CHAPTER 25-Running Away From Loki

***Juno’s POV***

The tension at the war camp had been unusually low ever since my encounter with Loki. It was like the world had gone quiet, or maybe it was just me. I couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore, and the awkwardness between us was palpable. I still stayed in the officers' quarters, but every time he passed by, I would either duck out of sight or avoid him completely. I couldn’t bring myself to face him after everything that had happened.

The mornings were the same routine—training, meals, and then retreating to my room to hide away. Loki had canceled the social nights until further notice, citing the recent attack. He didn’t want anyone caught off guard. And while he promised to address the cause of the attack, he never followed through. The silence was unsettling, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

On my way back from the morning training session, I saw him walking down the corridor, moving toward me. I panicked. Without thinking, I quickly turned down the nearest hallway and pressed myself against the wall, hoping he hadn’t seen me. I held my breath and listened, trying to steady my racing heart. I peeked around the corner and saw him fading into the distance, and I sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank God,” I whispered, clutching my chest as my heart pounded faster than usual. I was starting to feel like I might have a heart attack from all the stress.

I was about to step out from behind the corner when I collided with someone. I stumbled back, but the girl didn’t seem surprised at all. She stood there, eyeing me intently, and her smirk sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine. I didn’t recognize her immediately, but I knew she was one of Hazel’s girls.

“Oh, shit!” I gasped, surprised by the sudden encounter.

She took a step closer, her smirk growing. “Tell me, Juno, how does it feel to have a taste of the one man every woman in this camp is dying for?”

I froze. I wasn’t prepared for that question. Her words felt like a slap to the face. I had expected maybe an inquiry about why I had been hiding or why I seemed so off lately, but not this.

“Excuse me?” I stammered, not sure I had heard her correctly.

“You heard me,” she said, her tone dripping with mockery. “I know what’s been going on between you and the commander. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I just wanted to know—how does it feel to have a taste of all that... goodness?”

I blinked, my mouth going dry. The audacity of her words left me speechless. She was looking at me like she knew everything, like she’d somehow witnessed something she shouldn’t have. My mind flashed back to the night I spent with Loki, to everything that had transpired between us. The thought of it made me feel exposed, vulnerable. But I snapped myself out of it.

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said quickly, trying to back away, but she stepped forward and blocked my path. I tried to move around her, but she just shifted, blocking me again.

“Please, let me go,” I said, my voice more desperate this time. “I don’t know what you're talking about, and I’m not—”

She cut me off. “Oh, don’t play coy. I’m not going to tell Hazel, don’t worry about that. I just want to know how you got him to fall for you. I have my own... interests in the commander, you know. But he doesn’t seem to look my way. So, tell me—what did you do that made him choose you?”

The embarrassment washed over me like a wave. I couldn’t believe she was asking me this. I was flustered, struggling to find words, and she noticed. 

I grabbed her arm, my grip firm and unyielding, and for the first time, she didn’t try to move. She just looked at me, the smugness still in her eyes.

“Listen to me,” I said in a low voice, my anger rising. “I don’t know what you think you know, but I’m warning you. If I hear this from anyone else, you’ll regret it. Understand? And if Hazel sent you to play this game, you better run back to her before she decides to make things more difficult for you. You know how she can be.”

I pushed her away, but she didn’t move, still trying to provoke me with her words.

“You still have to tell me though!” she pressed.

I rolled my eyes, muttering under my breath, “Psycho.”

I quickly walked away, leaving her behind. As soon as I got to my room, I locked the door behind me and slumped against it, exhausted. The weight of the encounter was suffocating. I needed to calm down, to clear my mind.

But just as I leaned against the door, I heard a voice beside me that made my heart leap into my throat.

“Care to tell me why you’ve been running away from me?” Loki’s voice was like a low hum, smooth but charged with an underlying question.

I jumped, my hand instinctively reaching for my sword, but I stopped when I saw him standing there. He was right beside me, his dark eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.

“What the hell? How did you get in here?” I stammered, scrambling to regain my composure.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Juno,” he replied with a teasing grin. “This is my camp. I know every nook and cranny of this place—even the girls' quarters. You thought I didn’t see you hiding behind the walls? You may have tried to hide, but your scent gave you away.”

I swallowed hard, unable to speak for a moment.

Loki took a step closer, and my heart skipped a beat as he gently pulled me toward him. “So, tell me. Why have you been avoiding me for weeks?” His voice was low and steady, but there was a hint of frustration in it.

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t form a coherent sentence. I was flustered, my mind racing to find the right words, but none came.

“I miss you,” Loki said softly, his voice almost a whisper.

Before I could respond, he closed the gap between us and kissed me gently. For a moment, I felt a sense of calm wash over me, but it didn’t last long. I quickly pulled away, my heart hammering in my chest.

“We can’t do this,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “It’s not right. This could cause so much trouble in the camp. We have to stop before—”

Loki interrupted, a determined look in his eyes. “You’re overthinking this, Juno. I’m not scared of the consequences. I can handle everything that’s happening here. So, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

I hesitated, my body torn between the desire to stay close to him and the knowledge that our connection could be dangerous. But before I could say anything else, Loki kissed me again, and this time it was deeper, more urgent. All my erogenous zones were responding to stimulus; he pulled me to the door and lifted my robe; my panties were an obstacle and so he tore them; that action alone drove me crazy; I wanted him even more. “Please don't stop.” I didn't know when I muttered that; my hands were pressed against my door and as he got into me, he started thrusting slowly. 

He was thrusting from behind, and his lips were on my neck. I held on tightly to the door because the pleasure was so intense that I couldn't handle it. In between the intense strokes, he whispered into my ears. 

“Shall I announce to everyone that you are my Luna?”

 His words struck me like lightning; a shock wave washed over me. "What?"  Those were the only words I could mutter in between my soft moan, barely comprehending what he had just said. His voice, steady and confident, echoed in my mind.