Ravenwings (Imaged + Completed) [1st in Trilogy]

Part III: Chapter 47

I gazed into his dark, crying eyes in shock.

"Raven...where'd you...how'd you..." I gasped, my brain doing a wonderous, joyful double-take to see him appear at my rescue.

He jumped right into an explanation, something he'd probably been rehearsing in his head for me. "When you didn't answer the radio, I came back, but you weren't there. I've been waiting at the edge of the woods for days, looking for an opportunity.... I'm so sorry it took so long... I've watched you in the windows every day, I've watched every waking second...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

Crying, I nodded, so overwhelmed I couldn't even speak.

There was a pause that hung in the air. We had a thousand things to say, but they didn't have to be shared right then.

So I grabbed that big tear-streaked face and kissed it.

"Ugh. Disgusting, stop that, please," Woodman interrupted. "Bird-wh*re, back inside. Birdsh*t, on your knees."

Raven turned to face him as he pushed me behind him, standing up straight with a fire blazing in his eyes. "Shut the f*ck up, Woodman. You don't get to talk to my girlfriend like that."

The men were taken aback. Jaws dropped, gasps sounded, and eyes widened.

"So you really do talk...and so confidently, at that. What do you have to be confident about, you little sh*t? This can go one of two ways," Woodman said, crossing his arms. "You surrender, or you try to fly away and we shoot you and your wh*re out of the sky."

For the record, I'd rather be dead than go back. I vote we just hope he misses the shot. We might die but I don't care, it's better than...

"Or the third way," Raven countered. "You let her go home, safe and sound...and you take me instead."

I gasped. "Raven, no!" 

He shushed me. "This is between you and me, Woodman." Raven stared him down with a confidence that had even Woodman a little rattled. "I-if you give me your word that you'll never hurt Melody again, then...you can have me," he offered. "You're a man of your word, aren't you? So am I. You can do whatever you want with me. I won't run away anymore."