The forest erupted.
Luka moved faster than snow could fall.
One heartbeat, he stood at the edge of the clearing
The next, his claws were buried in the chest of the first vampire.
Talia didn't even see the attack, only the explosion of snow, the crack of bone, the spray of silver-tinted blood hitting the white ground.
The vampire didn't scream.
He didn't have time.
Luka tore him apart.
The other two lunged, hissing, blurred streaks of pale limbs and black cloaks. One shot forward with supernatural speed… faster than a blink.
Luka caught him by the throat mid-air.
The sound was wet. Crushing.
The third vampire grabbed Talia from behind, pulling her against him as a shield.
She gasped-cold arms locking around her waist, dragging her back while her feet slid uselessly in the deep snow.
The pink lace at her hips felt too thin, too exposed, too humiliating as their icy hands touched her skin.
"Wolf!" he hissed. "One more step and I snap her"
Luka didn't slow.
He didn't even pretend to negotiate.
He blurred forward, snow swirling around him like a tornado.
The vampire jerked Talia tighter, desperate, fingers digging painfully into her bare stomach
But Luka appeared behind him, claws slashing down.
Snow puffed into the air.
The vampire's head hit the ground before the body realized it was dead.
Talia stumbled forward as the corpse collapsed, falling straight into Luka's arms.
He caught her instantly.
His massive form wrapped around her like armor, hot, trembling, furious.
She felt his claws retracting, his hands shifting back into human shape just enough to hold her without harming her.
"Talia."
His voice was raw. Wrecked.
As if he'd sprinted through hell to reach her.
Her lips trembled. "L-Luka…"
He cupped her cheeks with claw-tipped hands, tilting her face up. His golden eyes scanned her frantically…her pink lingerie, her frozen skin, her bunny tail drooping from the snow, the cord burning her wrists.
His chest lifted with a violent inhale.
"You're freezing."
She nodded weakly, teeth chattering. Snowflakes clung to her eyelashes, melting onto her cheeks like tears.
He gathered her closer, pressing her against his warm, bare chest. Heat radiated off him like a furnace. She clung to him instinctively, trembling.
"You're safe now," he murmured, voice vibrating against her ear. "I've got you, little bunny."
**"
Snow suddenly shifted beneath Luka's boots.
A vampire… one of the scouts he'd been tracking shot out from beneath the snow, launching straight for Talia's back with claws extended.
Luka spun so fast the world blurred.
He pushed Talia behind him and slammed his arm into the attacker's chest like a battering ram. The two crashed into a tree trunk with enough force to crack the bark.
The vampire snarled, fangs bared
Luka's eyes flashed gold.
He roared.
The trees shook.
Even the vampire flinched.
Luka's fist collided with its skull once, twice…a third time, until the creature fell motionless in a crimson stain across the snow.
Silence returned.
Only the wind and Talia's shaky breathing remained.
Slowly, Luka turned toward her.
***
His chest still heaved with the aftermath of battle, steam rising from his skin. Snow melted around his feet, forming a circle of warmth around him.
He approached her slowly.
Not like a man.
Like a predator calming down, forcing instinct to obey him.
His gaze slid over her outfit… pink lace clinging to her trembling body, bunny ears crooked, fluffy tail damp with snow. A thin white frost covered her thighs, making them glisten in the moonlight.
Something primal flickered in his eyes.
He swallowed hard.
"You're half-naked in a blizzard," he muttered, voice dark with worry and something deeper. "And they touched you."
She lowered her gaze, embarrassed. "I was I didn't… I didn't think"
"Shh."
He stepped closer, cupping her chin.
"You were terrified. You don't have to explain anything."
Her shivering worsened.
Without another word, Luka lifted her gently into his arms.
She gasped as her body pressed against his warm chest, legs dangling, cold air biting her exposed skin. He held her bridal-style, one arm under her legs, the other around her back, shielding her from the snow.
"You're burning up from the cold," he growled. "We're going home. Now."
She weakly gripped his shoulder. "Y-you came for me so fast…"
His jaw tightened.
"I felt you."
He whispered it like a confession.
"Your fear hit me like a blade. I could smell your panic in the wind. I would've torn the world apart if they'd taken you farther."
Her throat tightened.
He lowered his forehead against hers for a moment, both their breaths shaky.
"Don't scare me like that again," he said softly.
***
Luka carried her through the forest, moving with smooth, powerful strides. His muscles flexed under her as he held her close, shielding her from the freezing wind.
She pressed her face into his neck, inhaling his scent, warm, smoky, wild. Safety.
"Luka…" she whispered. "I really thought I was going to die."
"You're not dying on my watch," he murmured, brushing his thumb across her cold thigh to warm it. "Not my bunny."
Her cheeks burned at the word my.
She didn't correct him.
Couldn't.
His voice dropped even lower.
"And if any vampire ever lays a hand on you again"
His body tensed with a deep, feral rumble.
"I'll end them slower."
She shivered again.
Not from cold.
***
Through the trees, the glowing outline of Luka's mansion finally appeared… warm lights, roaring fireplaces, safety.
Talia let out a shaky breath of relief.
Luka tightened his hold on her.
"We're almost there," he whispered against her temple.
She nodded, pressing herself closer to him, listening to his steady heartbeat.
The danger was gone.
The fear still clung to her like frost.
But Luka's arms…
They held her together.