Deviation: Altera Realm Trilogy Book 2 Read Online Free PDF Page B

She had a lot to think about before then and didn’t want to. For now she leaned into the man she loved and got lost in his kiss.

Cass looked at the two female Lycins with her and gave a nervous half smile. She didn’t like the idea of stripping naked in front of them, which was why she hadn’t opted to bathe in a long time. But she had to now; even she couldn’t stand her stench. Living on the front lines wasn’t an ideal situation for her. She was tired of doing her business in a hole at the end of camp and hiding her eyes when the patrols came strolling through the camp naked after changing back to their human form. The comments the guards made about her hygiene felt insulting. And she wasn’t feeling any better about herself because of what she had done before she had embarked on this mission. Maybe she should go back to the palace, but giving in to the pressure for her to return would make her look even weaker than she already did. So the only thing she could do was grin and bear it—all of it, including bathing.
    Cass surveyed the small body of water in front of her. It was larger than a pond and ran into a small brook that fed into the Great Lake miles away. But there wasn’t any kind of large current, so the water was almost stagnant. There was a spot to the far right with a few large rocks that she decided to use as a cover of sorts. She put down the clothes she had brought and pulled off her sandals. She walked right into the water fully clothed. She had to clean herclothes anyway, so why not get them nice and wet? When she was in up to her chin, she off pulled her clothes and threw them onto the beach.
    She heard a chuckle and looked as Fern shook her head and turned away. Ivy smiled at her and tossed something into the water. It landed a few inches from Cass, who pulled it up from under the water before it landed on the bottom. It was a bar of soap.
    “It’s the only unused one. I grabbed it for you,” Ivy shouted to her.
    “Thanks!” Cass yelled, and swam to the rocks. She went to town on the caked-on dirt all over skin. She wasn’t used to sleeping on the ground, and the water felt refreshing on her skin. After Cass was finally clean, she swam a little in the water, finally feeling as if she were alive again. Reluctantly she waded over to the edge. Ivy held out a towel for her, and Cass quickly wrapped it around herself. Then she pulled some dry clothes on under the towel, which took some uncomfortable maneuvering. She reached down to grab her shirt, but Ivy handed it to her first.
    “If you don’t mind my saying, Princess, modesty isn’t something you can afford to have out here,” Ivy said kindly.
    Cass looked down. “I’m getting that. It’s just…I’m not used to this. Any of this actually.”
    “Well, here’s a little advice.” She lowered her voice and glanced at Fern, who stood a few feet away, looking out over the lands in front of her. “Stay out of their way. Don’t be a pain. And play nice. If you do, I’m sure Commander Hunter will let you do more around the camp.”
    “And maybe leave camp?” Cass asked. “I just want to go on some walks or something.”
    “I’m not sure about that, but I’ll tell you what…I’ll volunteer to go with you. That might help.”
    Cass smiled at her. There was something she immediately had liked about Ivy, and now she liked her even more. She looked a little older than Cass, with dirty-blond hair pulled into a ponytail. “Thank you, really. It means a lot to have…someone who doesn’t hate me.”
    “They don’t hate you. They just don’t understand why you’re here.”
    “And you do? Because I’d like to know myself.” Cass gave a small laugh.
    Ivy glanced back at Fern, who had walked even farther away. “I try to keep Raine in my thoughts while I’m out here.”
    Cass stopped breathing at the name of her former Protector, who’d been executed nearly six months earlier. Raine protected her no matter what. He had been the