Page 33 of Forcing Fate

“Pick it up.” He emphasized each word as if they were each a threat on their own.

He reached toward my face, giving me the opportunity to move. I shied away from his hand, stepping to the side and giving myself space. I snatched the tunic off the ground, losing that battle. Over my shoulder, I glimpsed the company of men. They stood at attention, every pair of eyes scrutinizing our display, Captain included.

When I looked back at General Rafe, all the blood drained from my face. He was undoing the buttons on his tunic. I swallowed, watching him push each button through its hole at an excruciatingly slow pace. Mentally slapping myself, I snapped my gaze up to his eye.

He wanted to win this mental battle, but I wouldn’t back down. Propriety be cursed.

“Sir?” The Captain’s voice cracked as he spoke.

Tension was thick in the air. This was immensely inappropriate. I was within my right to call on any of the men to defend me. But this was my battle to win.

General Rafe ignored the man’s inquiry. Deftly, his fingers loosened the buttons one by one. His challenging glare never left mine. I clenched my jaw and put every bit of my rage into my gaze.

He smirked.

My face burned as my vision tinted red. Anyone watching would have confused the blush for embarrassment. They’d be wrong. I was flushed with ire. I was so angry at him for making this a public humiliation, for risking my reputation as a woman in front of so many men.

Yet, I was not just a girl. I was not just some female that abided by the social rules and guidelines. I was to be a Dragon Rider, forged of fire and steel. I might as well start acting like it.

Guessing that he had loosened the last button, because I dared not take my eyes from his, he shrugged out of his tunic with a leisurely roll of his massive shoulders. My mouth dried as some unknown feeling curled low in my belly. My breaths came fast with the concentration it took to maintain eye contact and not look away as I caught sight of tanned skin.

He dropped the tunic to the ground, sneering at me.

“Give it to me,” he said, reaching for the one I clasped tight.

Blindly, I shoved it at him, refusing to leave his glare.

“Sir, I really must protest—” the Captain started.

Of course, he could protest now. There was a half-naked barbarian towering over an unclaimed woman. If I were of any social standing, his actions would have plunged so far from social graces that I would never regain them.

“You’ll protest nothing,” General Rafe snarled, not offering him so much as a glance.

My teeth ached from clenching them so hard. And finally, thankfully, he pulled on his black tunic. He tugged on the hem, settling it over his broad shoulders, leaving the front hanging open. I knew why he didn’t bother with the buttons, though I dared not say a word.

“Do you approve of your handiwork?”

I swallowed audibly, and a shiver went down my spine. “I simply mended the seam,” I choked.

“You and I both know you did far more than that.”

My fingers gripped handfuls of my dress, attempting to hide my trembling. I had done more than that. I fixed the side seam, but also took them in. His tunic was now a size too small, unable to be buttoned over his broad chest. I also knew that with it being custom-made, having it replaced would not be an easy endeavor.

It might have been a petty act of revenge, though at the time it had made me feel quite accomplished.

“You’ll not be leaving my side today,” he said, smiling. “I believe I can find a great many tasks for you.”

And oh, how that smile was vicious.

I stood so straight I was sure that I would faint. Isn’t that what I wanted—a chance to see the soldiers in action, to learn even just a tiny bit from him? My honor would pay dearly for it. He wouldn’t change back into the tunic that covered him. He might even tell the men to strip during their physical training.

It was so inappropriate, yet I was more than a ‘girl’. Resolve flooded through me and I stood a little straighter, taking on his daring glare. I was First Chosen to be a Dragon Rider. Surely I’d see far more horrifying things than a man’s skin on the battlefield.

“I can’t wait to begin,” I bit out.

General Rafe, I accept your challenge.

Something akin to approval flashed across his face right before he finally broke our stare-down and returned to the company. I dropped my gaze to the ground and took a quick breath, relieved that the battle was over, but also mortified that others had witnessed it.

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