Heart of Darkness

Angelica was a bit shaken. She had been so frightened and after Lord Rayven left her standing near the front door she fell to her knees. She remained kneeling down until she was calm enough and not shaking then she ran back to the room and locked herself in. As if this would keep her safe.

Lord Rayven couldn't even look at her now. He had been so disgusted that he didn't want to touch her even if it was to throw her out. What would she do now?

She had somehow expected this to happen but why hadn't she prepared herself for how to get out of it? How to solve it? She let her emotions and tiredness control her decisions. Now she had to be careful. There still had to be some way since he hadn't thrown her out yet.

Angelica sat in bed and tried to think of what to do next. Right now, she knew she had to leave Lord Rayven alone to calm down, but tomorrow... she dreaded what would happen tomorrow. That was if Lord Rayven waited until then to throw her out.

Suddenly she heard the clicking sound of footsteps nearing and her heart raced. Her eyes stayed glued to the door with horror and she pulled her legs to her chest.

He was here.

He would throw her out.

As if she already wasn't scared enough, Lord Rayven almost broke the door as he opened it. Then he stood at the entrance looking at her with eyes that made her shiver. He was soaked, his wet hair covering the sides of his face while water dripped from them. He looked frightening, like the monster people described him as.

Angelica noticed how his large frame covered the whole entrance. He could strangle her with one hand, and from the look on his face at that moment, she thought he was going to do that.

He stepped inside and instantly her brain told her to run. She rushed out of bed and went to the window. How ironic. It was through a window she escaped and came here.

Before she could even open it a strong arm went around her waist. How could he be so fast?

He lifted her up and Angelica screamed. "Let go! I will leave!" She promised while trying to get out of his hold as he carried her to bed.

He wasn't going to kill her?

No?

He threw her on the bed and before she could crawl away he grabbed her ankles and placed her between his thighs, holding her in place.

Angelica tried to use her hands instead but he pinned them above her head with one hand. His grip was inhumanely strong and she couldn't free herself.

The water from his hair dripped onto her face as he leaned over her.

Oh, Lord. Had she been wrong about him? What would he do to her?

His dark gaze traveled down to her chest. Oh no! She had been wrong about him. He was going to take advantage of her body.

His free hand slowly reached for her chest.

"Wait!" She called panicking. "You don't have to force me. I'll do it willingly." She lied.

He narrowed his eyes and then looked disgusted. "It is not your body I want." He spat.

Angelica became confused. "What do you want?"

He looked at her chest again. "I want your heart." He said.

Her heart?

This confused her even more. He couldn't mean literally? Could he? What was he going to do? Rip her heart out? And then do what with it?

His hand trembled as he slowly made contact with her chest. For some odd reason, he seemed more scared than she was.

"That is not how you get a woman's heart." She hurried to say.

He looked up at her again and his face was strained.

"You have to treat a woman kindly, respect her, cherish her, and then she might give you her heart."

He frowned but then slowly he clenched his jaw and his eyes blazed with anger. Angelica feared he would do something worse to her now but to her surprise, he released her hands instead.

*****

Rayven felt his blood boil. Was he fooled again? Was that what Luciana meant when she said to bring this woman's heart? Was this some kind of language he didn't understand about hearts?

He looked down at Angelica who tried to slowly crawl out from beneath him as if he wouldn't notice. She placed her hands on his thighs to push herself out but he grabbed her wrists again. She gazed up at him with eyes wide.

What was he supposed to do now?

"Lay still!" He told her when she tried to wriggle her way out.

She stopped fighting him and lay still. So she was obedient now? He would have enjoyed this moment had he not been in this mess.

He looked at where the sound of her heart came from. He knew exactly where her heart was. It would only take him a second to rip it out but his hands kept trembling. He kept imagining Angelica on this bed with an empty chest and an unmoving body and his stomach hurt.

Rayven couldn't let this stop him. The hurt would continue if he stayed alive and now he had another chance to die. It wouldn't be the first time he killed someone. He had killed his own blood before so why couldn't he kill this woman?

He let his claws out and placed them right above her heart. Only a little force and his hand would be inside her chest but his body refused to obey him.

Rayven let his hands and shoulders fall with a sigh. Angelica crawled out quickly and ran away leaving him alone in the room. A smile curved his lips when she didn't run out of the castle and went to hide on the other side instead. She had no idea that he knew exactly where she was but he wasn't going to play hide and seek now even though the thought was tempting.

Right now he just wanted to drown in self-pity. Turning around he let himself fall back into bed. The sheets smelled like her and this time he didn't hold his breath. Since he had already lost why not let himself soak in her scent? Why not let it torture him? He had chosen suffering over killing her anyway.

Tonight he would sleep here. In the same bed where she slept. He closed his eyes and hoped to enjoy the short death.