Chapter 123: She Has To Be Strong

Instead of answering, Faris leaned forward and gently placed a feathery kiss on her lips in response, so soft in nature as if she was a treasure for him. She swooned under his kiss.

He finally lifted his lips while she watched him with a feverish need. Faris’s thumb made small circles on her flushed cheek.

"Ara! I would have loved nothing less for you to be my mate. But, it’s not the reality and I wish for you to have that chance of experiencing true love with him, whoever he is. I don’t want to deny you that."

Ara’s eyes cast downwards hearing his words and her heart got heavier.

"What if I never find him?" She asked, stifling a cry.

"Then I will make you mine." He leaned in with a chuckle and prepped her cheek with a sloppy wet kiss. She fought back a giggle.

"Not the princess?" She asked, with a raised brow, "You flirted so openly with her."

Faris leaned back and watched her with calculating eyes before bursting out in laughter.

"Ahh! Little Ara is jealous."

"I am not," she quickly defended herself.

"You know mostly I just joke around. Princess Lotus is a stunning woman but I felt no attraction for her. You can say she was not my type. I just wanted her to feel at ease so I went along with my usual self. Besides I wanted to vex that mage who followed her like a faithful dog." Faris remembered how he had sensed Razial’s rage and wanted to continue.

"We were afraid both of you would end up in a brawl over Princess Lotus," Ara confessed, leaning in Faris’s touch. He was drawing circles around her belly button now.

"That would have been fun; the man had a lot of patience, though." Faris was trying to keep himself distracted and not think about his brother and sister-in-law.

The same was true for Ara; she was disturbed at what had happened in the pack, but being in Faris’s arms brought her comfort and washed away her fears.

"Your definition of fun is so different from others," Ara smiled, a deep smile of the love she held for this man. Her hands cupped his face.

"I am unique." Faris merely shrugged his broad shoulders and climbed over her. Partying her legs he snuggly settled in between them.

"Let’s begin round two." He winked, sliding down and burying his face between her parted legs.

***

Cassandra woke up to stinging pain in her heart. She knew it was because of Siroos, he was experiencing something similar. She dragged herself to sit up and found Lana sleeping in a sitting position.

Guilt instantly plagued her for worrying Lana in such a condition. She quietly shook her awake.

Lana incoherently mumbled before opening her eyes and abruptly sitting straight.

"Nissa! Are you alright?" She quickly questioned, placing her hand above Cassandra’s.

"You should go and rest Lana. I didn’t mean to worry you with my burdens," Cassandra despaired.

"No no, I am staying beside you. You shouldn’t be alone until Alpha returns."

"I don’t care. I am leaving this place tomorrow, anyways," Cassandra presented her plan. She had told Siroos she would leave if he chose to be with another woman and he had clearly made his choice.

"Nissa! No, it’s not Alpha’s fault. He was forced into it..." Cassandra raised her hand with a very determined look.

"I don’t want to hear it, Lana. Stop defending him all the time. Please go and rest, I would like to be alone."

Lana forcefully shut her lips but tears pricked the back of her eyes. Their Nissa had made up her mind against their Alpha and she wasn’t even ready to hear the truth.

Quietly, she got up and left the room, throwing one last agonising glance at Cassandra’s way. She had laid down again and curled up into herself, facing the wall.

Lana exited the chamber and found Tara on guard duty.

"Mindlink me if anything happens. Keep an eye on Luna. She is not in her right frame of mind," she instructed, her emotions getting the better of her.

"I will do that," Tara answered as Lana walked away mind linking her mate so she could inform him of what Cassandra had said.

***

The next day dawned and Cassandra finally left her bedding. Freshening up, she headed outside, followed closely by Tara.

"Nissa! Would you like some breakfast?" Tara inquired seeing Cassandra walk out of her chamber.

"No, I am going by the oasis." Cassandra began to walk with heaviness settled in her heart. It seemed to have been crushed under a boulder for her very breaths brought her nothing but pain.

She had hoped last night that her friend Bunny might make an appearance, but even he was missing. Her life seemed to have completely fallen apart.

Everyone bowed with a sympathetic look in their eyes as they spotted their Luna but she kept her head high and didn’t let them see her as weak. She acknowledged them in her usual demeanour but there was no smile on her face. It had been snatched away.

There was an erected burnt pole just outside with blackened ground around it. Cassandra cast a wary glance at it and Tara spoke up seeing her confused.

"The traitors involved with what happened were burnt alive by the Alpha yesterday."

Cassandra sharply turned, horror carved on her face.

"He did what? Who?"

Tara didn’t hesitate, they got what they deserved.

"Walan, Ghala and Kela." Cassandra shook her head in shock, he seemed to have gone completely unhinged.

More killings, when would this vicious cycle end?

With a heart which had drowned in the burdens of these harsh realities, she made her way to the oasis. Cassandra wished to sit by her plant’s side. To her horror, the sapling had wilted, its leaves were curled up, and it seemed to have shrivelled.

The tears she had been trying to hide tumbled out like pearls and fell on her rosy cheeks. Scooping up water from the oasis, Cassandra offered it to her plant but it thrived on emotions and could sense the rift that had been caused between Cassandra and Siroos.

She slowly lowered herself near the plant and placed her head on its leaves. Her tears fed into it, and its leaves curled around Cassandra’s face as if offering her comfort.

"I am sorry, I couldn’t even take care of you."

She softly cried, wrapping her arms around the plant while Tara helplessly watched, staying at a distance.

The shrill growl of the dragon filled the air, her agony had flooded the mate bond and had forced him to return to her.

She lifted her head with tears shimmering on her long lashes and watched in despair as the dragon landed right in front of her and shifted into Siroos.

Their eyes met and the world disappeared for a second.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read