I glared at him over my shoulder, my chest tight, my pride screaming.
He was a demon,the enemy.
My enemy.
And yet, the warmth seeping through his leathers was already coaxing a treacherous shiver out of me.
“Release me,” I said again, quieter now.
“Not a chance.” His voice dropped, amused. “You’re shivering so hard I can feel it through my legs. You’re going to stay right here until dawn or until you stop breathing, whichever comes first.”
My jaw clenched. “You’re enjoying this.”
His laugh was a low rumble against my back, dark and humorless. “Not nearly as much as you think. Believe me, if I wanted to enjoy myself, this would look very different.”
My cheeks heated, and I refused to give him the satisfaction of a response. I tried my best to stay rigid, butthen his blood magic swirled, almost comforting, humming, and little by little my body gave in. My spine brushing his chest, my shoulders slowly loosening up. His arms stayed slack at his sides, but the heat rolling off him was a cage of its own.
“That’s it,” he murmured, mocking, as if he could feel my resistance falter. “See? Not so hard.”
I gritted my teeth. “If you think this is me surrendering, you’re delusional.”
“Call it whatever you want,” he said, so close I could feel the curve of his mouth move against my hair.
I wanted to elbow him in the ribs, but I lacked the strength, my body suddenly heavy.
“I hate you,” I muttered, every syllable bitten off.
“Good,” he said, almost gently. “Hate keeps you warm.”
I remained stiff for as long as I could, but exhaustion crept in with the cold. My eyelids grew heavy, my body traitorous in its need for warmth.
He shifted behind me, a slow, careful movement, and before I could stop him, something brushed over my shoulders. His arms, heavier than mine, warmer, settled across me.
I opened my mouth to protest, to push them back, but his voice rumbled low against my back.
“Go ahead. Waste your strength fighting me. The cold won’t care.”
I shut my mouth with a snap.
The wind howled, but under his arms, the air felt almost bearable. His heat seeped into me until I couldn’t tell where his warmth ended and mine began.
He was quiet for a long time, so long I thought he might have fallen asleep. Then I felt it, the faintest press of hischeek against the crown of my head, like he was testing if I’d flinch.
I didn’t, or rather couldn’t. My body was too heavy now, too tired.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered, so soft I wasn’t sure if it was meant for me or himself. “A nuisance.”
His cheek stayed where it was, growing heavier as he dozed off. The blood swirls burned into nothing, disappearing from my arms and legs, but I didn’t move away. Not because I wanted to stay, but because I couldn’t move my body underneath his weight, and my own felt heavier than ever. Instead, I let sleep dragme under.
CHAPTER
18
Iwas running. I saw someone further ahead, but everything else was blurred.
Lionel?
We were kids, running for our lives; we had stolen bread from a local bakery. It was the only way to survive…
