Nesta swept the dirty sheets off the bed, keeping an eye on the dressing male as she did. Throwing them in a bucket of water for the laundress, she grabbed her perfume, spraying it in specific spots to hide the male's scent. It was all routine, the movements easy and practiced. This male had been worse than most, young, cocky, and likely looking for some sort of recognition-even from her.
When he was still there even after she replaced the old sheet, she straightened, glaring at him. "Are you not satisfied?"
Cassian would be back in a few hours, enough for the perfume to fade to smell naturally like her. He wouldn't suspect a thing-he never did.
The male gave a snort, running an eye over her robed form. Sometimes, the males she slept with expected a relationship from her, or for her not to kick them out the next morning.
"Get out," Nesta said, "or did you forget where the door was?"
The Illyrian frowned turning away to the door. Nesta went to the bathing room, waiting to turn on the shower until after she heard him leave.
That was exactly why she heard the exchange outside.
"Who the hell are you?"
Nesta's eyes widened at that gruff voice.
"Hello, general. Have fun in there, at least her smart mouth's good for-"
There was a slam, then a choking sound.
Then, almost too quietly for her to hear, "If I hear your voice again, I'll rip your tongue out of your throat feed it to the pigs. Get out of my sight before I decide not to do it now."
Thundering steps away from the small house.
Nesta's heart pounded as she heard the door open again, then slam.
"How many?" Cassian said, voice like fire, as he barged into her room. "How many have you slept with?"
"You're back early," Nesta mused instead, wrapping her dressing robe tighter around herself.
He strode forward until they were nearly nose to nose, face nearly animalistic. "How many, Nesta?"
She crossed her arms. "That's none of your business."
"I told you-I warned you-that the Illyrians weren't like other fae. It's so damn stupid of you to bed any of them. Do you not understand what they'll do to each other if they find out?"
"What do you care?"
"What do I care? What do I care!" He grabbed her hand, twisting it so her wrist the pale underside was exposed. "Do you see this?" He pointed to the bruises in the shape of fingerprints. "This is what they do to you and yet you keep looking for more. One of these days they're going to take without asking."
She tried to yank her arm away but he kept a steel hold. "My love life is none of your business."
"Love life? There is no love in what you do." He dropped her hand, turning away. "If I find out you take another one of them to bed, so help me Mother… ."
"You'll what?" Nesta snapped. "Kill them? That doesn't sound like a plan. Take me from the camps? Go ahead, I hate this place anyway."
He marched to the door, shoulders tense. "I don't know what I'll do, but you won't enjoy it."
"All the more reason to hate you." The words were a bitter blade, and if they struck, she couldn't tell.
"Don't sleep with anyone else," he ordered with all the voice of the General of the Night Court, and slammed the door.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Nesta did sleep with someone else. This one looked younger than her and almost totally inexperienced. When they finished, however, Nesta didn't kick him out. She purposefully didn't do anything to hide him as she waited, only a sheet draped over her naked body.
The male was stuttering something about how pretty her eyes were when the door swung open and hit the wall with a bang. Cassian's vicious growl sent the male clambering out of bed, lunging for his discarded trousers.
"I-I'm sorry. I was un-"
"Get out." The words were quiet, threatening, but Nesta could feel Cassian's gaze on her alone as she turned slowly toward him in bed.
The male stumbled from the house.
"Bathe yourself," Cassian snarled. When Nesta didn't move, he took a step towards her. "Unless you want me to do it."
She snorted but indeed made her way to the bathing room for a hot shower. She hadn't showered this morning so it was about time.
She let the sheet drop as she walked, uncaring of Cassian. He'd already seen her naked anyway.
She redressed in her favorite brown leggings and a winter sweater, unsure what Cassian was going to do. He wouldn't kick her out-she knew. He'd likely force her to train or make her watch two of the males she'd slept with inevitably fight, believing it would make her realize the outcome of her actions.
But when she emerged, he wasn't at the front door, donning his winter wear or in his leathers. In fact, he wasn't in the living room at all.
Nesta didn't go looking for him. She plopped on the couch in the spot that she had deined most comfortable. She pulled out her current book from where it was stashed under the pillows, flipping to her page.
Before she could dive in, however, she heard a door open. "Nesta," Cassian said from the hall to his room. She didn't look up as he stalked over, clad in only his trousers.
She saw him reaching for her book and slammed in shut, slapping his hand away before he could touch the precious cover. But he grabbed her wrist and yanked her to her feet. She held onto the book with dear life.
"You will tell me what you want," Cassian hissed into the space between them, minimal as it was, "and we will do it. Right now."
"What?" she snapped, prying her wrist from his grip and tossing her book safely onto the couch.
"What do you want? Whatever those males give it to you, I will if you need it. So long as it guarantees you never go to another one besides me again."
Seeing the intensity of his gaze and hearing those words from his mouth, she put all the hate in her life behind her glare. She spat, "I would never go to you for sex."
"You don't have a choice, sweetheart." He said it with his usual arrogance but there was no smirk on his face. "I've told the camp lords about you. This behavior could pass in Velaris, but should those males figure out that they aren't special, or aren't the only one who got lucky off you, they will hurt each other. They will hurt you. So it's me or no one."
Her eyes widened. "You can't do that!"
"I had no choice. Feyre wanted you to stop, I wanted you to stop. But if it is sex that pleases you, I will do it. You're causing too much damage." There was a disgusting kind of sadness or pity that crossed his face as he went on quieter, "I've been in your position before, Nesta. After Rhys's mother and sister died, I fell into alcohol and females. It was only when one of those females' mate attacked me that I finally snapped out of it. This is not a healthy way to grieve. It will leave you more numb and hollow than what you lost did."
Nesta took a step back, turning her face away. "You know nothing."
"I'm not an idiot, Nes." He gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "But right now I am your only alternative."
"Fine," she made herself say. She could pretend it wasn't him. Maybe a stranger or one of the more attractive Illyrians. "Fine."
Cassian let her go and the lack of his touch was so sudden that she fell back onto the couch.
"But," Cassian said, towering over her, "you have to train with me."
"No."
"Just today. I'll let you decide if you want to train again and if you say no after I won't bug you."
She stared hard at the cover of her book. "Fine."
"Your leathers are in the closet. Get dressed."
She stomped off to her room, mumbling to herself. He better be one damned good fuck. She hadn't even known there were leathers made for her, though, to be fair, she hadn't asked. How they got her measurements was another thing she didn't want to know.
The leathers were slightly too large around the hips and too small around the breasts but they fit. Nesta suspected that they might have been Feyre's before she'd gotten herself pregnant.
Nesta slid into them, trying to hide her disgust. She had barely buttoned up her jacket before there was a knock.
"What?" she snapped and Cassian strolled in. At least he had a shirt and jacket on now.
He curled his fingers in a come here motion but Nesta stayed rooted to the spot. He growled and marched over, producing a leather tie.
"I can do my hair on my-" But he was already behind her, pulling it into a ponytail. Nesta hissed at him, trying to swat his hands away.
"Let's go," he said when he finished, voice rough.
Nesta kept snarling as she followed him out the door.