Chapter 13

Colette stirred from her sleep, her mind clouded and disoriented for a few moments before she could make sense of her surroundings. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and her body swayed from side to side.

Her gaze was fixed on the ground. Snow and twigs whizzed by beneath her. She blinked hard, her mouth parched and dry.

Gradually, she lifted her head, taking in the landscape around her. Everything was on a slope, and she seemed to be moving uphill. She blinked slowly, trying to comprehend her situation. It appeared she was draped over a large, moving creature.

“Quit squirming,” a deep, rough voice commanded.

Instantly, Colette recognized her captor. Her body responded swiftly, warming and throbbing, familiar with the sensation of his tongue.

“Sorin,” she grumbled, sitting up as much as she could, slung over his massive shoulder. “What the hell are you doing?” she demanded.

“Relax,” he responded nonchalantly. “You said you wouldn’t come willingly,” he teased, patting her butt playfully.

She gasped in shock. “Is there any chance you’d consider putting me down?” she asked bluntly.

He pondered for a moment before replying, “Unless you’re offering a sexual favor...nope.” He shook his head, his cheek brushing against her hip.

“That’s not happening, pal,” she retorted, pounding on his back with her small fists.

Sorin let out a long, disappointed sigh but continued walking. Colette wasn’t sure how far up the mountain they were headed, and she dreaded thinking about how long she’d been unconscious.

Finally, gathering her courage, she asked, “How long have we been walking?” She was afraid to know the answer, terrified by his brisk pace and long strides.

“A few hours, darling,” he replied softly, adjusting her position as her hip had started to dig into his shoulder. His hand lingered between her legs, almost subconsciously.

She panicked, as each step caused her to bounce slightly and his hand rubbed the outside of her jeans in the most tantalizing way.

If she told him to move his hand or hinted at what he might be unintentionally doing to her, Colette was sure he might take it further. He had just asked for sexual favors, after all.

Colette chose to bear it silently but soon found herself squirming uncontrollably. She was soaked beneath her jeans and was panting heavily.

“Stop moving,” Sorin commanded, probably assuming this was a weak attempt at escape or just annoying him enough to make him put her down.

But at this moment, Colette didn’t want him to put her down. She felt a sensation building in her belly.

Sorin walked a few more minutes, and finally, Colette felt herself climaxing. She tried to be discreet about it, but it was impossible.

She let out a throaty moan as her body stiffened. Sorin stopped abruptly, frozen as Colette finished orgasming on his shoulder.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her forward, holding her in front of him. “Did you just…orgasm…on me?” he demanded, his body tense with danger.

Colette felt a blush spread over her entire body at the thought of lying to him. Instead, she chose to remain silent.

“We’re setting up camp,” he barked, dropping her on her butt. He put down the two bags he was carrying. “Start a fire and set up. Don’t even think about running,” he yelled over his shoulder as he dashed off into the woods.

The sky had been gray when she woke up, but now it was quickly darkening. She didn’t even consider running away as she sat alone among the trees. She had a tiny fire in front of her, not wanting to risk starting a forest fire.

Colette waited for him for what felt like an eternity. She couldn’t just fall asleep. It was freezing, and the slightest breeze down the mountain sounded like a wolf’s howl.

She shivered as she curled up into a tight ball. She missed her plush, queen-sized bed. She’d just bought a thick memory foam mattress topper a few weeks ago and hadn’t even had the chance to break it in.

What other things from her life would she miss that she’d never get to experience again?

As a single, childless woman, Colette had started enjoying the finer things in life. Not designer clothes or Cuban cigars, mind you.

She meant things like any streaming service she wanted, her very own barista espresso machine, silk bedding, the ability to order food delivery whenever she wanted. The dream of every introvert. She never had to leave her home.

Now she hadn’t had coffee in nearly two weeks, she smelled of sweat and fear, and she’d been outside forever. She hated the outdoors. She just wanted a hot shower, a warm meal, and a nice nap in a comfy bed.

The thought made her sniffle and choke back tears. She should’ve been grateful for her life. Instead, she complained on social media about never doing anything spontaneous, not having a boyfriend, and never having traveled a lot like her friends.

Here she was, eating her words. Doing something spontaneous: check. Accompanied by a delectable man who wanted everything to do with her: check, check. Traveling, albeit against her will: check, check, check.

Colette shuddered against the harsh wind, pulling her fur-lined hood over her face. She’d started feeling hungry a while back and could almost hear her stomach’s cries of protest over the howling of what she hoped was the wind.

When she finally spotted Sorin’s tall figure emerging through the trees, she relaxed. He’d killed a massive wolf like it was nothing. She was safe with him. At least, her life was safe. She tried not to grin as he stood before her, a rabbit in each hand.

“I’ll cook the game, but once we eat, we have to put out the fire,” he ordered.

When she opened her mouth to object, he added curtly, “Someone will see the light and smell the smoke. I’m not the only creature of the night out here, Colette,” he warned.

Understanding completely, she nodded.

True to his word, he skinned the rabbits and roasted them over her small fire. When he finished the first, he handed it to her. It was the larger one of the two, which confused her since they both knew he ate more than her.

Colette accepted the food gratefully, tearing into the meat with a hunger that made her forget about appearances.

Across the fire, Sorin watched her, his own meal forgotten. His eyes held a darkness that had been there since their first meeting, but it seemed to deepen with each passing day. He stretched out his legs and leaned back against a tree.

Colette was famished, more so than she’d ever been, but she found herself hesitating to finish her meal. Perhaps Sorin would want it. His rabbit was already picked clean, its bones discarded in the snow. He must have been hungrier than her.

As she opened her mouth to offer him the rest, he tilted his head, a curious look in his eyes. “Eat, my love. I don’t want your portion. If you don’t eat it, I’ll throw it away,” he warned.

She knew he meant it, so she quickly finished her meal. A pang of sadness hit her as she realized Sorin would soon put out the fire, despite the meager warmth it provided.

As if reading her thoughts, Sorin reached into her bag and pulled out her emergency blanket. It was a small, heat-reflective plastic sheet. He ripped open the packaging and shook it out before wrapping it around her.

“I know you’re cold, but we can’t risk being seen,” he murmured, securing the blanket around her.

Before he pulled away, his fingers gently brushed her hair back, his touch lingering on her cheek before he dropped his arm.

He extinguished the fire and returned to his spot on the other side of the snow. They lay in silence for a long while.

Colette wasn’t sure if Sorin had fallen asleep. She was thinking about how cold it was, even with the blanket. Sorin must have been freezing.

After a few more minutes, she whispered, “Are you awake?” Her voice was barely audible over the wind, but he heard her.

“Yes,” was his simple reply.

“I’m really cold,” she admitted.

Sorin felt a pang of guilt. It was almost overwhelming, until Colette spoke again.

“Can you lay with me?” she asked softly.

There was a pause. She thought maybe he’d fallen asleep, or perhaps he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

Slowly, she saw his dark figure rise. He moved towards her, his pace slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey.

He lowered himself onto the ground next to her, his movements hesitant, as if he was afraid to touch her. She shifted closer to him, resting her head on his chest. She was wrong. He wasn’t cold at all. He was warm.

Colette nestled into the crook of his shoulder, the scent of him and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her to sleep.