Forbidden Feast

Ch. 3: Can I touch you?

A growl scratched Mathew's nerves into ribbons and Mathew dropped, holding onto the shelf, his limbs shivering. Mathew's memories ripped him out of the closet. It was night all around him. He could feel the rain soaking through his clothes. His heart slammed against his chest. It was getting hard to breathe, feeling like he could drown if the rain continued to pour this hard.

"Mathew," a voice called from the darkness. Mathew didn't know who it was. Just another stranger. Another monster was trying to hurt him. A tear slipped down Mathew's cheek. He was so tired of being in pain. Tired of getting pricked and prodded. He could still smell the blood and bile immediately shot up his throat, hitting the ceiling of his mouth.

"Mathew? Are you in there? The voice asked and Mathew rushed, stumbling and colliding with a wall. Throwing his arms over his head, Mathew shut his eyes tight, trembling hard enough to split his bones apart.

"I'm coming in," they warned and slammed into the door once and it rolled like thunder into the room and sucked the air out of Mathew's lungs. Another boom and the lock to the closet split asunder and Mathew forced his eyes open, getting blinded by the light outside.

Standing there, in all his glory, Jace was breathing hard, searching the room for others and behind him. The world crashed around Mathew, forcing him to rebuild it.

Jace let out a relieved breath. He stepped from the door into the closet and Mathew couldn't help it. He flinched and Jace stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he raised his hands, showing nothing was in his sleeves. He wasn't hiding anything. "I'm going to walk inside," Jace warned, but waited for a beat before stepping closer.

"Are you hurt?" Jace asked, kneeling in front of him, his eyes searching for the answers before Mathew could.

"No," Mathew managed, through his pencil thin windpipe. Rationally, Mathew knew he wasn't in danger. He knew that the vampires that kidnapped him weren't here. No one was here to hurt him. It was just a stupid prank by a stupid guy... but his anxiety wasn't as rational. The hair on his neck was still standing, feeling like there was someone behind him, staring daggers through him.

"I'm fine," Mathew got out, dropping his head between his shoulders as the adrenaline came down and left his body weak.

"Can I touch you?" Jace asked.

Mathew snapped his head up. Jace's palms were still open. No weapons to be found. He offered his helping hand out and Mathew sighed, taking it. Easily, Jace hoisted Mathew to his feet, but Mathew's legs buckled and Jace reached down to catch him, tangling his arm around Mathew's waist. Mathew bumped into Jace's chest, surrounded by his arms and the breeze of his breath. This man had to have a heater where his heart should be sitting.

"Come on, let's get you back to the dorm," Jace said and didn't ask this time, stringing Mathew's arms over his shoulder, draping Mathew over his back before hiking his legs up. Mathew yelped, hanging on so he wouldn't topple over.

"Whoa, you don't—" Mathew tried to object, but Jace was already walking back into the library. A minor commotion had stirred, and panic shot through Mathew. He dropped his head into his hands, trying to hide inside the crook of Jace's neck.

"Put me down," Mathew begged.

Jace just adjusted Mathew's position better. "I'll be fast."

Mathew groaned, hearing the whispering and the chatter. Standing out the most, one girl said, "Isn't that Jace Wright? I didn't know he had friends."

"Are they friends?" Someone rebutted and Mathew's hot blush prickled his skin. Jace did just as he promised and carried Mathew back to his dorm. He dropped him off on the bed and Mathew huffed. "You didn't—"