My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 23

Sera

What was I thinking going into the water? I’d never taken a swimming class in my life. Even when my mother brought in a personal tutor for both me and Lyra back at the palace, I’d mostly ditched the lessons to plan my escapes. Now I was paying for it. It felt like an hour of drowning. Hot water bombarded my nose and throat, filling my lungs until I couldn't find the air. In the panic, my hands flailed and brushed against something underwater—something soft, meaty, and long.

Then, strong hands clamped onto my waist.

The next thing I knew, I was on my back on the hard stone ledge. I was gasping, coughing up mineral water that tasted like dirt. Fenris was over me, one hand braced on my chest to keep me steady, the other tilting my head back.

"Breathe," he commanded. His voice was sharp, cutting through the ringing in my ears. "Sera, can you hear me? Breathe."

I coughed again, more water spraying onto the stone. My eyes finally found his face. His dark hair was plastered to his skull, and his jaw was set so tight the bone stood out. Those grey eyes were locked on mine, waiting for a sign of life. He didn't move an inch while I struggled for air.

The entire cavern had gone silent. I was acutely aware of how I looked—my soaked underwear was practically transparent, hiding nothing as I sprawled there like a landed fish. I knew Taya was somewhere in that crowd, watching. Mina was there, too.

I tried to sit up, but Fenris’s hand was a lead weight on my chest. "Stay down," he said.

I pushed his hand away, my fingers slipping on his wet skin. "No." I wasn't going to lie on my back in front of the entire pack in my underwear. I forced myself upright, my lungs burning with every movement.

He watched me struggle but didn't stop me this time. Someone from the crowd handed him a brown, heavy towel. He wrapped it around his waist, and only then did I realize he’d been completely naked. I’d been too busy drowning to notice the reality of his body.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

"Yes." I tried to get to my feet, but my legs were like jelly. My knees buckled before I could even take a step. Fenris caught me before I hit the stone, his arms locking around me. Without a word, he lifted me—one arm under my knees, the other behind my back.

"Put me down," I muttered, my head spinning.

He ignored me and started walking toward the archway.

"I said put me down right now!"

"Do you want to crawl back to your room instead?"

I shut up.

He carried me through the humid springs and back into the colder stone corridors. I was dripping, shivering so hard my teeth clicked, and I was painfully aware of his bare chest against my side. I could feel his heartbeat through my shoulder—a steady, heavy thrum.

"Why did you save me?" I asked.

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