“There's that smile I love.” Rae leaned down and kissed me tenderly. “I will always be here if you need me, Ravyn.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Now try to look more pathetic than normal.” Rae winked and walked away.
“Dick,” I muttered affectionately.
Chapter Eighteen
After Raeshal left, I started thinking about what Dal had done to me. Yeah, I understood it now, and I was even a little touched that he had been afraid of losing me. But I couldn't tell him that I knew about all that. I had to act as if all I knew was what he'd done. And what he'd done had been brutal.
The stupid fucking tears came back.
I sniffed and leaned forward with my forearms on my knees, hanging my head. How was that for pathetic?
A branch broke, and I twitched. The Hawk Lord wouldn't have made that mistake. I lifted my head and searched the woods. It was him. Dalsharan stood in a shaft of moonlight so I could see him. I realized he'd snapped the branch on purpose so he wouldn't startle me.
“Get the fuck away from me, you sick motherfucker,” I growled.
“Ravyn, please, can I just explain?” Dalsharan asked.
I blinked. This was new.
“You wanna explain why you beat me like I was your fucking enemy?” I sneered. “Sure, asshole, go ahead. Let's fucking hear it.”
Dal winced but stepped forward. “That bastard that came onto you—the Coyote Lord.” He cleared his throat. “He... Ravyn, he took someone from me a long time ago. Someone I loved. That person wanted me to abuse them as I did to you tonight.”
“He wanted to be beaten to a pulp?” I asked doubtfully.
“Yes, he did. He was... he had desires I couldn't fulfill.”
“And now you can?” I stood up. “Good for you, Dal.”
“Ravyn, please... aw fuck!” He shook his head as he shouted. “I'm sorry! I thought you wanted that. You told me that I could hurt you. You seemed to like all the rough treatment. That's what Jax always...” he broke off. “I thought you might need the same things he did. I thought that if I didn't, you wouldn't...”
I stepped up to him. “I am not Jax, whoever he is. Do not ever hit me like that again. I don't like pain.”
Dal's breath was coming fast. His stare coasted over my face. “Okay. I swear I won't.”
“Okay.”
“But I...”
“What?” I asked wearily.
“I've changed because of what happened with him. I have a need to dominate now. I need you to submit to me. Can you still do that?”
“Dominate but not hurt?”
“If I go too far, you'll have to tell me to stop. But I will stop. For you, I will. If you can help me. Will you help me tame this beast inside me, Ravyn?”
I smiled wickedly and drawled, “Yes, Hawk Lord.”
The Hawk Lord grabbed the back of my head, yanked me forward, and kissed me fiercely. Fiercely and tenderly. His lips were crushed to mine but his tongue stroked mine gently. After several breathless minutes of that, he took my hand and led me back to his tent. No one was out in the camp; Dal's fury had sent every soldier scurrying for the safety of their tents. Only his personal guard had stood firm under his fury, and they barely blinked at us when he led me inside.
Dal looked down at my feet. “You didn't even put your boots on, you silly bird.” He pulled me into the bathing room and sat me in a chair. Then that beautiful, fucked up bastard went and got a bucketful of water, set it before me, and washed my fucking feet. I was deeply uncomfortable and deeply touched.
“Fuck, Dal, get up already. This is weird,” I huffed when I couldn't take anymore.
Dalsharan chuckled and stood up, then stretched a hand out to me. “I was trying to apologize.”
“Well, use your words next time, dick,” I huffed.
“Very well. Take those pants off and get in my bed.”
“Yes, Hawk Lord!” I saluted and ran for the bedroom.
Dal laughed and chased me.
Chapter Nineteen
The Coyote Lord left the next morning and took a cloud of pain with him. His gift—a clear stone carved into a cock—was disposed of. Dal went back to being dominating, arrogant, and utterly sexy without all that scary shit. A week went by and the Coyote Lord returned with the rest of the warlords to discuss what to do about Gremara and her fucking corpse flowers. I stood beside Dalsharan as he welcomed the warlords into camp, but when we reached Dal's tent, he motioned them in ahead of us, then pulled me aside.
The Hawk Lord clasped the back of my neck possessively. “You will stay with Raeshal until the meeting is over and I come to collect you.”
“What?” I gaped at him.
He nodded to someone behind me, and Rae stepped forward.
Raeshal inclined his head to Dal. “I'll look after him, Hawk Lord.”
“I'm not a kid to be looked after!” I growled as I pushed away from Dal. “What the fuck?”
Dal reclaimed my neck, pulled me back to him, and leaned down to say, “I can't have you in there with him. Go with Rae. Have fun. Drink with your friends. I'll come for you later.”
“I'm your consort; I have a right to be in that meeting,” I growled.
“You do,” Dal conceded, his hand sliding forward to lift my chin. “But if he says one wrong word to you, I'm afraid I'll hurt him, Ravyn. I will fucking tear him apart. And then I'll be in a world of trouble. So, please, go with Rae.”
I held his stare and my shoulders slumped. “What are they going to think when I don't walk in there with you?”
“I don't give a flying fuck what they think,” Dalsharan growled. “I don't want my consort around that piece of shit. If any of them think less of me for it, so be it.”
Then he yanked me forward and kissed me. It was fast, hard, and had me breathing heavily in two seconds.
“Okay,” I panted when he released me.
“Good bird.” He brushed a finger over my lips, nodded to Rae, then strode into the tent.
“Aw, fuck,” I grumbled.
Raeshal chuckled. “Yep, he's got you good.” He pushed me away from the tent. “Come on, Consort, let's get a strong drink.”
“As if I'm a little princess and I need a fucking escort through my own fucking camp,” I muttered but I followed Raeshal.