Page 9 of Raven Blackwood
“What’s the plan?” another asked.
“Same as always. We’ll hit ‘em where it hurts. The ranch won’t stand a chance.”
I clenched my fists, my nanites humming with suppressed energy. They weren’t just planning another shakedown. They planned an outright attack.
As Ilistened, I memorized their routes, their schedules, and their weak points. By the time I returned to the ranch, I had everything I needed to turn the tide.
Hannah met me at the door, her eyes searching mine for answers. “What did you find?”
“Everything we need,” I said, stepping inside. “Now, we fight back.”
As she stood so close, resting her hand on my chest, all I could think was how much I wanted her again. I slid my arms around her and pulled her against me. She looked up at me expectantly, and I lowered my mouth to hers in a deep, passionate kiss.
Hannah kissed me back with a fervent ardor that matched my own. Without breaking the kiss, I lifted her so she could wrap her legs around my hips and pressed her mons against my erection.
But that wasn’t enough as I navigated through the darkened house, carrying her to the bedroom we now shared. Now that I had her in my arms, I wasn’t rushing to get to the main event. I was savoring holding her and kissing her, with her soft breasts pressed against my chest while I palmed her buttocks.
Our tongues entwined in a slow, sensual dance, stoking our arousal to a fevered pitch. I finally had to let her down so that we could getrid of the hindering clothing between us. I let Hannah take care of her own because I knew I could easily damage her clothing. I also knew she didn’t have that much to spare.
As soon as we were naked, we surged into each other’s arms, and I rolled us onto the bed. As I lay over her, my hips cradled between her thighs, she said, “Do it now. I need you inside me now.”
I could tell by the scent of her desire that she was wet and ready, so I didn’t hesitate to oblige her. As I pushed into her, she gasped and moaned her pleasure, clutching at my back and tilting her hips up to accommodate me. I pumped in and out of her slowly at first, savoring the friction of her wet heat, staring into her eyes.
“Omigod, Raven! You feel so good.”
I sure did, and I was glad that she was feeling it, too. We took it slowly with hard, deep thrusts until she came for the first time. It was all I could do to hold back my release as I nursed her through it. I started thrusting in and out of her, kissing and caressing her. I basked in her caresses on my back and through my hair for a brief time as I thrust in and out of her.
Faster and faster, I pounded her as she raised her hips to meet mine. I could tell by the way shereacted that she loved it as much as I did. In, out, in, out, it seemed an endless rhythm that got us closer and closer to that nirvana born of ecstasy until she climaxed and took me with her.
In the aftermath, I knew I would do anything to protect and make this woman in my arms happy. She was my everything.
Chapter Six
Koha’vek
The forest was quiet, save for the rustling of wind through the trees and the distant call of a raven. I moved silently, my footsteps light against the damp earth as I followed the well-worn wildlife trails. Hunting had become a means of survival since I claimed the abandoned house in the mountains.
I never intended to stay here at first. When I fled the Mesaarkan base, I had only one goal: to be free. Free from war, free from duty, free from a life I never chose. But freedom was an empty thing when you had nowhere to go and no one to share it with. I had spent months wandering, watching the seasons shift and the land change, yet I was no closer to an answer. Did I even want to go back? Would my people take me back if they knew I deserted?
I shook off the thought, adjusting the grip on my bow. My quarry was close—a mule deer, its tracks fresh in the mud. I followed them deeper into the forest, letting instinct guide me. Then, a shift in the wind brought a new scent—blood and something else.Something human.
I stilled, scanning the terrain ahead. Just beyond a cluster of boulders, a steep ravine cut through the forest. My gaze followed the jagged slope downward, and there, lying in the brush at the bottom, was a woman.
She was unconscious, unmoving, but not lifeless. The rise and fall of her chest told me she was breathing. Her long, dark hair was tangled with twigs and dirt, and her clothes were torn in places. Even from this distance, I could see the bruises forming along her arms. She had lost a boot, and the ankle was badly swollen.
I descended carefully, the loose earth shifting beneath my boots. When I reached her side, I crouched and studied her face. She was young, perhaps in her mid-twenties, her elegant features strong. A small gash on her temple explained why she had not yet stirred.
“Human,” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.
I hesitated. She would be trouble. I had spent months avoiding others, ensuring that no one knew I existed. Helping her would change that. It would tie me to her, even if only for a short time. I could imagine her shrinking away in fear when she saw my face.Humans have always called us monsters.
Yet, despite the caution screaming in my mind, I could not leave her here. The night would bring predators, and in her state, she would not survive them. I sighed, resigning myself to the decision I had already made.
Carefully, I slid my arms beneath her, lifting her as gently as I could. She made a soft sound of pain but did not wake. Her body was warm against mine, fragile compared to the strength I possessed. I had spent my life among warriors, trained to endure and to inflict pain. But here, at this moment, all I had to do was protect.
With steady steps, I carried her away from the ravine, back toward the home I had made for myself. For the first time in months, I was not alone. And for the first time in years, I did not know what came next.
I carried her back to my house in about ten minutes. Inside, I took her to the sitting room and laid her on a long piece of padded furniture. I went to the room where I’d made my nest and got a blanket. Grabbing my scanner while I was there, I went back to cover her and scanned her to determine how seriously she was injured. It was the same scanner we used on the human captives at the base.
