Aurora’s steps slowed the moment her gaze locked onto the tall figure standing outside her cave. His presence alone was enough to make the surrounding air feel heavier. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t shifted, hadn’t even made a sound... but the tension radiating off him was impossible to ignore.
And then, Navi’s voice rang sharply inside her head.
[Warning: Target Alpha Asher’s hostility level is critically high.]
[Recommendation: Proceed with extreme caution.]
Aurora didn’t stop walking. But her senses sharpened instantly.
However, before she could even process the full extent of that warning, the man moved. His head turned slightly, and in the next second, his gaze locked onto her - cold, sharp, and deadly.
It felt like being pinned in place by a predator who had already decided her fate.
A chill ran down her spine - not out of fear, but instinct. The kind honed over years of survival.
Aurora inhaled slowly, steadying herself. Running wasn’t even an option here, not with this body and not with that man, but more importantly, it wasn’t her style.
So she walked forward, straight toward him as if his killing intent didn’t exist, as if she hadn’t just been warned that he might very well snap her neck the moment he got the chance.
For a brief second, something flickered in his eyes - shock.
It was faint, almost imperceptible, but Aurora caught it.
Of course he would be surprised. After all the woman standing before him now looked so clean and composed. With long pastel red hair falling smoothly down her back, her skin no longer caked in filth, her presence no longer suffocating - she looked nothing like the grotesque image from the night before.
She looked nothing like the woman who had drugged him and definitely not like the one who had tried to force herself on him.
But that flicker of surprise didn’t last. It vanished as quickly as it came and got replaced once again by that same cold hostility.
Just as his lips parted - likely to question her delay, or perhaps threaten her - Aurora spoke first.
"I went to gather herbs," she said calmly in a steady voice that sounded neither submissive nor defensive. "Then ran into some tribe members on the way and got occupied."
She continued walking past him, keeping her tone casual but not careless.
"That’s why I’m late," she added, as if stating a simple fact. "I hope you haven’t been waiting too long."
It wasn’t quite an apology. But it wasn’t dismissive either. It was... balanced, measured. And strangely enough, it worked.
Because for a split second, Asher nodded. It was a small, almost subconscious motion as if he was acknowledging her explanation. But then he froze once his own reaction caught up with him.
His brows furrowed instantly and his expression darkened as realization hit. His purple eyes sharpened dangerously as they fixed onto her back.
What... was that?
He had been ready to kill her. Ready to break her neck the moment she appeared. And yet with just a few words, that intent had... shifted. Though it hadn’t completely disappeared, it definitely dulled.
His jaw tightened.
Something was wrong. Very wrong. This woman... she wasn’t the same. And worse, she was affecting him.
A dangerous thought crossed his mind.
Could she be an enchantress?
His gaze darkened further. Whatever she was, whatever trick she was playing - he would not fall for it again. And if she tried anything, even the slightest thing, he would kill her without hesitation.
Unaware of the storm brewing behind her, Aurora pushed past the thick vines covering the cave entrance, her brows knitting slightly as they brushed against her shoulders.
"These need to go," she muttered under her breath.
They were inconvenient as they blocked light from entering the cave, restricted entering and leaving the cave. So while they looked really beautiful, they were still proving to be a pain.
She stepped inside... and paused. Even she had to admit that the difference was noticeable.
The stench from last night was gone, replaced by the faint, lingering scent of the herbs she had burned earlier. The floor and walls looked clean and the air was lighter.
It wasn’t perfect. But it was livable.
Behind her, Asher stepped in and stopped too just like her. His gaze swept across the cave slowly. Once. Then again. And though his expression didn’t change much, his eyes did.
They assessed the place, fueling his confusion further.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. This wasn’t the same place. It couldn’t be.
The cave from last night had been filthy, suffocating, barely inhabitable. But this one was clean, organized... almost normal.
His gaze shifted to the woman who was undoubtedly behind all this.
Aurora had already moved deeper inside, crouching slightly as she opened the hide she had carried back, revealing the herbs she had gathered.
Her movements were efficient and purposeful. Nothing like the chaotic, aggressive woman from the night before.
For a brief moment, a thought crossed Asher’s mind - was last night an illusion?
The drug had been strong. Strong enough to cloud his senses. Maybe it made him see this place and this woman-
No.
He brushed away that thought just as quickly as it came. There’s no way the drug would have made him see such absurd things. It definitely wasn’t the drug... it was this woman.
He clenched his jaw tight.
His gaze lingered on her a moment longer, studying her every movement, every detail, as if trying to find something familiar, something wrong, something that confirmed she was still the same.
But the more he looked, the less he found. And that was unsettling.
Just then, Aurora straightened slightly and turned toward him. "I’m ready to begin your treatment," she said calmly.
Her tone was steady, professional, and completely unfazed by his presence.
But then, she paused and a small frown formed on her face. "But there’s just one problem."
And with that, the air in the cave shifted again.