Page 6 of Fae Torn

The man studied me, the fierce scowl sliding from his face. His body relaxed as he leaned against the wall, never taking his eyes off me. As the frost curse flickered along the walls, he regarded me steadily. Then he got up and crossed the distance between us.

My eyes widened in fear, and I tried to disappear into the wall behind me. Ignoring my panic, he settled down next to me.

“Relax,” he murmured. “I won’t hurt you.”

I didn’t believe him. He’d be the first male who hadn’t tried to hurt me in this world. Sure, Bleddyn and Daeary had both protected me, even saved my life, and then, when I’d finally trusted them, they’d abandoned me without hesitation. So sue me if I felt vulnerable.

We stayed silent for long moments. He was the first to break it, his whisper offering his name like a lifeline. “I’m Than.”

I turned and looked at him, searching his face. Above a wild beard, brown eyes returned my gaze. There was something under the grime and the scratches that pinged my memory. His gaze skidded to the side and back again as my brows pulled together in concentration. And then I had it.

“It’s you. You were in a cage at the market. I came back to free you, but… you were gone.”

His eyes narrowed, and then he tilted his head, looking at me sideways. “That was you? I escaped, but not without leaving a bloody trail behind. They’ve been hunting me ever since.”

“And now they caught you. Fuck. I’d say welcome to my home, but—” I threw my arm out in an arc, but the air was so frigid, I snatched it back just as quickly.

We sat in silence. After being alone for so long, having a companion was weird. There were the familiar noises, dripping water, the squeaking of vermin, the howls in the distance. But above it all was the steady rhythm of Than’s breathing.

Lost in his thoughts, he seemed to cope with the cold better than I did. I was shivering, my teeth clacking, and my butt was numb from the stone I squatted on.

Than was so close, I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He glanced over a few times, and finally, he reached out and pulled me against his side as easily as positioning a doll.

I gasped and stiffened, overcome by fear again. But all he did was hold me, and soon, I relaxed against him, absorbing his body heat like a sponge.

With one hand, he rummaged through a pocket in his tattered clothing and pulled out some dried meat.

“Here,” he said, handing it to me. My stomach growled at the sight, reminding me just how long it had been since I’d eaten anything more than a chunk of moldy bread.

“Thank you.”

What was I thanking him for? I didn’t know. Thank you for giving me food? Thank you for not raping me? Thank you for being human in this inhuman world?

The corner of his mouth lifted, and there was warmth in his eyes despite the exhaustion that lined his face. He squeezed my shoulder and nodded. And for the first time in days, I felt like I had someone in my corner.

As nightfall blanketed our prison in obsidian shadows, Than’s arms encircled me tightly. The warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat offered a small comfort in this wretched place. Him being in the cell with me made everything easier to bear somehow.

I must have nodded off, because when I woke up, Than was on his back, and I lay on his chest. Not a single bit of my body touched the cold floor. His back took the brunt, and where I’d stopped shivering, tiny tremors ran through him. I lifted my head and met his glittering gaze.

“Can’t sleep, kitten?” he whispered, holding me tighter.

I shook my head, feeling warm for the first time since I’d gotten here.

He shifted, trying to find a better position. “Fuck, this is hell on my back.”

I tried to slip off him and allow him space to get up, but he wasn’t having it. “Where do you think you’re going? Stay here and rest.”

He shifted me around until I was back in position, right on top of him. But then he made a noise like a bitten-off groan. I stilled, barely daring to breathe. Something so hard and big poked my lower belly, I didn’t know how I hadn’t noticed it earlier.

“I’m sorry. Ignore it. Just a natural reaction to a gorgeous woman rub against me.”

His feeble attempt at humor fell flat as he bit back a gasp. I didn’t know what got into me—maybe knowing that I’d be dead soon made everything more urgent. My heart raced as I shifted around, feeling the hard bulge between his legs. It was massive and rubbed against my bare pussy under the thin dress.

It felt delicious, and I slid up and down a few times, feeling my juices flow. Was it wrong to want to escape this prison into ecstasy, just for a little while? I didn’t think so.

“Fuck, Than,” I whispered, my voice trembling from both fear and arousal.

Our gazes locked, and he hesitated for a few seconds. Then he exhaled harshly. “Yeah. Fuck it. Who knows how long we got?”

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