After She's Terminal The Alpha Regrets (Elaine and Lucas) novel Chapter 191

That night had been freezing. The wind off the ocean waves carried up toward their resting place. Despite them choosing a location protected directly from the wind, it’s chill still seeped through the ground and the air

By morning, Elaine expected to wake up freezing cold and shivering her strength away. Yet she didn’t.

She woke up with the warmth she’d expected from her wolf blood. Though it was not her own warmth. It was the body pressed at her back, and the solid arms wrapped around her middle.

Skin against skin.

The heat made her melt into the embrace and a soft sigh escaped parted lips. She felt him nuzzling into the skin of her neck, just beneath her ear. Warmth filled her chest from the inside.

The mate bond.

Elaine’s eyes popped open as she realized it. This was Lucas at her back. Pressing against her and sharing his warmth.

Her mind nearly short circuited at the idea she’d been enjoying this moments ago. She quickly scrambled upward, which startled Lucas awake. He’d been sleeping still. A low growl echoed in his throat as he lost the warmth of her body against his.

He seemed to realize the same thing she had, though slower.

Elaine stood up and walked several feet away from him. “What was that?” she snapped.

“What was what?”

“That! T—the holding! The cuddling thing!” She said it like an accusation.

Lucas sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “You mean sharing body heat during a cold night? I think it’s called survival.”

“It’s called personal space,” she replied pointedly.

“You’d rather I leave you to die by shivering to death?”

Elaine opened her mouth to snap back at him but closed it. He had a point. If her own wolf was stronger, than perhaps she’d be able to provide herself more body heat. But she couldn’t.

If he hadn’t been here, she truly would have shivered all her strength away in the night. And wouldn’t have slept soundly at all.

But his own wolf blood ran hot, and he’d likely enjoyed that shared warmth between their bodies as well.

It didn’t help that she felt well–rested today, if hungry and thirsty.