Author's Note: Being Canadian, the only real annoyance in Shiver was the fahrenheit temperatures. I had to look up the equivalent to celcuis to know what number was freezing (hence calling the story Zero Degrees).

However, I really enjoyed the novel and wrote this short piece.

Disclaimer: Shiver belongs to Maggie Stiefvater, which I had to look up to pronounce her last name. It's pronounced "Steve-Otter".

"I want to go to bed," Sam announced.

I was relieved to hear him say it. "I do, too."

My shoes were no longer necessary and I kicked them behind the door. Sam was already barefoot and followed me down the hallway. I could feel his eyes on me the whole way into my bedroom.

I let Sam go in first, shutting the door behind me with a snick as I leaned into it. My fingers stayed on the doorknob, keeping me centered. There was so much I wanted to say to him in that moment. For awhile I kept silent, and then I asked him, "Why are you so careful with me, Sam Roth?"

It was downright frustrating at times with how careful he was. When I needed him to kiss me more, when I wanted him to touch me more, he would pull away. There was a battle that constantly raged in his mind—I could see it in his eyes every time he pulled away. If only I could know what he was so stuck on.

He seemed to put a lot of thought into the question. I knew it was hard for him to explain all the conflicting emotions running through his mind when I had so many of my own.

"I—it's—I'm not and animal," he muttered out.

"I'm not afraid of you," I told him.

Sam looked at me in the moonlight. I could see him struggling to do the right thing—to push back the animalistic tendencies he had many times given into when he became a wolf. It would always be his main struggle, trying to stay as human as possible.

My hands were still stuck behind me but I wanted to run my hands through his hair at that moment. Had I not been trying to get him to make the first move, I would have.

"Can you tell me it's only the wolf in you that wants to kiss me?" I asked.

I watched Sam consider my question. He braced his arms on either side of my head, making the door creak as it took his weight. His scent assaulted my nose, intoxicating me. Then he pressed his mouth to mine and kissed me. I didn't hold back, opening my mouth to his. When his lips parted I let my tongue graze against his teeth, tasting him. I could feel an electric current running between us and only kissed him harder. My skin was beginning to heat up.

Sam was breathing hard as he moved his lips against mine. Taking the opportunity, I bit down on his bottom lip. He growled in reaction, sending a new shot of warmth through my body. I moved my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer to me. Now was not to time to let any distance between us. I wanted to feel his full weight pressed against me.

"That was so sexy," I whispered to him, my voice very uneven. "I didn't think you could get any sexier."

Sam kissed me back and before I could think about it I hooked my fingers into his jeans, feeling the soft skin of his hip bones, and pulled him back close to me. He got too far away when we moved from the door.

"Oh, God, Grace," he gasped. "You—you greatly overestimate my self-control."

"I'm not looking for self-control," I told him as his palms moved up and under my shirt, spreading out on my sides. I couldn't help but arch my back into his touch, it was invigorating.

He looked at me then, with such sincerity that I wanted to kiss him all over again. There was still a war waging inside him. Sam wouldn't push me unless I told him to. "I—I don't want to do anything you'll regret."

"Then don't stop."

Together we backed onto my bed, a small part of my mind wondering if my parents were going to come home soon, and a larger part wanting to know why Sam wasn't kissing me.

I tugged his shirt up, helping discard the unnecessary item. Greedily, I ran my fingers over his stomach, feeling every muscle contract under my touch. He growled as I traced a path down from his collarbone to his waistband. It made me smile, knowing that he was giving in completely.

His scent, which always lingered, was even stronger tonight. It was as if the heat of our bodies brought it out more. I took in a long drag of his scent, running my nose across his bare skin. I was intoxicating myself with it. "You smell so good," I told him, sniffing him again. My wolf tendencies were coming into play. I could tell he wanted me. "Every time I touch you it comes off stronger."

Sam pushed me down onto my pillows, bracing his arms on either side of my head, much like in the hallway. His legs straddled me comfortably.

He looked at me with such longing and desire. "Are you sure?" he asked, and I knew I wanted to.

I was nervous, still, so I nodded my head.

He bent down to the exposed skin on my belly, kissing the skin there. It was unbelievable how natural it felt to me, to us, to be this intimate.

Sam kissed the spot on my neck where I knew my scars were. It was a silent apology, of sorts.

Even with our hot bodies, I knew the chill of the room would eventually get to the both of us. I pulled my blankets up and over our bodies as we began to pull off the rest of our clothes.

My shirt.

His pants.

My bra.

His boxers.

My panties.

Sam growled one more time as I pressed my naked body against his. He was giving in, but so was I.