Page 29 of Raisa's Cursed Ravens
The clearing hums with tension thick enough to drown in, thick enough to choke on. I smell her, sweat and arousal, as sweet and sharp as ripe plums. The others smell it, too. I see their eyes shining, their lips parting in anticipation.
I guide her to a patch of moss at the center of the clearing, never taking my hand from the soft curve of her hip. The nightgown clings to her body, every inch of her illuminated by the moon. She stands there trembling, but it’s not fear anymore, not really. There’s an eagerness behind her eyes, a curiosity as ancient as the curse running through our blood.
I take off my glasses, folding them slowly, carefully. For a moment, I want to hide behind them—my last defense—but I want her to see me as I am, too. Not the mask, not the scribe, not the polite son. Just Bran, all hunger and need.
Her breath catches as I look at her, and I see the way her knees go soft.
“We’ve waited so long for you,” I say, my voice dropping to a rough whisper. “I thought I’d go mad some nights.”
Shade is the first to step in. He doesn’t touch her, not yet. He just stands tall, his gaze as black and infinite as the new moon. He looks at her the way gods look at sacrifices.
“Undress,” he commands.
The word cracks through the clearing, a sound as physical as a slap.
Raisa flinches, but she obeys. She peels off Onyx’s coat, letting it fall in a dark puddle at her feet. Her fingers fumble at the hem of her gown, dragging it up inch by inch. Her pale thighscatch the light, her belly soft and dimpled, her breasts full and aching to be touched. She pulls it over her head and lets it drop, standing naked before us, arms crossed in a last, desperate attempt at modesty.
Sable’s eyes go wide, his tongue running over his teeth. “Fuck, she’s perfect,” he whispers, not bothering to hide his lust.
Rune circles, studying her as if every inch of her skin is an inscription to be translated. “More perfect than anything else,” he agrees.
Onyx watches with quiet reverence, his hands behind his back as if he doesn’t trust himself to touch her yet. Grim just stares, breathing harder than I’ve ever seen him, hunger scrawled all over his face.
Talon prowls closer, his movement predatory and slow. He’s the one who finally breaks the tension, reaching out to run a calloused thumb down the inside of her forearm.
She shivers at his touch, goosebumps chasing each other up her skin.
Shade gestures with his chin. “Kneel.”
She does, dropping to the moss with a grace that’s half-awkward virgin, half-royal grace. Her hands land on her thighs, and her gaze flicks from me to each of my brothers. I see the moment she gives up trying to hide herself. Her shoulders relax, her lips part, and her eyes go soft and vulnerable.
The urge to devour her is so strong I have to dig my nails into my palms.
Shade comes in behind her, sinking to his knees, his hands on her shoulders. He leans forward, his mouth brushing her ear. “You’re not dreaming,” he says, his voice a promise and a threat.
She nods, just once.
He slides a hand down her throat, his thumb pressing gently at the hollow, then further down to the rise of her breast.He pinches the nipple between his thumb and forefinger, hard enough to make her gasp.
“Good girl,” he murmurs.
My voice, I realize, is gone. I’m not myself now. I’m something older, something meaner. Something desperate.
Grim moves next, pushing Shade’s hand aside with a growl. He grabs Raisa by the chin, turning her face up to his. His lips crush hers, devouring her mouth in a brutal, claiming kiss. She whimpers, but her hands come up, her fingers tangling in his hair. He breaks the kiss, biting down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
She moans, the sound raw and perfect.
He releases her, licking the blood from his teeth.
Onyx takes his place, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in his. His palms dwarf hers, gentle and careful even as his grip leaves no room for escape.
“May I?” he asks, his voice so soft it barely stirs the air.
She nods.
He leans forward, his mouth closing over her nipple, sucking slow and deep. Her back arches, pressing her chest to his mouth. His hands run up and down her arms, anchoring her in place.
Rune and Sable move together, flanking her left and right. Rune’s tattooed fingers trace patterns along her side, slow and hypnotic, while Sable nips at the curve of her neck and shoulder. Sable is all jokes and grins until his mouth is on her, then he’s as serious as the grave.
