Chapter 13: Ravenous

I sat at the small round table in the middle of my kitchen. Sitting across me was the angel of death. Long was gone the leather armor, the simple crown, and the dark cape that flowed gracefully behind his figure. He was no longer the Prince, he was Rey.

Just Rey.

I brought the spoon up to my mouth, his set of silver orbs followed my every movement until his gaze was glued to my lips. There was something hidden so deep in those unusual eyes, something old and ancient, something that burnt as brightly as the golden sun amid the darkest of hours. I parted my lips and I could see him suck in a sharp breath. I felt a small smile creep onto my face.

"Are you sure you don't want a taste?" I cocked my head to the side.

"I do. I'm just not supposed to." He simply stated, the hunger in his eyes seemed to swallow me whole. I would be lying if I said I did not like the way he was watching me. I would feel it from miles away, that burning hunger in those silver eyes, that painful need in that husky voice, I could feel it all.

"You have to at least give it a try, you're the one who suggested I have cereal in the first place."

Getting up to my feet, I walked towards him, carefully holding the spoon. He tensed, his hungry eyes Watching every move I made. I could hear my heart pounding mercilessly in my head. I was standing right before the angel of death, I glanced down at him, I did not know what I was doing anymore, but that fiery sensation growing inside me kept me going.

I could feel a slight tremble shaking my whole body, whether it was pure fear or burning anticipation was beyond me. Rey glanced at the spoon, and back at me again. He slowly shook his head and I could not help the small laugh that escaped my lips. He was the grim reaper, an immortal soul, a prince of a different realm, and he was, for some reason, horrified by a spoonful of milk and cereal.

"Don't even think about it." He shifted in his chair, and his warning tone was as clear as day. I could feel the corner of my lips slightly rise, for once a smirk found its way to my face. Rey's eyes narrowed dangerously and I knew I had to strike before he decides to get up and leave. I swung my leg over his lower body, straddling him easily. I felt each of his muscles tense against the sudden contact. I was out of my mind, and I could hear it in his sharp breaths.

"Try it." I brought the spoon up to his mouth, several white drops spilled over the black, plain shirt he the angel was wearing. I locked eyes with him again and could feel him against me, sending a shiver into every cell of my body. Lust flamed in his piercing gaze and it nearly set me on fire.

He smirked, that little rise in the corner of his lips nearly drove me wild. Leaning in, he brought his face to my ear, "You don't dice with death now, do you?"

He whispered, his hot breath stirring the tiny hairs on my neck. Before I could even process it, his fingers gripped my wrist tightly, sending a wave of immense pain through my veins. I winced, dropping the spoon which hit the hard floor with a loud thud.

I shot him an annoyed glance, irritation and discomfort written all over my face. He just grinned wildly like he always did and I noticed there was no longer any hint of porcelain white fangs. He leaned back in his chair and his hands found their way to my waist, grabbing my hips and keeping me pinned against him.

"Why can't I touch you?" I blurted out and instantly regretted opening my mouth. It was not the time nor place to be having this conversation, not with the starving ache in my heart, not with his eyes gleaming faintly with burning lust, and certainly not with me in the male's lap. My gaze travelled from the couple of black strands framing his face and down to the set of luscious lips.

"Do you want to?" His low, dark voice brought me back to reality. I opened my mouth, but the voice died on my lips. His piercing gaze was locked on me, carefully searching my face.

"I want to know why I can't." I did not know if he could realize how fast my chest seemed to rise and fall.

"Because I don't belong here." Came his simple response. Surely, he was out of this world, he was a grim reaper, an angel of death, but he was there, he was right in front of me.

"Aren't grim reapers all around us humans? You said it yourself, that you're 'skillfully hidden' from our eyes. Of course, you belong to the human world."

"I don't belong to yours." I did not know if It was my imagination or if there was the smallest hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Your soul is repelling me, your mind— it's keeping me out, keeping you alive." His eyes darkened, but his face was now nearly expressionless. His hand was now lazily running up and down my leg and I knew for a fact that if it wasn't for my clothes, I would be in great pain.

"It's just that I could touch you there. I touched your hand." I felt the heat rise to my face with the thought. I remembered how he had seemingly transformed into someone else completely. I remembered the sight of pointy white fangs pressing against his lower lips, how his eyes turned to a shade of the blackest obsidian, and how he failed to recognize me at first.

"Because you were in my world, Avalyn." I don't know when he had moved, but his face was suddenly mere inches away from mine.

"Where no human soul should ever set foot?"

"So I keep getting told." He darted a glance at my lips and I physically tensed.

"Then how can I get to touch you?"

"You need to learn to accept me, to let me in. I have to be part of this, a part of your own world."

His hand stopped moving and I swallowed hard. Biting my lip, I squeezed my eyes shut. Why was I doing that? I had no idea, but what I knew was that I had been lost for way too long, I had been drowning deeper and deeper into darkness, into the nothingness that no matter how much I tried, I could not possibly escape. It was not until the male had appeared in my life that the faint ray of a wavering light seemed to guide me back home.

I pressed my hands against his chest. If I wanted to, I could easily trace each strong muscle with the tip of my finger. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes again.

"I wish I could let you in, but even I feel as if I don't belong here. Ever since the accident, I feel like I've been having the longest dream, one that I can't truly wake up from. I feel...trapped."

"I know."

I lifted a brow. I was quite sure I had never talked about the accident before, not to any one, and certainly not to him, but that look in his eyes—that reassuring, comforting look, it was as if he understood exactly what I was talking about.

"You do?"

"Not the full details, no." He shifted slightly in his seat and I had to bite back a moan. I almost forgot how our bodies were tightly pressed together.

"All I know is that it was never the same. It's been getting more and more confusing, and then you appear seemingly out of nowhere." I added, mostly to myself. I heard him chuckle, I could feel it through his chest.

"I was looking for you, Avalyn. I have been all along. You can not even begin to imagine how long I have been waiting."

I couldn't help but close the distance between us, bringing my face closer to his, until our breaths were one. I thought about kissing him, about enduring all the pain until my craving for him is satisfied. The look in his eyes told me that he was thinking about the same thing, about how he could turn that insufferable pain into pleasure.

"I want to touch you. No, I need to." I did not care anymore.

"There's nothing in the whole world I would want more than that, but I have to go." His grip on my hips was gone, and my body immediately missed the heat of his touch.

"Wait! you still haven't tried cereal." I frowned, I was really looking forward to seeing his reaction.

"I've got a taste of something much more delicious." Was all he said.