CHAPTER eight: Stuck in the blizzard

　　CONROY’s P.O.V

　　Acting hastily, I drew the fur cloak to the side and unfastened the girl’s kirtle and tugged it down her shoulders, carefully tugging her limp arms through the neck opening to finally yank the garment down to her legs, then off. I saw that the edges of the frock were ruined with the mud outside.

　　“What are you, my Killer mate?” I asked in bewilderment for she looked dead to the world.

　　“Had she gotten up while I was out?”

　　I shook her, half hoping that she was truly awake, “Enough of your theatrics, if you are awake then save me the heartache, torment and say a word.”

　　She remained still.

　　“I know of the truth and the prophecy of witch the old hag, Esme spoke about. But what I do not understand is it’s tie to my mate.” I now addressed the silent room.

　　“Dear killer mate, you had tried to kill me, yet here I am, almost dying for you, to save you.” I chuckled darkly.

　　“The magic of the forest took my powers and in my human weakened state, there’s little to nothing I can do rightly. I cannot venture into the blizzard or we would both freeze to death. So tell me mate! Did you open your godforsaken eyes and walk out through the doors?” I felt my anger rising.

　　The woman had yet to say a word to me.

　　I left my kingdom unprotected for her!

　　I stripped her of the moist clothes and then stripped myself of the tunic I had found in the hut. Slitting my wrist, I fed her bits of my blood, it wouldn’t heal her but it would slow the effect of the poison.

　　Without a piece of clothing between both of us, I stretched alongside her still body. Gathering her limp, naked body into my arms, I threw the now warm cloak over both our bodies, cocooning us in the moist heat.

　　The two wolf animals that had interrupted me the night before—now my loyal companions—settled down in a cozy heap beside the fire and promptly fell asleep.

　　Against my will, I fell asleep.

　　~ ~ ~

　　I stirred awake when it was still fully dark and I could still hear the moans of the wind about the cottage and the shrieks it made as it wafted about the dark forest. The snowstorm was yet to abate.

　　I struggled up on my elbow and saw that the fire I had made before had dimmed to a light burning orange cinders beneath heaps of white ash.

　　I forced myself to leave the warmth of the cloak and the soft curves of my mate and fed the dying fire more logs, poking it with a curved stick. And then with violent shivers racking down my body, I made a hasty retreat to the heat of the cloak and pulled it over our heads once again.

　　“Forgive…me…master…for…being …yet…a…nother failure. Another chance I p-pray, I would…kill…the...” a high-pitched voice rang out through the room and I jolted in shock.

　　Green eyes, burning with a molten intensity at a feverish pitch, the firelights dancing in their depths, Amelia Whittaker, sitting upright, stared unseeingly at me.

　　My mate was finally awake and just then I felt a surge in my body as my powers rekindled. I felt my body temperature increase till it scorched and my broken ankle healed immediately.

　　The snowstorm slowed to a still.

　　“Peace . . . !” she breathed again, and the word was a sigh, a prayer when sighed from her lips. “Was it all a bad dream, then?”

　　I was sure that she was not speaking to me but her broken words made a light sweat break out on me skin. I touched her brow, which felt blazing now.

　　Suddenly she began trashing about, throwing my hands off and struggling to break free from my grasp, babbling about death and betrayal.

　　Her eyes were now shut tightly, signifying that she was no longer conscious. I frowned, disturbed by her frantic movements and anguished wails. I felt her torment though the mate bond.

　　The room was in pitch blackness so she could not see me not that she had made the effort though as she was totally blacked out, so in a bid to calm her, I muttered into her raven tresses, “yes, my dear killer mate. The peace you seek is right beside you. Back to sleep, will you? Darling, Sleep!” my voice was ragged as I slipped his warrior callused hands through the rich fall of her hair to seize her jerky movements.

　　And then she stilled.

　　Like the dead.

　　“Ancientrova, here I come.” I said in a grim voice as I shifted into my wolf. My wolf howled happy to be in control once again. And I prepared for the continuation of our journey to the vampire colony.