Chapter 5 #2
A broad chest and shoulders that make him look as though he could’ve been built to carry the weight of the world without ever bending beneath it. Things I might have once thought about taking for granted suddenly seem miraculous.
I stare.
His eyes are the first thing I recognize.
They are still unmistakably his, although the silver is gone.
Now they are a solid, brilliant blue, deep enough that I could fall into them if I wasn’t already too stunned to move.
His face has changed, too. His lips are fuller, his cheekbones more pronounced, his jaw stronger.
His entire body carries a massive, powerful build, the kind of strength that reminds me of a linebacker, except there is something almost graceful beneath it. He looks like a Viking god.
He looks dangerous.
Beautiful.
Vulnerable.
Darker blue markings cover his chest and climb his neck, intricate patterns that seem almost alive against his pale skin.
His massive hands are only partially covered in hair, while his legs reveal the sheer power of his frame, muscles stretching beneath skin that looks almost too delicate to contain them.
Only fragments of his beast remain, to the point that if you didn’t know, he could have hidden that part away forever. But I can see the Yeti barely contained behind thin skin.
Long, silver-white hair falls from his head and brushes his shoulders and down his back. More of it graces his forearms, softening the otherwise distinctly masculine lines of his body.
I can’t stop staring. His lips curve into a crooked smile. Heat rushes into my face. I knew I was blushing as red as my hair, but I couldn’t make myself look away.
DaR is unconquerable.
Mek is beautiful.
KyT is intriguing in a way that makes me want to understand him.
But HaL...
HaL is something else entirely. Captivating doesn’t begin to describe it. There is something about him that makes me feel as though I could spend a lifetime looking at him and still discover something new. Every detail seems to hold another secret. Another question.
And suddenly, I’m not sure whether I am looking at him because I’m fascinated, or because I fear that if I look away, this version of him might disappear.
Then I see the runes move and my breath catches. They are shifting beneath his skin … not like shadows … not like light. They are actually moving. My heart slams against my ribs.
Can it be?
I barely have time to form that thought before HaL glances down at me. Something in his expression changes. The crooked smile fades. For the first time since the transformation began, he looks uncertain.
Almost afraid.
He glances down at my hand, then back into my eyes. Slowly, hesitantly, he reaches for me. I should be frightened.
Maybe I am.
But when his hand closes around mine, all I can think about is how carefully he touches me despite his incredible size.
His palm completely swallows mine. His fingers curl around my hand with astonishing gentleness, as though I am something fragile he’s terrified of breaking. Then the heat reaches me.
I suck in a breath.
He is burning.
Not painfully. Not dangerously. Just impossibly warm.
The heat radiating from his skin is seeping into mine, chasing away the chill that has settled over me.
I can feel the strength in his hand, the barely restrained power beneath his skin, and yet he holds me as though I am the one thing in the room he can’t afford to hurt.
I lift my eyes to his.
Those brilliant blue eyes watch me with an intensity that makes my heart stumble. And suddenly, the transformation doesn’t matter anymore.
Beast or man.
Fur or skin.
Silver eyes or blue.
I know him.
Somehow, beneath every change, every secret, every impossible thing he has shown me, I know him.
And the realization frightens me far more than his transformation ever could.
Because I don’t just want to understand HaL anymore.
I want him to trust me enough to let me see everything he has spent his life hiding.
“You’re so warm.”
“I should hope so. Did you think I would be cold to the touch now?”
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure. I’ve learned quickly not to take anything for granted since the moment EvO opened my pod on Destiny.”
“HaL pulls an oddly shaped seat up beside the bed, never letting go of my hand or taking his eyes off me.”
I reach up self-consciously and know I must look a mess. Troza must notice because she quickly scolds him, and I suddenly feel bad.
“Stop staring, HaL. The youngling just woke and has not had time to groom herself, and you know how females are with such things … Dawn, I have a few questions for you if you feel up to it.”
His bright blue eyes seem to be memorizing my every feature, and I’m glad for the distraction, even if some things are painful to talk about.
“I feel much better than I did, Troza. So yes, I will answer anything you may want to know.”
“These allergies that have plagued your lifespan, how were they treated, and what symptoms should I look out for?”
“This will probably come as a shock, but when that escape pod door opened and I crawled out into the snow, I didn’t have a single symptom. I was freezing but no allergies then or now it seems.”
Troza’s expression changes instantly.
“What? Has that ever happened to you before?”
“Absolutely not. All I can think of is that there’s nothing green here to set them off. From what I could see, there was no pollen, no pollutants … nothing but clean, white snow.”
“Hmmm, well, we will have to test your theory out further once you are up and on your feet. We have a grooming room, which I am sure you would like to use for some private time.”
“Yes, I would, but I want to thank both of you first for all you have done for me. Even though I hate that you’re both uncomfortable because of me. I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d see you again, HaL.”
“Nor I you, little Roja, but the Lord of Light has his ways. You will be the first soft skin to stay here on Hallister for more than a short period of time, and it will have its trials, but we will figure it out.”
“Will I be putting your people in danger by being here?”
“That is not something you need to concern yourself with. The crew has already destroyed all evidence of your crash. So, unless it was spotted beforehand, no one will be the wiser about your location. If anyone or anything tries to retrieve you, they will not like the consequences. My kind are fierce Dawn, and we protect what is ours.”
I see him look over at Troza, then back to me. Suddenly, my eyes are heavy, and I feel myself sinking further into the soft surface below me. HaL says something, but his voice seems to be far away, and I let the peace of sleep take me.