Her Cold-Blooded Protector

by Lea Linnett

  She was interrupted by her own shiver. She craned her neck to look out at the forest, trying not to wake the levekk. It was still gloomy, the morning sun not quite penetrating the trees at this hour. But the rain had eased. Animals snuffled in the undergrowth nearby, restocking their dens after the storm. Lena could still hear the steady drip of water as the leaves above them dropped their burden, but there was a freshness to the air.

  It was also cold.

  With Kormak no longer feeling like an ice statue beneath her, the tug of a slight breeze—moving from the south now and sneaking past the walls of their camp—felt all the more chilly. She shifted slightly on Kormak’s chest, peeking over her shoulder at the fire. It was ashen, having smoldered down in the night. She’d have to get up and rebuild it if she wanted it back. She bit the inside of her lip. She should at least check to see if her jumpsuit was dry.

  She made to move, sliding her knee down to gain purchase on the ground, but she was halted by the tightening of arms around her middle.

  Looking up, she came face to face with the levekk as he blinked away sleep.

  She felt the sudden urge to say something, to sound off a bunch of excuses as to why she was here on top of him and why they were naked, but when she opened her mouth no sound came out. She flushed, and was sure she could feel it moving past her face, staining her neck and shoulders red with the force of it.

  Kormak was staring at her, his large, blue-green eyes trailing over her face. The dark pupils were back to being as reactive as a cat’s, contracting to ward off the dull light now filtering through the trees, and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out the expression in them. He almost seemed… reverent?

  “S-sorry,” she blurted, her whole body taut. “I… You were freezing and I…”

  Kormak’s arms tightened further around her, making her pause. His eyes had softened, pupils slowly widening again as he gazed at her. There was a small smile on his face when he said, “Thank you.”

  It was barely more than a whisper, and Lena didn’t think she would have caught it had she not been pressed so close to him. Her blush deepened impossibly further at their proximity, a nervous smile worming its way onto her face.

  Lena’s body was still tensed above the levekk, her knees on the ground and her body held less than an inch above his. But when she felt a fingertip brush hesitantly over her side she relaxed, a shiver running through her that had nothing to do with the cold. The bony tip of his finger felt dry and rough against her skin, but not sharp, and when the levekk repeated the motion she allowed it to lull her, her head sinking down to his chest again.

  “You stayed with me,” he murmured, and she felt the sound rumble through her skull.

  She tried nodding, but cleared her throat when she realized he might not be able to understand the gesture at this angle. “Yeah. I couldn’t just… let you freeze.”

  He huffed in vague disbelief. “Why?”

  Lena’s brow furrowed. “You’re the reason I’m here and not in prison. You’re the reason I haven’t been caught. And—” she blushed, and buried her cheek into his chest, hoping he couldn’t see. “How could I leave you?”

  Kormak was silent, his heart picking up speed ever-so-slightly beneath her ear. She gulped, and felt her own heart begin to hammer. The tiny brush of his fingertip had turned into a gentle smoothing of his palm down her back, and she could feel a wisp of desire lighting up inside her.

  Now more than ever, she was aware of how close they were, of just how much of their skin was currently touching. But still, that blanket of calm lay over her, and she found herself wanting to stay there, relaxed in his arms.

  However, the air was still cold around them, as if to spite her, and she didn’t relish the chill that was settling over her skin. She drew back a little. “I-I should fix the fire,” she said, scooting back to get to her feet.

  She froze solid when she backed up onto something unmistakably hot and hard. Kormak stiffened beneath her, his fingers reflexively tightening where they’d landed on her upper arms. Their eyes met, both pairs flung wide, and for a moment it was as if they’d both forgotten how to breathe.

  Even half-hard, Kormak’s erection was large, rising up in a proud arc and loosely following the curve of her ass through her panties. Lena suddenly didn’t know where to put herself, even as that warm curl of desire encouraged her to rub back against it.

  She wasn’t sure she could get any more red. Fantasies of what might have happened at the river and what could possibly happen now tumbled through her mind, clashing against the tired, anxious voice inside her that had long since given up on something like this ever happening again.

  She had a sister to look after. Kormak was her friend (she was pretty sure she could say that now). This was probably just morning wood—that was common, right?

  But she could feel the heat building inside her, a twitch in her abdomen as Kormak’s fingers kneaded uncertainly into her skin. His eyes mirrored her own, dark with desire but cautious. She shifted just slightly, and felt his cock twitch against her.

  They hung there in limbo, the few seconds of excruciating anticipation feeling like an age.

  And then Lena gave in, grinding against him.

  Something snapped between them. Kormak’s entire body flexed as he thrust himself along the cleft of her ass. She gasped with surprise, but Kormak was already moving her, his fingers wrapping firmly around her arms and pulling her up his chest so they were level. She whimpered softly, lamenting the loss of contact for a brief moment before the sound was eclipsed, lost entirely as Kormak crushed their mouths together.

  She expected aggression, for her mouth to feel invaded by the unfamiliarity of the levekk, but despite the insistence of their lips, the tongue that pushed into her mouth was soft and exploratory. His tongue twisted around hers, always persistent, but giving as much as it took, even teasing her own tongue into his mouth, where the inspection continued.

  As he brought a hand to firmly cup the back of her head, his bone-like claws digging gently into her scalp, she was acutely aware that the person she was kissing wasn’t human. But it wasn’t so different. His tongue was a little firmer, maybe, and there was a musky flavor to his mouth that she’d never experienced before. But his actions were human enough—the soft exploration of his hand over her neck and back, the tensing of his chest and stomach beneath her body.

  The most unusual thing about it all was the effect it was having on her. She was wet already. Every thrust of his tongue spun suggestive images through her mind; every caress of his smooth hands made her melt further against him. She wanted to feel that contact again, feel his hardness stroking along her, but Kormak’s body was too long. It was a choice between kissing and friction and she couldn’t decide which one she wanted more.

  She mewled softly, rubbing herself across his stomach as she tried to reach a solution in her mind. She immediately felt Kormak tense beneath her, his grip on her hair tightening.

  And then he was reaching down with his other hand, dipping his fingers beneath her panties and running them over the curve of her ass. His skin wasn’t at all like she’d expected. When she’d first looked at him, all she’d seen was hard scales stretching across a harder body, but his palms were soft on her rump. All over his body, his scales were soft and flexible, and his blunted claws never threatened to draw blood. He stroked gentle trails into her skin, making her shiver.

  She moaned into the kiss as he drew her panties down, tickling her thigh, and that was when her entire world shifted. Kormak grunted slightly as he flipped them over. She landed on the soft dirt, a thin bed of leaves softening her descent.

  Soon, her thoughts were occupied elsewhere as Kormak pulled the tiny slip of fabric down her legs, rising again to press his lips against hers. He drew in close, his hips fitting neatly in the space between her legs as she wrapped them around him. She felt the heavy weight of his cock against her slit, but he didn’t push inside. Not yet.

  His hands wer
e mostly gentle as they stole lightly down her stomach and sides, but he punctuated the movement with long stripes of his blunt claws every now and then. While it didn’t hurt, the sensation thrilled Lena, and she responded in kind, running her hands over every bit of smooth-scaled skin she could reach, feeling the huge muscles of his back and shoulders bunching beneath her fingers.

  With his mouth on her neck, he toyed with the thin strap of her bra. She held her breath, watching the fabric stretch around his claw, but just before she thought it might snap, he relented. He instead tucked his fingers beneath the hem, raising it up and over the rise of her breasts like one would the lid of a treasure chest. She helped him draw the thin, wireless cloth over her head, and giggled when she saw the wide-eyed way he inspected her.

  Lena was completely on display now, sprawled beneath him on the dirt floor and pinned in place by the insistent weight of his hips. Her chest fluttered with excitement as he pulled back to survey her, his eyes roaming up and down her body appreciatively.

  “You’re beautiful,” he breathed. His tone was almost disbelieving as he ran the tip of his blunted claw over her breast, teasing the already half-hard nipple to full attention and drawing a gasp from her lips. She flushed red, and since she couldn’t reach him she instead ran a hand along her own body, tickling her sides and her stomach as she gazed up at him.

  His eyes darkened, the thin pupils now engulfing his irises, and the hand resting lazily on her hip tightened. Lena felt her breath hitch as he leaned in slow, his shoulders bunching like a big cat’s and his gaze glued to hers. She wondered if she should feel frightened, trapped as she was beneath those claws and that stare, but the notion fled her mind as he bent down to latch onto her nipple.

  She clutched his neck with shaking fingers as he teased her with his tongue. His touch sent shivers through her already trembling body, and she couldn’t feel scared. No one had touched her quite like this—caressing her so gently she wouldn’t know he was touching her at all if it weren’t for the pleasure. And just when she thought she might want more, Kormak seemed to read her mind, his blunt teeth ghosting over her puckered skin and making her whole body tense.

  She gripped Kormak’s head, her fingertips exploring the soft stretch of skin between the edge of his armored crown and the top of his ear. She felt the hard muscles of his neck as he worked her breast, sliding down further to feel the muscles of his back again.

  That was when she felt something new. Kormak’s hips shifted, thrusting once, and hard, against her slit. She moaned at the sudden stimulation and Kormak’s head drew back, leaving a lascivious trail of saliva connected to her skin.

  His eyes met hers, half-lidded and pleased, and a shiver went through her as he rose up to his full height, towering over her. He exuded power, from the broad set of his shoulders down to the massive length of him pressed tight against her. From this angle, she could see the light carving contours into every muscled inch of his skin as he breathed heavily.

  She’d never felt so tiny, and at the same time, never so safe.

  Her eyes trailed downward, towards the place where heat pooled hot and insistent between them. He was still huge, and Lena laughed at herself somewhere in the back of her mind because of course he was. He wasn’t going to shrink. If anything, his erection had gained him an inch, and Lena shuddered, half with anticipation and half with nervousness, at the sight of him.

  She’d only allowed herself a glimpse that first night they’d undressed, but now, with him towering proudly before her, she let herself take a closer look. His cock was sandy in color, much like the rest of him, but where most of his skin was covered in scales, this was nothing but smooth skin, his foreskin pulling back to reveal a glistening, pink head. Lena sighed with relief. It wasn’t so different from human equipment when it came down to it, and the thought soothed her nerves.

  The only issue was his size, and as he thrust against her again, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Strong hands held her in place, digging into the soft skin of her hips and crushing their bodies together, and she squirmed happily beneath the pressure. Even when he wasn’t moving, the incessant weight against her clit was exquisite. She could see a thick bead of moisture building at the head of his cock, and moaned faintly at the sight of it. She tried to rub against him, desperate for friction, but his hands were like immovable clamps, and she could barely move an inch.

  Slowly, his hips pulled back, and Lena sighed as his cock drew slowly along her folds. He reached the end, his head just brushing the tight heat of her opening. She waited breathlessly, convinced he was going to finally push inside her, but he slammed forward again instead, thrusting along the length of her and making her clit light up with pleasure.

  He repeated the action, and Lena could feel the muscles in his thighs bunching with the effort of restraining himself, forcing himself to draw each movement out. He slid easily against her, both of them coated with her excitement.

  His gaze roamed her body and face greedily as he ground against her, and his smile turned mischievous when one particularly aggressive thrust made her shudder, her hips fighting against his grip for more contact.

  She could already feel the incoming heat of her orgasm, the friction of his thrusts sparking a tingling deep in her gut. Kormak’s pace was quickening too, each jerk settling into a rhythm. But it wasn’t enough. Her eyes flew open, and as they met his, she managed to gasp out between Kormak’s thrusts:

  “I want you inside me.”

  Kormak faltered at that, the rhythm of his hips stuttering.

  For one interminable second, he paused. His eyes searched hers, his breaths ragged. But Lena couldn’t stop a desperate moan from escaping her, her hips trying to solicit friction from his unmoving body. Suddenly, the breath seemed to race out of him, his muscles losing their restraint, and he hauled her up onto his lap, pulling her impossibly close as he lined the head of his cock up against her core. Without hesitation, he sank into her, sheathing himself to the hilt in one swift move.

  She’d expected it to be more difficult, and she groaned happily at the fullness of him pressing against her walls. Every nerve was on fire, and when Kormak bent down over her, his lips sent crackles of electricity across her skin. He thrust once, experimentally, and then all control was lost.

  He plunged into her with deep, wild thrusts, filling her completely every time. One hand gripped her leg, opening her wide as he fucked her into the ground. Each thrust drew a new moan from her lips, and she soon felt her climax building up inside her again, her back arching.

  Two more thrusts, and Lena unraveled. Her orgasm screamed through her, her skin flushing and her body shaking around the levekk. Every nerve was on fire, her skin prickling wherever it met with Kormak’s scales.

  She felt every inch of his climax as he emptied himself deep inside her, hot and thick.

  They held each other close for a few moments more, each still tensing through the last of their orgasm, before collapsing in unison against the forest floor.

  Lena’s awareness came back slowly, still panting as Kormak breathed deeply into her hair. He’d slumped to one side, careful not to crush her, but his bone-deep exhaustion rumbled through her with every heave of his chest. She put her hands on him, smoothing her palms down his scales as he shivered with exertion.

  Suddenly, he rolled, drawing her up onto his belly like he had in the night, and brushed the dirt and bits of forest floor from her back.

  Only then did his now softening cock slip out of her, and Lena blushed tiredly at the fact that she hadn’t thought to remove it sooner.

  She heard the rustle of fabric, and then one of the blue jumpsuits was being laid over her. It was massive, covering her torso completely, so she assumed it must be Kormak’s. It was dry and only a little cold, but she took the opportunity to snuggle closer into Kormak’s chest all the same.

  Once again, she felt thick fingers of sleep pulling at her, and she slipped into slumber with Kormak’s hands rubbing gentle circles o
ver the skin of her back and sides.

  16

  Kormak woke later that morning to the soft weight of Lena sleeping on his chest, and for the first time in days he felt warm.

  He wasn’t freezing. He wasn’t even room temperature. The warmth from Lena’s body was soaking through his skin, trapped by the makeshift blanket he’d made out of his jumpsuit, and he could practically feel it coursing through his veins.

  He closed his eyes again, basking in it. Lena was like his own personal sun, clasped tightly in his arms.

  He’d nearly died. The thought touched him only faintly, as if he didn’t quite believe it yet. But there was no denying it. If it wasn’t for Lena, he probably wouldn’t be breathing right now.

  And he definitely wouldn’t have had some of the best sex of his life that morning either.

  His fingers tightened imperceptibly around her at the memory of it. She’d looked so alluring, laid out before him, uncaring of the dirt and leaves surrounding them. And her body was so responsive. Every touch had affected her, his claws leaving flushed red skin and tiny bumps in their wake. He’d never experienced anything like it, and as he gazed down at her, all he wanted was to experience it again and again.

  There wasn’t much of her poking out from under the jumpsuit other than her blond hair, which was mussed and had a twig sticking out of it. He suppressed a chuckle, reaching up to pluck the debris away, and in the process, he pushed the jumpsuit down just slightly to reveal her face.

  She was sleeping soundly, her features relaxed and free of any worry lines. She had her cheek resting against his chest, and she rose up and down along with him as he breathed. She was beautiful like this too, her round eyes loosely shut and her small mouth puckered with sleep. He ached to think of how he’d looked down on her in the Iso Ward; how he’d thought her to be weak and dirty and anything but attractive.