The Haunted Memories (Forgotten Series, #4)

Memory X

I curled up under the covers, nothing showing of me as I rubbed at my rolling stomach. It had been troubling me for a long time. Months it seemed. The doctor didn't seem concerned about it. He said that the damage my organs sustained would cause some issues and that if I were to be sick sometimes, it would be okay, expected even. I just needed to make sure I ate smaller, healthy meals of things that wouldn't trouble my stomach. But this morning even the thought of crackers had my stomach rolling, if felt so much worse in the morning despite the nausea lasting all day.

"Magdalene, get out of bed." Malak's voice was sharp and I shook under the heavy blankets. I didn't wish to deal with him. I just wanted him to go so I could be around Arlo. He seemed to make the nausea lessen slightly. He truly was a sweet male. I repeated it again and again but he was. I wished and prayed with all my heart that he would find a female that was just a strong as him, someone he could speak to, who could stand with him in his struggles. I wanted him to have a female of merit, one who had a good soul. Even though I wished sometimes that Arlo was my mate, I knew it could never be, so I wished for him to have someone perfect for him. Someone who would make him think, smile, and laugh even when he wanted to be mad.

The blankets were torn off of me and I curled up tighter as the cold room air rolled over my naked flesh. "I said out, Magdalene." Malak's voice held a warning and I slowly lifted my head to look at him.

"I want to stay in bed." My voice croaked slightly and he raised an eyebrow at me, his dark eyes coldly amused.

"Why is that, Maggie?" He leaned against the bed, his hands spread out on the blankets he tore off of me.

"Because you don't hurt me here." I didn't care if he knew it anymore. I just wanted to stay there. I just wanted to sink into the mattress until I felt better.

"Because I don't hurt you here?" He gave a low laugh as he crawled onto the bed with me. I watched him with wary eyes as he moved to hover over me. "I don't hurt you here..." He brushed some hair from my face before nuzzling me, scratching my skin with his stubble. He quickly wrapped his arms around me and tucked me close to his chest, encasing me in his arms.

"I would never hurt you here, Maggie. Some days all I want to do I lay in bed with you, learning every inch of your skin and never letting you go." His words would have been sweet if not for the stench of possessiveness that coated them thickly. It wasn't love he felt for me, it was possesion. I was a thing, an object he owned. "You are turning me into a very selfish man, Maggie." I doubted that. I knew he was more than likely just as selfish before me. He just wasn't aware of how selfish he had been.

He smoothed my hair down, tucking it behind my ears. "I like your hair. Its soft." He buried his face into it. "Silky. It reminds me of water rolling over my skin. I wanted you to keep it back so no one else could see it like this. When it's down all I want to do is bury my hands in it and kiss you breathless." My mind twisted and screamed at the imagery it brought and my body heated up even as my stomach rolled violently.

"But you need to eat, my little one. You are putting on weight but it's not enough." He sat up, pulling me with him as he lifted me off of the bed and set me on the floor. I looked at the bed in longing, I just wanted to crawl back on it and sleep until my stomach didn't hurt anymore. "Come on. Get dressed." Malak pushed me towards the dresser and I slowly pulled the middle drawer open. It was where Malak had all my clothes.

His hot hands grabbed my hips and he pressed himself to my back. "You have no idea how much I love seeing you naked. There isn't an inch of you I don't want to touch and when I see you like this all I want to do is bend you over and slide deep into you." I could feel his arousal pressed against my back as his hands slowly rubbed my hips. He moved my hair over one shoulder and pressed kisses up and down my neck. "We could go back to bed, Maggie..." His voice held a breathless sort of expectation but with the suddenly raging chaos of my mind and how it twisted my stomach. I fought back a gag.