Page 16 of Runt of the Pack
I'm struggling to fasten my bra over my still-damp skin when the bathroom door bursts open, letting out a huge cloud of steam to the hallway and bouncing off the adjacent wall with a deafening crack. With my heart leaping into my throat, I turn to face the intruder, skinny arms raised to protect myself from the attack.
There in the open doorway stands a powerfully built, utterly naked, and dripping-wet Vlad.
We both freeze, eyes locking in mutual mortification. My brain short-circuits taking in every stunning inch of his unclothed body—all hard muscle, still-angry red scars, and smooth golden skin. Rivulets of water track down the deep grooves flanking his abdomen, diverging tantalizingly lower. I can’t stop tracing their path, imagination igniting at where they disappear into dark curls surrounding his impressive...
“Shit!” Vlad’s startled curse snaps my attention back up at last. His sharp features are nearly purple, eyes saucer-wide. He slaps a broad hand over his groin in belated modesty—he’ll need more than that to cover up that beast.
“S-sorry Anya,” he stammers. “I heard a thud and thought you slipped. I just reacted without thinking.”
His face flames even brighter. “I should have called out or something first. I didn’t mean to barge in on you like that.”
I hold up my hands, signaling wordlessly that further explanation is unnecessary. We remain frozen in a long suspended moment, neither of us able to tear our gazes away, too mesmerized by miles of exposed flesh we know we shouldn’t ogle. But gods above, what a magnificent vision he makes.
At last, Vlad seems to revive enough to lunge backward and slam the bathroom door shut between us without another word. The following silence throbs as my heart hammers loudly in my ears. Sweet mercy. Every inch of that chiseled physique is now seared indelibly into my memory. I should be shocked, outraged by his bold intrusion. Instead, burning curiosity wars with my ingrained propriety. Just the glimpse of Vlad bared and vulnerable has left me dizzy with suppressed longing.
The wolf in me whines and claws inside my mind, half-mad from the brief view of our stoic companion stripped of all defenses. She wants to fling that door open again and stare our fill. Wants to trace taut muscle and scar with hands and tongue until we learn all his secret places. My inner minx fully embraces this unexpected chance to devour him with the eyes he usually guards so carefully from prying perception.
Arousal and guilt churn sickeningly in my gut as I gather up my paint-flecked clothes with shaking hands. What on earth has come over me? I need to escape before I do something truly reckless, like begging Vlad to sate these frantic new appetites clawing through my blood.
Yanking a fresh set of garments on with trembling fingers, I stumble from the little cabin, desperate for distance and frigid air to shock some sense back into my addled brain. But even the icy kiss of winter cannot dim the raging fire now lit inside me. There will be no forgetting the magnificent vision of that man bared wholly, his evident desire for me burning hot as my own scarcely-leashed passion.
Whatever happens after this, a single truth remains—the magnetic pull I’ve tried so hard to deny has only grown stronger between us. And resisting it much longer may prove an impossible feat.
For better or worse, this growing bond transcends propriety or reason now. It runs deeper than flesh and bone. And I cannot stem the tide swelling steadily up from the chambered heart of me, drowning all caution in its swirling flood. The only choice left is whether to fight this relentless current or surrender to its unknown and dangerous depths.
I stand motionless beneath the watchful pines until my skin numbs and my joints ache with cold. But clarity remains elusive. Sighing plumes of mist into the icy air, I turn back towards the humble cabin. However dangerously my balance has shifted today, the path ahead is not mine alone to determine. Vlad’s desires hold equal weight, though they remain obscured behind his unreadable facade. I cannot presume to decide for us both based only on my jumbled emotions.
Squaring my shoulders, I slip back inside, bracing for strained awkwardness or defensive distance. But surprisingly, Vlad is composed when I find him at the stove, preparing a simple meal. Aside from lingering color on his sharp cheekbones, his demeanor shows no cracks. Those intent grey eyes meet mine with perfect calm, a hint of humor in their depths.
“There you are,” he says lightly. “I was starting to worry you got lost. It’s been an hour.”
He holds my gaze, daring me to address the elephant in the room. When I make no mention of the earlier incident, something like relief passes over his rugged features. We take refuge in normalcy, carrying on stilted small talk over dinner as if nothing momentous occurred.
Yet the new secret thrums hot between us, binding us in shared forbidden knowledge. As we clear up the meal in awkward silence, my mind races feverishly. How can I possibly share a bed again with Vlad after what happened? After seeing every bare inch of his body that now fuels my restless fantasies? But neither can I resign him to the unforgiving studio floor after our pact.
I’m contemplating sneaking off to take the floor myself when Vlad’s stern voice stops me in my tracks. “Don’t even think about it. You’re not sleeping on the hard floor tonight.”
I open my mouth to protest but he cuts me off. “And neither am I. We share the bed—we agreed that would be best.” His eyes soften slightly. “Please. After today’s... excitement, we could both use some rest.”
His practical words dissolve my protests before they form. Vlad is right, as usual. The reasonable course is sticking to our original agreement. Allowing awkwardness to dictate our actions will only breed more discomfort.
I exhale slowly, releasing some of the anxiety twisting my guts. “You’re right. We share.” I’m a mature woman. I can handle this… can’t I?
The set of Vlad’s shoulders relaxes subtly in relief.
We slip under the cool sheets. Side by side in bed, we maintain careful distance. But sleep proves elusive as my awareness of him thrums loudly in the darkness. I lie frozen as if balanced on a precipice, senses attuned to his every breath and rustle. Waiting endlessly for... something.
Until the mattress shifts under Vlad’s weight and warmth envelops me. With exquisite care, he fits our bodies together, legs tangling and arm draping over my tense frame. His stubble grazes my shoulder as his lips find my ear.
“Just sleep, Anya…” he breathes. “I’ve got you.”
My defenses crumble at the tender command. Sheltered in his loose embrace, slumber rises up to claim me at last. Tomorrow’s uncertainties seem conquerable wrapped safely in Vlad’s strong arms. Tonight, there’s only this. And it is enough.
15
VLAD
I awake slowly, senses tuning to the familiar scents and sounds of the cabin. Anya’s sweet floral fragrance teases my nose, conjuring memories of the charged moments leading us to share her bed. I had expected restlessness, but slumber claimed me swiftly and deeply despite the novelty of another’s warmth nearby.
