16. Evanee #2
My feeble wall crumbled. Every reason not to want him disintegrated in my mind as he looked at me like I was the only female he saw in the world.
Snow crunched as someone approached, and Aiden dropped his hand, but didn’t move. Malachai stalked past, eyeing us curiously, a reminder that we’re not alone. Aiden shifted closer anyway, just enough that his body heat warmed me.
“For someone with no memories,” he murmured low enough so only I would hear, “you know exactly how to drive a male to the edge of his restraint. I could smell your desire when I got back last night. And that moan…” He bit his bottom lip, gaze hooded as he inhaled through his nose. “It’s on a loop in my mind.”
Death. Death would be better than the humiliation I would drown in from this.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I cleared my throat, forcing myself to hold his gaze.
“Don’t worry,” the corner of his mouth lifted as he backed away. Not a smile—something more dangerous. “When you stop pretending you don’t want me, I’ll be waiting.”
I gaped after him as he walked away, my body burning as his words settled heavier than the ice and snow around us. Desire rooted me in place as my body trembled with need. How could he want me at all? I’m just a human.
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I remembered how to breathe.
“You alright?”
That deep voice definitely jerked me from my trance. Malachai stood unnaturally still—a predator assessing his prey—hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
I nodded, and his brows drew further as he flicked his gaze to Aiden, then back to me.
“Careful.”
All of the heat was extinguished with that one word.
It wasn’t a warning—it was a threat. For the first time, I didn’t feel fear.
Something bristled within me, urging me to meet the silent challenge.
I bit my cheek to keep any foolish words from spewing out and gave an audible sigh when he turned on his heel and walked away.
Maybe I should just feel honored that the male had spoken to me thrice in one day. ‘Careful’. Pfft.
Dread and butterflies twisted in my stomach. Something between Aiden and me had shifted—and it gave me something to cling to, especially when my future was bleak.
Aiden’s words circled through me as he hauled me onto Shadow, settling me in front of him once more. It took great effort to hold my head high and act as nonchalant as he did. Like he hadn’t just lit me on fire from the inside out. Even Malachai’s ever-watchful gaze couldn’t dampen it.
Two long days trudging through snow and two freezing nights that had us bundled together, coats pulled on, had us exhausted already.
So much so, I couldn’t even overthink the proximity when we slept.
They mostly huddled around for my sake. Werewolves run hot as it was, but apparently, whatever type of being Aiden and Malachai were, they were relatively immune to the cold as well.
They never seemed bothered, whereas I was convinced one night that my face would freeze right off.
We pulled off the main road just past the tree line to a frozen creek.
Aiden worked at getting a fire going, so I walked around gathering what twigs and sticks I could find.
Dimitri broke up some of the ice to melt for water.
I eyed it, wondering how far the creek stretched and if I could slip off unnoticed or create a distraction to test my theory with my markings.
But first, I’d have to get past the proximity spell tying me to Aiden to test my theory at all.
No chance of that happening anytime soon. One of them was always with me.
I dropped the twigs at Aiden’s feet as I turned over countless scenarios in my mind. Everything I came up with seemed too far-fetched to carry out. I ground my teeth together, frustrated at my own helplessness, and let the matter go. Instead, I checked that Luna, the Empyrean, was staying warm.
“How much farther to the cliffs?” I asked Malachai, deciding I'd no longer show the discomfort he stirred in me. Why should I?
His hair, the many braids usually pulled back, was loose, just past his shoulder. It almost made him look younger, more approachable—had it not been for his huge frame and stacked muscles. He sat, pulled up a sack of potatoes, and a blade.
“Another three days. That’s if the weather cooperates.” He dumped potatoes into the pot, stirring the contents. I eyed him, waiting for more.
Nothing. Not even eye movement. I sighed dramatically and looked away.
“Are you tired of our company?” Aiden hollered out from his spot by the fire.
Ignoring him, I propped my elbows on my knees and braced my face in my hands.
My thoughts drifted to Lyra, hoping that she was okay and not driving Alaric, Slade, and Brax too crazy.
In fact, I think I was more concerned for them than I was for her.
Alaric couldn’t be much older than Brax and hadn’t found her amusing at all.
Slade didn’t seem to want anything to do with any of them, so I could venture to guess he'd be scouting, hunting…
anything to separate himself from the group. They should've sent Malachai instead.
We all ate in silence for the most part, except for a few exchanges between the males about what the path ahead would be like after several nights of freezing weather. The consensus was that the cliffs were a death trap with icy patches and very dangerous on horseback. Great.
Aiden wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me in tighter.
“Wh-what are y-you d-doing?” I chattered out.
“Relax, just trying to help you keep warm. By the sound of it, you’re going to break all of your teeth from them clinking together,” he mused. I savored the warmth radiating from him.
“Wh-why aren’t y-you and Malachai cold?”
He huffed a laugh. “We’ve been in the north a long time. We’re used to it.”
“So—so are you and Ma-Malachai We-Werewolves?”
“Nice try.”
I scowled. They had to be Dragon shifters or from another continent entirely.