The room was dark when Rayah woke up. For a brief moment, she was terrified. The feeling passed when she realized she was alone in the large bed. Her body was sore in a number of places. She gently touched her throat as she sat up in bed. A wince passed over her face, coming to a rest on her bruised backside.
Memories from the previous night replayed in her mind. She was trapped in a temple with a beast, unable to stop him from doing anything he wanted too. Sighing, she pulled a sheet off the bed and wrapped herself in it. She stepped over the shredded remains of her clothes, exploring the room.
After a quick visit to the very low grade bathroom, she decided to explore the rest of the temple. Hopefully, the monster was out hunting. Her grip on the sheet was tight, both to keep covered and to stop her hands from shaking. The overhang was empty when she stepped out of the room and she let out the breath she had been holding.
Rayah's toes gripped the edge of the overhang, still holding the sheet as she stared at the floor below. It probably wasn't high enough to be fatal. Another sigh left her lips and she turned, going back to her exploring.
There wasn't much more to the temple. A couple more rooms, mostly storage for vast amounts of gold. She finally found the room she was looking for. A storage room for dry foods and some fresh fruit. There was no way a carnivore like the lion would eat any of this, so she decided to make herself at home with his food.
She was enjoying some fruit when she heard a noise out in the temple. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she snuck out of the pantry for a peek. It was still dark but the torches provided enough light that she was certain no one else was inside.
Turning around to head back inside, she dropped the sheet in shock. She stood there naked, looking up at the tall man from the night before. After a moment, she quickly snatched it back up and clutched it to herself.
Out of all the questions she could of asked in that moment, she spat out the one even she least expected. "What's your name?" After everything that had transpired last night, she wasn't even sure why she cared what his name was. Possibly, the only question she felt safe asking from this monster.
Never before would she have described someone's voice as a growl, but this was the only description that seemed to fit. "Kyros". His golden eyes bored down into her's, his stoic stance making her squirm. He reached out, causing her to flinch, his strong fingers gripping her jaw. The look in his eyes said more than he did. She knew that she was his, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Gripping the sheet around her was the only thing keeping her from shaking. Kyros leaned down eye level and for the first time, his stone like expression cracked. Rayah was more unnerved by the smile than anything else he had done so far. His grip tightened on her chin causing her a little pain, the gentle touch of his lips on her's a strong contrast.
As his large frame moved away from her, his fingers trailed down her chin. She felt relieved and strangely alone when his touch left her skin. She watched his back as he walked away, lost in her own confusion. Her feet shifted nervously when she saw him walk into the bed chamber. She knew what was expected of her, and some feeling deep inside her compelled her to follow.
Rayah had a master. She never considered herself the submissive type, but something about this man brought something new to the surface. Lowering her head, she dropped the sheet and followed him into the bed chamber.