CHAPTER 115: ALWAYS THE LISTENER

Jenna woke up a new person. It didn’t matter that she still throbbed where her inner thighs met. If for anything she was grateful for the feeling. It was proof that she hadn’t been dreaming and that Rhane had really showed up inside her room.

"He was really here," Jenna murmured, laying on her back. She stared at the ceiling with a smile that curled her lips.

It was unbelievable! Rhane snuck in, walked past whatever guards the council had put up just to see her and....

Jenna squeezed her legs together and exhaled. The feeling reminded her of what she heard other young women speak about during soirees. How they sneak around with their lovers, experience wild unspeakable things Jenna could only imagine but never have. Always the listener never the one with the tale but not anymore.

Rhane had given it to her! Whatever she thought she missed as a growing girl. He gave it to her and even better. It wasn’t to abduct her that he’d come for after all, but something more wild.

Jenna grabbed his shirt that was on the bed, flung it over her face and grinned.

"Oh..." she exclaimed softly, pressing her palm over her reddened face. She had been feeling roused with the simple gesture Rhane did, making sure she had her own night clothes packed along with his. Yet he didn’t think to stop there, he came along to be sure she didn’t try to do anything reckless.

"That insufferable tease," Jenna groaned, curling her body in a roll. "Where did he think I learned recklessness from...he...ah-" Jenna squealed, her face flaring crimson when her mind relived her moment with Rhane the previous night.

The skills of his fingers, the anger in his eyes that made Jenna uncontrollably wetter with each thrust. The baritone growl of instructions filled with concern. Even with his roughness of choking her, Jenna found herself submitting to the feeling that now had her squealing and rolling on the bed first thing in the morning.

"Jenna, are you awake?"

"Why would he- ah..." Jenna didn’t hear the knock on her door, not even after the second time.

Lady Rachel untied the bunch of keys around her waist, using one to unlock Jenna’s room then she entered. Seeing the young woman roll on the bed as if possessed by something demonic, the woman dropped her cane and grabbed her dress.

"Jenna!" Rushing towards the bed and grabbing a jug of water on her way. "It’s all a bad dream, wake up!"

Before Jenna could raise her face and scream, she was graced with the cold water that baptized her head down to chest.

"What-"

The woman stretched her hand forward, grabbed Jenna making her sit. Then she shook her back and forth. "Are you awake now? Don’t worry it’s all a bad dream....all a bad dream, child."

Jenna allowed herself to be moved back and forth, with her eyes closed. The woman already believed she was having a nightmare and if she tried to explain that it wasn’t one, instead she was having the best morning of her life. It’d lead to explaining what had happened the previous night.

And Jenna didn’t want to be the one to traumatize the innocent poor woman so she found herself playing along.

"It must have been what the noise, the young girl heard last night," Lady Rachel muttered, no longer shaking Jenna but still holding her shoulder.

Jenna widened her eyes, her heart skipping a beat in the process. Noise? She tried not to give anything away with her expression. Instead she asked with her calmest shaky voice.

"N-noise?"

Lady Rachel nodded, "Mm, she said it was a cry for help or something...she heard a voice pleading another..."

I’d be damned! Jenna gulped softly. Her gaze unsteady with panic. If she and Rhane get caught, it’d give Gerald room to start another argument. Maybe she should have asked Rhane to abduct her instead.

"It happens," Lady Rachel hummed, wiping the drip of water from Jenna’s face. "Some of the girls have severe fevers on their first night here...you’ll be fine with time."

Jenna nodded along, she was happy the woman didn’t bother to ask about anything but concluded with what she thought had happened.

Lady Rachel sighed tiredly, leaning forward to look at Jenna’s face. "What life have you been living before now, to be so terrified?"

"I..." Jenna chuckled nervously, feeling the drops of water slip down to her stomach. She shuddered at the impact. Pushing her feet down on the bed, raising her face to meet the woman’s worried eyes, Jenna smiled.

"I guess a little bath would help me feel better."

Lady Rachel clapped her hands together, "Dear me!" she exclaimed. "I had come to get you for breakfast, quick! Rush your bath and come join us."

Before Jenna could say another word, the woman had turned and left the room picking her cane along the way.

Jenna noticed how the woman limped on one leg, but it wasn’t obvious except if looked closely. Lady Rachel wasn’t as young as her slim body showed, the little traces of grey hair on her brows and hair proved so.

Standing on her feet, Jenna gathered the clothes on the bed that had witnessed her baptism with her to the bathroom. She was glad the woman didn’t stay long to ask more questions and had taken Jenna’s shock for panic and her squealing for homesickness.

Now she knew she had to be careful especially with getting lost in thought about Rhane while she stayed in the house with Lady Rachel and-

"Some of the girls..." Jenna repeated what she heard the woman say earlier. She’d seen a few girls the previous day, but was yet to know why there were so many women in one house.

With a tired yawn, Jenna decided to let those thoughts settle for when she’ll join them for breakfast. All she needed at the moment was a cold bath that would calm the throbbed core she woke up with.

Done with bathing, Jenna pulled the curtain that covered the wardrobe to the side. From the left row to the end were dresses, pushing the dresses aside Jenna searched deeper like a hamster searching for food.

"Where are the shirts and-" Jenna groaned, nothing in the closet was close to what she would comfortably wear. She wasn’t given enough time to gather her things.

Jenna picked out a dress that didn’t look complicated from the wardrobe, she decided to wear it for breakfast maybe speak with Lady Rachel later.

Fitting into the dress easily, Jenna walked to the mirror to look at herself once more before leaving.

The dress she’d picked was a deep black skirt that spilled to the floor in heavy folds, paired with a corset that had a halterneck of the same color. The blouse, a soft ivory top that sat off the shoulder and the sleeves billowed generously to stop at her wrist creating a lantern-like puff.

Jenna spun around watching the dress flow, "This is good," she muttered with a proud smile. She loved how her breast stayed fitted in the blouse without too much attention. She was dressed in the manner of a tavern maid.

Jenna leaned closer to appreciate her dress but her stomach growled loudly.

"Oh-" Jenna blushed, covering her mouth with her hands. She quickly gathered her hair in a messy bun while leaving the room with her dress trailing behind her.

Walking down the hallway Jenna noticed some young women gathered around and speaking in hushed voices. She glanced at them but didn’t stop walking until she entered the dining hall.

Lady Rachel was already seated and eating, with some other ladies that sat around the table, spoons clattering against plates as they ate.

When Lady Rachel noticed Jenna, she waved for her to sit at the empty chair.

Jenna acknowledged her gesture with a nod, quietly pushed out a chair and sat down in order not to disturb others. She noticed how nobody looked at her or said anything but focused on their meal.

"Nana, the night watchman would not let us catch fireflies last night." A young girl broke the silence, her eyes bulged innocently.

Jenna smiled when she heard the girl speak, it was clear she was still wet behind her ears. Around the age of fifteen or less. And the way she spoke affectionately to Lady Rachel was really cute. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her and judging the night watchman for stopping her.

"The night watchman?" Lady Rachel asked, dabbing the corner of her lips gently with a napkin.

The young girl nodded, "He was scary and really tall...had his face covered even."

Jenna raised her face, she didn’t know why that description sounded familiar but the probability of this ’watchman’ being Rhane was low.

"Lois here had the boldness to confront him," the girl pointed at the young woman that ate with a blank face. "And he threatened punishment!"

Lady Rachel furrowed her brows, "And what did this watchman look like?"

The girl’s lips turned, her gaze falling back to her food. "I was too afraid to look at him,"

"I wasn’t," Lois replied, "He had eyes of a siren...one that had mated with forest. I know his eyes very well...hazel-"

Jenna dropped her plate and it landed on the floor with a loud crash.