012: cold

Lyra’s POV

After they had eaten, Ronon brought me a small plate of leftovers. He didn’t speak. Just set it in front of me. Then walked off like I wasn’t even there. I accepted it without a word. Knowing it was all I’d get. The rice was cold, the meat chewy and lukewarm. But I forced myself to eat anyway. Hunger didn’t care about pride.

When Dax pulled out a fresh blanket for himself and disappeared into one of the rooms, I took the thin one he’d given me earlier and laid it out on the floor. The moment I settled down. The chilll of the wood crept into my bones. I curled into a tight ball. Clutchiing the blanket around me like armor, but it was no use. My teeth chattered. My fingers went numb. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt truly warm.

Time lost all meaning. My thoughts blurred, scattered by the cold. 

The Silence in the apartment was heavy, no TV, no laughter, just the Occasional creak of the building and my own mufffled shivers.

Sometime deep into the night, I was so numb that I barely registered the Soft pad of Footsteps Until they Were nearly upon me. I Flinched as a Shadow loomed, a faint clink of glass Suggesting whoever it was had Poured himself a drink.

Then came a voice, quiet, uncertain. “Are you alright?”

It was Dax.

I wanted to speak, to say no, but my jaw wouldn’t Work. My body shook too violently to answer. Even blinking took effort. Every inch of me was frozen.

He didn’t wait. I felt strong arms Slip under me, Lifting me off the floor as though I Weighed nothing. My head Lolled against his chest, the warmth of his body like a Furnace against my icy skin. I was too weak to protest, too cold to care. He Carried me into a darker room, Quieter, softer, and then I Felt the brush of sheets against my skin.

A bed.

He laid me down gently and slipped in beside me Without hesitation. His arms wrapped around me, Pulling me flush against his body. I gasped at the sudden heat, the Unfamiliar comfort.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “You’ll be warm now.”

His voice was low, Soothing. It took every ounce of energy just to press my Face against his chest. I didn’t Understand it, his Kindness, this Contradiction between him and the others. The same man Who turned a blind eye earlier was now offering warmth in the dead of night.

But before I Could make sense of it, a Knock rattled the door.

Dax tensed.

“Dax?” Ronon’s voice broke through the darkness. Sharp. Suspicious. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Dax didn’t move, but his tone was icy. “What are you doing in my room?”

“I heard movement,” Ronon said. “Came to check.”

“Liar,” Dax snapped. “You came to snoop. Admit it.”

I felt the tension between them like a drawn wire. Ronon didn’t respond. For a second, I thought he might barge in, rip me out of the bed out of sheer spite.

“She’s freezing,” Dax added, softer now, but no less firm.

There was a pause, then a new voice, Kael’s, filtered in through the slightly open door.

“Is she getting better?” he asked, his tone… different. Not cruel. Not mocking. Almost curious. Concerned?

My eyes fluttered shut again, my body still trembling. Despite the heat of Dax’s embrace, it wasn’t enough.

“Not fast enough,” Dax replied. And then the mattress dipped behind me.

I startled slightly.

A second set of arms—strong, Unfamiliar, slipped around my back, pulling me into more warmth. The scent of Cedar and Steel told me who it was even before he spoke.

“Goddess, she’s cold,” Kael muttered. His body Pressed tightly against mine From behind, and then something Strange happened. A soft hum began to vibrate through both of them, a low, steady frequency. Their wolves.

Heat bloomed between us, slow and steady, until the shivering began to ease. My body, too exhausted to Process the shock, finally surrendered to the warmth.

Sandwiched between Dax and Kael, I drifted off into the deepest, Most restful sleep I’d had in Weeks.

Morning light filtered through the Windows, soft and golden. When I opened my eyes, the bed Was empty. I blinked. Disoriented. The sheets were still warm, Carrying the lingering imprint of their bodies.

For a moment, I lay still, Stunned by the Memory of the night. Not the cold, not the ache, but the quiet, Unexpected kindness. I pushed the Thoughts away quickly. I couldn’t afford to get confused. They were my captors, not my saviors.

I sat up slowly, pulling the blanket tighter around me. The apartment Was quiet again. I stepped out and began to clean, Just like they expected me to. I Swept the floors, wiped the counters, and Scrubbed the dishes they’d left from last night.

When I entered Ronon’s room to dust, something caught my eye—a duffel bag, lying casually on the floor, and a folded note on top.

My name was scrawled across it.

My heart stuttered. I unfolded the note with trembling Fingers, but it was blank. No words. Just the gesture.

Inside the bag were clothes. Sweaters, jeans, a towel, deodorant, lotion. Feminine essentials. There were even socks and a Thick cardigan. I stared at them for a long time, unsure what to make of it.

Who had done this?

Not Ronon.

He had barely hidden his hatred for me. Dax, maybe. But a small voice in my head whispered Kael. The way he held me last night, his murmured words. He had seemed surprised by the severity of my condition.

No matter who it was, I wasn’t about to ask.

I took the clothes and went to the bathroom. The water was hot. I soaked for as long as I dared, scrubbing away the cold and the grime. When I emerged, I dressed in soft jeans and a thick sweater, the cardigan hugging my arms like a second skin. I even tied my hair up, for once feeling almost… human.

The apartment felt less like a cage and more like a place again. Not safe. Not welcoming. But bearable.

When They returned that afternoon, I was Cleaning the hallway. I didn’t look up as the door swung open, but I Felt their eyes on me.

Ronon’s voice came first. “How are you feeling now?”

I straightened slowly and turned to face him. His tone was cautious, almost neutral—like he was trying not to show any interest at all.

“I’m better,” I replied coolly.

He nodded once but didn’t say more.

I met his gaze, not flinching, not Shrinking. My anger still Simmered beneath the surface. These men, these Alphas, had taken everything. My name. My freedom. My past. My future.

No amount of clothes or shared body heat could change that.

He studied me a second longer before turning away, but I could feel the tension. A shift. A crack in the wall.

Let them wonder.

Let them feel a flicker of guilt.

Because I wasn’t going to forget.

And I sure as hell wasn’t going to forgive.