by Amelia Jade
Lex had proven them wrong, but it hadn’t been easy. He closed his eyes, thinking back to it.
His eyes had spied the tracks in the fast-falling snow as he approached the cave. They were mostly covered. Even with the snow coming down as hard as it was, it meant that they had likely been inside for an hour or more. Long enough to get comfortable, and to know that nothing else had a claim to the cave.
Lex had moved to the side of the cave before he set Petal down and wrapped her tightly in both blankets to ward off the cold before he could get her inside. Then he’d walked back around his little half-arch until he stood facing the opening head-on. By now the wolves inside would have smelled his presence, despite the swirling wind. He spread his legs and wiggled his fingers back and forth.
“Come out, come out, or I’ll come on in,” he called out, altering the nursery rhyme for his own purposes.
A low growl echoed from within the entrance to the cave. The opening was only perhaps three feet high and four feet wide, forcing the large creature that emerged to crouch as it emerged. The nearly pure-white wolf’s lips were pulled back, bone-yellow teeth exposed and ready to lock onto him. The yellow of its eyes was bright, visible even in the low light.
Above them lightning lit the sky, setting the scene as the two of them stared down one another. Lex was standing mostly still, only his fingers moving, while the wolf stopped just outside the cave entrance.
“You’re not the one I want,” he said calmly. “Bring out the bosses. I know they’re in there.”
The leaders of the pack would likely be the biggest male and his mate. They led by sheer force, and the fact that the rest would likely be their children. Lex had no intentions on killing any of them, but the wolves would survive in this weather.
Petal would not.
But the pack leaders refused to show. Feeling slightly insulted, Lex let his true colors shine. Ripping his clothes free he stood naked, facing the wolf. Calling upon the power within, he transformed before the guard-wolf’s very eyes. He crouched low as the change swept over him, starting in his feet and working its way up his body. Toes became claws, and his skin sprouted fur as the werewolf burst from within.
Mottled white and gray fur with the odd patch of black covered him from head to toe. His joints reversed themselves and his arms lengthened to match his legs, until he stood on all fours. The final change was his face, where his nose jutted forward into a muzzle.
Lex snapped and growled at the wolf, baring his own teeth and pawing the ground. He stood easily almost a foot higher at the shoulder than the wolf facing him, with eighty or so pounds on the smaller wolf. The sudden change in dynamic produced a curious sound from the guard.
Almost as if they’d been ready—which he was sure they had—the rest of the pack filed out of the cave, led by a massive charcoal-gray beast. Although still smaller than Lex, the wolf would have been a giant anywhere else. How he’d come to be living in the hills around Surrey without Lex finding out was a surprise, but not something he could deal with now.
Okay boys and girls. Let’s get this rodeo moving. Time is a-wasting!
Lex growled and snapped at them. Although he might be a werewolf, communicating with the others was not something he’d ever learned how to do. After all, they were wild beasts, and he was only possessed with the ability to turn into one.
But a challenge was a challenge, and the wild wolves reacted accordingly, fanning out around him. With a normal wolf that would have been the perfect response. They could pincer him from the sides while three of them hit him from the front. Where they went wrong, however, was assuming that Lex would stay on the defensive.
So he launched himself forward, moving faster than they could have been expecting. He was alongside the gray male in a fraction of a second, dipping his head low so he could nip at its hind legs. The beast yelped and tried to donkey-kick Lex, but he was already moving out of the way.
They circled up, and again Lex darted forward. The others closed on the male to protect him, which was precisely what he’d been hoping for. Lex went right this time, taking a little chunk from one of the black and white tufted females. The little scene repeated itself twice more, until four out of the five wolves all bore his toothmarks on their hind legs.
Lex, however, was unmarked.
Come on. Get the bloody point already. I don’t want to hurt you, but if it means you or Petal, I’m sorry, you don’t have a chance.
At last the charcoal-colored leader seemed to get the point. He growled something to his pack, and they fell in behind him. He walked backward, watching their rearguard as they disappeared into the trees, waiting only until he was among them before turning and running after his charges.
Lex sighed and waited a full minute before going to inspect the cave. It was empty. He returned to his human form and dragged Petal inside before returning for his clothes and the rest of the safety gear. Then he’d pulled the snow up until it covered the entrance. After that, he’d hung the heat blanket using some of the sticky strips contained in the safety gear, and returned to check on Petal.
Where she’d almost brained him with a rock.
“Lex?”
He shook himself back to the present as her hand landed on his upper arm, giving it a little shake.
“Uh, yeah?” he asked, his eyes fastened on her hand.
It felt good against his skin. Not sexual, but just…good. Right. Proper. Weird.
“Nothing, you just felt like you were somewhere else.”
“Oh, sorry.”
He looked across at Petal. His eyes were much better at seeing in the dark than a normal human, and he could make out her shape with the light that did trickle in from outside, sneaking past the snow and the blanket. He’d noticed the sky brightening, perhaps indicative that the storm was heading toward an end.
What he saw in front of him was rather surprising. There was a core to Petal that he doubted many corporate executives possessed. She was smart, quick on her feet, and despite the disaster that had struck, she was somehow maintaining her wits about her. Lex had been completely and totally prepared to deal with a hysterical version of her.
Instead, she’d armed herself the second she realized she was alone, had charged straight at him despite not having a clue it was him. During the frantic drive on the road she’d remained calm and hadn’t freaked out any more than to be expected.
And now she was keeping him centered and in the proper mindset, able to tell simply from the way his silence filled the cave that he had been lost in a reverie at a time when they needed to be focused on each other, not one another.
He heard more than saw her start to pull the heat blanket around her.
“Don’t,” he said, moving his hand to forestall the action, laying his palm across her forearm.
Once again he felt the rightness of the touch, wondering what the hell it meant. Were they bonding over the fact they were stuck together? Would they come out of it feeling like they could almost be friends? He doubted it, since they were so different, but stranger things had happened before.
“Why not?”
“Only use it if you get well and truly cold. Not a little shiver. But freezing. Otherwise, let your body do the work for now. It’ll keep you better adjusted if we need to go outside.”
“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re so warm. I can feel it; you’re like a furnace. I’m surprised we can’t see by the light you’re so hot.”
Lex felt his throat constrict as an idea came to him.
No. No, you will not do that. She’s helpless, trapped in a cave with you. Just because you both survived a near-death experience does not mean that you can just take advantage of her. That’s what will happen if you suggest your idea, and you know it. So be-have.
“Sorry,” he rumbled, forcing the word through the awkwardness that had descended between them.
Clearly Petal had sensed the opening her words
left him as well.
A frown creased his forehead. Had she sensed it…or had she purposefully made it?
No, not her. She’s way too composed to be thinking about that at this time. Pure coincidence for sure.
“Oh. It’s fine,” she said.
Was that disappointment he heard in her voice? Lex snarled at himself mentally, forcing himself to get it together.
“Here, eat this,” he said, reaching forward and grabbing a pair of ration bars from the bag that contained the safety gear.
“Thank you.” She unwrapped the bar and started to work away at the chewy substance. “What do we do next?”
He swallowed before answering. “We wait. When the storm is over, I’ll go get help.” He squeezed her wrist as she started to speak. “I know, I know. It’s a masterful plan. But no need to get all teary-eyed over how beautifully thought out it is.”
Petal paused. “You’re right. The only way to describe it is ‘genius.’ Nothing else even comes close. I can’t see any way that could fail. Not one, not even six within the first thirty seconds of hearing it.”
He winced. “That many?”
She snorted. “And more. First off, how will you know when the storm ends?”
“I’ve been living here my entire life,” he said, feeling slightly nauseous at having to lie to her. He made a note to dedicate some time to puzzling out why, since he hadn’t felt that way the first time. “I’ll know when it’s ended. It’s tough to explain, but I have a keen eye for the weather now.”
“Uh-huh,” she said dryly. “So keen you foresaw this storm and took all the necessary precautions to ensure you and anyone with you wouldn’t get caught out in it, right?”
He winced.
“It’s okay,” she said, patting his arm gently.
Was it his imagination, or had she let it stay there for a split second longer than normal before she stopped?
“Thank you.”
“We all fuck up,” she added. “Just usually not this bad. All you have to do to make up for it is to get me the hell out of here.”
“Is that your version of an inspirational speech?” He chuckled softly with genuine amusement. “Because it really could use some improvement. I hope you don’t use those sorts of lines in the office to motivate your staff.”
“Hey!” she protested. “I’ll have you know that my department is one of the best in the company.”
“Mmmm,” he disagreed. “So Vince is one of your best employees then? ‘Cause if he’s an example of what’s going on at head office, I think I might need to update my resume.”
Petal snorted and playfully elbowed him. “No, Vince is an example of an ass-kisser who has worked himself as high up as possible.”
“Really? I don’t think he’s that bad,” Lex said, stretching the word out.
“Are you serious? Did you see how terrible a job he was doing today before I took over? Not that I’m trying to toot my own horn here—”
“Surrreeeee,” he teased.
Petal made a noise while sticking out her tongue. “Anyway, as I was saying, Vince is right where he belongs.”
“No, no I think he’s got one more promotion in him.” Lex was adamant.
“Why do you think that?”
“It’s simple, really. If he gets promoted any higher, he has to go to one of the larger offices. Which means he leaves Surrey.”
Petal started to laugh. “Okay, okay, I see where you’re going now.”
They continued to enjoy a moment of amusement, forgetting all about their predicament for those precious few seconds. Lex eyed Petal as she eventually composed herself. He’d never have guessed in a million years that this side of her would have existed. There was a human being in there.
She was just trapped by circumstance, and something else that he hadn’t yet been able to identify.
Her mouth opened and a yawn escaped before she could cover it with the back of her hand.
“Excuse me,” she said, shaking her head slightly.
He saw her wince from the motion, a reminder of the blow she’d taken. The blanket under her crinkled as she slid down it, trying to get comfortable for a nap it seemed. Her eyes closed and he knew she’d probably be out in seconds.
With a sigh he leaned over, grabbed the soft skin on the bottom of her arm, and pinched.
Hard.
8. Sleep Deprivation
Petal
Pain exploded up her arm.
“OW!” she yelped, sitting upright and rubbing the tender area. “What was that?” The words came out in a half-snarl as she rounded on Lex.
Her eyes desperately searched in the dark for his face, trying to determine what sort of expression he had on. Smirking, probably. Did he think that was funny? Or flirtatious? That had hurt!
“Most people call it a pinch, I believe.”
If there had been any light, Petal was positive her vision would have been tinged with red. She wanted nothing more than to reach up and throttle his perfectly proportioned face. Just bam! with her fist, with a right cross. The three boxing lessons she’d taken as a rebellious fifteen-year-old would be perfect right then. He wouldn’t even know it was coming.
Her mind flashed back to the way he’d snagged her wrist in midair when she’d tried to hit him with the rock. The memory of how abruptly her arm had stopped came back to her. He hadn’t even trembled from the effort; his fingers simply closed around the smallest part of her wrist and held her there. Lex was stronger than she thought. Hitting him, if she could even make contact, probably wouldn’t do anything.
“Fine, I’ll play. What were your reasons for pinching me?”
Lex might have snorted. She wasn’t sure, the noise was too faint even in the cave.
“So that you don’t fall asleep.”
She rolled her eyes, knowing he couldn’t see the gesture. “Well why didn’t you just tell me you were afraid of the dark? I didn’t realize being the only one awake would scare you so badly.”
“Hah. You’ve got spirit, I like that. But believe it or not, that was for your own benefit.”
A flush of unexpected excitement at his compliment flowed through Petal. She wanted to figure out why that was, but the rest of his words caught and kept her attention. “For my benefit? What benefit does you inflicting pain on me give me?”
“You bumped your head. Rather hard at that. There’s a chance you may have a concussion. So, you need to stay awake for a while.”
“Oh.” Her anger faded instantly. The part of it that had been directed at him for pinching her at least. Now she was going to have to go sleepless for who knew how long. If there was one thing guaranteed to make her a complete and utter bitch—and not just the façade she maintained—it was to deprive her of sleep.
“Think you can do it?”
She didn’t quite snap at him. “I’m a human office worker that you’re expecting to be able to keep themselves awake. What do you think?”
“All right. Well, I guess I’ll have to do something to keep you awake.”
Petal froze. Was he insinuating that they should sleep together, just so that she wouldn’t fall asleep? Her brain played back several images of him from earlier in the day. Memories that showed off his muscle, or the agility he possessed to jump from the bucket on his truck to the ground. Then it decided to inject her with a feeling of gratefulness for saving her life. All of a sudden the concept of sleeping with Lex didn’t seem all that terrible.
“Uh, oh, okay,” she said, knowing her eyes were wide. How the hell had she gone from zero to one hundred in the span of perhaps four or five seconds? That was not the way she approached sexual relationships.
Could he be exerting some sort of subtle mental influence over her? Or was it her natural human response to a near-death experience? She’d been told that sexual arousal, the reaffirmation of life, was something that could overpower someone after a terrifying experience like the one she’d been through. Maybe that’s all it was. It would explain her su
dden acceptance of the idea.
“Not like that, you pig,” Lex said dryly. “I meant I was going to have to keep talking to you, instead of falling asleep myself.”
“Okay.” Petal felt sheepish at the way she’d just assumed what he was going for. Maybe he had some more self-restraint than she’d assumed.
Or he’s just not interested in having sex with you.
She thanked her inner doubt politely for making her feel undesirable. It always seemed to pop up at the perfect time.
“Tell me something then,” she told him when he didn’t speak up again.
“Okay. What would you like to know?”
She could hear the bone-dead tiredness in his voice, now that she was listening for it. He sounded absolutely exhausted. Which, in hindsight, made complete sense. He’d hauled her out of the truck and then carried her who knew how far to the cave. Then he’d done his best to make them safe in the cave, all after already having worked a solid day and then making the long drive out here. She’d be done in as well.
“Tell me about you. Who are you, what’s your story? You seem pretty educated for a line-working grunt.”
Lex laughed through his nose, expelling air in bursts. “Ah-ha! The truth comes out.”
She was confused. “What truth?”
“The part where you have major preconceived notions that all us laborers must be muscular Neanderthals unable to carry on a conversation or form educated opinions about things and have discussions on said topics. It’s all very clear now.”
“I do not!” she exclaimed. It was a lie though, and they both knew it. Petal only had to think back to earlier when she’d feared dying in the cave with the “lowly line worker” for proof of the fact that she considered him beneath her.
“Yes, you do,” he said gently. “Which, to be fair, there are plenty of us who fit that stereotype. But you’d be surprised how many of us do it because we enjoy working with our hands, and being outside on a regular basis. We have folks with masters degrees and other fine pedigrees who work the lines with us.”