CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Draven

When we receive the food, the bread looks stale and the mutton questionable. I continue to drink, knowing full well alcohol will kill any kind of disease this poor animal died from.

I watch as Ophelia begins to chew on a slice of bread. Smiling sweetly as strangers pass us by. My head is sort of aching from exhaustion and I cannot wait for us to get into our room for the night. Stella returns to our table, sitting next to Ophelia. The two of them gab away and I am hit with a sudden longing for my clansmen.

I am best on my own, but am in need of my group for social connection. With my walls up-I cannot connect to Ophelia. And I dare not relax them until we are both safe with my men by our sides.

I lean back as the warmth of the fire welcomes sleep.

“Dear? Are you okay?” Ophelia’s kind words wake me up. I had apparently nodded off in my seat. I look at her concerned face and laugh.

“I am sorry my love. It has been a long day of travel.” My words slurred slightly from the exhaustion. I felt like a pup unable to control my need and longing for my family and friends. How truly desperate I am to be accepted by Ophelia. Until we unite, she can still reject the Core Link and that will be it for me. But it was beyond that. My exhaustion is leaving me vulnerable. Incapable of protecting Ophelia-incapable of protecting my Clan. My heart breaks.

“Let me show you two your room. How rude of me to keep talking away with your beautiful wife here.” Stella gets up from the table just as five men in iron clad kick open the huge door. The conversations come to an immediate halt.

My stomach turns. There is no way I will be able to hold them off.

“Welcome! Might I interest you in–” Harrold approaches them, one hand covered by a dirty rag and his other hand holding a mug.

“Search every room-question everyone. This is a seize.”

I watch as drinks get set down on tables. Patrons showing expressions of fear, curiosity, and rage. I can hear the panicked hearts of some, the adrenaline pumping in others, and most importantly, the calm confidence arising from Ophelia. The stark contrast making my head feel dizzy and even more out of it than I first thought.

Ophelia

The air gets sucked out. Yet, I am overcome with a calm. As if my body has been so scared and panicked all my life that I have none left to offer. I make no sudden movements. Instead, I watch as Stella moves towards the men, standing behind the large figure I assume is Harvy.

“And what do you expect to find? Perhaps my customers here can help–”

I watch as a shiny man thrusts towards Stella and her tall frame collapses to the ground. I can’t make out the details but I can tell everyone in the room is not happy about this choice.

She is the maiden of this Inn where they take refuge. I can’t help myself. A giggle escapes my lips.

Draven stands up next to me, his aura feeling of imminent death. The hairs on the back of my neck stand as I notice all the attention is suddenly on us.

“Something funny peasant?” A shiny solider begins to approach us. The fire reflecting off his metal armor.

For the first time in my entire life, I am grateful for all those visits to the Palace. Instinct kicks in and excitement fills me.

I place a hand on Draven, trying to silently communicate to calm down as I gracefully grab a mug and saunter around the table getting closer to the soldier.

“My good Sir, have you no shame? Accosting the Maiden of this homestead? Clearly you make your mother disappointed with such behavior,” I lean into the soldier’s body, resting both of my palms on his shiny metal armor. I tsk with my mouth and continue walking towards the men. I can feel the eyes of the patrons on me. I had never commanded a room such as this–but the targets were more in tune to tricks women of Court play to get what they want.

“And I should take advice on how to behave from a peasant? Presumably a whore based on how you are dressed?” Another soldier asked. What a quick and simpleminded insult; as if being a woman of the night was a job anyone could do.

I sat onto the bar, crossing my legs and straightening up my shoulders. Irritation at their arrogance encouraging me to continue pushing further than I usually did. I ignore the boot that slides off my foot.

“Hey, I am nobody compared to men sent from the Duke himself. All I am saying is, relax,” I shrug, allowing the dress to fall over my shoulders slightly. “I know I will be more than happy to show you to my chambers-perhaps if you had a drink with everyone–the mood of lighthearted and excitement will return?” As if perfectly orchestrated, men walked from behind the bar and started filling the mugs.

“Surely such great men as yourselves deserve a little break? Anyone here object to them searching your rooms?” My voice is flirty. My messages are clear.

Get them drunk. They can’t keep up. Deal with them then. I lock eyes on the one who hit Stella.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Except for you, of course.”

I can hear him laughing at me. Draven is standing now. I can see him clearly in the sea of blur.

“And who do you think you are? Dictating me?” His voice is thick with lust and amusement, clearly he has never met a true pro because my game would easily be picked up on had we been dealing with Palace Guards.

“Just a mere woman who has seen how you behave sober.” I shrug and saunter away as men and women–all indistinguishable between who actually works there and who is just a customer–serving the men drinks. Men surround the one who hit Stella and I can hear the soldiers telling their comrade to go deal with the horses.

I don’t fully slip into Draven’s arms until I am sure they are distracted by much plumper and lustful women.

He puts his arms around my waist and pulls me close to him–his face in my hair.

“How did you–?”

I put a finger to his lips to silence him, still wanting to put up the persona that we are also going to help derail the soldiers. I smile and wink, turning around in his arms when I feel a tug on my arm.

It’s Harrold.

“Quick, come with me.”

We follow Harrold out behind a corner where he pulls a book shelf away, Stella close to him but limping.

“Thank you! The last time they were here they nearly killed my dear husband.” Stella put a hand on my shoulder. My eyes started to water.

“These kind of men are easy. Throw booze at them and fluff their egos, they will be butter in your palms,” I smile sweetly at her.

“Don’t you let anything happen to this one,” Harrold pointed a thick finger at Draven. Who smiled and held me tightly in his arms. I could feel his manhood poking me and it made my whole body warm.

Stella grabbed both of my hands and pointed to the dark tunnel behind the bookshelf. “If you need to escape through here, this tunnel will lead to a friend’s home. But please, you must–”

I could hear the smile in Draven’s voice as he spoke, “truly friends, we have nothing to hide. Please do not waste an escape route on our behalf. Thank us by allowing our steed to rest up in your barn. We will sleep there peacefully.”

The bookshelf snapped back over the tunnel and Draven pulled me to the side door after Herrold.

It lead to the stable which was between the barn and Inn. It was raining outside, making the ground muddy and the air thick.

I ran forward towards Mateo when something solid hit me to the ground. My foot sank into the mud and the sensation made me want to sleep in a thick blanket next to Oxwell and a fire.

It was quick but I don’t fully understand how, but I can clearly see Draven punching my attacker, pounding him over and over again. Rage and fury being unleashed quickly and with murderous intent. I covered my mouth to keep from screaming as Harrold pulled Draven off the soldier–his suite now muddy and scuffed.

“Boys! That is enough!” Stella’s demanding voice made me miss my mother.

“First you attack me then you attack my customers without reason? It is you who have gone mad with power! Are you even here under the orders of the Duke?” Stella continued to scream at him, her voice getting louder and louder.

I couldn’t make sense of it until I felt the eyes. I couldn’t see them but it was clear–Stella ruled this part of the woods. And she has friends whom greatly outnumber the soldiers.

Harrold lets go of Draven and pulls a bottle from his apron pocket. I watch as Draven approaches me and helps me to my feet. We continue towards the barn-Mateo following us closely.

After putting Mateo in an open stall we climb a ladder to the upper level where there is a small bed and a heap of blankets. Clearly we were not the first to sleep in the barn.

I look at Draven and point to the bed where he clumsily sits down handing me the bottle Harrold handed him.

Draven

I watch as Ophelia searches the room for a clean cloth. She settles on her own dress that I found and kicks off the boots. I watch closely as she tears a piece from the neckline of her dress and inspects it closely.

She opens the bottle and begins to dab the rag with it’s contents. Approaching me carefully and gently treating a wound on my mouth.

I grabbed the fingers that were gently caressing my split lip. Her focus left her face into scowl as she dabbed the ointment onto me.

I snatched her fingers making her drop the cloth.

I looked at her hands with a new vision. Despite the softness of her touch, the surface was calloused. My eyes continued up her arms that were covered by the tunic and down her body.

She flinched, trying to get her hand away but instead I tightened my grip on her. Pulling her fingers to my mouth. I gently kissed their callused surface.

“What are you?” I murmured into her hardened skin.

She put more force in withdrawing her hand and glared at me. I shivered under the piercing gaze from her eyes.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

I held my gaze, grabbing her other hand. I could already feel the rough skin under the trace of my thumb as I drew little circles on it’s surface. With her free hand, she bawled her fingers into a fist and stood up. I grabbed her thigh from where I sat and firmly held onto it as if she were the only life preserver I could ever count on. My hands landed on the bare skin under her dress. Her soft skin melted my defenses as I imagined how the rest of her body would feel.

I didn’t stop myself as my eyes dripped down to her bare thighs.

“I mean, how can someone as gentle and naive as you, be battered with so many scars?” It took everything in me to not devour her skin. Her smooth thighs, her plump hips making her small frame curvy and lustful. My lips quivered. I kept my eyes on her and dug my fingers into her skin in an attempt to keep them at bay.

She moved her finger to the bridge of her nose-a habit she must have when wearing my glasses-and without warning, shoved me against the wall with her free leg. Her foot rested there, her foot bare and covered in dirt from running in the woods. She leaned in close to my face, resting her cheek on her knee. I could feel her breath on me.

My need for her intensified. I felt as though I was about to die with desire.

“Who said I was naive?” I could feel her breath against my skin. Heat scorched through my body as she spoke each word as if they were the last things I would ever hear.

My throat caught. I swallowed louder than I meant too. My hand began to rise up her thigh and she swiftly moved her foot from my shoulder to my lap where she proceeded to step down onto my groin. Pain surged through me. Instinctively I let her go as my hands raced to protect my most sensitive part.

With my grasp from her gone, she removed her foot from my lap and went down the ladder.

I was sitting there. Alone. With nothing but my heart pounding in my ears and the ointment bottle gapping as the fluids continue to pour out.