Chapter 3 is introducing the notorious Malachi.
Blaise stared up at the face above her. It was Malachi Sevourners. He was rich, well-known, and almost one-hundred and fifty. Malachi's hair was a dark brown with the bangs dyed blonde. He went out of his way not to talk to people or acknowledge their existence. Blaise always thought he was arrogant and rude by the way he held his head high like he was the king of the Forest. People said he used to date constantly, but that was before Blaise's time. But now, he spent his days mostly inside and alone, but once in a while you'd see him walking in the pouring rain at night. Again, alone. Like an inky shadow lurching in the night, thriving on the dismal air. No one knew what he was exactly.
"I said: what were you thinking!" he yelled again.
Blaise realized she was still flat on her back. She recovered from her fall and glared up at him. "I don't have to answer to you," she said, rising to her feet and brushing off her jeans. She ignored the pain in her shoulder and began walking away.
"Hey!" he called after her, taking four long strides before he caught up to her. Malachi grabbed her elbow roughly and pulled her to a stop, making her face him. "What were you doing?"
"None of your business." Blaise jerked her arm from his grasp.
"It most certainly is, taking I just saved your life." His voice was cold.
"You don't know that," Blaise replied. "I may not have died." She began briskly walking away again. Almost back to town, she thought. Was Malachi following her? Still walking, Blaise risked a look over her shoulder. He wasn't there. With a sigh of relief, she slowed her pace and turned the corner up ahead.
There was Malachi, leaning up against a tree off to her left like he was just casually enjoying the day. He looked up as if he sensed her presence and his lip quirked in a half smile. He said, "So we meet again."
"Leave me alone before I crush the part's of a man's body he admires most," she said, walking past him. God, why wouldn't he just leave her alone?
"Hey now, baby doll. You don't need to be like that." He caught up to her and walked beside her. They got a few stares from pedestrians, but they quickly adverted their eyes.
"Don't call me that," Blaise snapped. Come on. Only a little ways to Rayne.
"Let me buy you coffee?"
"No."
"And why not?" Malachi sounded aggravated. Couldn't he stand to be turned down?
"I don't talk to strangers."
Apparently he thought that was amusing. "What if I don't want to be a stranger?"
They were outside her front gate. Blaise stopped and turned to look at him. "Sucks for you."
He put a hand to his heart, trying to feign mock-pain. The steely gaze in his gray eyes said otherwise. He was pissed. "Oh, you wound me so!"
Without another word, Blaise strode inside the iron gate and slammed it behind her. And he let her.
She walked inside Rayne and locked the door behind her.
Home.
