Page 7 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“Come on. Let’s lie down in the tent. We have an early day tomorrow, and I don’t like listening to your teeth chatter out here.” Aidan gets up and extends a hand to me. I grab hold of his warm, calloused hand and let him lead me into the tent.

Once we get inside, I realize it’s a tiny tent and there’s only one makeshift bed on the ground off to the side. There’s a pile of furs to sleep on top of and a few heavy wool blankets to cover us.

“Are we sharing this bed?” I try not to let the nervousness slip through in my voice.

“Yes, Cheeks. I need to keep you warm, and the best way I know how to do that is to share my body heat with you,” he says while kicking off his boots and removing his clothes. I turn around so quick I almost trip over myself.

“Why are you getting naked?” I ask, alarmed.

“Calm down, Cheeks. I’m leaving my under shorts on. Skin-to-skin contact will keep you warm throughout the night. Now tell those pink cheeks to relax and get out of those wet clothes so I can get you warm before you get sick.”

“Aidan, I’m a princess, and it's highly inappropriate for me to get naked with you in a tent.” I’m still stunned and facing away from him when I hear him chuckle behind me.

“Oh, Princess, there’s no one around for miles. Don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret.”

I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy, but the chill in the air is overwhelming, and all I want to do is get warm and go to sleep.

“Fine, but go lie down and cover your face with the blanket. I don’t want you watching me undress.”

He obliges, and I begin to peel off my wet clothes and lay them out next to the coals he brought in to warm the tent and dry our belongings. Once I’m left in just my white chemise, I walk over to the makeshift bed he’s already lying in.

“Now I’m going to pull back the blankets and get in bed. Close your eyes . . . please.” I try to sound stern.

“Yes, Cheeks, my lids are closed,” he says and then chuckles softly.

I pull back the blankets, and sure enough his eyes are closed, but he opens them right away. I see the way he looks me up and down, then holds my gaze, his pale-blue eyes glowing fiercely in the dimly lit tent. I’m in stunned silence for a moment, still not believing he didn’t obey my request, but it's freezing, and he can’t stare at me if I’m under the covers. I hurry down onto the furs next to him and pull the blankets up to my chin. I turn onto my side so I’m facing away from him and not touching him at all, but I do feel heat emanating off his body, warming me.

“I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Relax, Lyra, I’m here to protect you. I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe with me.”

I try to hide the discomfort in my voice and change the subject. “What exactly are you protecting me from? What lives out in these woods?”

“There are lots of creatures in these woods, but none of them will bother us. They can smell me, smell my Lycan blood, and most creatures fear Lycan. They wouldn’t dare enter our tent.”

Before I have a chance to respond, he brings his arm over me and presses his hand to my stomach pulling me back into him. I immediately go to move away, but his hold on me is strong, and I can’t move.

“Lyra, let me hold you.”

I can feel my heart rate increase, but it’s not a good feeling. A knot forms in my stomach. Even though I like Aidan, I have never been with a man before, let alone slept next to one. The only male who’s ever touched me is Samael, and it wasn’t my choice. My skin crawls just thinking about it, and I can’t help but think about Lili and how she told me to be on guard and that she didn’t trust Aidan. If he wanted to have his way with me right now, there’s nothing I could do. There’s no one out here for miles. No one to hear me scream. The thought sends a tingling chill up my spine.

“I told you the full moon is only in a few days, but I don’t think I told you that us Lycan get very aggressive and . . . hungry around the full moon. Especially at night, if you know what I mean.”

I can feel his breath on the back of my ear.

“Please, Aidan, can we just sleep?” I try not to let him know I’m afraid, but he’s a Lycan and can probably smell my fear.

“Yes, Cheeks, sleep. I’ve got you.” He tucks his right arm underneath me and lets his hand fall over my breasts while his left hand is still pressed against my stomach holding me to him. I can feel his hard length pressed against my backside, but I don’t feel turned on by Aidan right now. The knot that’s formed in my stomach begins to churn, but he’s warm. I have no choice right now but to play nice, so I let myself relax against him. If he wants to touch me, then so be it as long as it doesn’t go any further.

The moment he feels me relax, he gives my left breast a squeeze. “Good girl. Now, sleep.”

I wake up gasping for air, drenched in sweat. The nightmare is still fresh in my mind, and I can feel my heart racing. I sit up in bed, trying to calm my breathing, but my mind is in overdrive. Why do I keep having these dreams? What does it mean? Is it just a manifestation of my fear of Samael? Or is it something more? I shake my head, trying to push the thoughts away. I need to get some rest If I’m going to survive another day of riding with Aidan. I try to relax and sleep does find me again eventually.

“Wake up, Lyra. It’s time to get ready to go.” Aidan pats me on the ass before getting out of bed. Cool air shocks my body. I wake from one nightmare back to whatever this is. I don’t know how I feel about Aidan after last night. I thought we were friends, but the way he acted didn’t feel very friendly. It’s hard to tell if I can trust him or not. Part of me wants to believe he’s on my side, but Lili’s warning about him makes me doubt his intentions. And yet I can’t deny that I’m a little drawn to him. Maybe it’s because he’s the only one who seems to understand how trapped I feel in the castle. But can I really trust him with my safety and secrets? The thought gnaws at me as I try to make sense of my feelings, but I don’t have time to dwell on it right now.

He packs up camp quickly, and we share some dried fruit and nuts for breakfast then continue our ride toward Cinder territory. We don’t speak much, and we keep a fast pace all day, only stopping along the river for the horses to drink. It isn’t raining today, but it’s cold and muddy everywhere. The first snowfall could happen any day now.

It can’t be much longer until we make camp. The sun begins its descent from the sky.