“We’re still on pack land,” Violet said as she took a step towards him, a smile curling over her lips. She was socold. “It’s just new land. The territory is expanding. The pack is going to be growing. There’s a need for more territory to hunt and explore and grow.”
“Well that’s all well and good, but I ain’t got no idea how to get us back. And I can’t exactly leave you alone in the dark.”
Intuition was practically screaming at her. She knew exactly where they needed to go.
“We’re not heading back into town tonight, Henrik,” Violet chided with a roll of her eyes. “We’re staying out here.”
“Stayin’ where, Little Witch?” Henrik asked as he turned to look at her. He froze, probably because he realized how close she was to him.
“Come on,” she whispered, fighting the urge to reach out and take his hand. She wanted to surprise him.
And... once they... well... not here.
The space was carved out of a dream, a space of rock that opened to reveal a small cave. Henrik went in first, in wolf form of course, but returned a man. She knew it would be clear, ready for them. After all, intuition was leading her, and her magic wanted the same thing she did at that moment. Hell, probably all of the magic in the town wanted her to proceed with her wishes.
“It ain’t much, but it’ll shield us from the wind and the rain,” Henrik confirmed, giving her a nod. “I’m gonna try and find some dry branches.”
“Good idea,” she told him, watching as he headed out of the cave. “Because I’m kind of cold.”
He stopped in his steps, and she smiled, waiting for him to turn, to say something. For him torealizewhat she meant.
Only, he kept walking, her laughter following.
Shivering while squatting on the floor of the cave, Violet tried to remember what in all she had brought with her in her bag. The snack bars and water she had been enjoying as they walked, but they would definitely need more water the next day, and probably food. For tonight, however, they would just have to go hungry.
There was a blanket in the bag as well, though, and she spread it on the ground, wanting to keep them from laying on the cold earth. That would be the most important step to keeping them warm. To keep the earth from leeching all body heat from them.
Wow. What a time to stop feeling all of the fire roaring inside of her. Could have picked a better moment.
There was a pair of gloves in there as well, which was surprising to her. She didn’t even remember throwing them in there.
The urge to put them on was almost immediate, and she nearly listened to it, assuming that once again, intuition was piping up. After all, intuition had led her through her day, and had never led her wrong, but she paused, realizing what it was.
It wasn’t intuition telling her to put on the gloves. It was fear. Fear was telling her that she wasn’t ready. That she was going to harm him again. That she needed the gloves to protect them both.
Fear could shove it, just like the gloves that she shoved straight back into her bag.
She was going to touch her soulmate. She was going to touch her soulmate again. Come Hell or high water, she wasn’t leaving this cave without touching him.
Henrik returned a short while later carrying two armfuls of wood, and dropped them in the middle of their small cave. He left without saying anything, practically running out of the space, and returned again with more wood as she carefully stacked them up. The good thing about her abilities, or at least, her connection with fire, was that she could easily push a little bit forward, warming her fingers as she did so, and urged the wood to catch.
By the time he returned a third time with wood, she had a small fire going, and was starting to stack the wood to build it up.
“I think that’s enough for now,” she told him, taking in a full view of his naked body in the firelight.
He was staring at her strangely, and she watched him shudder before he took a few steps in, almost hesitant. She straightened up and smiled at him, but he quickly turned away, going to the wood he had dropped and stacking it up.
She waited, watching him work. If he wasn’t ready... She knew that he knew what was coming. He just needed a moment to process it.
That was okay with her. They had been waiting a lifetime for this moment. What was another few seconds?
“Are you still cold?” Henrik asked as he straightened up, the fire burning between them.
Violet licked her lips before nodding, her eyes focused entirely on his. She was cold... well, no longer freezing, because the fire was warming her up, but in the ways that mattered most...
She was cold. She was so very cold. And only the heat of his body could warm her.
“What was it, then?” he asked, his voice cracking as he walked around the fire. He reminded her of a wolf stalking his prey, although she knew he saw her more as a prize. “What finally cracked it?”