Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Raven

Raven’s eyes darted around as she ran, her heart pounding in her chest. Spotting a large fallen branch, she picked it up and tossed it, hoping Bellamy would chase after it.

And he did, bounding off in the direction of the thrown branch.

Suddenly, Dhol was gaining on her. Fear prickled at the back of her neck, her stomach twisting in knots. A creek loomed ahead, and she veered off course.

She caught sight of his hand reaching out for her.

The creek was wide, the ground slippery. Taking a deep breath, she leapt, landing on the other side in a clumsy roll. She quickly got to her feet and followed the water’s path.

She needed to put distance between them. A whistle cut through the air, and she spotted a hole in the fence where the creek flowed out.

She was halfway through the hole when Dhol slipped into the stream, his cry echoing in her ears. His face twisted in pain.

Freedom was just beyond the fence. The open forest beckoned.

She glanced back at Dhol, struggling to keep his head above water. Bellamy was nowhere in sight. She could make it. She just had to keep going.

~He’ll be okay.~

She pushed herself further through the hole, but a final glance back showed Dhol disappearing beneath the water.

Cursing under her breath, she sprinted back, leaping over the creek. She reached the edge and hauled herself up. His device and a ring of cards were scattered on the ground.

“Hold on,” she said, reaching in to grab his upper body.

She couldn’t pull him out, but she could keep him from drowning. Bellamy returned, branch in tow. He was big enough to carry her back to the house and—

Suddenly, she was on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Dhol’s intense gaze met hers.

“The game is over! Just lie still before you hurt yourself more,” she said, trying to push him onto his back.

He looked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. Realization dawned on her, and she checked her translator. Dhol covered her hand with his. “I understood what you said.”

“Then lie down. Bellamy and I will go and get—”

He stood up effortlessly, swinging her over his shoulder.

“You tricked me?”

Her heart dropped. Tori’s words echoed in her mind: “Take care of yourself first, then others. Don’t let your soft heart get you killed. Use it. Any weakness can be a strength.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them. Despite her sister’s advice, she always put others first.

“That’s the way with war. You should know,” Dhol said.

“I do. You all would fit in with humans a lot better than you think.”

His shoulder tensed beneath her. The breeze dried her tears, but Bellamy seemed determined to keep her face wet with his constant sniffing and licking.

He whined and lay down on the porch as they went inside.

Once inside, Raven headed for the stairs. Maybe she should’ve kept going, or she should’ve gotten into the pod. No. If she started thinking like that, everything would fall apart.

They all had their own agendas. None of them cared about her.

It was her turn now.

“Go to bed. A seamstress is coming in the morning,” Dhol said.

“No punishment? Don’t go soft on me now. Let’s get this over with,” she said, stepping into his room.

Raven turned on the shower and discarded her muddy dress. Dhol stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable. She stepped under the water, letting it wash away the dirt.

She lathered up, and Dhol entered the shower, leaning against the wall. He watched her, not with desire, but with curiosity.

He reached out and touched the bracelet on her wrist.

“You’ve never taken it off.”

“I need to sleep soon. The seamstress is coming, so let’s do this,” she said.

He let go of her wrist, and she rinsed off. They switched places, and she watched him. His arms were covered in cuts, black streaks marking his skin.

They washed away, swirling down the drain. All the men here were fit and trained. Maybe they were preparing for a draft. All of them had a unique scent, except for General Hokji and Dhol.

Why was that?

He turned off the water. “Get on the bed.”

The air was cool as she sat down. Dhol retrieved some items from the dresser.

“Turn over and stick your bottom in the air.” She complied without hesitation.

“Have you had anything in your other hole before?”

She sat up and spun around. “What?”

He smirked. “Relax. It’ll be easier, unless you’re reopening the shop. If you are, I can guarantee you won’t feel a thing.”

She glared at him. “No. Just do it.”

He gestured for her to get back in position. Raven tensed as he applied a cold gel to her starfish. Dhol massaged it in, pressing on the hole.

“You need to relax,” he said.

“Why don’t we switch places, and I’ll stick it—”

His hand smacked her backside, leaving a stinging sensation. Dhol continued to push until it entered her, a hot sensation spreading.

His finger met resistance, and she felt an urge to relieve herself.

She squirmed, uncomfortable with the strange feeling. Dhol pushed in a little more. She scooted up the bed, escaping the sensation.

“How many fingers did you have back there?” she asked, rubbing her backside.

He held up his finger, using his thumb to show that he had only inserted the tip. Raven’s eyes widened.

“This is going to take all week at this rate,” Dhol said, climbing onto the bed.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and laid on his side, pulling her back against his chest.

“We’ll try it this way,” Dhol said.

He applied more gel to her starfish, then, with his other hand, some to her clit. Dhol’s fingers moved over her sensitive button, pleasure beginning to build.

Dhol eased his finger back in. The initial sting was replaced by a warm sensation that spread through her lower belly.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Yes,” she managed to gasp out.

His breath hitched as he pressed his hardness against her, his finger delving deeper. Her wetness began to coat his fingers.

He continued to push in until his other fingers could spread out, gripping her backside. Raven felt full, a sensation she couldn’t quite put into words. It was a whole new world when he slid his finger out and then slowly pushed it back in.

She tightened around his finger.

“Relax,” he instructed, quickening the pace of the circles he was drawing on her clit.

A deep moan escaped her lips, her body shivering. Dhol held her close, his warm breath ghosting over her neck and shoulder.

He withdrew his finger, and something cold and thicker replaced it at her entrance. Dhol eased the tip in and then pulled back. He pushed it in again, going deeper this time. The tip burrowed in at a slow, deliberate pace.

The burning sensation was back as the object went deeper. Soon, she was fuller than before. The plug rested snugly against her entrance.

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“No, just feels strange.”

“Good,” he said.

He rolled her onto her back and climbed on top of her. Dhol rubbed his throbbing hardness against the juncture of her thighs. Raven's breath hitched.

Before he could thrust into her, she placed her hands on his chest.

“Sorry, we’re closed,” she said.

He grinned. “So we are.”