One Bite

Chapter 2-2

"Wake up, Princess."

A grouchy male voice vibrated in my ears as fingers clasped around my shoulders. My head snapped, arching my neck as I was shook, my torso sagging like a ragdoll. Trembles vibrated my lips, both from the cold sensations that bit into my skin and as my mind recalled what happened.

"Zara!"

He shook me harder, which flipped my eyes open. I squinted as Cole and Elena's brown eyes came into focus, then blinked until they cleared, staring down at me.

"What happened?" I croaked out of my throat. My entire canal felt dry, like I'd screamed for hours, and tasted salty from the sea water.

"You saved us!" Elena's arms choked around my neck. I would have fallen over from her force, didn't since I was seated and strapped in a seat belt already.

How did I get in a seat belt?

I blinked at the interior of a car over Elena's shoulder, my pulse throbbing in my veins and threatening a headache deep behind my skull. Relief sagged my shoulders as I hugged her, taking a few deep breaths as my racing heart stabilized. My palms gave her shoulders one more squeeze, then released her in order to take in our new surroundings.

"Thank you Zara." Cole's eyes softened at me, before they fixated in Elena's direction.

With a relaxed jaw and forehead, his lips for not not scowling, he looked relieved. In a blink, his pupils enlarged, overtaking his hazel irises as they dilated. That heated look, lust, was strong enough to make my eyes avert.

"I didn't save us." I squirmed in my seat, stilling when I realized my bare skin brushed against a warm, fuzzy-textured surface.

Looking down with a groan, I was naked under the blanket wrapped around me like a burrito.

And now I know why Cole's looking at Elena like that.

Awkward.

"Lumi did," I admitted as pride for her flickered inside me like a small candle. My words were true, I panicked, asked her to save us, and she did.

'Not weak.'

No, you're not. Thank you, Lumi.

She didn't respond, but I felt that she was pleased with herself. I was proud of her too.

Goosebumps pricked up the skin on my chest. Feeling a bit exposed, my fists tugged the blanket up under my armpits, then my bare arms crossed over my stomach. My nose cringed at the cuts and bruises lashed all over my arms. The bright red gashes looked like streaks of red paint had been flung over my pale skin. Based on the throbbing pain in my left thigh, I assumed it looked worse.

"What happened?" I dragged my gaze up to Cole. 

He sat back, pulled a bare Elena into his lap, and hugged her close. His palm pressed on her cheek, he held her ear into his chest. I glanced away as he bent down, nuzzling his nose into her neck and pretended the best I could the loud inhale of his breath.

She couldn't have smelled much better than I did, like the briny, salty, dirty water Cole had fished us out from.

"We were attacked by a pack of rouges about a hundred and twenty miles away from the Northern pack house." As Cole turned away in my peripheral vision, I glanced back out of the corner of my eyes.

His eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched shut, and based on the pools of gold that dripped into his eyes, his wolf Sable had his own opinions on what happened. Cole's broad chest expanded and collapsed as he breathed like he tried to control himself.