Elena's POV

The world didn't explode into pain the way I'd expected. There was no harsh, bone-crunching impact, no white-hot lightning of agony.

Instead, I landed in the warm and solid arms, a human-sized cushion of heat. For a beat, the wind had left my lungs, then the shiver moved through me and I opened my eyes.

There he was.

Up close, his face was all angles and cold light, like someone had carved a man out of blue ice. I almost said thank you. The words died in my throat when his gaze found me, intense.

He smelled like cigars and something metallic that made my stomach flip. Definitely...