Page 26 of The Raven
Arriving home, I checked no one hadfollowedmebefore bolting to the communal entrance, and sprinting up the stairs to my penthouse, not bothering to wait for the elevator.
When I reached my door, I quickly locked it behind me, making sureto double-check the locks. Certain that no one was getting in, Ipausedwhen the sound of whimpers reached me.
Panic flooded me, and I rushed to the kitchen where the noise wascoming from, freezing at the sight before me.
Ravenwas on the floor, her back against the counter, and her arms wrappedaround her knees as her whole body trembled. She slowlyraisedher head, hercheeksstainedwith tears, and her watery eyesfindingmine.
“Help me,”she whispered.“Please, Mason. Help me.”
Memories
The Raven
Unbearable sufferingdominatedmyentirebody, making itimpossible tomove, to even think straight. I didn’t know where I was or how I’d managed to leave the alley after endingBuck’slife. My mind was completely consumed by reminders of the night he and the others raped me.
The hurt they caused.
The way my heart shattered when Eric’s bloodflowedfrom histhroat.
The helplessness I felt.
The desperate pleas for my life to end.
Theimageswouldn’t leave.Buckputting his hands on me had unleashedevery single one, bringing them to thesurface, and I was reliving every second of the trauma they hadcaused.
My body trembled furiously as my strength diminished, and hauntingmemoriesseepedinto my every pore. As if I were on a rollercoaster,droppedfrom a great height, I was suddenly back in my own apartment on that fateful night, desperately trying to suck in air despite the plastic bag preventing me, Grim’s menacing face sneering at me.
My eyes closed as the darkness swallowed me, and I began to allow myself to succumb to the peace the black hole offered, no longer wanting to feel everything coursing through my body like blazing heat. But before I could fullysuccumb, a woodsy scent wrapped around me, pushing the shadows away infinitesimally.
I would have known that scent anywhere.
“Help me,”I croaked,forcingmy eyes to open, and trying my hardest toreachout to the blurred figure.“Mason, please. Help me.”
He was by my side in a heartbeat, hisbrowspulled together in worry.“Raven,shit! What’s happened? Where are youhurt?”
Panic laced his tone as his hands began roaming my body, attempting to find the source of my agony.
“Everywhere,”I whimpered,tearsstreaming down mycheeks, mychestburning savagely as if a knife had been plunged through my heart.
“Okay, it’s okay. I’m going to help you,” Mason replied, tugging at my leather jacket and slipping the sleeves down, the warmth from his palms brushing over my skin.
Desperation coated his voice, just like it had when he pumped mychestandbegged me to return to my body.
With my jacket removed, Mason’s fearful gaze raked over me as he continued looking for injuries, but as he moved his hands from me, the shadows burst forward again.
“No,” I breathed through the fire. “Keep your hands on me.”
Givingme a quizzical look,Masonreturned his hands to my forearms andbegan running them lightly up and down the length of my arms.
I closed my eyes, savouring the feel of his fingertips on my heated skin and the way the dark shadows threatening to pull me under began to lighten. But it wasn’t enough. The pain wasn’t fading. “I need more.”
Masondidn’t need to ask what Imeant. He quickly sat next to me and pulledme into his lap, wrapping his arms around me and holding me against hischest. I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck,wantingas much contact aspossible.
Needingto remove the image of Buck tearing through me.
“Is that better?”Masonasked after a minute of holding me.
“No… I still need more,” I replied, my voice breaking.
