Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Raven

“Nice legs,” General Dhol complimented.

He caught her as she stumbled, taking the impact of the fall. He rolled them over, ending up on top. She fought back, pushing and punching his chest. When she finally exhausted herself, he helped her up.

“Feel better?” he asked, arms crossed.

She nodded. He led the way back to the house, and she trailed behind. They stopped at his office door.

“Down the hall is the kitchen. The chef will make whatever you want. Your room is upstairs, third door on the right. Mine is at the end of the hall. All your stuff is in your room. You can do whatever you want, just don’t leave the property.” He shut the door behind him.

Finding her room was easy. The bed was massive, and the windows offered a view of the backyard. Two boulders sat side by side under a tree. Raven explored the room, opening doors.

One led to a closet, the other to a bathroom. The shower didn’t wash away the day’s events. She wrapped herself in a plush towel, bracing for the cool air.

When she returned, the bedroom door was slightly ajar. A device lay on the bed. It looked like a collar.

~He must be out of his mind if he thinks I’m wearing that.~ She figured it was some sort of shock collar to keep her here. She locked the door, crawled under the sheets, and let sleep claim her.

***

She tossed and turned. The bed felt too big without them. She used to complain about Arenk’s snoring, but now the silence felt strange.

She walked to the window and gazed at the twin moons. A shadowy figure moved below, heading for the tree and sitting down in front of it.

Raven slipped on a dress and made her way to the yard. The house was dark, and the guards didn’t stop her or even acknowledge her presence. She tread lightly as she approached.

The grass was cool and soft under her feet. A low growl sounded from behind her. She froze, heart pounding, as a beast leaped from the bushes.

She screamed and fell back as it loomed over her. It sniffed her, then licked her face with one big swipe. She reached out a trembling hand to pet its fur.

It panted happily, its tail thumping against her legs. A whistle pierced the night, and the beast ran toward the shadowy figure.

“You’re such a good boy.”

She dusted herself off as the figure stepped into the light.

“Why aren’t you in bed? Is the room not to your liking?” General Dhol asked, picking up a large branch.

“It’s fine. I just couldn’t sleep.”

He threw the branch, and the beast chased after it.

“What’s his name?”

“Bellamy.”

“That sounds like a human name.”

Bellamy returned, branch in mouth. General Dhol resumed their game. She walked over to the boulders and noticed the flowers and various items next to each.

“What’s this?”

“Let’s head inside. Did you find your translator? Not everyone has one, and I won’t always be around. It was on your bed,” he said, leading the way back to the house.

“Does it do anything else?”

“Are you always this curious?”

Bellamy whined and lay down on the porch as they went inside. General Dhol walked her to her room and waited outside the door.

“Goodnight. If you can’t sleep, I’ll be in my room,” he said, then walked down the hall.

Raven lay awake, staring at the ceiling until dawn. There was a knock at the door, and a woman spoke, but she didn’t respond.

She shook the sheets, and the translator fell to the floor. Raven jumped out of bed and turned it on.

“What did you say?”

“Master has requested your presence for breakfast,” the woman repeated.

“I’ll be down in a minute.”

Raven got ready in the bathroom. Dark circles were forming under her eyes, and her body felt heavy. The woman was waiting when she opened the door.

“This way,” she said, leading Raven down the hall.

They stopped at his door. “He’s waiting.”

Before she could knock, his voice came through the door, telling her to come in. Raven peeked inside. General Dhol sat at a table by a window, reading a book, shirtless.

A plate was set in front of an empty chair. She sat down.

“If you don’t like it, I can have something else made.”

“It looks good. You’ve already eaten,” she observed, noting the empty space in front of him.

“No, I’ll eat after you’re done,” he said, not looking up from his book.

She thought it was odd, but didn’t argue. She finished her meal, grateful he wasn’t a food tyrant like Laro. She watched as his light brows furrowed in concentration.

His hair was loose and wavy today.

He looked up. “Finished?”

“Yes, thank you. What are you reading?”

“Tactics used by the great minds of our time. Do you know how to braid?” he asked, setting the book aside.

“Yeah.” She moved behind him, gathering his hair and dividing it into sections.

As she braided his hair, a large scar on his back caught her attention. Raven traced it with her finger. General Dhol took her hand and led her around to face him.

~Damn, why are their eyes so fucking captivating?~ He stroked her wrist, then pulled her close.

“General Dh—”

“Just Dhol,” he interrupted, lifting her onto the table, “or Daddy.”

His hands moved up her thighs, hiking up her dress. Raven’s heart pounded. He lowered his head and ran his tongue along her inner thigh. She gasped.

No one had gone down on her since Earth. He held her gaze as he moved closer to her core.

Her mind wandered to Arenk and Laro. What would their reactions be? After all, they had left her here. As General Dhol’s warm lips met her clit, a gasp slipped past her lips.

She nudged his head away, and he let out a sigh.

“Are you really going to send a man out into the world without a meal?”

A flush of heat spread across her face.

“Seems like you could afford to skip a meal or two.”