35. Together in the Cold [R-18]

Chapter 35: Together in the Cold [R-18]

The sheer cold was bone-deep, a relentless chill that refused to ease no matter how tightly I wrapped my cloak around me. The air in this godforsaken pit was damp and heavy, making every breath feel like I was inhaling ice. My senses, while helpful, were doing little to counteract the temperature. If anything, the energy flickering faintly through me only made me more aware of the numbing cold.

I glanced over at Neralia. She sat against a jagged outcropping of stone, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her face pale but determined. The light of the torches we'd scavenged barely illuminated the space around us, the flickering flames casting long, dancing shadows on the uneven walls.

"How far do you think we fell?" she asked, her voice cutting through the oppressive silence. Her breath came out in visible puffs, the sound trembling slightly despite her best efforts to keep steady.

"Far enough to make climbing out a bad idea," I said, rubbing my hands together to stave off the cold. "Honestly, it feels like we fell straight into the underworld. If I see a three-headed dog, I'm tapping out."

She shot me a withering look. "Always with the jokes."

"What can I say? It's how I cope." I leaned back against the wall, exhaling slowly. "But seriously, we must've fallen hundreds of feet. No way this was on the map, huh?"

Her frown deepened as she shook her head. "No. Whatever this place is, it wasn't part of the original schematics. It must've been hidden… deliberately."

"Fantastic," I muttered. "Traps, hidden chambers, freezing to death. The governor really went all out on the hospitality."

Neralia shivered visibly, her hands gripping the edges of her cloak. "We're not going to make it through the night like this," she said, her tone clipped but tinged with unease.

"What are you suggesting?" I asked, though the look on her face told me I wouldn't like the answer.

She hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "We'll have to conserve our body heat. If we stay close—lie together—we'll stay warm enough to last until morning."

I blinked at her, caught off guard. "You want us to snuggle?"

Her glare could've frozen the air even further. "Do you want to freeze to death, Kaizen? It's the smartest thing to do in this situation."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Wow, Neralia, I think that's the first smart thing you've said all day. I'm impressed."

"Don't make me regret suggesting it," she snapped, though there was a faint hint of a smirk tugging at her lips.

"All right, all right," I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. "Let's do this before we both turn into popsicles."

We lay side by side on the cold stone floor, her back pressed against my chest as we shared my cloak and whatever warmth we could muster. It was awkward at first, the proximity making her noticeably tense, but the cold left little room for pride or personal space.

"If you try anything," she muttered, her voice low, "I'll kill you."

I snorted, resting my head against the stone wall. "Relax, Princess. You're not my type."

"Oh?" she said, her tone sharp. "And what is your type?"

"Alive, for starters," I replied dryly. "And preferably not someone who's constantly insulting me."

She huffed a laugh, the sound muffled by the layers of fabric. "You make it so easy."

"Yeah, well, you're welcome for saving your life earlier," I shot back.

"Thank you," she said grudgingly.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Don't push your luck, commoner."

I smirked, the banter easing the tension of the moment. Despite the cold, the faint warmth of her presence and our shared complaints made the situation feel a little less dire.

"If we survive this," I said after a moment, "I'm demanding hazard pay."

"Good luck convincing my father of that," she muttered, her voice drowsy.

"Good luck explaining why we had to cuddle," I countered.

Her only response was a soft, exhausted laugh before she fell silent, her breathing evening out as the cold and exhaustion finally began to take their toll.

As I lay there in the dim light, the weight of the situation pressing down on me, I couldn't help but think that this moment—ridiculous as it was—might be the calm before the storm.

---

I smiled as I heard Neralia and nodded my head in response. Without thinking twice, Neralia settled her head on my chest, she could clearly hear my heartbeat while my hand was on her left shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I am good around you, it feels great around you" Neralia slightly tilted her head and looked towards me and continued.

"Can I ask you something, this has been bugging me from the start and I think this is the right time to ask?" She asked as she looked at me. I slightly lowered my head towards her and looked into her eyes. I can clearly feel her long warmth breath. Clearly this was going to be about my abilities from the wolves.

"You can ask me, you don't have to take my permission," I responded with a smile.

"Why do you hide your true self from the world, because of that people always looking down on you, don't those things bug you? Being looked down by those people despite knowing that you are more capable enough than them?" Neralia asked as she looked at me with her deep eyes, she wanted to know about me. As expected she is curious with the Ki Blast against the wolves pack yesterday.

Seeing her curiosity I looked at her innocent face and smiled. "I don't care what people think about me, I just wanted to live my life quietly but after sometime later I realized this world is very chaotic and if you are not strong enough you are meant to die by the hand of the strong and you can't do shit about it. I am not anywhere near the strongest. I have a very long way to go." I responded to her with a smile.

It was the best I could do without going into the deeper stuff behind my powers.

She smiled at me as she heard my words. I could heart beating faster as my warmth breath tickled her skin. She was barely holding herself not to come closer to me. I noticed her hesitation and could feel that her skin started to become cold as the temperature started dropping very drastically.

"Come here," I said as I looked at her and the next moment I took her in my embrace.

She came to my lap and crossed her hand to my back while my hand went around her back and I started caressing her back with my warm hands. Her breasts started pressing against my chest, her hesitation slowly faded away the moment she realized that I was helping her to get warm.

At first she was surprised and taken aback that I pulled her to my lap. But the moment she came closer to me, she felt a warm sensation and her heart started beating faster as she started feeling hot the moment her boobs pressed against my chest. She could feel my muscular body.

"Are you okay, I am sorry there is no other way, I don't want you to get frozen,'' I whispered in her ears.

My words appeared tickle her on the earlobe and she felt something between her legs. She gulped as her body started reacting to my touch. It was the pleasure which she was getting when I caressed her back with my hands.

"It's okay I understand, I am starting to feel warm." She mumbled and tightly hugged me. She then started exploring my wide back with both of her hands. She crossed both her legs around my waist.

I took a deep breath as I could feel her body. I am a man after all and my hormones started to kick in and as moments passed my rod started soaring into the sky.

The moment my pbulking rod poked her neither region, her face turned red. She couldn't dare raise her head and look towards me.

"I am sorry I don't mean to do that, don't mind me,'' I said in a low voice as I felt a pang of shame. I didn't want to take advantage of her condition but what a man can do in a condition like this.

Neralia's face became redder as she heard me, she gulped and gathered some courage and next moment she removed the clothes she was wearing on the top.

"Neralia this…'' I was about to say something but she put her finger on my lips.

"Please don't say anything" Neralia mumbled and stopped me from saying anything. I nervously gulped as I could feel her large boobs roaming freely inside the cloak and touching my body. My bulging rod started twitching and started becoming big.

I could see she could feel my penis tip around her private region.

"I am sorry," she mumbled and next moment her hand went inside my shirt and she removed It without giving thought.

Inwardly I know what is going to happen next.

*I am fucked,* I thought to myself as I felt her naked body touching my body.

When her boobs touched my bare chest I felt current running through my entire body. Her both hands started caressing my back while my hand was on her back.

Both of our bodies felt warmth and we forgot about freezing cold surroundings. The fire had almost faded and the temperature dropped down to below zero.

"You are going to regret it later." I looked at her as I said those words. She raised her head and looked into my eyes with a red face.

"I am not going to regret it. You are the first man that I have this feelings for and I mean it, so please don't hold yourself anymore. You are the ideal man for me and I am willing to give you everything. Don't worry I am not going to ask you anything in return, I know my place." She smiled at me as she said those words.

I looked at her as she said those words, she had an innocent expression on her face which I saw on Ava's face when I first did her. My right hand went to her head as I pulled her towards me gently. Next moment my lips were on her lips while my left hand went to her waist as I pulled her closed to me while kissing her passionately.