Chapter Four
Vee
The frat boy was finally awake. Someone should give me an award for my patience. Judging by the wild look on his face he was drunk, scared, or both.
“I said, ‘Can you help me out of here?’ If you don’t want to freeze you should probably get me out of this trap soon. You set this, didn’t you?”
I felt almost sorry for him when all he did was stare at me, mouthing wordlessly under his breath. He was pretty cute, but there was a lesson to be learned.
“Do you get what I’m saying?” I asked him. “Look, I know my accent might throw you off, but you should still be able to understand me, right?”
He gave a nod, and his throat bobbed.
“Yeah, man. I don’t know who you are or why you speak like a Canadian lumberjack, but I can understand you perfectly fine.”
“Atta boy. So free me then.” The way his pupils dilated slightly when I praised him intrigued me. “Why don’t you get out on your own?” Mr Alpha Sigma Sigma scrambled to his feet, still staring at me with wide eyes. I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
“Well, you trapped me? Surely you know what that means for our future?”
“Our…our future?” he gasped, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
“He who traps an Elvertritsch is lucky, for he catches himself a mate for life,” I quoted a piece of lore my grandmother used to tell me. I personally had never taken it seriously.
The truth was that I had no idea why I couldn’t break free. I gave it another shot, and it still didn’t work out. Every time I tried to get the net off me, I got tangled up in it more. It was frustrating as shit, but that didn’t mean we were mated.
Nope, definitely not.
The asshole blanched and sank down to sit on the cold forest floor. All the way down, his college hoodie rasped over the rough bark, and he closed his eyes as if in prayer.
Has he fainted?
“Don’t fall back asleep, mate. How cruel would it be if you died on me when you’d only just caught me?”
His eyes shot open.
“I don’t want to die,” he whispered, sounding frightened for a moment, and I…Ugh, shit. I’m too soft.
“I’m just pulling your leg,” I reassured him and a faint, hopeful glimmer ignited in his eyes. “You’re not my mate, okay? Just get me out of here, and I’ll help get you somewhere safe. You’ll freeze if you stay out here,” I added when he still didn’t move.
He stared at me, his dark eyes huge, with fear etched in every line of his body.
“Are you going to attack me if I do?” he asked. The words came out hesitant, as if he didn’t even dare voice them. And he was still staring at me out of those deep, soulful eyes.
Stop falling for his puppy eyes, Vee!
But shit, I was just a man after all. A man who had never let anyone close since I lost…
“I won’t, I promise. Ehrenwort.” I raised a hand in what I hoped even an American would recognise as a peaceful gesture. Thank the trees we weren’t in his home country. He would probably have gunned me down at first sight.
“Okay.” He clawed at the tree as he rose to his feet, then stumbled over to where I was sitting on the frozen forest floor like a foal. The net gave way immediately when he pulled on it.
He looked at me with apprehension and helped me untangle my hands. His touch was reluctant but so gentle it made my heart squeeze. Nobody had touched me like that in years, like I wasn’t seven feet and built, but breakable.
I stayed put until he took a step back, then got up.
He wasn’t that tiny for a human and had broad shoulders and powerful muscles that spoke of either a physically demanding job or countless hours spent in a gym, but I was much taller than him.
I inspected him for a moment and…gods…the way his hair curled over his forehead was oddly endearing.
“Come on then, frat boy.” I cleared my throat and beckoned him to follow me.
“The fuck did you just call me?” he spluttered, but still came with me.
Half turning at him, I cocked my head. “What?”
“Frat boy?” He raised an elegant eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong.” I shrugged and poked the three Greek letters on his chest, almost breaking my fingers on his rock hard pecs.
Damn, he’s built like a tank.
He huffed a laugh. “Alumnus, you massive cock. I’m a little old to be in college.
” His comment caught me off guard, and I almost choked on my spit.
My laughter rang through the quiet night forest until I reined it back in.
“Knew it. Well, Master Alumnus.” I bowed comically and pointed at the path ahead of us. “If you’d be so kind as to follow me.”
“Nate. It’s Nate,” he muttered as he stuffed his hands deep in the pockets of his hoodie. It was way too thin for this time of year. I stopped and looked at him properly for the first time, then I held out my hand.
“I’m Vitus, but you can call me Vee.”
He gripped my fingers firmly.
“Nice to meet you, Vee. And sorry for that…” He inched his chin back at the clearing behind us.
“Don’t mention it,” I huffed. “No, seriously, let’s never talk about it again, okay?”
Even in the dim light of the forest I saw the flush on his cheeks. Gods, you could cut rock with his cheekbones.
“Deal.”
We walked in silence for a while.
“Where are we going, Vee?” he asked me after a few minutes. So he realised I wasn’t leading him out of the woods, but deeper into its heart.
“Somewhere safe.” I tried to sound neutral, but the low whine he made told me I might have failed. The noise gave me a strange feeling in my chest.
“Are you gonna eat me?” he asked in a shaky voice.
“Only if you want me to,” I shot back without thinking.
Damn it. Am I flirting?
Nate scoffed at what I said, but relaxed.
We’d reach my house in about twenty minutes, and not a moment too soon. It was freezing. If I hadn’t found him, he would’ve died out here. Then I had a couple more hours until he was out of my life for good.
I can handle that.