Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 83205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Corvak seems to finally clue in to my distress. One hand touches my foot, and he doesn't like what he feels. "You're frozen. Can you survive for a bit longer, female?"
"Oh sure," I say, delirious. His hand burns against my skin and I jerk away from his touch. "Who needs toes?"
I must sound insane. Or frozen. Or both. Whatever. It sinks in, though. The stranger makes a sound of annoyance and then moves closer to the cliffs instead of traversing through the now-hip-deep snow down the center of the valley. "I see something," he says. "Another cave."
At this point, my skin is starting to burn and feel painful instead of just feeling frozen. I'll take another cave. "Let's go."
A few moments later, he sets me down in the snow, and I'm so numb I barely feel it. Everything hurts and feels hot, which I know isn't a good sign. I can't feel my toes. My fingers feel like they belong to someone else. I sag against him, hating that I'm so weak, but he just digs down in the snow at the base of one of the rocky cliffs. "Smells like animals here. I'd be willing to bet there's a den."
A den?! A freaking animal den?
I stare in mute horror as he digs out more snow with his massive, clawed hands, and sure enough, a slit of a cave appears. It's maybe two feet high and twice as long, like a mouth more than a Flintstones-type of cave, but it's either that or stay out here in the cold. I'm too frozen to care anymore. When he shoves his head into the cave, his ass goes into the air and I stare at the short, stubby tail—fluffy and stumpy like a Manx kitten—and I want to laugh at the ridiculousness of my situation.
"Do you get delirious when you're dying of hypothermia?" I manage between chattering teeth. "Asking for a friend."
He backs out of the cave and sits up on his haunches, waving me forward. "It's not very deep, but we can both get in. Feet first." He holds a hand out to me, chivalrous once again. "I'll help you."
It might be idiotic, but I don't think twice. Taking his hand, I climb down into the bitter, hateful snow, and ease my frozen legs into the tiny wedge of a cave. There's detritus on the cave floor, but it's out of the torturous breeze, and so I don't care. By the time I slide my entire body into the cave, I'm whimpering all over again. My feet hit the back of the cave too soon for my tastes, and I glance up, my head only a foot or two away from the entrance.
And I'm ungrateful as fuck, because I'm still cold. I'm cold, and I just hit something squishy with my frozen toes, and it smells a bit like wet dog in here. This is the worst, and yet…it's better than outside.
The light disappears, and a moment later, Corvak's big feet are sliding their way past my face. I press up against the far side of the cave as much as I can, but there's not much room. By the time he squeezes his entire body in the cave, he's pressing up against me, his bigger form taking up the remaining space in the tight cave.
I should feel claustrophobic at the narrow quarters, but Corvak is warm. So fucking warm. As this registers in my frozen brain, he takes my numb hand in his and puts it under his arm to warm it. "I have you," he says. "I will take care of you. Cease your cries."
Am I still whimpering? How embarrassing. I nod, moving a little closer to him. He wraps his legs around mine as best he can, sharing his warmth, and I'm soon plastered against his big, slightly furry body. The chattering in my teeth slows, and as the warmth begins to return to my body, so does the panic. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I suck at this."
"At what?"
"Survival. It's just so fucking cold."
He grunts, and I feel it in his chest. "You are not built for survival, not like I am. But do not fret, female. You are mine and I will take care of you."
"Aidy," I remind him. "And I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I don't belong to anyone. I'm from Earth."
"I am not mixed up. You are absolutely mine." His hand slides down my arm, warm, and I decide I'll overlook that. "And I will try and remember your name. Aay-dee."
Out of habit, I launch into my usual explanation over my name. "Aidy is short for A and D. For…" I pause, because I know there's an answer to this. I know it's something I've said a hundred times in the past, but when I reach for it, it's not there. What is AD short for? Anno Domini? Anna Danielle? I genuinely can't remember. "I think the cold has frozen my brain."