Everyone in Jenna's little house gathered around her table, with Jenna sitting at the head; on her left was Hart, and on her right, a grinning Percy.
Beside Percy sat Harriet and then Mabel; opposite them were Henri, Bruno, and finally Rhane.
"I'm sorry dinner started out chaotic, but it all gets better." Jenna nodded with a smile. She gave Mabel a nod as a signal to pass the plates around.
When it got to Hart, he tried to lift his plate, but his hand trembled and it fell back on the table.
"Don't worry, Hart. I'll do it for you." Jenna collected the plate, helping the young man fill it with food before she gave it to him.
Bruno gritted his teeth when this happened. He turned to look at Rhane's hands, that were now covered with a piece, and he held his own plate like nothing was wrong.
"Rhane, right?" Hart began. "I should have known you don't joke around your master. I'm sorry for being too extra earlier," he apologized.
Rhane acknowledged the apology with a nod but didn't say anything else.
"But I must confess, your grip is very strong. I mean, I've met a lot of men but there's just... are you a warrior before now?" Hart asked curiously, holding his spoon to his lips.
Bruno cleared his throat. "Rhane lost his memory; he doesn't remember," the young boy defended, still annoyed by the young master.
Jenna glanced at Rhane at intervals but averted her gaze once they met. She didn't know if she was angry or just feeling guilty.
"I'm so sorry I'd have to inconvenience you tonight, Jenna. A few more days with you and I'll be fine." Hart returned his attention to Jenna.
"And who knows, I might be lucky enough to witness you accept my hairpin during the Festival of Maidens," the young man smiled shyly.
Harriet opened her mouth and closed it. "Well..." she looked at everyone else in the room. "It was a night ago."
"Already?" Hart cursed under his breath and sighed. "I should have arrived earlier."
Jenna smiled, chewing her meal slowly. "That's enough, Hart. Eat your food already. Having a good friend over would never be an inconvenience."
A loud screech caused everyone to pause. It was Rhane's chair scraping the floor when he pushed it back. He dropped his spoon, bowing to Jenna; he quietly left.
"Hmm, that one, he must be a wild one. Jenna, you should be careful with people you help these days," Hart said casually, concentrating on his meal.
Jenna didn't laugh. Her eyes remained on the door and then shifted to the food, untouched.
"His hand must be hurting," Bruno added. "He had a lot of scars earlier."
Jenna dropped her spoon. "His hand?" Worry creased Jenna's forehead and she stood up.
"Relax, Jenna. People like him heal fast. He'll be fine. Don't let it worry you, enjoy dinner," Hart muttered. "I'll go check on him later."
Jenna wanted to listen to Hart and let him take care of Rhane, but—
"Don't worry, Hart. You're a guest. I should take care of my own." She ran out of the room in search of the young man who had been protecting her without reason ever since she found him.
Outside the inn, the sky thundered, making way for heavier drops of rain. Jenna picked up a lantern, walking down the hallway, but it didn't look like Rhane had entered the room.
"He isn't out in the rain, is he?" she asked herself. Though filled with doubt, she stepped out.
The rain was heavy and almost blinding, but Jenna saw the movement of someone in the dark.
"Rhane!" she shouted, waving the lantern to get his attention, but he didn't turn.
"Rhane!" Jenna dropped the lantern, putting one foot out. The rain splatter hit her boots like it had been waiting and she jumped back.
"Rhane!" Jenna held her hand over her head, jumping into the rain. She ran in the direction she saw the figure walking, though her shirt was soaked seconds after she entered the rain, leaving her bosom transparent.
Jenna chased the figure blindly. With no lantern, everywhere was dark and slippery. Jenna ran farther and farther until she was very far from her own house and could barely see.
"Rhane?" At this point, Jenna's mind was questioning what she saw. She didn't know if she had actually seen him or her eyes were playing tricks on her. The rain had been too noisy and heavy.
Giving up, Jenna decided to return back to the house.
"Master?" Rhane tapped Jenna's back.
Out of fear with the suddenness, Jenna missed a step because of the slippery nature of the ground. She tripped, aiming to fall face-first, but Rhane grabbed her waist, twirled her around and broke the fall so he would be on the ground.
"Argh!" Jenna shrieked until she was on the ground with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes, she saw Rhane staring back at her quietly.
The rain increased even more, hitting Jenna like a cane and making her vision blurry.
"I heard you hurt yourself. What are you doing out in the rain?" Jenna had to raise her voice, water dripping down from her face and lips.
Rhane grunted when Jenna moved. He tried to adjust her weight, but Jenna pinned her hands where they were like she was scared of letting go.
"You shouldn't be out in the rain. Let's go back," Jenna continued, pressing her hand on his chest...
Jenna paused. She noticed how Rhane groaned each time she moved her body, especially her hand. Jenna slowly looked down.
One hand was on Rhane's chest, and the other was... Jenna squeezed.
"Mm... master," Rhane growled, closing his eyes for a brief second. When he opened them, it became even darker.
Jenna jumped up from his body. She swiped the hair stuck on her face to the back not that it helped, because the rain beat it back to her face.
"I... I'm sorry, um..." Jenna sucked in a deep breath. When she realized she drank the salty rainwater, she coughed it back out.
Never in her whole life had she heard about sweating under the rain, but Jenna was beginning to sweat.
Rhane finally struggled to get on his feet. He winced when his hand touched the ground.
"I'm sorry," Jenna apologized, reaching for his hand to help him up. When Rhane stood up straight, Jenna's eyes remained down, her mouth agape.
"Rhane... you..." Jenna couldn't look away, even if she tried. There in front of her, Rhane's member bulged behind his trousers.
"Jenna?!" Hart's voice was heard from a distance.
Jenna raised her hand over her head. She couldn't let Hart see Rhane like this. It would only raise suspicions, and it was her fault he was this way. If she hadn't squeezed him—
"Um... Rhane... we—" Jenna's mind became a shambled mess.
"Jenna, where are you?" Hart's voice became closer, and so did his lantern.
Jenna ran from one direction to another. She rubbed her eyes. "We... hide," Jenna spluttered. In a flash of a second, a hand grasped Jenna's waist.
Finally, Hart arrived at the same place Jenna and Rhane were standing a few seconds ago. He moved his lantern in the dark.
"I thought I heard voices," Hart muttered. When the sky rumbled noisily, the young man ran back towards the house, tipping his toes to avoid slipping.
Meanwhile, back at the place, Jenna found her back pinned against one of the trees, with Rhane pinning his own body on hers. Jenna's bosom crushed against Rhane's chest, while his hardness pressed on Jenna's core.
Rhane tried to hide their bodies with the tree. When he noticed Hart had gone, he exhaled.
"He's gone," he announced to his master. Ready to move away, Jenna dragged him back.
"Stay like this... just for a little moment," the shaky tone with which Jenna said it was a disguise to hide the hunger she felt at the moment.