The Pursuit of Winter

Waking

Hmmm. So toasty. Wait. My bed is not this warm. Or comfortable for that matter. With that thought I slowly open my eyes, realising that I am cuddling with a stranger. And not bad looking either. Uhh shut up dirty mind.

As soon as my waking brain connects with what I am doing I gasp and my whole body tenses. He is naked.

Bare ass naked.

He must have shifted during the night as his body healed enough to allow him. Oh sweet baby, pickles, mother of -

My thoughts are interrupted by a shift and subsequent groan of the body squished into mine. Okay Winter. Calm down. You've seen a man before. Well, not a naked man. Breathe. I slowly roll away from him, shifting out of his arms and quickly stuffing a pillow into them when he clutches at the empty air.

Phew. Ok, so that wasn't so bad I mumble to myself.

Maybe I should make Burnie some food. Yes. That is definitely a good idea. Cuddling with naked strangers: not so good idea. Besides, he looks like he could eat and calling him Burnie definitely quelled some of the attraction that I felt towards him. Burnie seems like the kind of name you give to an old man, a sweet old man who walks with a cane, and reads the newspaper on Sundays. The opposite of a six foot five, carved out of granite, greek god lying on my living room floor. Right. So food.

I walk run to the kitchen and decide on some oats, thinking that Burnie could use some nutritious fruits and carb filled food to energise his injured body. I make breakfast and walk back to the living room intent on helping the stranger eat. He looks so peaceful lying on the floor, so I make sure to move soundlessly until I am coached beside him. Moving a few pillows under his muscular body I manage to prop him up until he is in a half upright position.

Wary that I might scare him into a panic, I straddle his wast, trapping his arms beneath my legs and place my hands on his cheeks. I hesitantly whisper "wake up", hoping to ease him into wakefulness.

"It's ok, you're ok, I'm not going to hurt you." I slowly pat his cheeks as I speak. Well who knew being a nurse could be so hard. I proceed to poking his cheek, growing impatient for a reaction until I suddenly hear a growl, causing me to fall to the side in fear and crawl backwards until I hit the couch.

"Don't be afraid little one, I won't hurt you", a deep gravely voice whispers across the room. Looking up I meet the same eyes I feel asleep to. That magnetic shade of auburn. My body is so tense it's painful but his eyes look kind and I remind myself that this is Burnie, just Burnie. And I promised myself I would help him. So I slowly crawl forwards until I am next to him and hand him the porridge.

"Hi. I'm Winter."

"Hello Winter, the name's Luca."

Looking down at my hands I mumble out "Burnie's not even close then huh. Stupid Burnie, old man name.", hearing him chuckle in confusion in response to my seemingly random rambling.

"May I be so bold as to ask what I did to deserve such a beautiful girl taking care of my beaten up self?" He inquires.

I meet his eyes, "You were hurt, I know what that's like. So I helped. Why were those men attacking you?"

He mumbles in response, a slight heat rising in his cheeks, but my wolf hearing picks it up, "I um, kind of, um, went on a tantrum and got separated from the pack and got my ass handed to me by a group of rogues, because I was too busy fuming to realise I was being followed..."

I try and stop a chuckle from leaving my lips, miserably failing, but he looks so bashful and cute dare I say it. "I'm sorry, it's really not funny..."

Thankfully he seems to find the humour in the situation as well and gives a few chuckles.

I don't know why but for some reason I seem to feel comfortable around this male. An anomaly considering I have only ever been taken advantage of and abused by men in the past. I think maybe because I saved him, seen him unconscious, that and the fact that he is way too injured right now to hurt me. Once I made eye contact with his eyes though I did realise he is not my mate, instantly calming me. I refuse to be mated. Most wolves ache for their other half, but then again most wolves haven't been caged their whole life. I have only just found freedom, there is no way I'm letting some possessive, dominant wolf take control of me or my life just so that he can feel 'complete'. No thank you.

It's with this feeling of peace that I look at Luca and smile, somehow knowing that everything is going to be okay.