Page 126 of Raw

I woke up in Papa’s cabin with Fennec’s arms around me tightly and my legs curled with his.

Sitka was awake already, and she was watching me while lying next to the mattress as I moved in Fennec’s embrace.

He muttered something under his breath and pulled me against his chest to stop me from escaping, and when I turned my head to look at him, I smiled.

“Morning,” I whispered, kissing his cheek softly and turning to face him.

His hand moved from my waist to my thigh, and he pulled my leg over his hip, pressing his crotch against mine.

“I don’t wanna go,” he murmured.

“You promised. Besides…Sitka looks hungry and we ate all her food last night.”

He groaned. “Stupid dog. Shouldn’t have taken her up here.”

“Jason wanted me to. To protect me,” I told him, caressing the side of his neck.

“I’m your protector. Don’t need anyone else.”

I laughed and moved closer to kiss his lips, but he turned away and pushed himself up on his elbow to lean over me.

“I mean it. There’s no one else that could ever take care of you the way I do. I know you best, and I don’t trust anyone else around you.”

His seriousness and honesty made me swallow hard, and thanks to his words, I was speechless.

“And I don’t trust you around others either.”

This time, his words surprised me. “What do you mean?”

“You’re too vulnerable at times. Many men would take advantage of that, and I don’t think I could handle seeing someone use you like that.”

“Papa said I’m strong,” I whispered, unsure who to believe.

“Of course you’re strong, but not when it comes to certain things.”

“Like what?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he leaned in and kissed me gently after licking his lips.

Could be that people saw me in a different light, but other than Fen, Papa, and Mama, there weren’t really many people in my life.

And there would never be any others.

I had my family, and what they thought of me was what mattered most, even if Fen’s words hurt a little.

I kissed him back but turned my head to the side to break the kiss, but he wouldn’t let me by grabbing my jaw and pinning me down.

“Don’t,” he growled, pushing his tongue into my mouth and brushing against mine, making his taste linger.

Maybe he didn’t mean it that way.

Maybe my vulnerability was what he liked so much about me, and who was I to make him dislike me?

You’re overreacting, I thought, pushing the negative thoughts aside and focusing on him.

His hand moved to my thigh again, pushing aside my legs to position himself between them, but whatever he had planned, he didn’t get to it.

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