43

ALEXANDER

I underestimated her.

I didn’t actually expect her to jump.

Then again, I never know what she’s going to do or when. Alina is a thousand contradictions wrapped in fire. Soft smiles, shy glances, but behind them is something wild and competitive, something that burns hotter than she should be able to carry.

She’s already mine. She always was.

The second she ran into that forest with those legs, that skirt, that defiance. I should’ve known she wouldn’t play fair. But when she leapt into the lake without a second glance, something in my chest twisted violently.

I waited.

For her to come up.

For a splash.

A gasp.

A flick of her arm breaking the surface.

But nothing.

And then the realization hit. Cold. Hard. Sickening.

She didn’t hesitate because it was cold. She hesitated because she couldn’t swim.

Fuck.

The mutts. Of course. They barely touched water, so why would she know how to?

I didn’t think, I dived in after her, fully clothed, dragging icy water into my lungs as I pushed under. The shock of it was nothing compared to the sudden silence. The lake swallowed everything.

I searched for her scent. The faintest thread of her was still there, swirling beneath the cold like a tether I couldn’t afford to lose.

Then I saw her. She was still. Her hair a dark halo around her head.

I reached her and wrapped my arms around her waist, dragging her to me like she was oxygen itself.

She didn’t move.

Her eyes were shut.

A stone dropped in my gut as I pulled her up, kicking for the surface. My body was numb, but my heart, my monster, was howling.

She hadn’t made a sound. I cursed myself for standing on the edge, smug and amused, for too long.

The second we broke the surface, I hauled her against me and swam to shore. Her body hung heavy in my arms, and every step out of that water felt like dragging myself from a nightmare.

Her skin was freezing.

Her lips already turning pale.

“Shit,” I muttered, kneeling and ripping my shirt off. Her clothes clung to her like a second skin. I mind-linked Isiah and demanded they bring something that’ll warm her, fast. One of them had to have a damn towel.

Isiah grumbled like he always did.

I didn’t realize I’d snapped until he went dead silent, but at least it made him move.

I stripped her skirt and blouse, tossing them aside before wrapping my own shirt around her. Then I pulled her to my chest, holding her as tightly as I could, as if I could force my heat into her bones.

Her lips were cold.

Her fingers unmoving.

My hands shook but not from the cold. I could endure the cold. I couldn’t endure this. The thought of her getting sick, or worse, was a pain I didn’t know how to process.

She wasn’t built for this climate, not like we were. I should’ve known. Should’ve thought ahead. And now she was curled in my arms, trembling and fragile, and it was my fault.

Minutes passed before her cheeks regained some color. Her lashes fluttered.

Her eyes opened slow.

Glassy pools landed on me.

And gods, there was a softness in them I’d never seen directed at me.

“Are you okay?” I asked, stupidly. It was all I could manage.

“I think so,” she croaked. Her voice was raw, frayed. “I’m cold.”

“I know, love,” I murmured. “They’re bringing something. Just hold on.”

She nodded, weakly. Then let her head fall against my chest like it belonged there. The feeling that tore through me was foreign and unnerving but I didn’t push it away.

I welcomed it.

Where the hell was Isiah?

I noticed her eyes slipping shut again. I shook her gently. “Don’t sleep, okay? Stay awake for me. Just for a little longer.”

She tried to speak, but no sound came.

And then finally I heard footsteps.

Lisa and Isiah stumbled through the trees. Lisa’s eyes widened at the sight of Alina motionless in my arms. “What happened?”

“Do you have anything to keep her warm?” I didn’t care who answered. I just needed something.

Lisa handed over a fabric. “We brought the picnic blanket.”

“Give it to me,” I growled.

I wrapped her in both and scooped her up. Neither of them said a word, though their questions were obvious. I didn’t offer answers.

We headed back toward the cars, and I didn’t stop until I reached the old infirmary.

An older doctor came rushing at my shout. She asked questions. Rory answered them. I didn’t leave Alina’s side for even a second.

“She’ll be fine,” the doctor said after examining her. “She’s been given something to help her rest. But she needs warmth.”

I didn’t trust a word of it. Alina still hadn’t woken up.

“Fix this place,” I snapped at Isiah, gesturing around the room with a sneer. “I want a full renovation. This is the last time she’s brought here.”

He nodded without hesitation.

“We’re taking her back to the house,” I said. “You’re coming too.” I directed that to the doctor, who nodded obediently.

When they tried to move Alina to a gurney, I gave them a glare that could burn down the building. I carried her myself.

We were nearly at the car when Claude showed up.

“What happened?” he asked, eyes wide.

“She jumped into the lake,” I said flatly. “She can’t swim.”

His eyes went wide. He knew better than to ask more.

“I’ll drive,” he offered.

“The doctor’s coming too,” I said.

He nodded.

Back at the house, my room was ready, fire roaring, extra comforters on the bed. I laid her down gently and had the doctor check her again. She assured me, again, that all was well.

I dismissed everyone.

Undressed and slid into the bed beside her.

Her skin was still too cold. I wrapped myself around her, letting my warmth bleed into her.

I held her like a man who’d nearly lost everything before he realized what he had.

And as I watched her chest rise and fall, steady and present. Alive. Relief fluttered in my chest.

I understood that this girl, this reckless, infuriating, impossible girl, had the power to bring me to my knees without even trying.

And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t want to run from it.