Forbidden Feast

Ch. 13: stay close to me

Mathew pulled back, surprised by his own memories. It hit him so hard, his heart must've bruised. "I'm sorry," Mathew whispered, pressing his hand against Cain's chest.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Cain said, raising his hands and Mathew's stomach twisted at the bandage. "You've had a horrible experience, and I'm trying to flirt. It's lame. I'm sorry."

"No, don't," Mathew told him. "I'm fine. You're fine."

Cain grinned. "What kind of fine?"

Mathew cracked a smile. "Both kinds."

"I'll take a rain check. We've got a date this weekend and it might be more appropriate then."

"Just maybe."

Mathew and Cain parted ways at the exit doors, but while Cain went back to his dorm, Mathew lingered on campus. He'd spent the last two days bothering Noah and taking up space in his room. As far as unwelcome houseguests go, Mathew wasn't so bad, but even that had a limit. He walked along the uneven broken paths of the school, revisiting the lake and walking its length, then wandering back up and passed through the class buildings he never got to see. Only the dining hall had lights on, and students were continuously entering and leaving.

Mathew thought he could walk into town. He wouldn't have to go to sleep if he found someone delicious to drink from and fill his belly. The pathetic-ness sunk into Mathew's skin, like a layer he didn't recognize. This was running away, but it wasn't that Mathew was afraid of Jace. It was embarrassing that he could be feeling something all on his own and he didn't know how to face him like everything was normal. His overflowing feelings would spill onto Jace's feet, ready to be walked over again.

He must look like the smallest, stupidest, most privileged little prince in the world. He was stomping his foot, demanding that Jace must be in love with him. However, Jace didn't have to do anything and Mathew, being in a place of power, he couldn't lord it over Jace, who was technically working for him and his family. And Mathew had already tried blackmailing the guy.

Wow.

Mathew wouldn't like him either.

Mathew touched the handrail and took his first step down one flight of stairs. This hilly campus was mostly stairs, and he'd need to descend to reach his dorm.

In the distance, a wolf cried. The howl tore through the sky and Mathew's stomach sank. It had to be Jace. Glancing back and forth, Mathew looked for any humans and the moment he knew he was alone, Mathew took off faster than a speeding bullet.

He followed the sound but opened his heightened sense of smell. He searched the world for Jace and his natural, cozy and fire crackling scented musk. It was strongest at the dorm, but Mathew could smell a trail of it leading him deeper into the woods. Mathew stumbled to a stop at the sight of wolf tracks, other footprints, but the blood nearly knocked Mathew to the floor. It wasn't a lot, but enough to turn Mathew's stomach. Creeping deeper, Mathew went from tree to tree, hugging the bark to stay as small as possible.

It wasn't long before Mathew noticed some movement and the hooded figures moving over something on the ground. Mathew's usually slow beating heart thrummed, beating down the walls of his body and boxing his ears. He couldn't see Jace. Didn't see any wolves, but Mathew could hear him whimper.

One figure raised their arms and swung something down, stabbing into the ground and let off a shock of electricity and in that quick flash of light, Mathew saw Jace. Not only muzzled netting pinned Jace down and stabbed again with what looked like a cattle prod, tasering him and making him convulse and cringe in unnatural shapes.

Reaching down, Mathew grabbed the heaviest and sharpest rock he could hold in his fist and dashed through the woods. The hooded figures spun around; their faces were still covered in thick netting. Mathew dodged out of one cattle prod and slung his arm like a rubber band and smashed his rock into the back of a hooded figure's head. They cried out, crumbling onto their hands and knees as they gathered their bearings. He went for the net but had to twist out of the way from one prod and another. Mathew huffed and chucked his rock into their face and sent only one whirring back. Mathew steeled himself, grabbed the net. It was shocking, soaked in something, and Mathew hadn't expected so much liquid. Ignoring it for now, Mathew yanked it up and out of the ground as hard as he could.