Nina blinked, as though confused by the instruction.
He couldn't possibly be serious, she thought, her eyes trailing down his chest—but she caught herself and looked away.
A little cold wouldn't kill her, she decided.
"I'm f..f..fine," she stuttered from the cold.
His eyes darkened. "I would hate to repeat myself," he said, his voice a low growl.
Nina hesitated, her breath shallow.
Then she pushed herself up on shaking arms. The torn dress clung to her damp skin as she crawled towards him. When she reached his side, she lowered herself carefully, making sure to leave a hand's breadth between them.
"Come closer," he muttered.
Nina blinked. Then she moved closer to him, the warmth of him spreading across her skin.
It was as though the colder it got, the warmer he became. Heat radiated off him.
She lay quietly, eyes shut tight, afraid to make a single sound.
As though any movement might remind him she was there.
A few seconds passed, then slowly her eyes fluttered open. She turned her head slightly; her gaze fell on him. He was staring at the flames, his profile sharp and striking in the firelight. She watched the fire dance in his eyes, amber and gold reflecting in silver.
Her breath hitched. The strong line of his jaw caught the flickering light, casting shadows that only emphasized the sharp angles of his face. Nina held her breath, her gaze slowly traveling down from his face—the corded muscle of his neck, his broad shoulders, his toned chest, the perfectly sculpted torso that disappeared into—
"How long do you intend to keep staring?"
Nina's eyes grew wide, and she immediately squeezed them shut, mortification washing over her. A fierce blush crept up her cheeks as she bit into her lip.
Rodrigo glanced down at her, and his lips stretched into what almost looked like a smile. Almost.
The fish was done now, perfectly roasted, but he had no appetite. He placed it down on the stone beside him and picked a few more sticks to add to the flames.
He stretched out on his back, with one arm tucked under his head, dark hair spilling across the stone floor. He felt her stiffen beside him.
A long minute passed.
"Thank you," she muttered.
Rodrigo said nothing. A long minute passed.
"Were you trying to run?"
Nina stiffened at the question. Slowly, she turned so she was facing him. His eyes were shut, an arm over his head.
"Where would I run to?"
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" he paused. "Which sounds more believable—that you tried to escape, or that you were found by wild wolves and attacked for no reason?"
Nina's hands stiffened by her side. "I didn't try to run," she said. "If I run, my family would be wiped out. Why would I risk that?"
Rodrigo paused, his eyes opening as he stared at the ceiling.
"Then it was stupid of you. You should have run. You lost your chance."
Nina's fingers curled as she stared at him. Then she turned around, facing the wall.
A long moment passed, and then Rodrigo glanced at the woman beside him.
She'd fallen asleep. Her breathing had evened out, her shoulders rising and falling softly.
He couldn't sleep close to anyone. Ever since the incident, he'd been unable to.
He let out a soft sigh as he listened to the waves crash against the seashore.
He breathed out slowly, trying to will himself to rest.
But suddenly, he felt a hand on his chest.
Rodrigo frowned and looked down. She had moved closer in her sleep and was now hugging him, her small hand pressed against his bare chest.
"Cold..." she muttered, barely audible, and inched even closer, hugging him tighter as though he were her only source of warmth.
His eyes widened in astonishment, and he immediately reached for her hand to pull it off him.
But before he could, she placed her head on his chest, right over his heart.
"So warm..." she murmured, her lips stretching into a contented smile, her body finally relaxing as she absorbed his heat.
Rodrigo's heart began to beat at an irregular pace. He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching as he stared down at her in disbelief.
What was she doing?
He blinked, staring at her. Her body was cold, almost freezing, her lips were blue, and her dress wasn't covering enough.
Rodrigo stared at her sleeping form for a second, and then he slowly lowered his hand.
He studied her face. Long lashes cast delicate shadows on her pale cheeks. Her nose was small and perfectly shaped. Her lips, slightly parted, looked impossibly soft.
Something tightened in his chest. He realized what he was thinking and immediately forced himself to look away, fixing his gaze on the cave ceiling instead.
A few seconds passed. Then, against his better judgment, his eyes lowered again, drawn back to her.
Just then, she nuzzled closer in her sleep, shifting until her face was tucked against his neck, her warm breath ghosting across his skin with each exhale.
He drew in a sharp breath, heat pooling low in his abdomen.
This was dangerous.
Wolves had extremely heightened sexual urges, instincts that took every will within him to contain, and those urges only got worse as the full moon approached, which was in three days.
How the hell did this woman have absolutely no survival instincts?
Rodrigo stared at the ceiling, every muscle in his body tense, painfully aware of every place her body touched his. It was going to be a very long night.
…
Nina woke to warmth.
Glorious, wonderful warmth that had finally chased away the bone-deep cold. She stretched languidly, a satisfied moan escaping her throat.
It took her three seconds to realize she wasn't lying on the hard ground.
She was lying on something firm, something warm and alive that moved with steady breaths.
She frowned, confusion clouding her sleep-addled mind. Her eyes opened slowly.
The first thing she saw was skin. Bare skin. A muscular chest rising and falling beneath her cheek.
Her eyes widened.
She was on the Alpha!
Nina yelped, scrambling backward with a startled gasp, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
How did she get here? When did she—
Rodrigo's eyes fluttered open at her scream, turning lazily to look at her.
She was almost shaking as though she'd just seen a ghost.
"I... I am..."
Nina started, her lips moving, but no words could leave her mouth.
Rodrigo sat up and stretched his arm and his neck.
Then his eyes lifted and landed on her.
Nina gulped, her face flushing.
She willed the ground to open and swallow her whole, but it wasn't listening.
Then he took a step forward.
Nina's face paled. She opened her lips to speak, but suddenly, footsteps sounded outside.
Her eyes whipped toward it in relief.
"Alpha." Seven stood right outside the cave, a few men behind him, his chest rising and falling in pants.