Chapter 309 Chapter 310

Chapter 309 Chapter 310
Chapter 310

Nina’s POV

The sharp whistling of wooden arrows flying through the humid jungle air sounded like a nightmare coming to life.

Nikolai’s boots slammed against the slippery wet mud, his body weaving through the massive ancient trees with terrifying speed. He held my legs locked tight against his broad, bare chest, ducking under low vines and heavy branches while keeping his center of gravity unbelievably low.

Right ahead of us, hidden beneath a curtain of thick green moss and rushing water, a small cave opening sat concealed at the base of a natural stone fountain.

Without slowing down for a single second, Nikolai dove straight through the roaring sheet of water. The cold liquid blasted over us, soaking my skin as we tumbled into the dark, damp hollow beneath the rock face.

He set me down instantly against the slick stone wall, pinning my back gently against the cool rock while slapping his large, calloused palm directly over my mouth. His broad frame completely shielded my body from the cave entrance, his dark eyes wide and wild as he stared out through the thin curtain of falling water.

I struggled against his grip, muffled words escaping against his tight palm.

"They are probably just locals defending their land!" I rambled frantically beneath his hand, my voice muffled and breathless. "Or maybe an illegal logging team! Why on earth would you jump straight to cannibals? That makes zero logical sense!"

Nikolai did not turn his head. He kept his body pressed flush against mine, his chest rising and falling in deep, heavy pulses as he listened to the low thrum of the helicopter blades hovering somewhere directly above the canopy.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered sharply, his voice dropping into a dark, gravelly tone near my ear.

I looked straight into his dark, intense eyes and shook my head side to side in absolute defiance.

Before I could utter another muffled word, Nikolai pulled his hand off my mouth, grabbed the back of my neck, and slammed his lips against mine in a deep, fiery kiss.

The sudden shock of his mouth consuming mine sent an electric jolt straight to my toes. He kissed me with a rough, possessive intensity that instantly cut off all the oxygen in my lungs, melting my stubborn resistance into absolute butter within two seconds flat. My hands flew up to clasp around his broad, bare shoulders, my fingers digging into his warm skin as I surrendered completely to the kiss.

For several long, breathless moments, the only sound inside the hidden cave was the roaring water outside and the desperate, hungry rhythm of our mouths colliding.

Slowly, the distant chopping noise of the helicopter engines began to fade away, moving further toward the northern ridge of the island until total silence returned to the forest.

Nikolai finally pulled his mouth away from mine, letting out a long, ragged sigh as he released his grip on my neck. He stepped back toward the edge of the cave opening, peeking carefully through the veil of the waterfall to check the surrounding perimeter.

I wiped my wet lips with the back of my hand, my heart still hammering like crazy inside my ribs.

"How do you even know they are cannibals?" I demanded softly, crossing my arms over my chest to hide the frantic shivering of my body.

Nikolai kept his eyes on the jungle outside, his tone dropping into a cold, practical register. "Or modern organ hunters. They target strays, shipwreck survivors, and missing people on unmapped territories like this. It is a multi-million dollar trade."

I let out a heavy, disbelieving sigh, slumping my back against the damp stone wall. "You always seem to know everything about every single dangerous thing on this planet. So what now?"

Nikolai turned his head slowly, looking past me into the deeper cavern behind us.

A natural stone basin gathered the clear water spilling down from the fountain overhead, forming a deep, still pool that stretched into the darkness of the lower cave system. The water looked clear, cool, and surprisingly calm compared to the wild ocean currents outside.

"I will have to teach you how to swim," Nikolai said, gesturing toward the deep natural pool.

I stepped away from the wall, looking directly into his unreadable face with a mixture of sheer frustration and raw curiosity.

"What is the deal with you, Nikolai?" I asked, my voice laced with a deep, lingering ache. "You are savage, strong, and very much a man. But you don't seem to want me. You won't let me into your head for even a single second."

Nikolai looked down at me, his dark eyes darkening as he took a small step backward. "Trust me, Nina. You don't want to be inside my head."

He turned his back to me, scanning the height of the cave ceiling and inspecting the dry rock ledges along the inner walls. "We might have just found the perfect home for now. It is hidden, cooled by the water, and hard to track from the air."

The absolute coldness of his demeanor pushed my temper completely over the edge.

I stepped forward, my hand shooting out to grab his thick, rock-hard bicep with all the strength in my body, yanking his broad frame around to force him to face me.

"What is your fucking problem, Nikolai?" I screamed in pure annoyance, my voice echoing loudly off the damp stone walls of the cave. "Nobody is ever this cold-headed!"