Chapter 25 Icicle Tits
Icicle Tits
Rudy’s confession hung in the frozen air between us, so simple yet so clearly devastating to him.
“You can’t fly?” I repeated his words, trying to process their significance.
His massive frame seemed to shrink, shoulders curving inward as he looked away, his jaw clenched. “I can transform, I can run, I can lead the herd, but I can’t leave the ground.”
The pieces clicked together—his isolation, his distance, his reluctance to help me. It wasn’t disdain. It was shame.
“That’s why you come to this hill.” I glanced at the edge of the hill where the nibbleknot had jumped from, seeing it differently now. This wasn’t a place for him to isolate, but a futile reach toward the sky.
Rudy’s eyes met mine, unguarded for once. “What kind of alpha can’t do the one thing his herd is born to do? What kind of protector can’t follow where the others go?”
The wind whipped around us, but the snow no longer swirled chaotically. Instead, it drifted in slow spirals, mirroring the shift in my emotions from rage to something more complicated.
“When you said, ‘What’s the point?’ what did you mean exactly?”
“What’s the point of getting close to you?” His voice cracked slightly. “What’s the point of teaching you about your magic when I can’t even fulfill my own purpose? The others can give you joy, carry you through the skies, and be what you need.”
I took a step toward him, clutching Barbara’s blanket around my shoulders. “Did it ever occur to you I don’t need nine perfect reindeer? I need people who will stand beside me, flaws and all.”
The faintest hint of hope flickered across his face before disappearing beneath his mask of indifference. “You don’t understand what it means to be broken in our world. I’m…”
“You’re what? Defective? Unworthy?” I moved closer until I stood directly in front of him, close enough to feel the unnatural heat radiating from his body.
“Do you think I don’t know what that feels like?
I lost twelve years of my life and my identity.
I’ve spent my entire adult existence feeling like something was missing without knowing what it was. ”
Something shifted in his expression, a small crack in the armor he wore so rigidly.
“When my magic manifested, everyone expected greatness. I was the biggest, the strongest. The natural leader. And then...” His voice trailed off, gaze drifting toward the star-filled sky.
“Everyone waited for me to soar, and I couldn’t. ”
Without thinking, I reached out and touched his arm. His skin was warm beneath my fingertips, a stark contrast to the frigid air. “Flying isn’t what makes you special.”
The tension in his muscles eased slightly under my touch. “In a herd of flying reindeer?”
“In a world where everyone expects you to be one thing, your strength is in being something unexpected.” I moved my hand to his chest, feeling his heart pound beneath my palm. “The others follow you because of who you are, not what you can do.”
Rudy’s hand came up, hesitantly covering mine. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It’s not. But nothing worth having ever is.” A small smile tugged at my lips since I was learning that myself.
We stood there with his large hand covering mine, the warmth of his touch spreading up my arm. The emotional honesty had cracked something open between us, but the intimate moment was quickly undermined by my body’s less poetic reaction to being outside in wet pajamas.
“Well, this heart-to-heart has been lovely,” I managed through chattering teeth, “but I think my tits are literally turning into icicles right now.” The blanket did nothing to keep out the chill.
“You’re soaked.” He stepped back, his brows drawing together as he assessed my shivering form.
Before I could suggest we head back to the cabin, Rudy’s frame shimmered, his outline blurring as he transformed into a reindeer. He lowered himself to the ground with a graceful dip of his knees, turning his massive head to look at me expectantly.
“What? You want me to—”
“Get on.”
I blinked, my mind reeling from the telepathic intrusion. “Okay, talking reindeer is still weird, no matter how many times it happens.”
“Trust me.”
Another violent shiver racked my body, deciding for me.
“Fine, but if this is some kind of trick to dump me in a snowbank, I’m turning your antlers into icicle chandeliers.” I laid the blanket across his back and awkwardly climbed onto him, clutching fistfuls of his thick fur.
This was going to be much faster to get back to the cabin since I didn’t exactly know how to control teleporting.
His muscles tensed beneath me, powerful and coiled, before he launched forward with surprising speed. We tore down the hillside, and I pressed my face against his warm neck as we raced past the cabin lights glowing in the distance.
He veered sharply, plunging into the dense tree line instead of continuing toward the cabin.
I squeezed my eyes shut as branches whipped past, trusting Rudy to navigate while I concentrated on not falling off.
It wasn’t as smooth as flying, but the magical aerodynamics created a barrier between me and the wind that would have frozen me otherwise.
Rudy finally slowed as we entered a small clearing nestled among the pines.
“Oh, wow,” I breathed as I took in the steam rising from a natural pool of water.
Rudy came to a complete stop, and I slid off his back, my legs wobbling slightly as they reconnected with solid ground. The air was warm and carried the earthy scent of stone.
The surface of the steaming pool glowed, looking like scattered diamonds. The snow around the edges had melted into a perfect perimeter, creating a magical boundary between winter and warmth.
“A hot spring?” I stepped closer to the pool, feeling the heat radiating upward, already beginning to thaw my frozen limbs. “I’m surprised this place isn’t packed all hours of the day and night.”
Rudy shifted back to human form beside me. “No one comes here but us. Since it’s within Klarhaven’s boundaries, the magical properties of the veil keep humans away. This is also in our territory, and the other magical creatures know that.”
“And you brought me?” I looked up at him, understanding he was extending a Christmas branch.
Oh, geez, even my comparisons were turning festive.
I stared at Rudy, momentarily forgetting the cold as his mouth curved into a smile. It wasn’t the tight, controlled expression I’d seen before, but something warm and real that transformed his entire face.
He reached for the hem of my soaked sweatshirt. “You need to get out of these wet clothes.”
I batted his hand away, taking a step back. “Whoa there, big guy. I can undress myself, thank you very much.”
“Fine.” He shrugged.
Before I could respond, Rudy began stripping down. His shirt came off first, revealing his intimidating expanse of muscle. When his hands moved to the waistband of his sweatpants, I should have looked away.
He stepped out of his pants, standing there in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs covered in a red, white, and green polka dot pattern. It was so unexpected on someone like him that I almost laughed. Until I saw the bulge underneath the pattern.
I swallowed hard. “Are those... Christmas boxers?”
He glanced down as if he’d forgotten what he was wearing. “And?”
The absurdity of this stoic mountain of a man wearing holiday underwear made something in my chest loosen, and I covered my mouth to stifle a giggle.
Rudy waded into the pool, steam curling around his torso until he was waist-deep. His boxers flew out of the water with a dramatic flourish, landing with a wet plop at my feet.
I jumped back as if they might bite. “Seriously?”
“It feels better without them.”
I eyed the water suspiciously. “Are there, um, things in there? Living things? Because I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that naked people in mysterious bodies of water never ends well.”
Rudy’s eyes glinted with amusement. “The water is completely safe. The minerals have healing properties and are good for sore muscles. If you want, I can conjure you a swimsuit.”
I glanced down at my wet clothes, then back at the water. “That won’t be necessary.”
I peeled off my hoodie and stepped out of my bottoms, leaving me in my lacy underwear. I covered my breasts with an arm as the biting air raised goosebumps across my exposed skin and hardened my nipples.
“So we’re clear, these are staying on.” I gestured to my underwear as I dipped one toe in the water. “No way in hell am I having a weird magical creature swim up my vagina.”
Rudy laughed a full, deep laugh that echoed around the clearing. His head tipped back, eyes crinkled at the corners, and his shoulders shook with genuine mirth.
“What?” I stood there, half-naked and indignant, which only made him laugh harder.
“Nothing’s going to swim up anywhere, but keep your underwear on if it makes you feel better.”
I slipped into the water, moaning involuntarily as the heat enveloped my frozen limbs. “Holy shit, this feels amazing.”
I sank deeper, letting the heat seep into my bones. The mineral-rich pool wrapped around me like a warm hug, making my muscles loosen in ways no massage ever could.
Across from me, Rudy floated with his eyes closed, his massive frame somehow looking peaceful. I’d never seen him this relaxed before, with the permanent furrow between his brows smoothed out and his jaw slack.
The silence between us was comfortable, but questions bubbled up inside me. I watched the steam curl around his face, gathering my courage.
“Can I ask you something weird?” I traced my finger through the water, creating little swirls.
Rudy’s eyes opened slowly. “You’ve been teleporting, freezing time, and making snow sharks. Weird has lost all meaning.”
“Fair point.” I chewed my bottom lip. “Why is your entire herd... attracted to me? And why am I attracted to all of you? It’s not exactly normal to want to jump nine different guys.”
Rudy moved through the water toward me, each ripple spreading outward like my question had disturbed something deep. When he reached me, he brushed a wet strand of silver hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering against my cheek.
“I don’t know for certain, but it’s not unheard of to be drawn to a mate. Your dad has also always had a special bond with his herd.”
My nose wrinkled involuntarily.
Rudy’s laugh echoed across the water. “No. Not like that. Though who knows? Your mother is an elf, and elves are notoriously a little more… wild.”
“Sweet mother of reindeer, stop talking.” I splashed water at his face.
His mouth fell open in mock outrage. “You asked!”
“And I immediately regret it.” I sent another wave of water at him, this one bigger.
Rudy’s eyes narrowed playfully. “You really want to start this fight?”
“Maybe I do.” I lifted my chin defiantly. “What are you going to do about it, Rudolph?”
His hand sliced through the water, sending a massive splash that hit me like a tidal wave. I sputtered, wiping water from my eyes to find him grinning with smug satisfaction.
“That was a declaration of war.” I lunged forward, using both arms to create the biggest splash I could manage.
Rudy ducked, most of the water sailing over his head. “You’ll have to do better than that, sugarplum.”
Before I could decide whether he was using a term of endearment, Rudy was advancing. I squealed and tried to swim away, my arms flailing as I moved through the water.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against a wall of muscle. I could feel every hard plane of him against my back, my soaked underwear doing nothing to create a barrier between us.
“Caught you.” His mouth was so close to my ear that I could practically feel his lips, and my whole body reacted before I could think.
I turned in his arms, intending to push away, but the movement pressed my bare breasts against his chest. My breath caught as tiny blue sparks danced where our skin touched.
Rudy’s eyes widened, but he didn’t let go.
“I have another question,” I whispered, acutely aware of every place our bodies connected.
His gaze dropped to my lips, lingering there. “What?”
I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to close the distance between our mouths. “Am I going to have eight reindeer or nine?”
The question hung between us, loaded with meaning. Rudy’s expression shifted, vulnerability flashing across his features before determination took its place.
Instead of answering, he cupped my cheek, his thumb tracing my bottom lip. Then he leaned down and pressed his mouth to mine in a kiss so gentle it made my heart ache. His lips moved with reverence, as if he were savoring something he’d been denied access to for too long.
As his tenderness threatened to overwhelm me, he deepened the kiss. His tongue slipped past my lips, claiming me with a hunger that matched the one building inside me. His hands slid down to my waist, lifting me effortlessly until my legs wrapped around him.
I threaded my fingers through his hair, tugging slightly as our mouths moved together with increasing urgency.
This wasn’t like the kisses I’d shared with the others.
This was Rudy pouring every unspoken word, every moment of restraint, every ounce of longing into a single, soul-shattering connection.
My body melted against his, the water lapping gently around us as we moved together. The rest of the world fell away until there was nothing but his mouth on mine, his hands on my skin, and the steam rising around us.
Something in the air shifted. At first, I thought it was the dizzying effect of Rudy’s kiss, but when he pulled back slightly, his eyes focused on something to the side of us.
I followed his gaze and gasped.
The night sky had transformed. Ribbons of light unfurled across the darkness above the trees, with brilliant streams of emerald, violet, and gold weaving together like an ethereal tapestry. They pulsed and danced, creating patterns too beautiful to be random but too wild to be designed.
“Are those the Northern Lights?” I’d seen them faintly in the distance before, but this was so close I felt like I could reach out and let the colors filter through my fingers.
Rudy’s arms tightened around me, his expression filled with relief. “No. It’s the veil.”
My eyes widened. “The veil?”
“Yes, the boundary between here and the North Pole.” His voice was hushed, as if he were telling me a secret. “And if you can see it...” Rudy pulled me closer, his forehead resting against mine. “We can take you to the North Pole. We can take you home.”
The lights intensified, stretching up into the sky, their reflection turning the hot spring into a pool of liquid magic.
Wrapped in Rudy’s arms, I felt a sense of belonging so profound it brought tears to my eyes.
I belonged here. With this herd. With this man who couldn’t fly but somehow made me feel like I could soar. And together we belonged in the North Pole.