His Little Human Mate

Chapter 12

Nixx

Her scent was driving me crazy.

I think I finally had a handle on my wolf, then a breeze of dahlia-scented air surrounded me, and I was left scrambling to get him back under control.

I paired with her to keep her safe, but my thoughts of everything I wanted to do to her right now were anything but safe.

I almost kissed her last night. It had been a lapse in judgment, a slip-up, a mistake that wouldn't be happening again. I let my guard down, and it felt so natural with her. It felt natural to be myself around her. She asked a question, I answered. No lies, no pretences, just a deep conversation between two people.

I had never told anyone about the blame I felt, yet all it took was her soft question and adorable eyes to have me spilling my mind into her hands. Not only did I tell her my thoughts, but she made them feel less weighted. Like it might not have been my fault.

Noella shivered again behind me, bringing me out of my thoughts as her shaking vibrated in my ears, the sound of her teeth chattering gripping my heart in a hold so tight it hurt. She was freezing, but I was powerless to help her.

Except, maybe...

I stopped walking and turned, causing Noella to halt as well.

I unzipped my jacket and sweater, taking them both off.

"What a-are you d-doing?" She asked, words chattering along with her teeth.

Blue had started to tint her lips, and her nose was the colour of roses in the summer. She was too damn cold.

"Helping you warm up," I answered, unzipping her gear as well.

"I'm f-fine," she said, trying to push my hands away.

I shook my head with an incredulous laugh.

"Do me a favour and don't take a career that requires you to lie, ok?"

I pushed her arms through my sweater before putting her jacket back on, zipping it to her throat, tingles erupting from the contact of bare skin.

I gritted my teeth as I wrapped her scarf back around her neck, ignoring the pull I felt to keep my hands there.

She shuddered again, but I had an inkling that it wasn't because of the cold that time.

I pulled her toque back over her ears and forehead before rubbing her covered arms, trying to give her body a head start at warming up.

Her teeth were no longer chattering as she muttered, "Thank you. You didn't have to do that." Then she noticed my bare arms and panic filled her face. "No, Nixx. I can't take your sweater! How will you stay warm?"

Her fingers rose to start undoing my handiwork, but I trapped them between mine.

"I still have my jacket," I reassured her. "Plus, my body tends to run a little warmer than others."

Abnormally warm, is what I didn't add. Wolves had faster functions, and because of that, I was anything but cold right now.

"Well then put it back on!" She demanded. "Goodness, warmer or not, you'll freeze to death!"

My lips twitched as I put my jacket back on, fighting against the laughter that was bubbling up my throat.

"You're amused, but you won't be when you're sitting by a fire drinking scolding hot tea to ward off hypothermia."

The laugh burst free, and it felt like the most uncontrolled thing I had ever done. It felt free. It felt good.

She giggled too, but then her face turned soft as she murmured, "I like your laugh."