Winter sat motionless for a long time, his eyes fixed on the stream. The cave was dark; only the dim light from our tiny fire allowed me to barely make out the pale shape of his body.

Finally, he stood and waded into the stream, dipping his hands into the water.

In the dim lighting, I saw him lean forward and wash his hair with the soap. I tried to memorize every little detail of his beautifully built body. When he arched back to rinse his hair, the water cascaded down his shoulders, long strands glistening in the faint glow of the fire.

"Why do you keep your hair long? It’s not exactly the typical look for a programmer."

"You don’t like it?"

I laughed. "Quite the opposite. You look like elven royalty."

He didn’t answer, just dried himself off, then tossed his boxers and socks into the water. From his jacket pocket, he pulled out a handful of sand and scrubbed the fabric vigorously. I watched him for a moment.

"You gonna hang those up to dry today?"

"Yeah."

"It’s dark already. You could trip…"

"The path to that ravine is straightforward. I’ll be fine."

"You’re not seriously going to wear shoes without socks, are you? You’ll tear up your feet."

"I have a spare pair of socks and boxers in my carry-on." His voice took on that clipped, pragmatic tone again.

"I should wash mine too," I mused. "I’ve got a spare set in my bag, along with a super useful tablet and some chargers…"

"I can wash your underwear, no problem."

I blinked at him. "I guess we both like to feel fresh. Nice to know."

He snorted, then pulled something that looked like a thin cotton turtleneck from his bag, and wrapped it around his wet hair.

"It’s good to keep the mind busy with something practical."

He reached for the clothes I’d carelessly tossed beside the mattress, and I felt stupid letting him do it for me, but with my leg still not fully functional, it would’ve been hard to help with all the tasks he was handling now.

"Well, I need to rinse off too."

"Sariel, you shouldn’t soak your leg in hot water. It looks worse than before. That was a mistake," he said, almost sternly.

That slight distance between us crept back in again. I didn’t like it.

"But my stomach is a mess."

"Wait till I’m done. I’ll help you."

He washed my socks and boxers in silence. I had no idea what to say, I felt like a helpless child.

For a moment, I just watched him. How long could he keep our hygiene at a level that made it feel like we were still living in a city? We only had one small bar of soap, a bottle of perfume, a few wipes, sand, and warm water. At some point, we’d have to make compromises.

Not wanting to ruin his mood, I stayed quiet. I could tell he was lost in thought.

When he finished, he stood up and walked over to me. In the darkness, I saw his outstretched hand. I took it, his grip was warm and strong, and he pulled me up. I think he wanted to lead me straight to the water’s edge, but I stopped him.

"Is everything okay, Winter? You’re so quiet."

In the fading firelight, I could barely make out his face. He hesitated, as if he couldn’t find the words to answer. Slowly, I raised my hands and brushed my fingers against his cheeks. I saw him shiver slightly, looking for a moment like he wanted to pull away. Did my touch overwhelm him? Annoy him? So I whispered instead, "Thank you… for what happened between us. My first time was pretty good, considering the circumstances. Very memorable."

Winter seemed even more flustered now. I could feel his hesitation, it was almost palpable. And then, suddenly, he did something I didn’t expect. He tilted his head up, and I felt his soft, warm lips graze mine. A light, fleeting kiss, but it sent a wave of something through me, something blissful. I wanted more, but he pulled away decisively and tugged at my hand.

"Come on, I’ll help you get in."

We walked to the edge of the stream. Winter led me to a different spot, where a flat stone sat just below the water’s surface. He helped me lower myself down in a somewhat awkward way; my ass landed on the rock, while my injured leg remained on the shore.

"Wow, this is actually pretty comfortable! I think I can get up on my own. This stone is like a seat."

"I’ll leave you to it."

Winter leaned down and tossed a few more sticks onto the fire. The inside of the cave flickered with growing shadows, as his shapely figure emerged from the darkness.

Then he gathered both blankets—rinsing the second one again—picked up our underwear, and left the cave without a word. I noticed he turned right, heading back up the volcano’s slope to dry everything.

I was alone.

At first, a wave of melancholy washed over me. Well, I wasn’t a virgin anymore. So, I guess I didn’t die one, after all. That had been a real concern of mine, however funny that might seem. But… had I really pushed death that far away? It still felt like it was lurking just around the corner.

I sat there for a while, and soon, irritation began to creep in. Was this how my days were going to look now? Going back and forth between the mattress and rinsing off in a hot stream?

And then there was this… unbearable pressure in my lower abdomen, the constant state of arousal I tried not to think about all the time. My heats never lasted long, but even two days could be hectic. And this one hadn’t even reached its peak yet.

Sitting in the water, I let my thoughts drift.

What were my parents thinking right now? How were they dealing with losing a son? My chest tightened at the thought of my dad. I knew this would devastate him. With his sensitivity and nervousness, he would be in a terrible state now. He wasn’t a very extroverted person, but I could always feel his quiet love. My father, on the other hand… I wasn’t sure if he’d react the same way. For him, this was probably more of a professional failure. The son meant to inherit his company… gone. Had he ever seen me as anything other than an asset? Had he ever really seen me as just his child? I wasn’t sure I even wanted to know the answer.

Then I thought about my brother. He had always been so focused on himself… I doubted it would take him long to move on from mourning. Maybe he was even glad. He would be the sole heir.

Finally, I thought of Blue.

Possibly he was the one, along with my dad, who’d actually miss me. Perhaps he was hating himself right now because his enemies had made their move and a member of his family died.

One thing was certain, none of them had spent today in a good mood. No matter how deep their feelings for me ran, a situation like this could crush even the most imperfect family. The brutality of disasters like this… There were hundreds of people on board, all lost because of some mafia bastard’s madness.

Fucking Anzo Ferro. It had to be mafia revenge against him. May the earth swallow him whole in prison! And his goddamn adopted son, Rocco, who was definitely the mastermind behind the vengeful attack. So many innocent people at the bottom of the ocean, all because of his blood feud…

For a moment, I thought about Winter’s family. I only knew Skye. I had never met any of his other brothers. They didn’t seem particularly close; Winter, the only beta, appeared to be a bit isolated from his alpha brothers, but what did I know? Just like with my own family, a tragedy like this had to have hit them hard.

Finally, my eyes landed on the cans of peanuts. Two were already empty, four remained, along with two packs of pretzels and some small energy bars.

I was hungry. I wanted something more substantial than dry snacks washed down with mineral water, but there was nothing else here, just bare rock and us, left to fight against an indifferent world.

***

I must have dozed off, because when I woke up, I felt Winter's warm, hard body beside me. A wave of heat surged through my lower abdomen, and a strong contraction in my core hit hard. I turned toward him, blindly groping in the darkness that had now become complete, the fire was gone.

"Winter," I whispered breathlessly, "help me."

His arms immediately wrapped around me, and I felt his lips on mine. Then he rolled on top of me, his weight on my chest surprisingly pleasant, dizzying. I spread my legs to make room for him, not waiting, and he sank into me—ah…! It gave me such a deep, satisfying pleasure to feel his hardness stretch me, widen me, push relentlessly into me.

I held him tightly, and we rocked in the darkness, my body trembling, climaxing once, then twice, then a third time, with the typical ease and effortlessness of a heat, riding the sweet waves of ecstasy. This time, Winter's mouth was on me, leaving kisses on my lips and neck. He seemed quite interested in my second gland, mouthing over it for a while.

"Greedy much?" I chuckled, but he only responded with an amused grunt.

Afterward, I didn't even get up, but I felt Winter wiping my lower abdomen with something that seemed to be his washed socks. Then he pulled a blanket over us, and we both fell back asleep.

But it wasn't over yet, the heat was just getting started!

Perhaps a couple of hours later, I woke up again. Another wave of contractions painfully coursed through my body, and this time, I felt silly waking him up in the middle of the night when he wasn’t in a rut and didn’t have the advantage of the powerful energy it gave alphas.

But to my astonishment, when I moved and twisted in a spasm, moaning his name and reaching out into the darkness, he immediately responded! He turned me onto my side without a word of complaint. I was amazed that he was already hard. Either he naturally had a very high libido, or some strange phenomenon was happening.

He sank into me again, and the ritual of rocking, sighs, squelches, and moans began anew. After we both came—me multiple times—he wiped my stomach again, perhaps with the other sock, or maybe the same one. I didn’t care either way, and I fell back asleep.

When I woke next, the gray light was already filtering into the cave. I turned and looked at Winter's face, snoring softly in his sleep, his cheek pressed against my arm, his hand resting on my waist.

I was surprised at how nice it felt to have him so close. His scent was warm, lavender-like, enveloping, and it was interesting that I could smell him, even though the suppressants should have completely blocked it out. And he didn’t use shower gel!

It was also wonderful that he was there for me, that he wasn’t refusing me, that he was taking care of me when I needed him.

I felt silly waking him up again, but the heat didn’t seem to be ending.

"Winter, sorry, I need you again," I whispered, and he opened his bleary eyes and smiled.

"Sariel, don’t apologize. Everything is okay, baby."

It was a bit surprising that he called me that, but he was half-asleep and groggy, probably not controlling every word.

This time, I also turned away from him, letting him take me from behind. We lay on our sides, and I felt his cock sinking between my buttocks and sliding into my passage, waiting and wet, shamelessly ready to be fucked. And he did just that for the next half hour, plunging so deep inside me, thrusting passionately, with an intense pace. I even stopped asking myself how it was possible for him to do this—just flowed with it. Maybe he just had a higher libido than the average beta?

When I opened my eyes again, even more sunlight was filtering into the cave. I sat up on the mattress, wincing from the pain, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as before. I examined my leg. The swelling seemed to have somewhat gone down, or was I just imagining it? It shouldn’t have happened so quickly, should it?

Winter wasn’t next to me, and the two blankets were gone. He must have gone to wash them again. I was starting to suspect that Winter had a bit of an OCD thing when it came to cleanliness. I also liked to be clean, especially considering we were having sex, but he probably had me beat on this. My eyes landed on a can of peanuts; the next one was almost halfway eaten, and my hunger today felt even more intense.

Unable to resist, I poured myself a handful of pretzels, added some peanuts, and shoved them into my mouth, struggling to hold back from grabbing more.

It was our second day living off snacks. It wasn’t fun at all. Normally, you don’t think about how much variety in food matters until you’re in a situation like this. I told myself that if I ever got out of this alive, I’d never touch peanuts again, because they’d forever remind me of this unpleasant, empty feeling in my stomach.

I knew that during a heat, hunger tended to fade into the background, but it still drained the body’s energy. And once it passed, the hunger usually came back stronger than ever, the body desperate to recover. What about Winter? His situation was different. How hungry could he be?

I swallowed the last bite, but my eyes lingered on the can.

Maybe just a little more?

A few more peanuts? I reached out and grabbed a couple, then put them back, feeling guilty. That should’ve been his portion. Damn it. I washed it down with some mineral water, but then I noticed we were running low on that too. Not good.

Since I felt sticky from dried semen all over my thighs and stomach, apparently wiping it off with a sock hadn’t been entirely effective, I slid down into the stream, sitting on the flat rock. The water was really hot, and it revived me quickly. I wondered what time it was, but the phones were off, so we had no way to check. I could only guess it was around 10 am.

As I moved around the streambed to find a more comfortable position, I bumped my leg against a rock. I hissed in pain, but what surprised me was that the soreness in my ankle wasn’t nearly as sharp as I expected! It felt slightly more dull. A subtle difference and yet… I was a bit taken aback, remembering how, when I twisted my ankle as a kid, the pain had been unbearable for days. But I didn’t think too much about it. My eyes turned longingly to the cave entrance.

The sun was shining, and it tempted me to get dressed and step outside, but I knew that wasn’t a good idea. So I spent the next forty minutes soaking in the water, thoroughly cleaning my intimate areas.

As I sat there aimlessly, my eyes drifted back to the cans of peanuts.

There were only three left, three we’d gone through in one day! What would we do when they were gone for good? I asked myself this question way too often, probably obsessively. Finally, I snapped out of the mental loop when I heard footsteps approaching.

Winter’s muscular figure appeared in the cave’s light.

When he saw me sitting in the water, he came closer and placed two blankets and some of our clothes on the mattress. I noticed he’d even dried my shirt, which was a nice gesture on his part.

"How do you feel?" he asked me.

"Horny," I muttered, because that was obvious. Sitting in the hot water might’ve helped a little, but it wasn’t enough.

Winter nodded and said, "I’ll wash up, and then we can take care of things." He smiled slightly, a touch of irony in his voice.

I felt a bit stupid, but I realized this was my first heat spent with another person. I had no idea what it was like normally. Did someone in heat always feel awkward asking the other for help? Then I remembered that this wasn’t the same as a normal situation. Omegas went into heat, but alphas went into rut as a response, so both needed each other, there was no ‘asking’ for help.

A bit shyly, I glanced at Winter. But when he started undressing, I noticed something surprising: his cock was fully erect!

It caught me off guard. We’d literally exchanged one sentence. Why would he get hard so quickly?

Maybe I was just that irresistibly attractive? The thought made me smirk. Sure… I doubted my long, sinewy body was that much of a temptation to Winter, but who knew, maybe I was actually his type?

Winter sat down in the water, and I handed him the can I’d been keeping within reach. "Eat something. You’ve been walking around; you need to boost your energy," I said, trying to keep my tone light, as if this wasn’t slowly becoming a real problem.

He looked at the can, and I saw in his eyes the exact same thought that had been running through my own mind earlier. He knew our supply was dwindling, and the pretzels were almost gone too. We were already out of fruit bars.

But he had to be starving, because he grabbed a handful of peanuts and put them into his mouth, rather greedily.

I watched him, and I knew exactly what he was feeling. After eating one handful, his gaze returned to the can in a way that told me he wanted more, a lot more. And probably not just peanuts.

Winter and I were likely around the same weight. I was taller but leaner, while he was shorter but more muscular. Our calorie needs had to be similar. On top of that, he was the one who was constantly on the move, and sex most likely burned a lot of his energy.

"Take some more. You need your strength more than I do; you’re going outside," I said, even though the words were hard to force out. I wanted to eat too, but the truth was, our survival depended on Winter, and he needed it more.

"That might not be the best idea," Winter murmured hesitantly. "We should ration our food."

I shook my head firmly. "Winter, you’ve been walking for hours in open terrain. In a moment, we’re going to be doing something just as exhausting. Please, just finish what’s left in that can."

He swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the peanuts. I could almost feel just how hungry he was, like it was my own body. Eventually, he reached for the can, poured the rest into his hand, and tossed them into his mouth. I saw the brief moment when his face relaxed in pleasure as he chewed, he must have been even hungrier than I suspected!

And with that, another can was officially empty.

I handed him two mints and half a piece of gum, taking the other half for myself.

For a while, we sat in silence.

I wanted to bring up the topic of food, but I wasn’t sure if it would lead us anywhere useful or good. I had no knowledge of the wildlife on a random island. Sure, I’d heard from my uncle Victor that marine crustaceans were one of the safest food sources in a survival situation, but we’d have to find them first. And Winter had already said that wasn’t easy.

"I walked along the volcano slope for a bit, tried to circle around it," Winter said, glancing toward the cave entrance. "On the other side of the island, there’s a pretty rocky area with deep ravines. Maybe I should explore it sometime, see if I can find anything useful."

"Rocky ravines don’t sound safe."

"I might be able to get there from the beach, but from what I saw, where the volcano meets the water, the shoreline looks hard to access. There are high cliffs. Still, maybe there’s a way around from the other side…"

"That sounds really risky, Winter. We don’t have enough food. A few hours of exertion will seriously weaken you," I said, my voice filled with doubt.

He shrugged. "One way or another, we might have to do it eventually. We need to explore the whole island."

I knew he was right, but we had to consider a lot of factors, how much food we had left, and whether the risk of depleting our energy was even worth it. What if we trekked all that way just to find more lifeless, rocky beaches with nothing on them?

My dick throbbed slightly, and I felt another wave rising inside me. My gaze swept over the smooth, pale planes of Winter’s body.

"I’d like to… do what we did yesterday. It kind of softened the wave," I mumbled, a little shyly.

Winter’s eyes locked onto my face. "Knotting?"

"Yeah. Sorry to ask, I know you're not into bottoming that much." I was probably bright red.

But Winter reacted much more positively than I expected. He reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder, his fingers brushing lightly over my ultra-sensitive gland.

"Sariel, it’s different with you. I’ve felt that from the start. I don’t have the same hesitation I did with Fin. Every relationship dynamic is different, I guess," he said with a small shrug, as if it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe it really wasn’t. "We can move to the mattress if you need it."

I felt a little embarrassed, but his face, his entire presence, somehow put me at ease. Winter seemed more relaxed today when it came to our sex.

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my shoulder, then another, directly over my gland.

"Hmm… the scar is tiny, almost fully healed," he murmured, sounding a bit puzzled, brushing his lips over the spot he’d bitten yesterday. I couldn’t see it myself, of course, but I took his word for it.

"I wonder if a beta’s bite leaves a pheromonal imprint," he mused suddenly.

Normally, when an omega bit an alpha—or vice versa—within about twenty-four hours, their pheromones would subtly start to change the aroma, signaling to others that they were mated. But I wasn’t sure if that worked with betas, since they didn’t have a strong natural scent of their own.

"If I wanted to…" I hesitated.

"I told you already, you can," Winter murmured with a small smile, apparently reading my thoughts perfectly. "It wouldn’t be my first time."

Our eyes met. Slowly, he lifted his hand and showed me his wrist. Up close, I saw two tiny, pale marks.

"Oh… yeah, don’t remind me, that was a crazy situation…" I muttered awkwardly, averting my gaze.

Winter slipped a finger under my chin and tilted it back up, forcing me to look at him.

"But kinda sexy," he added, giving me a playful wink.

Then he stood up, grabbed the soap, and quickly washed himself, his eyes on me the entire time.

When we both stepped out of the water, he was already hard. Or still hard?

So was I.

We lay down on the mattress, but this time, when he tried to lie on his stomach, I stopped him. Instead, I straddled him, pressing him down onto his back, my face hovering above his.

For a moment, I just looked at him. His expression was calm, open.

"You don’t have much stubble. It doesn’t grow fast," I said suddenly.

Winter smiled. "I usually shave every three days. My facial hair is also really light."

"I don’t have any at all…" I mumbled, blushing.

Only then did I lean in and kiss his cheek gently. He looked somewhat surprised I chose that type of kiss, but he allowed it. So, for a while, I covered his temple, chin, jaw, and then his neck with light pecks. Winter’s hands came up and softly stroked my back while I was showering him with kisses.

But when my lips reached his gland, I noticed it was different from yesterday, slightly spongier, softer, maybe even a bit darker in color. A faint pink hue had appeared.

What could that mean? I didn’t want to ask more technical questions, my cock was demanding attention.

I returned to kissing his neck, collarbones, and chest, my tongue flicking over his nipples. Winter responded with deeper breaths, and when I sucked one sensitive, pearly nub into my mouth, he gasped.

With my left hand, I twisted and rolled his other nipple, feeling my blood stir. To me, Winter was the sexiest person I’d ever met. I was literally shivering from the contact of our skin, electrified, as if sparks danced all around us.

My lips trailed down to his stomach, and soon my chin bumped into something, he was rock hard. Without hesitation, I took him into my mouth, feeling excited. I’d never done this before, but I gave it a try, working him like he had worked me, taking him deep into my throat. But I had no experience, and when his glans pressed against my throat, I immediately coughed, feeling horribly embarrassed.

"Relax, you don’t have to do this, baby," Winter murmured softly, stroking my head. "It takes a bit of practice."

"But I want to," I pouted. "You’re so good at it…"

"I don’t need you to try to match me," he replied, in a tone I’d never heard from him before—low, almost sensual. "Everything else about you is sexy."

So, I moved my lips to his balls, playing with them for a while, sucking them into my mouth before trailing up to his perineum. Winter lifted his legs, grabbing his knees to make room. I dove in, my tongue caressing his sensitive skin.

To my surprise, his sphincter was already a bit swollen, the natural color slightly pinker. I swirled my tongue around it, then slipped it inside. Winter arched his back, his hips pressing forward, as if urging me on. I happily obliged, pleased that he enjoyed it.

It was surprising, considering what he’d once told me, that he didn’t enjoy being a bottom. Yet with me, he acted like it was a natural part of his sex life. Maybe what he said was true? Each pair creates its own unique sexual dynamic.

Wanting to move things along, I slid a finger inside him, widening him gently. He wasn’t clenched at all, but almost fully relaxed. I wondered if it was because I’d been inside him yesterday, or because of his ongoing arousal. Either way, I was thrilled. Soon I added a second finger, then a third, stretching him.

Winter submitted fully, eyes closed, mouth open, panting softly. I felt a strong urge to thrust into him, but I waited a little longer to prepare him perfectly.

I gathered some of my pre-cum and slipped it inside. Winter was producing a lot too, so I used that as well. He was now thoroughly lubricated.

Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer. I rose and positioned myself over him, my face just above his. He opened his eyes. His pupils were huge, nearly swallowing the pale circles of his irises.

"Do it, Sariel," he said. I wasn’t sure if he meant just the sex or something more. Energetically, I sensed it was more than just sex.

Now was the moment. I pressed against his entrance, slowly sinking into him, feeling a wave of overwhelming pleasure that eclipsed even the pain in my leg.

Winter was so tight and hot. I thrust into him, pushing my hips forward until I was buried fully, my pubic bone pressing against him.

"God, this feels so good…" I gasped. "Wonderful, damn, you’re so tight…" I moaned, struggling to hold back my climax.

Winter whimpered, cheeks flushed, breathing fast. His heart pounded. "Fuck, I’m so full," he whispered.

Trying not to come too soon, I started to move, slowly at first, but my body demanded more. I could only support myself on one foot, so I grabbed the edge of the mattress behind Winter’s head, which helped me move properly.

I began thrusting, groaning, waves of pleasure rolling through me. Our bodies slid together, still damp from the water. Needing more, I leaned forward and kissed him fiercely.

It felt incredible being inside him in every way. I wanted it to last, but I knew it couldn’t.

Then I felt a tickle in my jaws, and a burst of joy filled me. I wanted this. I needed it so badly!

Pressure built in my gums as I worked my hips, thrusting deeper and harder. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I let out a sound, a mating call.

Winter answered with a sound I couldn’t describe. Maybe it was his beta body’s attempt to respond, even though his throat wasn’t built for it.

Whatever it was, I leaned in and sank my teeth into his gland—

Bam! We both climaxed.

I felt the hot burst of his release on my stomach, his channel clenching tight, rippling, milking my cock, pulling the orgasm from me.

Only then I looked at his face, his orgasm face. It was open, beautiful, different. I stared, mesmerized.

Winter let out a long, deep moan, and just then, something else happened, my knot expanded again.

Yeees!

Shuddering with extra pleasure, my body unraveled, the orgasm seemingly endless.

Fucking him like this, having him beneath me, was pure heaven. I wanted it to last forever.

But finally, after what felt like a full minute of trembling, the wave passed.

Motionless, I lay with my mating fangs still sunk into his neck. I didn’t want to pull away. I needed to keep my teeth buried in him, just like my cock was buried inside him.

Winter didn’t protest. I heard his breathing, his racing heartbeat, and felt his arms wrapped around me.

It was perfect, maybe the best I’d ever felt in my life. Fulfilled. Happy.

I just lay there, not sure for how long, drifting in and out, half asleep, or maybe caught in some heat-induced trance.

My head felt like a helium balloon. I floated in warmth, in bliss.

But just as I became aware of how good I felt, how at ease I was, another, heavier thought crept into my mind.

A distant rumble vibrated through the cave.

A subtle tremor shook the stone beneath me.

I’d almost forgotten. We were still trapped on this goddamn volcanic island, and our brief moment of bliss was just that—brief.

Reluctantly, I withdrew my teeth from his gland and lifted my head, looking at his face. His eyes were closed, but the moment he felt me move, he opened them, and our gazes met.

"That was fucking good," I murmured. "If it weren’t for all these depressing thoughts about an erupting volcano and our dwindling supplies, it would’ve been downright amazing," I added with a crooked smile.

"You’re thinking too much," Winter muttered. "Overthinking kills pleasure."

"Don’t worry, I had plenty of it." I said with a huff.

A distant echo of a light earthquake rolled through the ground. A bit of dust sprinkled down onto my back from the cave ceiling. I felt another shiver of unease and glanced at Winter, who was lying there with his eyes half-closed.

Even though I really didn’t want to dive into survival topics, the words just slipped out of me.

"I just can’t help it, especially when… we’re indulging in all these pleasant things, but how long until our situation turns desperate?"

Winter’s brow furrowed slightly. He was silent for a moment before saying, "Right now, that thought changes nothing. Maybe we’ll find a solution. There has to be one. In any case, there’s no point in tormenting ourselves over it today."

"This is my second day in heat. It’ll probably be over by tonight."

"Okay," Winter said with a smirk, "then let’s agree to save the grim thoughts for later."

"Have it your way." I forced a small smile in return.

Craving more of that tight contact of our skin, I rested my forehead on the mattress beside his ear but kept my cheek pressed to his, and we lay there, waiting for my knot to subside.

To avoid thinking too much about our situation, I just focused on the simple pleasure of being close, our bodies entwined together, joined in such an intimate way.

I didn’t even notice when I drifted off.

***