Ravyn

Chapter 8: After

October 4th

My eyelids feel rough and slowly peel apart from each other. My body feels tense and pained. My arm is pinned under my body and tingles from it falling asleep.

Sudden panic and terror hits me as the memory of my arms being pinned beneath me swarm my brain. Images of Cody attack my eyes. Hands roaming my skin. Lips kissing down in between my breasts. Fingers shoving down my jeans and panties. Jason laying limply with a trail of blood coursing out of his lips. Tears bombard my eyes and I choke out a sob. My chest heaves as I cry all of the horror out of my system.

Strong, muscular arms wrap and my waist from behind. Fear freezes my sobs for a moment before they cascade down the planes of my pale face once again. My back is pulled against a strong chest exuding heat. Soft words of comfort caress my ear with hot breath in the form of a deep, husky voice. My muscles quake with trepid nervousness. After what seems like forever, the tears quit dripping out of my eyes and my screams quiet. I find myself sitting in between the muscular legs of a man that I'm not afraid of. A man that I trust.

Ravyn.

My head whips around to stare into grey eyes filled with sympathy, wonder, concern. But, pity never crosses the strong jawline that clenches in anger. Black iredescent hair shines green and blue in the gentle dawn light. His hair falls over his heavy eyelids and tickles his skin. His thick, dark lashes outline giant orbs of strength and musculinity. Muscles ripple beneath warm clothes as his large arms pull my face against his rising and falling chest.

"I was so worried, Madi. I hate being worried. It makes me feel so out of control. I sprinted around town trying to find you all day. Then, last night I heard you scream and I was so scared, Madi. Promise you'll never make me that scared again," Ravyn's deep voice rumbles into the top of my head. I trust you, Ravyn, an ancient thought passes through my mind. My eyebrows draw together in confusion causing worry to marr Ravyn's handsome features. "Madi, what's wrong?" My mind races for an answer. A way to ask the simplest, yet most complicated question of all my life.

"Ravyn, have we met before?" my soft, hoarse voice whispers with curiousity. His grey eyes sparkle in the early morning light. Flecks of silver I haven't noticed before dot his irises. His head drops to look at the ground beside our legs. I tilt my head in confusion. "Ravyn?"

"Yes," he quietly admits. His head turns back toward mine. His eyes darken with apprehension as he seems to stare into my soul begging for forgiveness and understanding. "You probably don't remeber me though. We went to the same elementary school together." He smiles with nostalgia at the memory. "I always had the biggest crush on you with your blond pigtails and flowery skirts even though you were a lot younger than me. Then, I went off to high school while you were still in middle school and we didn't see each other much. But, I sometimes saw you at the store buying groceries with your mom or doing research at the library." His deep voice simultaneously sends comfort radiating through my body and pain from the memories of long ago.

"By the time you became a freshman, I was already a senior. I know it's pretty creepy, but that's what happened. It's not surprising though, really. I mean you've always been so pretty and smart and popular . . ." His voice trails off as a deep red blush rises from his neck to his cheeks. Memories flood my brain; Ravyn in the halls with his hands in his pockets of his jeans leaning against a locker talking to some curvy senior, Katelyn mentioning him and how he was so incredibly hot and tall, and him and I catching each other staring at each other, me turning pink and him smiling devilishly. He was there. We had talked before. I remember him. How could I have forgotten about him? His parents and my parents were friends. He was mentioned so often at our house, it seems impossible that I couldn't remember him until now. God, Madilyn!

All my voice manages to choke out is a weak and pathetic, "Adam?" He chuckles low and sexily. Jesus Christ, Madi! You are just absolutely retarded for forgetting this guy! He nods his head slowly and his straight black hair bounces lightly.

"Yes, Madi. It's Adam."

"So, you're like, what? Nineteen, now?" I question curiously. He grins at me playfully.

"Damn right," he growls in a single hot breath into my ear. Air catches in my throat as I struggle to take deep breaths. "And you're sixteen, correct?" he rumbles. I nod wordlessly. Once again, this guy has got me all stupid and falling over myself.

Suddenly, low moans float over to my acute hearing. My head whips to the side to find Jason very slowly rolling over onto his side, coughing up blood. I stumble forward and race over to him. The man may have run with some bad people, but deep down he was still a good guy. I fall to my knees beside him and stare. My hands hover above his body helplessly as I mumble worried comments. Ravyn laboriously wanders over to kneel beside Jason and I. Jason's breaths are ragged and shallow. Ravyn's longs fingers gently probe Jason's body to check for broken bones and his eyes search for flesh wounds.

"Jason?" I whipser quietly. "Can you hear me?" He groans and coughs again, his body writhing slowly in deep pain.

"Madi?" he croaks quietly. His eyes fall across my concerned eyes to Ravyn's stern face furrowed in concentration. Jason's eyes widen in horror when he regonizes Ravyn.

"Ravyn," he mumbles. "Please, you gotta undertsand. I didn't want to do those things. I begged them to leave you alone. They forced me. Ravyn, please, you have to forgive me," Jason's hoarse voice pleads. Ravyn's jaw twitches with annoyance, but his fingers remain gentle.

"Jason, I have a half of a mind to kill you, but Madi seems to be attached, so I'll let you live. Now, shut up and get some rest. We'll take care of you," Ravyn growls. Jason's piercing blue eyes widen in fear again, but lowly droop closed as he forces himself to sleep. My eyes wander to Ravyn's face with confusion and anger. Images flashes before my eyes of a fierce, blurred figure murdering three men, making them bleed, making them scream.

"Ravyn!" I whisper angrily. "How could you say such a thing? He tried to help me escape! Why are you treating him like this?" I question furiously. Ravyn's fingers freeze as he looks up to stare me in the eye.

"Madi, those four did more horrific things than I'd care to talk about," Ravyn states in a low, angry voice. He rapidly changes subjects. "You're just going to have to pray he's not bleeding internally." I am surprised at his tone, but shake it off when I go to put more wood on the barely burning coals of what's remaining of the fire. Damn, it's getting more and more cold every morning.

As I sit by the fire, my mind wanders over the events of the past few days. I remember the past, I wonder about the future, and I ponder the present situation. What did Jason do to piss off Ravyn so badly? I wonder with utter confusion.

Guess I'll find out soon enough.