Corrupted (EXCERPT)

5

When Raven woke, she felt calm and collected. She didn't remember if she had a nightmare or not, but she didn't care. For the first time ever since she woke from her deep slumber, she felt relaxed and well-rested...

How could it have been possible that she felt so warm... but yet so calm...?

That's when she noticed something cushioned, but warm support the curve of her waist... and her head was cradled in something silky and soft.

She opened her eyes slightly to find herself resting sideways in the arm chair in the mysterious room she fell asleep in.

When did she get here...? She thought she fell asleep in a bed...

She turned her face into the fabric of the armchair...

This was... unusually warm...

So she looked up... to see the color of the seat... or maybe to see if her vision was still tilted or blurry...

But she saw a figure above her... staring down at her...

And in that moment... she knew she was in Malachi's lap...

A bolt of fear rushed through her and she shot off the chair, but Malachi caught her waist.

"Don't get up," his soft voice whispered.

It was a calm whisper... no hint of malice in his tone.

"Don't get up," he pleaded quietly. "You looked so comfy...."

Raven started writhing in his hold, trying to break free, but Malachi wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and pulled her to him, gently caressing her hair to calm her down.

After a couple seconds passed, she realized that she couldn't get out of his hold if she tried... and she let herself relax in his grip to hopefully get him to ease his grasp...

So she could escape...

"You okay?" Malachi wondered..

Raven's cheeks heated, but her heart beat slower from his gentle caresses, and she couldn't stop it from calming...

And for the first time in ages... her blood was calm and warm... not frost and racing through her at light speed...

"Mal," Raven whispered in exhaustion, "what are you doing?"

"Calming you." He didn't hesitate responding. "You stayed asleep all night."

"What are you planning, Mal?" Raven wondered, a little bit of fear in her tone.

"That, my Princess, is a story for another time...."

He moved his arm off her waist to get something from the side table... and she found the strength to push him back against the chair and shoved herself off him, narrowing her eyes as she stood at a distance.

He seemed surprised for a moment, but then tilted his head to the side curiously. "What's wrong? You were comfy, weren't you?"

Yes, she was, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

As if he had a tunnel to her thoughts, the corner of his lips tilted.

"Why did you take me?" she questioned, backing away a couple steps despite him not moving an inch.

She had to back away before the side of her that let him hold her all night came back...

Why were her thoughts scattered into pieces...? One piece wanted to let him cradle her... the other wanted her to scream at him... the third wanted her to run away and never come back... and the last wanted her to play his game, wondering where it would lead...