“We weren’t followed. They’ll lose our trail the moment they reach the river.”
“That wasn’t my other concern.”
He placed his free hand on his hip, completely unashamed of his nakedness.
“Clothes?” I squinted at him.
He smirked, his lips quirking up at one corner before he sauntered past me and held out the torch. “Hold this.”
I snatched the torch out of his hand and wrapped my free arm around my stomach. The cold from the air seeped into my wet skin. My clothes hung heavy on my body. I shivered and leaned closer to the torch. Maybe the little glow of light would provide some warmth.
Ace walked into the darkness, letting the shadows consume him. His feet padded softly along the stone ground until he stopped and shuffled about. Clothing whispered along stone. He was getting dressed.
I was torn between feeling relief and disappointment.
Ace walked back into the light, clothed in loose fitting cotton pants and a cotton shirt that clung to his shoulders and arms and laced up at the front.
Before I could comment on his attire, he tossed a bundle of clothing at me. I caught the items one handed, managing not to drop them or burn myself.
Point for me.
“You can get dressed around the corner.”
I peered off into the dark abyss of the cave. “What exactly made these caves?”
“Not sure. I can’t tell if they’re man-made, but something else does live here. I sometimes detect traces of its scent when I’m in my wolf form, but I’ve never met it, or them, nor do I ever plan to.”
I stared at the shadows as a shiver ran along my spine. Phaaning-fantastic.
“You can take the torch with you if you’d like.”
“And have you watch me from the shadows?” I held out the torch. “Not a chance.”
Ace took the torch from my hand and leaned in. The flickering firelight played with the sharp angles of his features.
“I preferred watching you naked under the waterfall. You look like a drowned rat right now, Mouse, and I don’t like it at all. Go change.”
I bit back my response and squinted at him. I couldn’t tell if he was serious, but he was probably right about me looking like a drowned rodent. I set my bow down, clutched my new clothes to my chest and walked into the darkness.
16
The fire crackled low, its flames hissing as they licked at damp wood and sent out fleeting waves of warmth that barely touched the chill burrowed deep in my bones. Each flicker cast long shadows against the cave walls. The heat it offered was meager, but I curled close anyway.
I wore an old set of Ace’s clothes. The pants and top fit loosely on me and I had to roll up the pants legs. I’d attempted to rebraid my hair, but I didn’t need a mirror to know it was a mess.
Ace had stashed a few weapons along with the clothes. A dagger gleamed beside me, its naked blade fracturing the firelight. Ace had a dagger, too. A quiver full of subpar arrows and my stolen bow leaned against the rocks behind us.
Even soaked and exhausted, the presence of the weapons grounded me. I didn’t feel so helpless anymore. We had made it. We were safe.
At least for tonight.
Ace sat nearby—close yet somehow not close enough. His shoulder barely brushed mine when I shifted and his presence radiated the tempting kind of heat the fire couldn’t match. I could feel it, just inches away, his steady breathing a counterpoint to my own shuttered ones.
Despite the fire, dry clothes and Ace’s closeness, the cold still clung to me, stubborn and slow to release its grip. It coated my skin. My teeth chattered no matter how tightly I clenched my jaw. The sound felt impossibly loud in the hush between us.
We hadn’t spoken since sitting down. The adrenaline had worn off, and we were both too wrung out and exhausted to speak. Or maybe we were waiting for the other to say something. We had a lot to talk about.
I looked over and Ace’s gaze met mine. The fire reflected in his eyes like smouldering coals. His gaze was unreadable, but he didn’t look away.
