Chapter 47: Nate

The wind howls outside, rattling the cabin’s windows like a warning, pulling me from sleep. I blink groggily, momentarily disoriented, the room dimly lit by the faint glow of the dying fire in the living room. The cold presses against me, biting through the blankets. Damn it. The power’s still out.

I rub my eyes and glance over at Sofia. I can't see much, but I know she’s bundled up between us, barely moving, the soft rise and fall of her chest letting me know she’s still breathing. I sit up quietly, trying not to wake anyone, and slip out of bed. The floor is freezing beneath my feet, and I wince as I make my way to the fireplace, hoping the fire hasn’t completely gone out.

I poke at the embers, tossing in a few more logs. The flames sputter weakly but catch after a moment, crackling back to life. Good. It’s not much, but it’ll keep the cabin from turning into an icebox for a little while longer. I stand there for a moment, rubbing my hands together, trying to shake the chill that’s settled into my bones.

But it’s not the cold for me that’s the problem. It’s Sofia.

I glance back toward the bedroom and frown. The room felt even colder than before. My skin prickles with unease. The power’s been out for hours, and while we’ve done our best to keep her warm, this storm is harsher than any of us expected. I walk back to the room, my breath visible in the freezing air. The faint moonlight filters through the curtains, casting soft shadows on the walls.

As I slip back into bed, I instinctively reach for Sofia, my hand sliding toward her waist to pull her close again.

Ice.

My heart stutters. She’s freezing—colder than before. My hand moves to her face, brushing against her cheek, then her nose and lips. Her skin feels like ice against my fingertips. The chill has set in deep, and she’s not reacting.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, panic beginning to tighten in my chest. I lean closer, placing my palm against her forehead. She’s shivering slightly, but her body is stiff, like her muscles are struggling to generate any warmth.

I twist around quickly, shaking Riley’s shoulder. “Wake the fuck up,” I hiss, louder this time. “Something’s wrong.”

Riley groans and rubs his eyes, half asleep. “What…?”

“Sofia,” I snap, shaking him harder. “She’s ice cold. Colder than she was before.”

That gets his attention. His eyes snap open, and he sits up fast, reaching for her just like I did. The look of concern that flashes across his face confirms it—she’s freezing.

“Fuck,” Riley mutters, moving quickly now. “Leo, Danny, get up!”

Leo stirs beside me, his brows furrowing in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Sofia,” I say, my voice more urgent now. “She’s freezing. We need to warm her up. Now.”

The room erupts into movement as everyone jolts awake, suddenly alert. The air feels colder than it did before, the kind of cold that seeps into your bones and doesn’t let go. Each of us exhales, our breaths visible in the air like smoke.

“Shit, look at that,” Leo says, pointing at the frost forming on the windows. The room’s temperature has dropped even more, and we didn’t notice it fast enough. Sofia’s small body couldn’t handle it like ours could.

Danny is the first to scramble to Sofia’s other side. “Jesus Christ,” he says, his voice tight with worry. “She’s ice cold. How did this happen? She was okay earlier.”

“I don’t know,” I answer through clenched teeth, trying to pull her even closer, willing the warmth from my own body to seep into hers. “Maybe she wasn’t as close to us as before. We weren’t holding her tight enough.”

Riley’s already tossing blankets over her, layering them quickly, but it’s not enough. “We need to heat her up fast,” he says. “This storm is worse than we thought.”

Sofia stirs a bit under the layers, but she’s barely conscious, her eyes fluttering open for a second before closing again. She’s shaking now, the cold visibly gripping her harder.

“We should’ve fucking noticed sooner,” Leo curses under his breath, frustration evident on his face. He throws another blanket over her, tucking it in around her small frame, but the cold still clings to her like a second skin. He presses his hand to her cheek and shakes his head. “Damn it, she’s still freezing.”

Riley gets up, pacing toward the window to check the storm outside, his hands running through his hair in frustration. The snow is coming down harder now, a thick blanket covering the ground, making it impossible to see beyond the immediate yard.

“We’re snowed in,” he says. “There’s no way we’re getting out of here tonight.”

“Then we have to keep her warm,” Danny says, his voice full of determination. “All of us, together. Right now.”

Without hesitation, I get up and strip off my clothes, leaving me only in my boxers. It feels counterintuitive—taking my clothes off in this cold—but I know what I’m doing. The cold slams into me for a second, chilling me to the bone, but I ignore it and move quickly.

“What the hell are you doing?” Riley starts, but then his eyes widen in understanding as he watches me lean toward Sofia, lifting her up carefully.

“This is the fastest way to warm her up,” I say, pulling the blankets away from her small body. “We need skin-to-skin contact.”

The others catch on quickly. I gently lay Sofia back down, my hands shaking slightly as I pull off her clothes, leaving her in just her underwear. Her skin is pale, and she’s still trembling. I lift her up and lie down beneath her, her back pressing against my chest.

“Come on,” I urge the others, my voice tight. “We need to warm her up.”

Riley is next to strip down, followed by Leo and Danny. One by one, they join us in bed, their body heat surrounding us, and the cold begins to fade as they press closer to her. It’s not immediate, but slowly, the warmth starts to seep into her skin.

I wrap my arms around Sofia’s waist, pulling her as close as possible. Her head rests against my shoulder, and I can feel her breath, still shallow but steady. Leo moves in on her other side, his hand gently holding hers, while Danny shifts to her legs, covering them with his own body heat. Riley positions himself at the edge, adding another layer of warmth to the pile.

Her shivering begins to ease. She’s still cold, but it’s not the bone-deep freeze it was before. The color is returning to her cheeks little by little.

Slowly, Sofia's eyelids flutter open, her gaze unfocused at first. She takes a shaky breath, her body still trembling slightly against mine.

"C-cold," she stutters, her voice barely above a whisper. "So c-cold."

I tighten my arms around her instinctively, trying to share more of my body heat. "I know, sweetheart. We're trying to warm you up."

As awareness creeps back into her eyes, Sofia glances down, noticing our state of undress. Her brow furrows in confusion, and I can feel her tense slightly in my arms.

"W-what's going on?" she asks, her voice a mix of uncertainty and lingering grogginess.

"You were freezing," Leo explains softly, his hand still gently holding hers. "We had to warm you up fast.

“We’ve got you, baby girl,” Riley whispers, his voice filled with relief. He strokes her hair back from her face gently, his fingers lingering on her cold skin. “Can I kiss you?” he asks, his voice low and husky.

Sofia looks up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. “R-really?” she stammers.

Riley nods, his eyes locked on hers. “Yeah, really. I don't want to see you be cold anymore.”

Sofia hesitates for a moment, looking at the rest of us, then nods when she notices our approval. “O-okay.”

Riley leans in, pressing his lips to hers in a soft, gentle kiss. Sofia responds, her lips parting as she deepens the kiss. Danny and Leo watch for a moment, then join in, their hands roaming over Sofia’s body as they kiss her neck and shoulder.

I watch, my own body reacting to the sight of my girl being kissed by my best friends. I would lie if I said I wouldn't rather take her all to myself, but I know they care for her and like her so damn much, just the way I do, and I can't help but feel warm at the thought of her getting this much love for once in her life.

“Can I touch you?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, not being able to hold back any longer.

Sofia looks up at me, her eyes shining with desire. “Yes,” she breathes, in between kisses from Riley.

I reach out, my hand brushing against her breast. She gasps, her nipple hardening under my touch. I circle her nipple with my thumb, then lean in and take it in my mouth, sucking and licking it until she’s moaning with pleasure.

The guys continue to kiss her, their hands roaming over her body as they explore every inch of her. She’s moaning and writhing now, her body on fire with desire.

“Guys, please don't stop.” she gasps, looking up at us with a desperate need in her eyes.

We don’t need to be asked twice. Danny and Leo move to her breasts, sucking and licking her nipples as I trail kisses down her stomach. Riley moves between her legs, spreading them wide as he leans in and starts showering kisses along her tighs.

Sofia cries out, her back arching off the ground as she feels his tongue tracing the edge of her panties. I watch as he kisses her, his fingers teasing her entrance as he drives her wild with pleasure.

I join in, my fingers joining his as we both insert ourselves in slowly, each of us only using one finger, driving her closer and closer to the edge. She’s moaning and thrashing now, her body trembling with the effort of holding back her orgasm.

“Come for us, baby,” I command, my voice low and husky.

She obeys, her orgasm crashing over her like a wave as she cries out in pleasure. Her body shudders and shakes as we continue to worship her body, drawing out her orgasm until she’s begging us to stop.

We pull away, all of us panting and breathless. Sofia looks up at us, her eyes shining with gratitude and desire.

“Thank you,” she breathes, reaching up to touch each of our faces.

We smile, our bodies still tingling with the aftermath of her orgasm. We know we’ve crossed a line tonight, but we don’t care. We’ve given Sofia what she needed, and in doing so, we’ve found a new level of intimacy and connection that we never knew was possible with her. I can tell the guys feel the same urge as me to take things further, but we'll ease her into it, and take things slow.

“I... don't want to leave you guys,” Sofia whispers, her eyes filling with tears.

We lean in, kissing her softly as we wrap our bodies around hers. We’re a tangle of limbs and sweaty skin, but we don’t care. We’re together, and that’s all that matters.

She feels warm now, her cheeks and lips having found their beautiful shade of pink once more. As we drift off to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms, I can’t help but feel grateful for this moment.