Chapter 7 (Mandy)

What am I doing here?

Hold on, where was ‘here’?

A pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around me and held me in tight. I blinked, trying to figure out what was going on, but it was like a fog had rolled into my skull making it hard to think.

What had happened? Who was this person?

These questions swarmed around my head like an angry swarm of bees.

I tried to lift my arms and pry this unknown person from me, but my limbs felt like they were made of lead. They hung loosely at my side, refusing to obey my commands to move.

Finally, the stranger pulled away. Only, it wasn’t a stranger at all. It was the man I kept bumping into. Jasper. Yes, that’s his name.

Beside him was that crazy dog of his.

What was going on?

I furrowed my brows together in confusion when I realized we were inside some sort of log cabin. This was the place he had wanted to bring me back to before, back when I turned him away. What had this guy done to me?

“Shh, don’t strain yourself. Just take it easy and relax, alright?” He pressed down on my shoulder, guiding me back down onto the couch.

My body feeling numb and fatigued, I reluctantly obeyed. “What happened?” My voice was nothing more than a cracked whisper.

He shook his head and held up his hand, signaling that I should wait.

He got up left the room, headed for what looked like a kitchen. As soon as he was gone the dog moved in, getting closer to the couch and daring to put his large head beside my hand. When I didn’t acknowledge him, he nudged my fingers, looking up at me with his large doe-eyes.

I was never much of a dog person, but I couldn’t resist that stare.  I gently placed my hand on his head. To my surprise, it was incredibly warm and soft. I ran my fingertips through his fur. Suddenly, his hind leg started to shake. He tilted his head back and howled in delight. I yanked my hand back.

“He seems to really like you.” Jasper’s deep voice echoed through the living room as he returned with a glass of water. “He hasn’t left your side since I found you in the snow. In fact, he’s the reason you’re still alive.”

“Wait…” I started but my lips were so dry that they felt like they would crumble to dust at any moment.

“Here.” He held out the glass of water.

I held out my hands to grab it, but my finger shook.

Embarrassed, I looked up, hoping for a bit of help.

Jasper smiled warmly down at me, placing the glass to my lips, being as gentle as possible. “Drink slow.” He said, holding the back of my head at the right angle.

Eagerly, I drank every drop, savoring the fresh, crisp taste.

When I was done, I managed enough strength to wipe my mouth. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He responded with a nod before sitting down on the coffee table in front of me. “Oh, and you might want to put these on.” He reached underneath the table and pulled out some folded-up clothing.

My clothing!

My eyes widened when I became aware that I was naked underneath the blanket. “W-Why am I naked?” I asked, voice shaking. “You didn’t…”

“N-No!” He answered quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I would never do that… I was just trying to keep you warm… body heat and all.”

“Body heat…” I whispered, still trying to understand the information I had been given. “You took off my clothes so you could keep me warm with body heat?”

He nodded.

“You were naked too.”

He nodded again.

My cheeks instantly grew hot with a blush. This handsome man had laid naked beside me. “Why…?”

“You were caught in the snow storm.” He explained. “When Wolf found you, you were already unconscious and very, very cold. The nearest hospital is too far away so I had no choice but to bring you back here.”

“I see.”

“I hope you aren’t mad. I only wanted what was best for you.”

I was silent for a moment, letting my thoughts settle down. One part of my brain was screaming in protest, unable to accept that this man had laid naked beside me without doing something naughty. Surely, he had other intentions in mind. Or, maybe, he was just a good guy trying to save someone’s life.

“Do you mind giving me a minute?” I said, taking my clothes.

“Of course.” Without hesitating, he got up and left the room.

Wolf remained, looking at me with big, curious eyes.

“Um… shoo?”

He didn’t move.

Snap.

With a cue from his owner, he got up and high-tailed it out of the room.

Now alone, I breathed a sigh of relief. Ever so slowly I got to my feet, rolling back my shoulders, and straightening out my posture. The room spun before my eyes but I managed to steady myself, taking deep breathes to push aside the dizziness. 

It took much longer to get dressed. My body still felt numb, as though certain parts of it were still frozen and needed to be thawed back into working order. Eventually, I managed to get myself decent once more. I looked around for a mirror, but the living room’s interior was rather bare. A few pieces of furniture. The roaring fireplace. That was about it. Oh, and a small bookcase tucked away in the corner. There wasn’t even a TV. Hell, I didn’t even see any outlets.

I walked toward the kitchen, following the scent of food.

There, I was surprised to find Jasper sitting at a wood-carved table. It was set for two.

He looked up with a smile on his face. “I hope you’re hungry. I’m not the best cook in the world but hopefully, it’s decent.” He chuckled. “Wolf never complains, in any case.  then again, he’s a dog.”

“You cooked for me?” I asked, standing there.

He nodded. “I thought that if you woke up, you’d want something warm to eat. I cooked it all a while ago, but I popped it into the microwave just now, so it should be okay. Please be honest and tell me if it’s not.”

“Why are you doing all this?” I asked.

He looked me with his bright green eyes and smiled. “Because what kind of person would I be if I didn’t?”