Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Raven

~The door creaked open.~

She attempted to move his hand from under her dress, but it was like trying to move a boulder. He just smirked at her.

“You still have soap on your hands.”

The restroom was suddenly filled with voices.

She quickly washed off the soap. “All done.”

But Dhol didn’t move his hand. Instead, he lifted her up and moved her to a machine that blew hot air. His fingers began to trace small circles on her sensitive spot. The voices and footsteps in the restroom ceased.

“General Dhol. We didn’t expect to see you today.”

“General Hokji?”

Dhol turned to see who had spoken. He smiled as if everything was perfectly normal. His hand under her dress was hidden from view, pressed against the wall.

“Yes, I had some matters to attend to. Are we still meeting tomorrow?” Dhol asked, completely unfazed.

She hurried to dry her hands. Raven’s face flushed, and her heart pounded in her chest. His fingers moved with an easy rhythm.

When she tried to close her thighs around his hand, it only increased the pressure and pushed his hand closer.

She struggled to keep her body still and her face neutral, but it was nearly impossible when he slipped a finger inside her.

All she could do was lower her gaze and hope her ponytail hid most of her face.

“Of course. And who is this, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“My flower. Isn’t she lovely? Say hello, Raven.”

Say hello? She was barely managing to suppress her moans, and he wanted her to speak? Raven tried, but she kept her gaze down and bit her tongue to stay silent.

“Now, don’t be shy. Let’s remember our manners,” he said, quickening his pace.

“Hi,” she managed to squeak out.

“It’s nice to meet you. Will we see you both tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure yet. As you can see, she’s a bit shy around strangers,” Dhol said, chuckling.

“See you then.”

The others resumed their conversation while in the stalls. Dhol buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent. The closeness sent shivers down her spine.

His lips brushed against her sensitive skin, making her clench. The thought of being discovered by the others only heightened the tension.

Dhol adjusted his grip, pressing her body flush against his, and slipped a second finger inside her.

Thank goodness the dryer was still running, or the others would’ve heard the moan that escaped her lips.

“You better finish quickly before they come out. I don’t mind them seeing us, but it seems like you do,” he whispered in her ear.

“You could just stop,” she managed to say between breaths.

“I could, but I prefer to finish what I start. Do you want me to stop?”

~No, but I should tell him to.~

“Tell me, and I will. Or say the word, and I’ll bend you over this sink right now.”

Raven grabbed the back of his neck. “You wouldn’t.”

“Is that a challenge?”

She could feel his smile against her neck. They were all fucking insane. If she wasn’t sure before, she was when she heard the sound of a toilet flushing. Panic gripped her.

“Enough, stop.”

He set her down on the floor just as the stall doors opened. She smoothed down her dress.

“Still here?” General Hokji asked.

His nostrils flared as he and Dhol washed their hands.

Dhol smiled. “She was fascinated by the dryer. It’s hard to say no to her.”

“I know the feeling. Their disappointed faces cut deeper than any knife, and their smiles heal better than any medicine,” General Hokji said, moving to the other dryer.

“Words of a poet or a wolf,” she muttered under her breath.

Once Dhol was done, they returned to the car. He immediately buried his nose in his book. The various stores and restaurants passed by in a blur.

“That’s right, I promised you ice cream,” Dhol said, turning a page.

“I can’t eat it. It’ll upset my stomach.”

“This place makes a variety of desserts if you’re interested,” he said, not looking up.

That did sound good.

“Okay.”

She watched the sea of men moving up and down the street. Maybe she could get some information out of him.

“Do you and General Hokji share command of the army?”

A minute passed, and she sighed. Raven looked over, thinking he was too engrossed in his book to hear her. To her surprise, the book was closed, and he was staring at her.

“Who said I commanded the army?”

“No one. Isn’t general the usual title for that position?”

“It is, as it is for other top positions, but what makes you think that I command the army?”

Was this some kind of mind game, or was he just being defensive? Dhol’s expression was calm, and he never broke eye contact. Why did it feel like there was a wrong answer?

“Just say you don’t want to tell me. No need to be an asshole about it.”

“An asshole? I believe I warned you earlier to watch your language.”

“We can be indecent in a public restroom, but heaven forbid I curse,” she laughed. “Get it together, or at least be consistent.”

He smirked, and a chill ran down her spine.

“People have called me many things, but inconsistent isn’t one of them. I am, however, a man of my word, as you’ll see when we get home. Bad behavior isn’t rewarded, so we’ll try for the dessert shop another day,” he said, returning to his book.

“Are you at least going to answer my question?” she asked.

“No.”

They pulled up to another building, one she recognized—the doctor’s office.

“Wait here, this won’t take long.”

Dhol entered the building, and she waited a few minutes before trying to open her door. The driver rolled down the divider glass.

“You’re to stay inside until Master Dhol returns. No exceptions.”

Before she had a chance to say anything, the window was already rolling back up, and Dhol was making his way back to the car, a bag swinging from his hand. He slid into the seat, placing the bag on the floor between his feet.

He leaned back, taking a deep breath. She found herself unable to look away from the dark smudges on his face and hands.

“Did I sprout an extra head while I was out?” he joked.

“You’ve got something on your face and hands.”

“Ah, thanks.” He pulled out a handkerchief, wiping at his skin. He turned his face from one side to the other. “All gone?”

She nodded, “Why—why were you all covered in that?”

“I’d rather not say,” he replied, a smirk playing on his lips.