Deaths and Desires

The Red-eyed Stranger

CHAPTER TWO

RAYANA’S POV

My brows were drawn together as I looked through the tents I was passing by, but Cyrus was not in any of them.

As I made my way through the enclosed tent around me, the closed tents were usually made available for people who had just got mated, but it was rarely used.

As I passed by a tent, a peculiar scent suddenly hit me. At first, it was barely there, so I checked inside the surrounding tents, but they were empty. But as I got closer to the last tent, the scent got stronger and I smiled. Cyrus was definitely in there.

Though I wondered what he could be doing there when the mating ceremony we both looked forward to was happening.

I stepped into the tent, “Cyrus-“ I started with a smile, but I was cut short. Thd words died in my throat.

I stared, shocked, at the slender legs that were wrapped around Cyrus’ hips as he slammed into the woman beneath him. His grunts and the soft moans in the background were muffled.

I could still sense Cyrus’ strong scent despite the smell of their s*x that filled the space.

“Cyrus…” My voice trembled as I called his name.

They both froze. Then, in a blur, both of them scrambled up. Cyrus quickly dragged his breeches up and the lady dropped her gown and quickly worked on the ropes of her dress.

“Rayana, what are you doing here?” Cyrus stuttered after he got himself presentable.

“I can scent you.”

He froze, then he blurted out, wide-eyed, almost in… horror. “What?!”

“You’re my mate, Cyrus!” I yelled. “Who is th-“ my gaze fell on the woman and I staggered back. It felt like my heart had just been ripped out of my chest.

“Sia?” I called in disbelief.

Her head was hung down, and her fingers fiddled with a loose thread on her dress. “My lady,” she dropped into the sorry excuse for a courtesy as she murmured.

“Both of you?”

“I can scent you now too.” Cyrus said and moved closer, and I reflexively took a step back. “No scent has ever been stronger, Rayana.” His eyes peered into mine with pity, “But I can’t.” He gestured between us, “We can’t. I treasure our friendship more than this.”

I scoffed, “You treasure our friendship, yet you’re sleeping with my friend?”

Cyrus regarded me for a while, then he started, ignoring my question, “I, Cyrus Riddiford, reject you…”

I closed my eyes and held up my hand. I do the rejecting, not him. I tipped my chin up and chanted, “I, Rayana Melyandra Wulfgeat, reject you, Cyrus Riddiford, as my mate!”

I hated how my voice trembled as I spoke. I was filled with contempt as I turned to Sia. “Today, you cease to be my lady-in-waiting.” I doubt if we were even ever friends.

Then I blindly turned on my heels and grabbed a bottle of ale from one of the high tables I passed by.

“Rayana!” I heard Father call after me, but I was too mad, too embarrassed to face him or anyone.

I remembered the many times I had gushed over my affection for Cyrus to Sia. I laughed at myself. She must have laughed so hard after she left my room at how foolish I was.

I raised the bottle of ale in my hand close to my ear, then brought it to my face and squinted one of my eyes into it. It was empty.

I pouted and carelessly dropped it on the floor, causing it to roll away from me and stop at the feet of –

Wait, feet?!

My eyes traveled up a sturdy structure skin on to a body and landed on a face. Or rather, on glowing red eyes. I squinted at it then I blinked. When I opened my eyes, they were gone.

I shook my head, blinking the drunken illusion away, then I closed my eyes as I sniffed in the delicious scent that briefly wafted into my nose, and wondered what meal smelt that nice. I would have followed the aroma if I wasn’t so wasted. Not so wasted, but I didn’t want to risk running into Cyrus.

My gaze fell on the discarded bottles of ale, and I was reminded of the first time I exhausted a bottle while on a hunt with Cyrus. I was just thirteen and prohibited from drinking. Cyrus had to sneak me into my room because the world had turned upside down, and I couldn’t walk. He snuck me into my room and I ended up kissing him. I remember his hesitation s-

I vigorously shook my head. “Was the damned ale not supposed to block all these unwanted memories?” I muttered under my breath and slumped against the tree I was seated on.

“Not really. In my experience, it only makes you feel miserable, like shit.”

I jerked my head at the voice. I found out that there was actually someone standing where I had thought I had made up an image. His build was crystal clear now, except his eyes weren’t red but pitch black, like a swirling pit of hell.

I instinctively reached for one if the bottles and weakly pointed it at him. “Who are you?” I slurred.

The voice chuckled and the owner of the voice walked out of the darkness it had blended in and walked toward me. “What a weak attempt at defending yourself.”

As he got closer, the sweet scent got closer and my eyes perused his body, wondering if he had gotten some of that sweet-smelling food with him.

I wanted to tell him something along the line that my pose had nothing to do with the fervor in my strikes, then afterward ask him if he could share the food, but I was too weak to speak, talk less of hold my knife properly.

He lowered himself beside me and took out a bottle of his own ale from… I had no idea where.

Maybe the ale was what was producing that scent?

I reclined against the tree and closed my eyes, savoring the scent, “You’re not from here, are you?”

I could feel his peering gaze on my temple. “Why do you say so?”

“Every sane man respects me too much to sit beside me uninvited.”

There was a heated silence and I sensed him take a swig of his ale. I wanted to beg him for it, perhaps it would be the sweet bit that would numb all of this pathetic ache in my chest, but I had my dignity to uphold.

“Those men weren’t thinking,” the man finally answered.

I gritted my teeth. “I order you out of my sight.”

He calmly disregarded my words. “When I found the striking hair that had caught my attention and stopped to watch you gulp down the last bit of that bottle of ale, I stopped thinking.”

I rolled my eyes, then I abruptly turned to him as an idea popped into my head. If ale couldn’t help cease the thought of Cyrus’ betrayal or that disgusting image of him tangled up with Sia, maybe this stranger could.

I swayed as I got on my feet. I stood before him, then I lowered myself onto his lap and my gown rode up my thighs as I straddled him. His gaze lingered on my exposed thigh for a few seconds, making me feel hot all over before he looked up at my face. There was a smirk on his face as he watched me.

My senses were screaming for me to get off him, turn my back and get the hell out of here, but I didn’t listen. I was desperate to forget, even if it were temporary.

“Whatever happens remains between us. I –“

The black-eyed stranger cut my sentence shut as he slammed his lips with mine.

He let out a guttural groan and I instantly felt his strong hands around my waist.

His eyes were closed as he kneaded my lips. Mine were wide open. He tasted of the strong content he had been downing in his throat.

It was either the taste of him or the way his hands roamed my body that was so pleasuring that I closed my eyes with a soft moan and reveled in the sweet feeling he evoked in me. My fingers tangled in his hair as I kissed him back and impatiently pressed my body to his.

Somehow, my hands found their way under whatever clothing he had on and my hands caressed his perfectly sinewed chest, my fingers getting themselves acquainted with each dip and crook on his upper body.

Goosebumps rapidly spread on my skin when his palm firmly gripped my bare thighs.

He disconnected our lips and his tongue licked its way up my clavicle, to my neck, my jaw and back to my lips.

His lips left mine again and I tipped my head back, baring my neck for him to repeat what he did with his tongue again.

“Ahh,” I moaned and found myself pressing his face to my chest.

A quiet, restrained sound left his lips as he cupped my corset-clad breast and squeezed. I let out a breathy moan and my hands made their way to the waistband of his breeches.

I flinched when his hand left my breast and gripped my wrist.

I glared at him, my eyes falling on his wet lips on their own accord. I forced them back to his eyes. “What was that for?”

I was practically ready to spread myself for him and here he was doing what? Hesitating?

“Relax, miss,” his thumb caressed my lips, and he placed a sloppy kiss on my neck. His hand went under my gown and cupped my ass, pressing it against his bulging erection. It was satisfying that I wasn’t the only horny one here. “Not here,” he murmured against my neck.

“Then where?” I knew I sounded frustrated and desperate, but I didn’t care. In just the few moments he was here, I hadn’t thought of my acclaimed friends’ betrayal. More of this feeling he ignited in me, and I am convinced that I’d totally about their existence.

He gave me a rakish grin that made my thighs clench as he said, “You’ll have to come with me.”