Page 18 of Malcolm

The goddess chuckled.“A goddess knows these things.”

“I don’t have time for love or a relationship, kind of have your mission to deal with.”

“Do not blame me for your fear of claiming the wolf.”

The familiar chill evaporated as quickly as it came.

Eliza wanted to scream at the damn voice in her head. That she wasn’t blaming her for shit, she was just being logical. She wished she could remember what the damn goddess had done to draw his attention. If she could, she’d be able to reason away why he’d saved her calmly.

Instead, she couldn’t help noticing how patient and kind he was to her. But he seemed kind to everyone, even now as he made his way towards her, he was bumped into by a little toddler, and instead of being irritated as some had acted with the child bumping into them. Malcolm bent down and tweaked the toddler's cheek, which caused the little boy to laugh before he ran shakenly back to his mother. Straightening, Malcolm offered a grin of greeting to the mother before continuing on his way towards her.

“We can head to security check now.”

Eliza stood at his words, reaching out to take her ticket from him. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you enough for what you’re doing for me.”

He shook his head, taking her free hand and pulling their luggage along behind him. “You don’t need to. I should be the one thanking you. It’s nice not to be alone, going back home.”

She glanced at him. “Is it that bad?”

He stiffened but didn’t turn around as they got in line. “It’s complicated. When I’m ready, I’ll tell you, but right now.” He glanced over his shoulder at her, his green eyes dark with something unspoken. “I would much rather enjoy our time together than talk about bad things.”

She nodded. “I understand,” she said, not pulling her hand from his. Touching Malcolm, or being touched by him, always brought her a level of comfort that not even having a dead goddess under her skin could provide her.

He blinked at her. “That easy?”

“That easy,” she repeated. “I have a few things I don’t want to discuss, and it’s only right that I respect your desire not to speak about things.”

He tightened the hold of her hand. “I wonder, then, why now I wish to tell you.”

She couldn’t help laughing. “I don’t know, maybe you like to be contrary.”

His expression turned thoughtful before he grinned. “Maybe you’re right.”

Eliza couldn’t help shaking her head in amusement. Malcolm always managed to make her feel normal. At moments like this, she forgot about how different she was. With him she forgot the horrors she’d been put through; she’d even found herself sleeping peacefully at night.

Not that it bothered her; she would take this pleasant comfort over anything else.

“Move forward,” the TSA agent called.

Together, she and Malcolm made their way through security. She could not wait to leave this place; it felt like a dog was nipping at her ankles. The sooner they left North Carolina, the better.

Malcolm

As he watched the clouds drift across the sky, Malcolm found a peace he’d never experienced before. Next to him, Eliza rested her head on his shoulder, her breathing soft and unbothered as she slept. He’d been worried at first that she’d have a hard time sleeping after her experience. Though she never complained, she hadn't been able to sleep a full night during the time she’d spent in his apartment; he’d caught her on occasion sitting on the stool by the window, oddly able to curl up on top of it. Her eyes on the sky, watching it like a cat.

Her actions spoke louder than words, of her terrible torture. Sometimes, he’d gotten up from the couch to check on her to see that she had the lamp light on. He’d initially thought she’d forgotten to turn it off, but one night she’d awoken right whenhe’d been reaching over her to turn the lamp off. She grabbed his wrist and begged him not to.

Malcolm hadn’t the heart to ask her why and just left it on. Then right before he could leave, she’d asked him something he hadn’t expected.

“Can you stay?”’

Surprised, he automatic reaction was to say no. It was already hard enough fighting temptation when they were just in the same room. Just as his lips parted, he caught the darkness in her brown eyes, which turned them deep with anxiety. Even though he shouldn’t have, he’d nodded and joined her in the bed.

Instead of laying behind her, he’d decided to lie in front of her. Hoping that would keep him from doing anything, she’d surprised him again by wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face against his back. At some point her breathing calmed down, and she fell asleep clinging to him. The smell of her, like woodland wildflowers encircled him.

It had killed him to ignore his urges to shift then and there and rub his furred body against hers to provide comfort and submerge her in his scent. A marking that only other werewolves would pick up. Instead, he’d rolled over and pulled her into his arms, and watched her chest rise and fall with every breath as her mass of hair tickled his nose.

Eventually he fell into a troubled sleep. Their bodies curled around each other; he ignored his own hunger for her body and focused on being her comfort.

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