Forced Marriage: The Commander's Wife

Forced Marriage: The Commander's Wife: Episode 4

Commander Lucas was visibly irritated because he could not determine who was giving him orders. He felt as though he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He had only one mission—to rescue the civilians inside the abandoned warehouse.

Once again, he heard a woman’s voice.

“Commander Lucas,” a woman called from the other line. “Are you listening to me? You know how dangerous what you did was.”

“It would be more dangerous if the civilians inside weren’t rescued,” he replied.

“Wait for my team to move before you act alone,” the woman said firmly.

RAVEN’S POV

“Is this man even listening? He knows how dangerous what he’s doing is, yet he still goes ahead,” Raven muttered to herself in irritation.

I immediately ordered my team to move ahead of Commander Lucas. Meanwhile, I stayed in a high building not far away, observing every movement of the enemies, the hostages, and Commander Lucas.

My team moved swiftly, taking down several enemies one by one, while Commander Lucas proceeded to rescue the civilians.

I remained focused through the telescope of my sniper rifle, tracking every movement of both the enemies and Lucas.

Commander Lucas failed to notice an enemy sneaking up behind him, so I fired immediately, startling him.

“Commander Lucas, I warned you,” I said over the line.

“Thank you for the save,” he answered.

The mission was successful. The civilians who had been taken hostage were rescued.

I hurried back home so he wouldn’t suspect that it was me who had helped him.

The ride back felt longer than usual.

Raven kept her composure as the car sped through the dimly lit streets, but her grip on the steering wheel was tight. The echo of the gunshot still rang in her ears—not from fear, but from the memory of how close Lucas had been to dying.

By the time she reached the house, the sky was beginning to pale.

She slipped inside quietly, moving with practiced precision. Her sniper rifle was secured in its hidden compartment behind the false panel in her study. Within minutes, Raven Blackwell was no longer the unseen protector on a rooftop, but the composed wife expected to be asleep at dawn.

She changed clothes, washed away the faint scent of gunpowder, and slid into bed.

Seconds later, she heard it.

The front door opened.

Heavy footsteps.

Commander Lucas was home.

Raven slowed her breathing, feigning sleep.

Lucas entered the bedroom, exhaustion written in every movement. His uniform bore dust, sweat, and the silent weight of survival. He paused upon seeing Raven, his sharp eyes lingering longer than usual.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, something felt… off.

He loosened his collar, wincing slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Raven sensed it.

“You’re late,” she murmured softly, pretending to stir awake.

Lucas looked at her, mildly surprised. “Did I wake you?”

She blinked slowly, as if still half-asleep. “You always do.”

A faint smirk touched his lips, but it quickly faded.

“I almost died tonight,” he said quietly.

Raven’s heart skipped—but her face remained calm. “That’s part of your job, isn’t it?”

Lucas exhaled. “Someone saved me.”

Raven turned slightly, resting her head on her hand. “One of your men?”

He shook his head. “No. A sniper.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You sound disappointed.”

“I don’t like not knowing who’s covering my back.”

Raven’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second.

“If they saved you,” she said evenly, “then they’re not your enemy.”

Lucas studied her face, as though searching for something hidden beneath her words.

“You talk like you understand combat.”

Raven gave a small, dismissive shrug. “I understand survival.”

Silence filled the room.

Lucas leaned back, eyes still fixed on her.

“You’re strange, Raven.”

She offered a faint smile. “And yet, you married me.”

His jaw tightened. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Her smile didn’t waver. “Neither did I.”

The tension between them thickened—but beneath it, something unfamiliar flickered.

Respect.

Curiosity.

A connection neither was ready to name.

Lucas finally lay down, fatigue winning over suspicion.

Within minutes, his breathing steadied.

Raven remained awake.

Watching.

Thinking.

Protecting.

Because no matter how much he resisted her…

Commander Lucas still had no idea that his most dangerous ally was sleeping right beside him.

Raven stared at the ceiling long after Lucas had fallen asleep. The room was quiet, yet her thoughts were anything but.

She turned slightly, her eyes drifting to him.

Even in sleep, Commander Lucas carried tension in his features—his brow faintly furrowed, his breathing steady but heavy with exhaustion. The man was stubborn, reckless, impossible…

…and undeniably brave.

Raven’s gaze lingered longer than it should have.

“You infuriating man,” she whispered under her breath.

Lucas shifted.

Raven froze.

For a split second, she thought he had woken, but his eyes remained closed. Still, he moved closer unconsciously, his arm brushing lightly against hers.

The contact sent an unexpected jolt through her chest.

Raven stiffened. Not from discomfort. From awareness.

She slowly tried to pull away, but Lucas’s hand instinctively settled around her wrist—loose, yet firm enough to stop her.

Her breath hitched.

He didn’t wake up.

But he didn’t let go either.

Raven looked at his hand, then at his face.

A strange warmth crept into her chest, soft and unfamiliar.

Careful… dangerous territory.

She gently tested his grip.

Lucas responded by pulling her slightly closer, his body seeking warmth even in sleep.

Now there was barely any space between them.

Raven could feel the heat of his skin.

The steady rhythm of his breathing.

The faint scent of sweat, metal, and something distinctly Lucas.

Her pulse betrayed her.

Fast.

Unsteady.

“This is ridiculous,” she murmured, though she made no real effort to move away.

Lucas’s face was inches from hers now.

Too close.

Close enough for her to notice the small scar near his jaw.

Close enough to feel his breath against her lips. Raven swallowed.

For a woman trained to remain calm under gunfire, this proximity felt absurdly unsettling.

Lucas stirred again.

This time, his eyes fluttered open.

Sleep-heavy.

Unfocused.

But very much awake. For a brief second, neither of them moved.

Neither breathed. Lucas’s gaze slowly sharpened as he realized how close they were.

How his hand still held her wrist.

How Raven had not pulled away.

Their eyes locked.

Something shifted.

Not hostility.

Not irritation.

Something quieter.

More dangerous.

Lucas’s voice came out low, rough with sleep.

“…Why are you still awake?”

Raven’s heart pounded, but her expression stayed composed.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“I was asleep.”

“And now you’re not.”

His grip on her wrist didn’t loosen. If anything, it tightened slightly.

Not aggressive. Possessive.

Lucas’s eyes flickered briefly to her lips before returning to her gaze.

Raven noticed. Of course she did.

“You’re staring, Commander.”

A faint smirk tugged at his mouth. “You’re very observant.”

“I have to be.”

Silence stretched between them, thick and charged. Neither moved away. Neither closed the distance.

Lucas’s thumb slowly brushed against her wrist.

A small, absent gesture.

Yet it sent heat rushing through Raven’s veins.

Her breath faltered.

Lucas noticed that too.

His voice dropped further.

“…Does this bother you?”

Raven held his gaze.

Steady.

Unflinching.

But her voice softened.

“If it did, you’d already be on the floor.”

Lucas chuckled quietly.

A deep, tired sound.

“You’re not like other women.”

Raven’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Is that a complaint?”

“…I’m still deciding.”

Their faces remained dangerously close.

Close enough that one movement—just one—would change everything.

Lucas’s gaze darkened.

Raven’s pulse thundered.

For a moment, the world seemed to narrow to the space between them.

Then—Lucas slowly released her wrist. But instead of pulling away…

His fingers slid gently into hers.

Raven’s breath caught. He watched her carefully.

Waiting.

Testing.

She didn’t pull back.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t move.

And in that silence…

Everything was said.

Lucas’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“…You’re full of surprises, Raven.”

Her lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile.

“You’ve only seen the beginning.”

Their fingers remained intertwined.

Neither willing to let go.

Neither ready to admit why.

Outside, dawn continued to rise.

But inside the room…

Something far more dangerous had begun.