In the middle of the cold plunge, Lucien sat stiff and shaking.
Skin pale and waxen against the glacial clear water, his naked chest straining as he breathed hard. The silver metal stamped over his heart looked so severe compared to the flexing muscles of his flat abdomen. Blood stained the corner of his mouth—a streak down to his chin. His thick black hair hung over his forehead, shivering slightly with every inhale.
With his eyes tightly closed, he moaned—a small, raw sound that stabbed my heart with a thousand knives.
His hands balled on his bare thighs below the water’s surface. A band of black underwear rippling with the pool’s refractions. Moonlight poured in from the glass ceiling, casting everything in monochrome silver.
Every rational thought perished as I drank him in.
Patches of crimson heat glowed over his chest, the silver disc flashing with a red morbid light.
Whisper paced around the cold plunge, leaping onto the rocks and hissing with panic. Swiping at his master, he tried to get his attention, but Lucien never moved. Never opened his eyes.
I bit my lip as a ripple of red ribboned on the water’s surface, coming from behind him.
He’s hurt?
I stepped forward, drawn by compassion and worry and a heart full of emotions I didn’t want to name.
Whisper leapt onto my side of the pool and bared his teeth.
I flinched. “I know. I know you want me to help but I don’t know how.”
He snarled again, stalking right toward me.
“Nice, kitty...” I backed up—
My foot slipped on the edge; I almost lost my balance. With my arms flying outward, I caught myself and stabilised. “Whoa, that was close.”
Whisper snorted and pounced, shoving me over.
“No—!”
Frigid water crashed over my head, stealing my thoughts, my sanity, my very ability to breathe. My dressing gown turned heavy, dragging me to the bottom. I floundered, kicking off from the icy tiles below. Breaking the surface, I gasped and spluttered.With trembling hands, I shoved my soaking hair out of the way and wiped my face free from needles of ice.
Shock stung my skin.
The water was so cold itburned.
“What thehellare you doing in here?”
My head ripped up as I locked eyes with Lucien.
His pupils were endless black holes of pain. His lips tinged blue as he shivered, the water waking around us from my fall.
He didn’t move. Didn’t reach for me. His eyelashes glittering with frosty droplets. “Well?” he demanded.
Whisper circled around us, crashing through the planted ferns and foliage, a growl low and rumbling like quiet thunder.
Lucien snarled back. “Will you stop being such a pain in the ass, you bloody beast?”
Whisper froze.
“I’m fine!” Lucien flushed with fresh pain, his throat working as he battled through it. “I’ve told you a million times, I won’t die tonight. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
Whisper held his master’s stare before slouching like a dejected tabby cat. His ears flattened, his shoulders tucking tight as his head hung low.
My heart hurt for the poor thing.
