The Rebellious Mate

6(ii) The Offer

Asena escaped to her quarters and flopped face down on the bed. After tossing and turning, she decided to face the dragon lord just to escape the Eros safe house. Maybe the outing would provide her access to a computer that hadn't disabled the uplink port. In a few moments, she could piggyback any network. Even the internet would do. She'd stored up a cache in the dark web before she left home. All she had to do was trigger it.

Of course, Zane was thrilled with her change of heart. He assured her she could reject the dragon once she met him if she had good cause. It'd 'cause an upset', but he would handle the rest. But she didn't quite trust him.

She mulled over whether to share this news with Duma, but he might gossip. As is, Zane pulling her away had aroused Bebi's suspicion. Now she had to go on a date and make small talk. It was all so exhausting. She longed to retreat into her shell to recover.

Instead, she found Duma and asked for help to find suitable clothing. The Eros stylist would force her into something unseemly.

Duma had a million questions as to why she wanted to dress up, which she couldn't answer. She should've taken the easy way out, and repeated what she'd worn for the stupid photoshoot.

But he went through the extensive wardrobes Eros had on stand by, and found her a pantsuit, and a short jacket with loose sleeves. She liked the high waist and flared legs of the pants too. It was too masculine for Europa's tastes, but she preferred it.

"The dress is—" Duma said, offering her a more 'feminine' option.

"Nope. This is perfect."

Asena preferred form over fashion. True to her species, she abhorred tight garments and walked around barefoot most of the time. Papa's old hoodies, t-shirts, and sweatshirts that reached her knees were her favorites. She even took off her shoes or sandals before entering her home and office. No one cared how she dressed, else of all, her.

To spare herself from any embarrassment, she refrained from wearing heels. Even Bebi was struggling to walk in them.

'You don't need heels to embarrass yourself. Just be yourself. That does the trick,' Moggie chuffed.

Kas, the resident stylist, was not happy with her selection. Yet he didn't protest, only suggested she remove her scratched, bulky anklets and bangles. Instead, he brought out a set of solitaires. Wearing white cotton gloves, he handled the neckpiece and held out the clip-on earrings.

As the stylist tried to snap one on Asena earlobe, she stepped away and hissed at him.

Zane grabbed Kas's wrist. "Never try that again. Do not touch a cat's ears without permission, period. Even the tiny ones are capable of clawing your eyes out." He glanced at her and huffed, "canines!"

Various Feline species had different thresholds for social interactions. Temperament played a role too. Asena's was non-existence since she was a kitten. She left to wander the grounds, wondering what attracted a dragon to her. It couldn't be her photos. She looked terrible in them—all skin and bones, even sickly pale.

'Irrelevant. He'll lose interest. Tea with you will do the job.'

Dracos were a secretive subspecies that usually mated within their breed. Worse, they were never very fertile. A formidable sect, they never sought to grab power but supported the Olden Ways. Ikaus and Rianwing's alliance with the Romulus, Remus, and Romanovs created the longest ruling dynasty in Europe until the Berserkers targeted them to break the Old World Creatures' chokehold on the continent. Two dragon sects were rendered extinct. The Pillage of Fafnir's drakōnpit destroyed their clutches. That was all she recalled from her Middle Ages history classes, because of a quote that stuck with her.