Ely shivered, pushing back wet strands of hair from her face as her foggy brain rebooted to the present. Her teeth clattered, but she finally got her mouth working. “N-no-no, I’m f-fine. I needed a s-swim.”
Steam hissed briefly from his clothes, and they dried. A tic working his jaw, he shrugged off his coat and draped it around her, his warmth and scent enclosing her. He scooped her into his arms and flashed them…
To his cabin. The door swung open, and he strode inside and carefully set her on the couch, in front of the unlit fireplace.
“H-how did you find me?” She swiped the water from her face.
“I felt your distress like a damn punch in the gut and tracked your agony to the river.”
“H-how?”
“Who the hell knows?” he growled, his terror for her still evident in his fiery glower as he swiped the wet strands stuck to her face. “Maybe through your blood I tasted when I kissed you and nicked your lip.”
Oh, right. The kiss with fangs in the cage during his change.
He stalked off into another room and emerged with a towel and quilt, wrapping the blanket around her, then hunkering in front to rub her wet hair. “What the hell happened to make you submerge yourself in a river and scare the fuck out of me?” His expression was colder than the frigid air surrounding them, but flames continued to rage in his eyes.
“Nothing happened…” She gnawed her lip, the ungodly heat stirring deep within her again. “I-I…it’s my abilities,” she croaked, unsure how to explain this. “They’re emerging and causing these changes within me. It’s like I have a constant fever, and it’s growing worse, so I submerged myself in the icy river for a while.”
His gaze lowered to the layers covering her. “You’re hot again?”
She hesitated, then nodded, shoving the quilt away but gripping the jacket close, his scent soothing. “My clothes, I need them…” She moved to stand, but he put his hand on her knee.
“Stay here. I’ll go get them.” He rose and walked out of the cabin, the open door sending an icy draft to enclose her. Expelling a grateful breath, she slumped back against the couch, rubbed her face…and became aware of the low throb between her thighs.
Vae, she moaned, clenching her inner muscles. One problem eased for now, and another whacks her upside the head—or in her core. Man, even her self-deprecating humor fell flat.
Nate reappeared with her things and shut the door. “These are almost frozen, but I suppose they would aid you.”
She nodded and sat up. “Thank you.”
He left her clothes on the couch and set her boots on the floor. Pointless in feeling shy when he’d seen her naked. Heck, he’d had his hands and mouth on her. She pushed to her feet.
He stood there, hands on his hips, frowning. “Or, you could wear one of my t-shirts if it helps?”
“I’d like that.”
He strode off and retrieved a navy tee from the bedroom. Ely removed his coat and pulled on the shirt. The scent of fresh linen and a fainter one of him wrapped around her, and she inhaled deeply, smoothing her palms over the soft fabric. But the damn temperature started its hike again, and the throb between her thighs grew, too. Great, now she was horny as well. But who could blame her when faced with a male like Nate? And who knew an old gray t-shirt stretched over his broad shoulders and biceps could look so mouth-watering?
“You’re flushed again.”
“Yeah, goes with the temperature hike,” she muttered.
He didn’t say anything, but his eyebrows drew together in a V, and his gaze drifted over her as if trying to figure out exactly what was wrong. “How long?”
When had she started to have these symptoms? She lifted a shoulder in a weary shrug. “A week, maybe more.”
“Don’t despair,laika. I’ll help.”
She rubbed her hot face. “How? Drop me back in the icy river?”
He laughed, and it lit him from within like a light bulb coming on, chasing away the shadows in his eyes and the dark aura that usually surrounded him. Her own lips twitched in response. She’d instinctively come tohisretreat, seeking relief from her torment in the snowy wilderness. And now they were here together…
He drew her to him and buried his face in her neck. “Whatever ails you, we’ll get past it.” His warm, callused palms slipped under her t-shirt and stroked her waist…his touch, the skin contact, feltsooogood!
Desire surged like an unplugged geyser. Ely turned her head and kissed his unshaven jaw, dragging her mouth to his ear and tugging his tiny black hoop earrings with her lips, wanting to tussle him to the floor, tear off his clothes, and rub her body over his like a damn cat—
“By the dark gods, Ely, you’re driving me out of my mind!”
