My vision blurred as tears burned my eyes. Every muscle in my body ached from the strain of how tense my body had become. My back was flat against the wall as I tightly hugged my legs to my chest, trying to get as far away from Jaxon and the food he had specifically prepared with me in mind as I could. A familiar coldness made its way through my veins as fear immobilized my body.
Though the panicked thrumming in my chest let me know he was concerned at my actions, the memory of the malicious amusement that decorated his face at my pained distress last time he fed me had my mind screaming for Ares. My lips were sewn shut from fear of giving him an opportunity to force one of his dishes into my mouth. Not that my shut lips would do much to stop him if he wanted to inflict the torment he once had before.
Jaxon rose from his chair, turning in a panic as he searched for me. When his concerned eyes locked on me, his body stilled. He remained in place, his hand placed on the back of his chair and his face overcome with shocked disbelief as he stared at me. His expression would have had me snorting my amusement if fear wasn't so constantly prevalent in his presence. Instead of laughing at his shock, I found myself cowering away further as my mental cries for Ares grew louder, afraid of any repercussions swatting him away and soiling his clothes would have brought.
Jaxon's shock only lasted a few moments. He snapped out of it and rose from his seat, lips pressed in a tight line. His eyes focused on me with furrowed brows as he took a step towards me.
My hands tightened on my legs, my breath catching in my throat.
Before Jaxon could take another step, a loud crack of noise and a shock of vibration had me jumping in fright. I clenched the sheet wrapped around me to my chest tighter, clutching the sheets in my hand over my pounding heart as the door slowly rebounded back to hit the wall beside me again where the doorknob had left a decent-sized chip in the plastered brick wall. The damage only held my attention for a moment. It was hard to focus on anything else when Ares's naked and glistened body stood in the doorways, baring all to the world.
I was sure I'd be inappropriately focused on the wrong parts of him if my body wasn't in fight, flight, or freeze mood. Instead of staring at the dangling length that I could still feel the ghost of in a pleasant ache between my legs, I scrambled to my hands and feet, clawing at the floor as I ran for Ares.
Safety.
He didn't waste a moment to shield me behind him with a steadying arm. Just as I could feel his concern and anger in my chest, he could no doubt feel my fear and the relief that joined it at the sight of him.
He turned himself sideways keeping his body mostly pointed towards Jaxon before looking over me thoroughly. While he checked me over for injury, the door next door clicked open.
"What the hell was that?" Ryder slurred in a sleep-filled voice. He opened the door while rubbing his eyes, squinting against the morning light shining through the windows. He was quick to awaken, though, once he caught sight of the scene before him.
His hard eyes, suddenly free of sleep, narrowed on Ares. What looked like jealousy flickered across his face briefly, before he turned his gaze towards Jaxon. Though his eyes didn't look at Ares in a favourable light, at least they didn't hold the animosity he aimed at the blonde giant.
"What the hell's going on?" He asked, editing the question he had asked earlier. He stepped forward and crossed his arms over his bare chest.
"That's what I'm wondering," Ares replied, turning his head to narrow his eyes on Jaxon. The man who had so daringly awoken me now had a sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead, his confidence no longer in sight.
He glanced back over his shoulder to the mostly burnt spread of food. I could somewhat recognize a few dishes, but some were so burnt or such a mess that it was beyond my abilities to identify what they were meant to be. The smells filling the air did nothing to help my rolling stomach either. The sharp sting of spice in the air had my breaths growing faster and shallower as I recalled the agony the last 'food' Jaxon had fed me caused.
