Warmth Chapter Two Novels & Stories

I am somewhere in the second mile when I notice it. Not dramatic. Not a shift or a surge or anything that would announce itself as significant in the moment of its arriving. Just .... warmth. In the center of my chest, underneath everything, like an ember that has been grey for a long time and has, without being fed or tended or asked to, begun to glow again. Not brightly. Just there. Present. Warm. Mira. I slow my pace without stopping.

Chapter 2 The blizzard hadn’t let up. If anything, it had grown angrier with snow piling against the single small window in thick, relentless drifts that blocked out the night entirely. Inside, though, the small space had become a different world entirely. The fire roared high now, fed with fresh split logs Rowan had carried in from the lean-to stack earlier; flames moved upward in steady, hungry tongues, throwing heat in thick, rolling waves that filled every corner of the room. Their skin flushed deep pink from the warmth, sweat already beading along collarbones, the small of backs, the hollows of throats, the sensitive creases where thighs met hips.

Her waiting. The flat waiting. The bowl waiting on the hallway shelf. The space kept warm. She was glad people had known when to wait. End of chapter 97

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS CHAPTER MADE ME EMOTIONAL. THIS IS A KINDA SNEAK PEEK INTO BOOK TWO. ENJOY! RHEA’S POV: The lanterns flicker low, casting warm golden shadows across the infirmary walls, but the warmth doesn’t reach me. It doesn’t reach him.

Chapter 25 Lilith’s POV I blink three times or maybe more. Trying to push off the blur from my eyes. I look down at my hands. My body felt stuck. "What the heck is going on!" My voice revealing sheer panic. I couldn't move my fingers, but the fog in my mind was slowly clearing, replacing the numbness with a sharp, agonizing heat that burned all the way up to my shoulder. The Warmth I felt was encompassing,and it made me tremble.

I tiptoed in, checking the temperature of the air conditioner, making sure he was comfortable. I retreated to my own room, the silence a welcome respite after the day's events. I ran a warm bath, the steam filling the bathroom, a soothing embrace. After my routine, I slipped into bed, the soft sheets enveloping me like a warm hug. Sleep came quickly, a welcome escape from the day's turmoil.

The room felt colder somehow, even with the morning light filtering through the windows. Hamish circled me like he was studying an artifact. “Tell me if you feel any internal pull now. Ignore the cold one. Focus on warmth.” I inhaled deeply. There it was. A faint warmth behind my sternum, subtle but present, like the rumble of embers that hadn’t yet caught flame. “I feel it,” I whispered. “Where?” Hamish asked. “My chest… then my spine… then my palms.” Grayson grabbed my hand quickly, checking for heat. His brows furrowed. “It’s warm.”

So is Kole’s. Good. That means my girl is here, and I miss her. Then I see Grandpa Thomas’ car is here too. Probably Grandma Mabel is inside. I haven’t seen her since the baby shower. Snow starts falling lightly. “Fuckin’ Chicago,” I mutter. “Two days ago it was sixty-five. Now it’s twenty-five degrees and snowing.” Knox laughs. “That’s why I love it here.” He helps me out, and we walk to the door.

I was alone again, surrounded by the silence and the heavy feeling in my gut: with every day passing, Noah's grip tightened on me. I walked softly through the apartment-my footsteps deadened by the plush carpet. Everything was just as it had been before-perfectly placed, and meticulously kept. Yet, it felt cold, lifeless, as though the very air had been sucked from it of any semblance of warmth and life.

We're going to spend the rest of our lives together and I can't fucking wait. That's the end 😭 It's been one hell of a ride and I can't thank you all enough for reading to the end and voting and commenting. Thank you to my early gang badbunnyrabit RoyaleGates hellomy20 who make me so excited to wait for their comments on an chapter! I can't tag everyone again but if you've commented you've made my day 😌. Next up is Damian's book, The Mafia Have Feelings Too. I'll post the character chapter so you can add it to you library if you're interested in reading it. You'll see Marcus, Nathan and Cole there too 😉