Wings of Darkness

She let out a quiet moan in her mind, so subtle, so soft. One only he could hear.

Fuck.

Malachi's eyes darkened instantly, & for a moment, the room seemed to stop around them. His body stiffened, his jaw tightening. His pupils flared, the cold mask of indifference slipping just for a heartbeat.

Stop, he commanded in her mind, but his voice was strained.

She didn't back down. Instead, she let the thought linger, savoring the sensation as it twisted in the air between them.

Are you sure? she sent back.

Her lips curled into a smug smile as he stood. She knew exactly what she was doing to him.

Damn it, Nyxara.

His hands gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. The pulse in his neck throbbed with tension.

He stood abruptly, the movement drawing the attention of a few nearby students, but Nyxara didn't care.

Without a word, Malachi turned & disappeared silently out of the hall.

His mind was closed off now, & Nyxara could feel the wall he put up between them.

Nyxara sat still for a moment, letting the satisfaction of her small victory settle over her. But her curiosity drove her to stand up & follow him.

She moved quickly through the halls, weaving through students lingering from the meal.

As she rounded the corner near the hallway to the dorms, she saw him.

She reached out to touch him, but Malachi yanked her against him, his hand threading into her hair, pulling her face toward his with a desperate urgency.

His lips crashed onto hers, hungry & fierce. The kiss was nothing like the gentle teasing from before.

It was raw, messy, untamed. He kissed her with an intensity that made her head spin, his lips moving against hers in a rush, as though he couldn't get enough.

Their lips were messy, clashing together in a frenzy. There was no grace, no elegance. She couldn't tell who was kissing who anymore, the boundary between them blurring as they gave into the overwhelming desire building between them.