ɖɛċɛɨʋɛɖ

seventeen

Everyone watches me as I tap my now overly sharp nails on the dining room table, each tap comes with a sharp clack then a small shredding sound as they drag back digging into the table deeper and deeper each time. My anger fills the room keeping everyone silent, when Saxon tries to calm me down, it doesn't work and it seems to shock everyone into an even deeper silence as they realize just how angry I truly am, and every time someone does open their mouth a growl leaves mine and they close it right away with a small audible snap of their teeth as they smash together. Every time I move my eyes to something else, they always seem to move back to Raven on their own accord so I stop trying to look away and just stare at her as my mind goes a thousand miles an hour as I think of what to do and try to prove to my mind that she is still alive.

"Shade?" My hand stops moving mid tap, my mind freezes, my emotions groan to a slow halt and I stare at Raven with wide eyes as her soft voice enters my ears. My eyes never leave her as she gets up and slowly moves around the table to me. I feel my head cock as she slowly lifts her hands in front of her, palms up as if afraid she'll frighten me away or anger me into lashing out. When she gets to me she stops and slowly moves down until she kneels in front of me, her hands turn so her palms face the ceiling, then she shows me her neck in a submissive way and I stare at her in confusion. "I don't know what I have done to anger you, but I am sorry and I will take any punishment you deem worthy." She whispers and I feel everyone freeze with immediate fear at her words.

I feel all of their eyes on me as I stare at her, my anger mixes with confusion, and Saxon watches me ready to stop me if he has to but he won't have to. When my hand moves everyone flinches but I only cup her cheek, making her hold her breath, but as I trail my hand over her beautiful face, and through her blonde hair she slowly peels her eyes open and stares at me as I lean into her and breathe her in as deeply as I can.

"I thought they killed you." I whisper and I hear her breath hitching at my words as I pull her to my chest and hold her just as tightly as I had before. I feel everyones emotions go to shock and confusion, but Raven fills with worry as she wraps her arms around me, more tightly than she had before and she trails her hand through my long hair as she gently shushes me in a reassuring way.

"It's ok Shade. I'm ok, I'm right here and I'm not leaving you, I am never going to leave you." She whispers and I growl as my arms tighten around her. I know I'm leaving bruises and I'm not meaning to, but she doesn't say anything, she doesn't pull away, she doesn't push me away and it's because she knows that I need this to calm down, to breathe, and to stop shaking with the rage that fills me and slowly, it starts to work.

When my arms loosen from around her body she finally pulls away and gently cups my cheeks so that I look into her beautiful green eyes. "What did you see? Why would you think I was dead?" I stare into her bright green eyes and I feel my anger rising again as everything passes through my mind once more.

"Shade you need to calm down so tha-." My growl ends Blazes words short and I glare at him sending my chair across the room as I stand.

"They're going to try and kill Raven yet you want me to calm down!" My voice is so loud and harsh that they all flinch. But then I feel two strong tingle filled arms wrap around my waist making a low growl roll from my chest and past my lips as he pulls me back until the back of my body is resting flat against the front of his and he slowly brushes my hair from the right side of my neck and shoulder, to my left side, then he pushes his face into my neck. I feel him breathe me in just as deeply as I had done to Raven, I feel the satisfied shiver roll down his spine, and when he presses his soft warm lips to my skin just bellow my ear a shiver makes its way down my own spine making him smile as I growl at him.

"You need to calm down my love." His whispered words make a low growl leave my slightly parted lips and I feel his smile against my skin. "You need to tell us exactly what had happened, so that we know how to prevent it from actually coming true." He whispers and I close my eyes as I clench my jaw trying to calm the rage that fills me. "Whatever it is, I'll be right here with you, I will keep not only you, but also your family safe Shade. You just have to trust me, you can't let what they did anger you into a blind rage like this." I feel his hands slowly move under my shirt and move up until they rest on my flat and perfectly toned stomach, the tingles rush into my body more now that his skin is against my own, and I feel a slight calm run through me. "There you go love." He slowly moves his thumb back and forth over my skin and I shiver as it starts to calm me even more. "Now look at your family, look at the way they worry for you, they would do nearly anything to make you happy, to make you feel happy and safe, even if it means letting me steal you away as mine." He smiles against my skin as the boys growl at him, and I take them in slowly, all of their beautiful faces are etched with worry, with love, trust, and respect, even Drake holds the same feelings that they do, and I feel the rage inside of me falling to pain and Saxon sits in the chair behind him, pulling me down with him as he goes until I sit on his lap with his face still in my neck, his lips still on my skin, and his hands still resting on my stomach in my shirt, so I slowly lean into him and let his warmth comfort me.