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“There’s no other way when so many lives are under myprotection.”
His response struck a chord because I’d been raised to aid a person in need; that was why I’d never turned someone away from the store. Initially, Oryn might have terrified me, but now I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between us. We’d both lost our families and would do anything for those we had left. And his habit of pushing others away made sense. He was always in guard mode… and that made me admire him but also wonder when he’d burnout.
We sat there, chatting about everything from my favorite herbs to the best game he’d hunted. Any other time and place, and we’d have made fantastic friends. He laughed, the sound warming me. Who was I kidding…? Definitely more thanfriends.
He marched to the cave’s opening and nightfall already cloaked theland.
“They’re still outthere.”
My hopes dwindled. “Tossing my clothes so close to our location wasn’t a great ideathen.”
“Wolves hunt at night, and your garments will make them focus on something other than attacking each other. We’ll leave at first light. Let’s get some sleep.” He moved through the cave and laid several blankets on the floor in therear.
I wasn’t sure I could sleep while my thoughts rushed. “What if a wolf finds our spot while wesleep?”
“No wolf would ever enter the river or go near the waterfall while in animal form, as they’re afraid of drowning under the cascade.” Oryn tapped the bed he’d created and waved meover.
Heavens, all my worries slipped into the abyss and were replaced with the image of a naked hunk calling me to bed with him. The earlier tingles twirled in my stomach, and I approached him, then crawled across the lush blankets, soft and cushiony beneathme.
He laid on his back and stretched out an arm as if offering himself as a pillow. I curled up, facing away from him, my blanket still wrapped around me. His side leaned against me, his warmthelectric.
“I’ll keep you secure,” he said, and his words had me exhaling a longbreath.
Aside from having no other option of escape, part of me trusted him. He’d saved me from the wolves, brought me into this cave, kept me warm. Why would he want to harm me after that? Despite everything, I had to believe Oryn wasn’t a bad person, but someone with too much compassion who wore spiked thorns for armor. I understood his approach to life: stay in charge, protect others, never let anyone get close. That way, he wouldn’t get hurt again. I’d been there. Except he was fooling himself. His family… the pack was already in his heart, whether or not he admitted it. Just the way he spoke about them screamed “fatherly figure.” And that was a man in my eyes who would keep his promise and keep mesafe.
“Oryn,” I began, my eyelids growing heavy. I closed them as the weight of the day dragged me down. “Thank you. I wish I could say if you came to Terra, someone would offer you the same protection, but I can’t. If it were me, I would risk everything to helpyou.”
A long pause passed and heaviness weaved through my limbs as my mind drifted towardsleep.
Oryn’s whisper glided into my thoughts. “What have you done tome?”
* * *
The beamof a light breeze tickled my legs, bringing with it a chill. I hugged a warm pillow, inhaling its musky scent, adoring the smell. It reminded me of Oryn, and a blaze pooled deep in my gut at the memory of how gorgeous hewas.
When fingers brushed through my hair, I flipped open my eyes to find myself draped over him, pressed against him naked. A dim light from the fire threw shadows across his face and chest, and it remained darkoutside.
“Morning,” he said in his huskyvoice.
“Sorry for sleeping on you.” I retreated, patting the covered floor behind me to find we both rested on myblanket.
“No problem. The fire’s almost out, and it’s cold this early.” His arm remained on my back, massaging me, easing my earlierpanic.
“How long have you been awake?” Iasked.
He lay there, his other arm behind his head, reflecting the perfect epitome of a fantasy man. Layers of muscles, a chest so wide I could snooze on it… which I had… and…Don’t stare down his body whatever youdo.
Chewing on my lower lip, I kept his gaze.Hooray forme.
“I woke early, but I didn’t want to wakeyou.”
“So you heldme?”
Those sexy blue eyes smiled, staring at me with all the kinds of intentions that had me picturing myself leaning over and kissing him. Those were the kinds of uncontrollable longings that had led me to have sex with Nero instead of finding a wayhome.
Still, my pulse skipped a beat. “I bet girls throw themselves at you all thetime.”
He turned onto his side to face me. “Would you expect anythingelse?”
