Kat woke in the middle of the night, shivering from head to toe.

The fire was almost out, but that wasn't the main issue. She'd felt the cold climbing up to the cave, but during the day it had been brisk at most. Throwing more wood into the pit and feeling her teeth clatter, Kat thought that even "freezing" was a generous word for the temperature in the cave.

She looked around in the flickering, red light that the fire offered. Soros hadn't even moved from the spot where he’d sat down after closing them in. The huge warrior was leaning back against the wall, appearing to be asleep.

He'd been a gentleman and given her the only blanket. Apparently he hadn't prepared to have company.

Kat pulled the blanket tightly around her shoulders, but it didn't help. She could see her breath mist in the air, and the floor was almost too cold to touch.

She considered waking him, but what good would that do? He could do nothing more than her – just add more wood to the fire and hope it lasted them until morning.

Kat knew exactly what could have helped a bit, but she was hesitant to approach him. They said that all warriors were very light sleepers and their first reaction when touched was to cut off the head of anyone foolish enough to approach. So she wasn't really looking forward to cuddling up to him.

For a few minutes, she tried to go without, but it was impossible to fall asleep again. Thunder rumbled outside and the cold bit even harder than before. Soros' armor didn't look comfortable to rest against, but it would have been something other than stone against her back.

Eventually Kat gathered up the courage and crawled closer. She had to wonder if Soros was actually sleeping – if he trusted his reputation that much. Slowly, she sat with her back to him and leaned in. Without a word, he adjusted his position to allow her to cuddle into his arms.

So he was awake. Kat couldn't imagine that move being an instinct. Or maybe it was? A man like that was unlikely to sleep in an empty bed.

The surge of jealousy that washed through her was a surprise, but she was too tired to worry about it. Instead, she took the greatest pleasure in the little joys in life. Soros' hands were truly huge, practically blankets on their own. Not caring for a second what he thought about it, Kat pulled them around her, slipping deeper into the little haven she'd created.

In the morning, she'd worry about using feared warriors for covers, but right then, Kat only wanted to get some sleep. With the rain singing her a lullaby as it started up again, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The lightning struck so close that Kat felt like it was about to push the boulder out of the way and hit her. She woke with a scream, instantly feeling embarrassed. It wasn't like she was a child anymore, fearing a little thunder.

But by all the gods in the galaxy, that was a truly ancient storm raging on top of them. It sounded like it could bring the mountain down on their heads. Suddenly, the ceiling didn't look so sturdy, despite Kat knowing full well that they were deep within the mountain.

Her initial fright had been great enough that it actually took her a second to realize that Soros was up. The warrior's hands were wrapped around her, protectively this time. He didn't push her away, and most importantly, didn't laugh.

The proud part of Kat wanted to tell him that it was alright, she'd just had a bad scare and that they could go back to sleep. Only as long moments passed, she found herself accepting the embrace, not one inch of her wanting to pull away.

Outside, the lightning beat at the mountain range. She could hear something that sounded suspiciously like an avalanche, but all that seemed distant and irrelevant. Kat was only aware of the amazing feeling that overwhelmed her. She didn't dare move, even to breathe for fear of ruining the moment.

When one of Soros' hands ran down her cheek, Kat nearly gasped. The touch was surprisingly gentle, completely at odds with the warlord’s usual being, and the fact that he was technically her captor. She kept perfectly still, letting him caress her skin, run his fingers down her neck.

Her body reacted in all the ways she couldn't. Kat had thought that Soros was the most handsome man she'd ever seen, and now, her pussy clearly agreed. She noticed that her legs were slowly grinding against each other, trying to give her the stimulation she very much needed at that moment.

The hand under her chin turned her head slowly, and all of a sudden, Kat found herself half-laying on his lap, supporting herself on his chest plate. In the flickering light of the small fire, his face was cast in shadows, but she could see his blue eyes shine at her. When he pulled her, gently, towards him, Kat forgot everything.

She didn't hear the thunder or feel the cold. Her world narrowed down to Soros' warm lips pressed against hers, strong and demanding, deepening the kiss as soon as he heard the whimper escape her mouth. His hands found their way around her again, running down her back, bringing her even closer to him.

Hers were tugging at his armor, completely and utterly lost in the kiss. Their tongues danced as Soros claimed her mouth, kissing her with all the passion she'd seen in his eyes before. They were both lost in the exchange, drinking each other like they needed it to live. Kat's lips hurt from the intensity, but she didn't pull away before air ran out from her lungs.

It felt surreal.

When she leaned back, uncertain of what was going to happen next, Soros merely looked at her seriously. But Kat could still see the lust playing behind his gaze.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered, feeling her teeth begin to clatter again.

He gave her a good long look, and for some reason, Kat felt like she was under scrutiny. After some time, he clearly came to an answer and nodded.

"There are plenty of ways to get warm," he said, and Kat could feel her heart skip a beat.

It felt like a dream. Not necessarily a sexy dream, but a good one nonetheless. The conversation she was having was, simply put, unreal. In no universe could she be having that talk with Soros. She felt a lump in her throat, reminding Kat of her youth and making her feel like a blushing virgin again.

"But I can see the answer," the warrior finished. "Come, we can move closer to the fire."

There was a knot of disappointment in her stomach as she got up and let him move them almost to the edge of the fire pit. On the other hand, Kat didn't feel like she was in her right mind to make decisions like that, so maybe it was for the best.

All she knew was that the fire was nice and warm. Soros pulled her into his arms, and she curled up with the blanket on top of her. As he sat there, holding her safely away from the fire, sleep came swiftly to Kat.

"How will you sleep?" she asked, already slipping away.

"I won't," she heard Soros respond.

Kat wanted to protest, to say that it wasn't fair, but she fell asleep before she could get one word out. She dreamed of him.

* * *

The morning came too soon for someone who was very much happy with her sleeping arrangement. No doubt it was still cold as hell, and she had slept in a weird seated position, but the rest more than made up for it.

They should market this concept, Kat thought drowsily. Find a huge alien warrior. Cuddle up. Enjoy.

She couldn't remember what she'd dreamed about exactly, but Kat was pretty certain it had been about Soros. It ended too soon when he realized she was awake, which was immediately – damn those warrior senses.

Kat swallowed the whine of protest that wanted to make its way over her lips.

Stop it. You're behaving like a lovesick girl.

Soros got up and went to start the fire again. Apparently it had gone out during the night, and he hadn't moved to stop it. Kat felt guilty, thinking that he had wanted to let her rest. She couldn't imagine how cold it must have been for him, even with her on his lap.

"You can sleep now," she offered. "I can keep the fire."

"No need for that," Soros replied. "I can go for days before I actually need rest. It's light outside. I should use it to hunt and find out if anyone is still on my trail."

Kat nodded. It made sense. It also left her with nothing to do but sit and guard the cave like a stone-age housewife. That image did not help her already considerable confusion.

I shouldn't have kissed him. But it was so damn cold, and he is so fucking hot. Only, now what?

Nothing, was the answer.

It was obvious he considered her attractive, and Kat had already admitted the same. It changed nothing. They were merely two people stuck together.

In a cave.

Alone.

In need of a way to get warm.

This can only end well, she thought with a grin.

Soros left, but not before telling her in no uncertain terms that she was to stay inside. Kat nodded, waiting for him to leave before stepping outside and looking around.

She tried to follow the path they had taken the day before, but, well… Heaps of rocks looked exactly like other heaps of rocks. And after taking a few turns, Kat was no longer certain she was going the right way. The walls of stone rising to the skies on either side of her offered no support. She couldn't see up ahead, even after climbing a bit.

Well, that's disappointing, she thought. Unsurprising, but still. I suppose I have to last another night before figuring out a new way to escape.

She started walking back, being very careful about it. Getting lost in the middle of nowhere would be bad. Even Soros might have a hard time tracking someone who had no idea where they were going.

The thought was unsettling. Kat had no intention of dying out there. She was going to find a way to escape Soros and deliver the message, as she was supposed to. Especially now when Soros' opinions on the matter were obvious enough and his answer crystal clear. Then the chieftain would be free to do as he liked, including proving her either wrong or right.

Kat had no idea why she'd defended Nadar Brenger so ferociously the night before. Maybe she just wanted to believe that there was a happy ending to the whole thing out there. The way Soros made it sound truly left them no other choice but to hide until Corgans learned to behave, which was unlikely to happen in their lifetime. At least that much they agreed upon.

She was so focused on trying to figure a way out from the mess she'd gotten herself into that by the time Kat saw the creature, it was too late to run.

At first, she'd taken the tall shadow in front of the cave for Soros. Then her mind began to take in the details as her feet seemed stuck on the ground.

Although as tall as Soros, the creature in front of her wasn't a Corgan warrior. Say what they like, but Soros didn't have horns or claws as long as her arm. The tremendous hairy beast – some sort of wild Toron – opened its fanged mouth in a roar. Blood trickled down its cheeks. It looked like it had already had breakfast, but when it moved, Kat knew she was going to be lunch.

"Soros!" she screamed, scrambling for her weapon.