"It would be our luck to get caught in a storm," Chloe mutters as she stands at the entrance of the cave Derek all but dragged her into.
"It's not luck," he mutters in return, pinning her down with one of his more judgmental stares. He's got a few different levels of them, and this one is pretty high up. "I told you the weather would get bad. Winter in Alaska, Chloe."
Like that explains everything.
Her lips purse.
It does explain everything, but she's not about to let him feel even more superior. Besides that, they had to come here. Sean Nast says jump, and they… Well, they don't jump, but they do kind of shuffle in the right direction. Go to Alaska, says the CEO. Find out what's happening in the forests there. Hush hush, he whispers to them. Something's not quite right.
Derek fought. Derek always fights when he feels like they're being given a mission before they've even signed any contracts that say they're working for the Nasts.
In the end, though, here they are, in the middle of a storm during an Alaskan winter, trapped in a cave.
Chloe does her best to wrap her arms around herself, but the puffy jacket that she's been rolled into doesn't help those matters at all. "I figured we could do a little investigating before it got too bad."
"I don't know what you thought we'd find out here."
"Evidence?"
Derek shoots her another stare, and she rolls her eyes at him. "We haven't even been told what we're looking for. Something wolf-like sounds just like regular wolves to me."
She's quiet for a moment, staring out into the sheet of pure white as it comes down around them. "I know you hate the cabals, but Sean wouldn't have sent us out here if he thought it was nothing."
He's just as quiet, just as long, before he puts his arm around her and tugs her closer to his side. Even through her layers and his, she can still feel the heat of his body. It's soothing, comforting, and she closes her eyes and bites back a sigh of contentment.
"He should have sent me and Maya in that case," Derek says softly.
Chloe opens her eyes again, arching an eyebrow up at him. "Really?"
They're well beyond the age to blush at any mention of their own relationship, but she still finds a thrill at seeing the awkward look flash over his face. There's no way that Derek would leave her behind. Where one goes, the other follows. And even though he's warmed up to Maya over the years, maybe could even grudgingly call her a friend, he wouldn't volunteer to spend any length of time with her. Especially not when the volunteering comes from Sean Nast.
"He sent me with you because he knows we work well together," she points out.
"No, he sent me with you because if you were going, so would I. He knows how to use you," he counters.
Probably, but she's not about to admit it out loud. There's a sense of adventure in her that's been growing ever since they stopped having to run for their lives. It's what makes her want to date a werewolf, what made her decide to learn how to best defend herself, what makes her challenge herself to detect every dead thing with a few mile radius. She's prepared, always. And she likes the chance to stretch her legs and actually put her powers to work.
A shiver runs through her body as a howling wind cuts across them, spraying them with more snow than she's ever seen.
With a sigh, Derek drops his arm to her waist and tugs her back. It's darker back this way, but the dark no longer bothers her. Not when she has Derek. Still, she keeps her gaze trained on a white entrance, as if there will be light to anchor herself in.
"We're not getting out of here anytime soon, and you're cold," he whispers in her ear, and another shivers runs down her spine that has nothing to do with the temperature.
She turns to face him, inclining her head back to see him. "I didn't bring any firewood," she teases, a smirk playing along her lips.
He closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh before he snorts. "I didn't bring any matches."
"Oh no, what will we do for warmth?"
He's the one who rolls his eyes this time. Letting her go, he sits with his back against one of the walls before reaching out. His fingers wrap around her tiny wrist, and he gently tugs her down onto his his lap. She listens to him unzip his jacket before she snuggles back against him, her back to his chest. His warmth rolls over her. It helps to drive out the bite from the chill in the air.
His arms go around her waist again, holding her tightly. "Warm?"
His breath tickles her cheek. "Yup, that's good. It would be better in a hotel room somewhere."
"I told you that it was going to storm badly."
She glances over her shoulder at him, before leaning back and awkwardly placing a kiss at the corner of his mouth. "Next time, I'll listen to you instead of taking us out into the Alaskan wilderness to go searching for strange wolf-like creatures."
He's in a better position to return her kiss, nearly stealing her breath as he does so. Her breath blooms out in front of her as she struggles to catch it when he pulls back. "No you won't. You never listen to me, Chloe."