked low in the distance with its debris flying around.
One thing, I was sure of was, it wasn't the fire nor was it my men that made that sound. That was the fucking chain.
I cursed under my breath and threw open the tent flap.
And true to my thoughts. It was empty.
The chains I had secured were lying on the ground, open and of course, my crazy vixen was gone.
Damn it.
I should’ve known better. I had let my guard down. I forgot, she could still use magic. Even weak, even tired, she’d found a way. Since, I couldn't smell any magic from her, I had assumed she wouldn't be able to.
I moved fast into the night, scanning the edge of the camp. No horses missing. No footprints near the outer path. She was on foot, and that slowed her down.
She wouldn’t get far.
Especially not wearing that thing.
The white pleasure gown they’d given her was never meant for real wear. It was exposed and sleeveless, meant to humiliate. It clung to her in the worst ways, the thin fabric outlining every curve. She might as well have been naked.
And it infuriated me that I noticed.
I found her creeping behind one of the supply crates, crouched low like a thief. Her blue hair was messy, sticking to her skin. The moonlight hit her just enough to make her glow.
The gown had slipped down one shoulder, loose and half-open. Her legs were bare and bruised. The back of the fabric was caught on a crate nail, tugged higher than it should’ve been. I could see...
Stop.
"Going somewhere?" My voice was cold.
She froze, then turned, her eyes confused and angry. “Get away from me, traitor.”
I stepped forward, every part of me tense. “You really thought you could sneak out with chains still clipped around your ankles?”
She stood her ground. “Better than sitting in a tent like a chained animal.”
“You are a chained animal.”
"Then you're the heartless coward that caged me."
I reached for her wrist. She slapped me hard across the face.
The sound echoed. Fuck. If my men saw this, I might be forced to be rough with her. I needed to curb that lousy fire of hers.
“Touch me again and I’ll bury your sword in your gut.”
I grabbed her wrist again, this time firmer. “You’re reckless.”
She struggled, pushing, kicking. Her fists hit my chest, but I didn’t budge. Her strength was running on anger and fumes.
“You will ruin everything,” I said through clenched teeth. “ so stop."
“You will not tell me what to do traitor!”
“I am not a traitor!”
In a quick move, I threw her over my shoulder. She shouted, cursed, beat her fists against my back, but I didn’t stop.
She almost bit me.
I marched straight into my tent, kicked the flap shut behind us, and dumped her on the blanket. She scrambled up and glared.
“You beast!” she screamed. “How dare you handle me like that!”
“You want answers?” I snapped. “Fine. Here’s one. You just blew a three-year operation!”
She blinked. “What?”
“The betrayal wasn’t real. It was a cover. Lorraine planned it. The Council approved. She knew. I knew. And you almost ruined everything by being here.”
She shook her head slowly, eyes wide.
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I was.”
“No. No, no, no!” she shouted, slamming her chained fist on the floor. “Ava would never agree to this!” She points to the troops outside.
“She wouldn't have a choice. None of us do."
“You’re making this up because you got caught!”
"I’ve been undercover for years, Alexis. I've killed for this mission. Bled for it. Watched people die while I smiled like nothing was wrong."
She stared at me like she couldn’t breathe.
"You risked everything," I said, my voice rising. "All because you couldn't sit still in the castle."
“I won’t be spoken to like this!”
"Too bad!" I shouted back. "You're not a princess here. You're a prisoner."
Her jaw dropped. “You dare speak to me like that?!”
“Yes,” I growled. “What are you going to do about it?”
She jumped to her feet, forgetting the chain again. Her foot caught on it and she tripped.
Right into me.
We fell hard onto the ground, with her on top of me. Her thighs straddled my hips. Her hands landed on my shoulders. Her face was inches from mine.
The gown was open again.
My hands were frozen in place, but my eyes...
My eyes betrayed me.
The sheer material hung loosely over her chest. One side had completely slipped down. Her skin was soft and flushed, breathing fast from anger...or something else. I could feel every inch of her pressed against me.
Her scent hit me next, wild and nature, but sweet.
My beast moved under the surface, stretching inside me. It wanted her.
And for a split second, so did I.
“Get off me,” I said low, my voice hasher than intended.
But she didn’t move. She was breathing too fast. Her hands trembled where they gripped my arms.
“You pervert,” she whispered, voice shaking.
“You fell.”
“You caught me.”
“You looked half-naked.”
“You were staring!”
“You are on top of me.”
She pushed herself up roughly and moved back, covering her chest with the edge of the gown. Her face was red. Her eyes wet with fury and shame.
“You’re disgusting.”
I sat up slowly. “Maybe. But I’m not the one who couldn’t stay chained.”
She pulled her knees to her chest, gripping the fabric tightly.
I stood and looked down at her, torn between anger and my lust.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she hissed.
“Neither did I,” I muttered.
I walked to the flap of the tent and paused.
“You want the truth? You got it. You almost blew my cover.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’ll stay here until I decide what to do with you.”
“I’m not scared of you.”
“You should be.”
She threw a chain at me. It missed.
“I’ll bring food in the morning,” I said.
“I’d rather starve.”
I didn’t answer.
I stepped out into the cold night and closed the flap behind me.
The soldiers were still sitting by the fire, some half-asleep, some watching quietly. One of them, Garrick, raised a brow.
“You alright in there, Captain?”
I ignored him.
My thoughts were still stuck on the way she looked. The way her body felt pressed against mine. How close I came to forgetting myself.
And that scared me more than her escape.
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