"Why did you have to marry the man who is incapable of protecting you, Sophia??" Leland wanted to ask Sophie. He looked at the sick woman and thought of something.
Based on his men's report, Sophie didn't seem to know her roots. Did she still not know that she was half lycan?
Leland remembered Anne and Jack Hansley did cover up the fact from their own daughter when she was a child because they were worried she couldn't keep a secret.
Leland watched Sophie shiver under the blanket and his heart ached. Sophie had passed the age to shift if she was a werewolf. That means she didn't have enough werewolf in her to have those capabilities. She took after her human father more.
No wonder her scent was very faint. If Sophie was more like her mother, she wouldn't have to suffer like this. She could just keep herself warm by transforming into a wolf.
Leland clenched his fists to the sides. His mind went back to Sophie's husband. HE should have been here and kept Sophie warm!
Where the fuck was he?!
The alpha regretted not fighting Nicholas to the death and challenge him to give up on Sophie. He let go of Sophie because he saw how much she loved him, and he thought the man could protect her as her husband. Apparently, Leland was wrong.
The man took off his remaining clothes quickly, tossed them to the floor, and transformed into his wolf form.
He went to Sophie's side and wrapped his body around her, over her thin blanket, so he could transfer his body heat to her and keep her warm.
Snow was falling hard outside the hut and the temperature became really low. Even though the fire was originally not enough to keep a human warm in this really bad weather, the woman sleeping on the bed no longer shivered.
The body heat transferred from the werewolf fur was perfect to keep her warm. Her body slowly became more relaxed and could sleep better. She even snuggled closer to Leland in her sleep.
Perhaps, her body thought it was Nicholas' wolf that was cuddling her and she was immediately drawn to him.
The huge white wolf stayed by Sophie's side and cuddle her for a good one hour until he could feel her breathing become regular and her body was warm enough under the blanket.
Then, he got up and went to the kitchen area and tried to check if there was anything he could use to make soup for her. There was none.
It seemed this hut had not been inhabited for a long time. Could it be that Nicholas immediately took Sophie away from this place when he saw the broken stump? Had they left this hut for that long?
Leland realized Nicholas must feel the alpha's presence because of the tree he broke in two and the man felt threatened. If Nicholas really thought the visitor was an enemy, he must have wanted to take Sophie far away from Blackwoods for her safety.
But… why did Sophie end up alone in the forest? Leland tried to think of all the possibilities. He couldn't really know.
Finally, he set those thoughts aside. Seeing how weak Sophie was now, he realized if he wanted Sophie to get better, he must hunt and get her something to eat.
So, he decided to leave her just to hunt for quick prey. He checked Sophie's condition one more time before he went out of the door. Leland returned not long after with a fat wild chicken between his teeth.
He tossed the chicken on the terrace then he transformed back into a human. Leland quickly put on his pants and defeathered the chicken. He didn't need a knife to do the work because he could just use his claws when he did a partial transformation.
In no time, the chicken was ready to cook. He lighted the fire and hung the pot over it to make soup for Sophie.
When she woke up, she could just warm up the soup for her to eat. This way, she would be able to replenish her energy and recover faster.
After he got the pot ready for cooking, Leland took Sophie's clothes and washed them quickly at the well outside, under the snow. He hung them to dry near the fire. He hoped by the time she recovered, her clothes would already be dry enough to wear.
At 2 am, everything was done. He had even cleaned up the hut from dust. Anything to make the place more comfortable for her.
Finally, Leland sat on the only stool in the hut and watched Sophie. He kept the fire on so she could get the warmth. The only sounds he could hear were the crackling of firewood burning and the howling of the winds from outside.
It was like that for a few moments. Until, suddenly, Leland could hear something quiet escape Sophie's lips. She was mumbling again in her sleep, whispering one name alone. Her body started shivering again...
"Nic, please," Sophie whimpered in her sleep as tears slipped down her closed eyes. Leland gently brushed them away despite his own heart growing cold at the mention of her husband's name.
"What did he do to you?" Leland asked.
"Don't go," Sophie pleaded and clutched the hand of Leland in hers. She clung to him tightly and refused to let him pull his hand away at all. The sight alone was enough for Leland to make a conclusion.
"That bastard," he cursed with gritted teeth.
Leland's heart was immensely furious as he saw Sophie whimper and call out for her husband. Tears were leaking in the corner of her eyes and she continued to talk about Nicholas in her sleep.
"You're not a monster," Sophie cried as her shoulders trembled slightly. She squeezed Leland's hand in desperation as if she was afraid to let him go. "Please don't put yourself in danger…"
Leland sighed and felt his heart soften at the sight of her. He gently brushed away some of her tears and found himself immensely disturbed by how much longing she had for her husband.
Sophie truly loved Nicholas that even in her dreams, it was him who was on her mind.
The anger that was in Leland's heart was overcome by his desire to see Sophie become happy again. He did not like seeing her suffering and so he decided to understand what actually happened between her and her husband.
Where did the man go?
.
.
_________________
Yes, you are right, Leland should share his body heat with Sophie to keep her warm, and he did exactly that.
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