Chapter Six
Awakening

For a brief moment I thought that perhaps I was waking up back where I belonged crossed my mind. The feeling was the same, the headache was there, and it was warm. Although it was quiet but my mind clung to the hope ever the same.

As I felt myself draw from the slumber other things were the same too, but not in a good way. The feeling my heart had, like it lived in the pit of my stomach was still there. Then I knew that nothing had changed that I was still stuck here without my powers.

Small spots behind my eyes grew and began to burn as I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. I was not one to normally cry at my own despair but I had had it. I was so tired, so mentally exhausted, and just so damn tired of it all that it actually began to hurt.

Then my mind remembered the wolves, the horses, and the ice. I tried hard to recall what happened but couldn't. The last thing I could remember was crawling in the snow my hands going numb, my muscles screaming to stop, and the shaking that finally over came my body dragging my mind into sleep.

Was I dead? No I was still sore. Could still feel the stiffness of my bones. Surely the wolves hadn't dragged me off. If they had I'd be dead I'm sure of it.

Slowly I figured out that I was lying on my back and I could hear the crackling of fire in the distance. I squeezed my eyes tightly together pressing back the waiting tears not allowing them free. I groaned softly as I tried to turn over. It was then that I realized there was something lying over my stomach and a heat pressing to my side.

"Shh, it's all right, darlin'," a whisper came from beside me.

Total awareness washed over me like ice. My eyes flashed open and I shot up to a sitting position and scooted back away.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," the voice said, in a tone that didn't sound native to this country.

I stared at what was now clearly a man. With several short darts my eyes moved around the room. Where was I now and who the hell was he? What had happened? Had he done anything to me while I was asleep? I jumped to my feet despite the pain that ran through me.

He was still lying on a pile of furs with a large what looked like a cloak over him and the now empty space where I had been. He raised up onto his elbow letting the cloak fall from his shoulders to collect around his waist.

When the cover dropped I saw he had on a white shirt, but I wasn't able to see if he was bare further down. Although I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know either.

My eyes glanced around again and spotted a sword leaning against the wall. Apparently he saw me see it and guessed what I planned to do. We both dart forward at the exact same time. I reached the sword first and had it in my hands just as he came up from behind.

The strength of his arms wrapped around me holding my back tightly to his chest. His hands moved quickly to cover mine on the hilt of the sword.

"Let me go," I ordered struggling to take the sword.

He may have been shorter than I am but he was stronger.

"Listen I'm not gonna hurt you, trust me," he said tightening his grip both on my hands and around my chest.

"Of course you won't," I quipped. "You already have!"

What he did next was . . . unexpected would have been an understatement. He loosened his hold on me and though my back was to him I could feel his eyes evaluating my belief in my own words.

"I'm gonna let ya go," he whispered. "Just don't slice my head off when I do, okay?"

I didn't answer but stilled my struggle to get free. Cautiously he lifted his hands from mine and stepped back away from me. He continued to take slow steps back.

I didn't bother to wait until he stopped all together. Whipping the sword from its sheath I spun around to face him. Drawing the sword around with me I stopped the edge of it dangerously close to his neck. He didn't flinch, didn't move to advance or defend himself. I was frowning as our eyes locked and held.

"I didn't touch ya if that's what yer thinkin'," he said his voice calm and low and most recognizable, not patronizing. That would play more to his favor than he probably realized.

"If you didn't," I began slowly still holding the sword to his neck. He still didn't more. "Than how did I end up in your . . ." I glanced at where we had been and frowned again before looking back at him. "Is that suppose to be a bed?"

He smiled, and again I didn't sense that he was being patronizing, which only puzzled me more. I suspect he would have nodded but with the sword so close to him he really couldn't without being cut.

"Yea, it's suppose ta be," he replied. I looked back to the bed. "You were cold." My eyes shot back to his and held again. "Ya were on the frozen lake. I brought ya here," he explained. "But even with the fire an' cover ya were still shiverin'."

"So you used your body heat to keep me warm." It wasn't a question and I relaxed a little. Something about him was easy to believe. "You're either telling the truth or a damn good liar."

"Question now is which truth do you believe."

I raised an eyebrow at the word 'truth' in his statement. So he was openly admitting to being a good liar. A small smile tried to creep to the corners of my lips but I fought it back. For a moment I just stood there holding his sword in place.

What was I supposed to believe? It wasn't as if anything here made sense anyway. So why not think that a man who brought me to his bed and laid down with me was merely trying to keep me from freezing. I sighed softly and glanced at the bed then the fire and back to him.

Besides I couldn't exactly tell if he was lying or not. I wasn't a virgin, wouldn't have bled. Though I hadn't bled anyway, nor was I sore. No doubt if he had raped me I would have been.

Slowly I pulled the sword away from the skin of his throat. Then I pushed the tip of it under his chin forcing him to tilt his head upward.

"If I find out in some way that you're lying," I voiced lowly. "Or if you try anything now. I swear to god I'll pull you're balls out through your throat."

"I give you my word," he said and I thought sure I caught the beginnings of a grin but if I did it was just as quickly gone.

I drew the blade back and re-sheathed it then watched as he rubbed spots along his neck. I gave a lopsided grin at the look on his face. His features had softened dramatically with another smile and he seemed pleased almost eager.

"I'm sorry if I scared ya, darlin'," he said. "Didn't mean to."

"You didn't scare me," I simply said watching his every muscle as he moved. He nodded and glanced at the sheathed sword that I was still clutching to.

"Ya hungry?" He motioned with a hand to the fire.

I merely moved my eyes to look. There was a small fur partially covering a browned half eaten rabbit. Now that I took the time to I could smell the tender fragrance. I hadn't eaten in almost three days. I couldn't stop my stomach from grumbling in anticipation. It smelled heavenly and I closed my eyes breathing it in deeply.

My eyes opened again when I heard a deep rhythmic chuckle rumble through the man's chest. I smiled softly and dipped a hand through my hair.

"Actually, I am rather hungry."

Logan watched the woman just as closely as she was watching him. Something about her seemed familiar but he couldn't place what it was. God how he wished he still had his sense of smell.

His mind was racing with a hundred questions but he knew he'd have to wait. She was apprehensive about him and he still wasn't sure how anyone would react to his story let alone a woman who already had doubts about him. Still there were ways to get information without giving any. He'd wait.

In an attempt to help her feel more at ease he moved to put the fire between them. She watched him intently and he noticed her grip tighten around the sword.

He had already seen that she could wield it with an expert's hand. That sword had come at him in a flash of silver and yet she was able to stop it a split second before it made contact. That was a move that took a lot of skill.

He kept his appearance calm and non-threatening as he sat down. The woman followed his lead and sat opposite him laying the sword across her legs. The fire's low flames climbing the air between them. It was still dark out which also begged the question of what he planned to do when the sun rose the coming morning.

He let the silence build for several minutes as the woman ate. She clawed at the meat along the bone as if she were a ravenous . . . wolf. He grinned a little at the thought and bent his head down to briefly stare at the floor.

"Who are you?"

Logan's gaze was sharply pulled from the floor to the woman when he realized she was speaking.

The deep bay of her eyes seemed to catch him like a net. Her devouring of the rabbit had slowed as she had nearly eaten what was left of it. The dark brown of her hair was turned a startling auburn by the fire. She was still wearing the clothes she had been when he found her. The black cape was draped back off of her shoulders. The dress had a fitted bodice. With sleeves that came down to a point wrapping around one finger on each hand. Its collar was made to come up along her slender neck. There was a diamond slit reaching from the collarbone down to reveal the deep cleavage of her chest. In the orange light the cobalt blue glowed highlighting the curves of her body.

A frown started to pull her brows together and Logan realized he hadn't answered her yet. He cleared his throat lightly and thought about how to answer.

"Just a lone wolf," he finally replied.

"Do you have a name, wolf?"

He grinned slightly. "Logan." She frowned more and waited, staring at him.

"That's it?" she asked after a short moment of silence. "Or is that all you plan on giving me?"

"You haven't given me as much."

"I found myself in your bed in your arms. I think I deserve more than one name," she replied. She was right. "At least tell me if it's your first or last name."

Logan cleared his throat again and frowned. He didn't even know the answer to that. A hand went to grip the back of his neck massaging it a little.

"First," he replied and watched as she raised an eyebrow but the answer seemed to satisfy her.

The remains of the rabbit's bones were thrown into the fire and she commenced tapping the sheath of the sword with her fingertips. Her eyes were staring at it as she looked like she was pondering something. Then she took a deep breath and looked back up to him catching his eyes once more.

"Were you the one who saved me from the wolves?" she asked. Logan nodded. "Did you happen to see a horse anywhere when you found me?"

"The horse ya were ridin' fell through the ice an' never came back up," he answer. "The second fell ta the wolves."

Instantly he realized the slip and stared at her expectantly. If she noticed she didn't acknowledge it. Instead she took another deep breath this one sounding a little unwilling to be brought into her chest.

"Then I owe you my thanks, as well as my life," she said in a near whisper.

"Call us even." She looked at him with the question in her eyes. Logan pointed to his neck. "Ya could've killed me."

"Yes I could have," she agreed smiling.

"But ya didn't."

"No."

"Why?"

She appeared to sadden all of a sudden and it concerned him why the question would do that to her. With a dip of her eyes she stared at the fire for a long moment. Logan said nothing because he could tell she had an answer it was just taking her a moment to decide whether to tell him. Then her eyes dipped again to the sword. Gripping it tightly one last time she picked it up and set it down on the floor.

It was in that moment Logan knew she had taken a crucial step in trusting him. His heart began to warm at the gesture as she looked back to the fire. When she spoke again she kept her eyes on the flames.

"Let's just say you're the first person, well man, here to see me as what I am and not as a piece of property."

"Sorry."

She laughed but not in a very pleasant way. "Don't be. It's not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"No lady should be treated like a man's property."

She stared at him again, her face unreadable, as she seemed to digest what he was saying. "No, they shouldn't." A soft honest smile past over her lips as she spoke something Logan didn't expect her too. "My name is China."