Chapter 317: You are a dog!
The flying ship hummed softly as it cut through the clouds, its cabin swaying with the rhythm of the wind. Sienna sat curled on the lap of her husband, his hands resting firmly against her bare feet. He was warming her feet with deliberate stokes. His touch was steady, almost ritualistic, as though he were trying to chase away not just the chill in the air but the sting of humiliation she had endured.
Then, without warning, his voice broke the silence.
"Sienna, are you a dog? The royals tell you to go and you follow like one?"
Sienna’s eyes widened, her chest tightening with office. "A dog?" she echoed, her voice sharp. "You are the dog. You come from a family of dogs!"
Elias raised his brows, and his hands froze.
"I was kidnapped and carried to that spa just as you carried me out. Do you call yourself a dog too? Look at my feet, look at my outfit. You didn’t even give me a chance to change my clothes or wear my boots. Now, you are feeling my toes like some kind of pervert."
His lips curled into a smirk, but instead of answering, he leaned closer. "Shut up," he murmured, and before she could retort, his mouth pressed against hers.
The kiss was not rushed, nor was it gentle, but it was consuming. His lips were firm, insistent and the warmth of his breath mingled with hers. He pulled her so close, as if the cabin was shrinking around them. Sienna felt her world tilt, her anger melting into a haze of sensation. That sweet scent permeated from his body, making her craze a deeper sniff.
The kiss was steady, unbroken, stretching into minutes that felt like eternity. Her heart thudded against her ribs, her fingers clutching his cloak to the point of ripping off small bits of fur. But she held on, as though anchoring herself.
After five long minutes, she pulled back, gasping. "I...can’t breathe," she whispered, her lips tingling, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Elias’s eyes glimmered with amusement, but before he could tease her, she bit his chin! It was not a hard, flesh ripping bite, but that of an coquettish, angry wife. It was light like feather, but left a mark.
"Ouch," he said in an amused voice.
Sienna curled her lips. "You called me a dog. I will not forgive you until you help me. Do you know the king’s father personally?"
He frowned, caught off guard. "Why ask me that?"
Sienna’s smile was sly, her tone laced with mischief. "The queen mother just advised me to settle for second wife and allow you take a fox bride. After her provocation, I plan to send a few young, attractive beast woman to him. Just like I have been sending them to your father. Let’s see how she likes the taste of her own medicine."
Elias’s grip on her legs tightened. "Sienna....." His voice was stern, almost pleading. "That won’t work. You know it won’t. The royals are more disciplined that most beast men. They will see those women coming from a mile away and stop them. The queen mother is blunt, and sometimes nosy, but she is not venomous at heart. Just ignore her. If you challenge her, she’ll twist it, turn it back on you."
Sienna’s eyes sparkled with defiance. "Perhaps. But I’ll try anyway. Just to annoy her. As long as she does not kill me, all is well."
He sighed, leaning back against the chair. He knew her too well by now, once she set her mind on something, no amount of logic could dissuade her, especially when it came to revenge. She was fire, cloaked in charm. And though he dreaded the storm she was about to unleash, he also admired her audacity.
Aside from the Owena blunder, she was clever. She would find a way to make her actions seem harmless or a mistake.
Sienna leaned closer, her lips curving into a smile that was bot sweet and dangerous. "We should go and see your mother," she said softly.
Elias’s eyes narrowed. He that smile. It was the smile she wore when she had evil planned, like framing an enemy. Ali had learned to smile like that too!
The ship rocked gently, the cabin filling with the tension of unspoken words. He studied her face--the gleam in her eyes, the curve of her lips, and realized she was already plotting. "My mother is at the estate, preparing for Princess Lina’s wedding. Aside from your worm, we actually have to prepare other worthy gifts."
Then, she took his phone and called Timothy. "Do me a favor, buy me some beans. A sack full. Take them to the estate, we are on our way there."
"Sienna..." Elias began, his voice heavy with warning.
She put her arms around his neck. "Precious husband, don’t worry. I am not going to do anything bad. I just want to spend sometime with my mother-in-law. Isn’t this better than sending another model to your father?" She tiled her head, her smile widening, her silence daring him to stop her.
He groaned. She lowered one hand and slid it into his, her fingers cool against his warmth. "Let’s pay her a visit," she whispered.
Elias’s heart sank. He could already hear his mother’s shrieks, and see the chaos waiting to unfold. She would not be bringing up his mother if she had not done something to prompt the sudden visit. His mind went to work, analyzing her trip to the spa, the people she had met and the last time Sienna crossed paths with his mother, which was Gael’s wedding. The conclusion he came to was the Queen mother.
She was on good terms with his mother. Not just good terms but good friends! Friendly enough to consider each other confidants! Had his mother asked the Queen mother to make the ridiculous second wife suggestion on her behalf? And what was the plan with the beans? Was Sienna going to throw them at his mother?