He worked carefully, his claws retracting so he wouldn’t accidentally scratch her skin. The suit had been designed for control, not comfort—it was tight against her body, fitted to her curves in a way that made his beast growl with possessive fury. Someone had measured her for this. Someone had tailored this cage to her exact proportions.
Merrick.
The thought of that human putting his hands on Ariella, even through the proxy of a tailor, made his vision go red at the edges. He had to take a breath, force his beast back into its corner, remind himself that Merrick was gone now, swallowed by the sea he had tried to take from Ariella.
Dead. He’s dead. Focus on the living.
The last of the suit fell away, revealing skin that should have been luminous but was now dull and gray. Angry red marks circled her wrists and ankles where the restraints had been—not cuts, but burns, as if the suit had punished her for trying to use her abilities.
His growl was low and dangerous.
“It hurt you.”
“I tried to sing.” Ariella’s laugh was broken, bitter. “In the cargo hold, when I heard Lilani scream. The suit… it didn’t like that.”
His claws extended without his permission, scoring deep furrows in the stone floor beside them. The beast was close to the surface now, demanding blood for the injuries done to its mate. But there was no enemy left to fight—only this shivering woman who needed warmth more than vengeance.
“You saved her.” His voice was rough as he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her trembling body. “You saved our daughter.”
The word slipped out before he could stop it.
Our daughter.
She went still in his arms. For a heartbeat, he thought he had overstepped—had claimed too much, assumed too much, pushed too far into a future she might not want.
Then her fingers curled into the fabric of his vest, and a sob escaped her throat.
“I was so scared.” The admission came out in a rush, as if she’d been holding it back by sheer force of will. “When the shuttle went down, when the water came flooding in—all I could think about was her. Not escaping. Not surviving. Just her.”
“I know.” He pressed his lips to her hair, breathing in her scent. Even now, even freezing and traumatized and barely conscious, she smelled like home. “I watched the lights go out. I thought I’d lost you both.”
Another shiver wracked her frame, violent enough to shake them both.
Enough talking. She needs heat.
He forced himself to leave her long enough to build up that fire, then returned to her side.
His body temperature ran several degrees higher than a human’s, an evolutionary adaptation to cold mountain nights on his homeworld. He had used it before to warm Lilani during the worst of winter, curling around her small body like a living furnace.
He pulled back just far enough to meet her eyes. “I need to warm you. Skin to skin. It’s the fastest way.”
Her gaze was hazy, but something flickered in its depths—understanding, perhaps. Or trust. She nodded once, her fingers moving to the clasp of his vest.
Her hands were shaking too badly to manage it.
“Let me.”
He shed his vest and the worn shirt beneath it, baring his scarred chest to the cool cave air. Her eyes traced the landscape of his body—the thick ropes of muscle, the old wounds that had never fully healed, the dark hair that covered his chest and trailed down past his waistband.
When he reached for her, she didn’t flinch. Even in the brief time they’d been apart she seemed thinner, as if the suit had been sucking the life out of her, but she was alive.
He pulled her against him, chest to chest, and the cold of her skin made him hiss between his teeth. She was like ice pressed against his furnace-heat, a contrast that was almost painful.
“Sorry.” Her apology was barely a whisper. “I’m so cold.”
“Don’t apologize.” He gathered her closer, tucking her head beneath his chin, wrapping his arms around her back to press every possible inch of her body against his warmth. “Just let me hold you.”
She melted into him.
