Without a second thought, he lunged forward, his hand reaching out to grasp her arm just as she began her descent. She looked up at him with a frown as he grabbed her right hand, and instead of holding on to him to pull herself up, she gritted her teeth and began trying to pry away his fingers with her left hand. When she couldn't pry them off, she started pinching the skin on his hand that was holding her firmly.
Lucian didn't have time to think through her actions. The force of his grip pulled her back, and with a swift, powerful motion, he yanked her back into the room.
Both of them collapsed onto the cold floor, with Ave landing on top of him while his hand impulsively moved around her waist, as if to protect her from falling to the side.
