Page 158 of The Heart of Winter

Climbing back up the streambed, I reached the cave in minutes.

Sariel was sitting at the entrance, deathly pale, trying to rub two sticks together, the ones I had brought.

And when he saw me—

That light in his face again.

Such pure, boundless joy, just because I’d returned.

Shit.

Tears almost stung my eyes.

Poor kid.

What a cruel fate had met us.

A terrible thought crept into my mind: I was just a sterile beta. But he…he was a miracle of nature. A true hermaphrodite. All that, wasted.

And I didn’t know if I could save him.

No… IknewI couldn’t save him.

All I could do was prolong his suffering.

I dropped to my knees beside him and held out the clam.

"Eat, Sariel. Please. Eat."

He looked at the tiny, insignificant thing in my hand.

"And you, Winter?" His voice was quiet. "Did you eat?"

"Yes," I lied.

"No."

Sariel pressed his lips together. "I know you’re lying to me, Winter. I know you didn’t eat!"

"Eat it," I snapped. "That’s an order. I’m still your director. Remember that."

God, how absurd it sounded. And Sariel laughed softly.

"And I’m the son of your boss. So I’m ordering you to eat it."

"There’s no way in hell." I grabbed his hand, trying to shove the clam into his palm.

But he caught my wrist with his other hand.

I tried to wrestle with him, but to my shock, I realized—this twenty-two-year-old had more alpha in him than I did, despite all my hours at the gym.

His face didn’t even twitch as he pried my hand aside and, instead, pressed the clam into my palm. His grip was firm, as he curled my fingers around the tiny shell.

"Eat it, Winter. That’s an order."

"No. I won’t."

We locked eyes.

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