Chapter 15
DAWN
Lesson to self: wrap up before you step through the membrane.
“Holy hell, HaL, there is no reason for anywhere to be this damn cold. Do you guys have a warm season at all, or is this as sunny as it gets?”
“No. This is the coldest time of the rotation. But even when it gets warmer, we never get the kind of warmth you are wishing for.”
“Doesn’t that figure? I miraculously overcome being allergic to the entire world, only to discover I’ll never get a beach trip or be able to lie in the sun again. It’s like winning the lottery at ninety-four and being too damn old to enjoy it.”
He grabs me around the waist, gently tossing me into the air before catching me, pulling me snugly against his chest.
“I may have an alternative, but you are going to have to keep an open mind.”
“Oh, I’m just being fussy. And you’ve had enough issues today without me adding to them.” I reach up, pulling his furry face toward me. “Do you want to talk about Troza?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Okay, then. Lead on, dearest. I am quite enjoying my new way of getting around.”
In his true yeti form, I can’t read HaL’s emotions nearly as well as I can when he’s, well, slightly less him.
I expect him to take the same route we followed yesterday when he brought me here, but instead, he heads straight toward what appears to be a solid wall.
I instinctively press closer to him, mostly because I have no desire to collect any more bruises today.
Then, just before we reach it, HaL turns slightly—and we walk straight through it.
I blink.
The wall I thought was solid is nothing more than an expertly camouflaged entrance.
“Clever trick right there.”
“There are many hidden entrances and exits throughout the compound. In time, you will learn them all. This particular place is more difficult to access, so many avoid it.”
He keeps walking for several minutes, and I take in my surroundings; the walls gradually growing damp, and the passage becoming less constructed and more natural. Stone replaces the compound’s smooth surfaces, and moisture clings to everything around us.
“Where are you taking me, hot stuff?”
“You will see. It is just around the bend.”
Then I hear it.
Water.
At first, it’s little more than a distant murmur, but with every step, the sound grows louder. The air becomes warmer, thicker, heavier with moisture.
Then HaL steps through a natural archway, and I gasp.
Steaming, shimmering water stretches before us, filling a massive cavern as far as I can see. Wisps of steam curl through the air, catching the faint light filtering down from somewhere above.
“Holy shit! Troza mentioned hot springs, but I never dreamed anything like this existed here.”
HaL carries me farther inside, and I finally notice that the springs are divided into two distinct sections.
One is warm—gloriously, wonderfully warm.
The other is considerably cooler, its surface sending up far less steam.
A small opening high above lets outside air reach it, and thin sheets of ice cling to the surrounding walls.
It’s almost as if winter has managed to invade one half of the spring while the heat fights to reclaim it on the other.
“The two sections are constantly battling,” HaL explains. “The warm water comes from beneath the mountain, while the colder section is exposed to the outside through that opening.”
I stare at the steaming water.
“So, you brought me here because you thought I’d like it, trying to rack up some brownie points, huh?”
“I thought you might.”
I turn toward him, grinning. “You thought correctly.”
Something in his posture relaxes.
“The healing waters of this spring always help me relax. I cannot stay in the warm section for long, but I thought you would enjoy it.”
I look back at the water, then at him.
“You know, hot stuff, you may have just redeemed this entire frozen hellscape.”
His low rumble vibrates through his chest.
“I will consider that a success.”
I smile. For the first time since stepping through that membrane, I don’t miss the warmth of the sun quite so much.
HaL lowers me down gently, and the moment my feet hit the ground, I am already shucking off what I’m now calling the HaL snuggie.
“I’m assuming the water is safe?”
“Oh yes, Roja. I believe you will find it quite relaxing, and hopefully its soothing properties will help with all those aches still plaguing your small form.”
When I look back, all but HaL’s face is still heavily furred, and I wonder how in the world he controls all that fur the way he does. However, my curiosity will have to wait because that hot water is calling my name.
My onesie really comes in handy now. Even though it took me a couple of tries to figure it out, once Troza showed me the magic button on the side that releases the seams, it simply opens, and I step out in all my naked glory.
I hear a hiss from HaL behind me as I walk carefully into the water.
The last thing I want is to land on this arm the wrong way and break it again.
A clawed hand slides around my bare waist, helping me over the edge until I can feel the sandy floor below.
It’s barely up to my knees right now, but I can tell with each step it is going to get deeper.
“Be careful, the edge is slick.”
I turn slightly, knowing he is not only getting a full view of my butt, but now most of my breasts as well.
His eyes flash silver, and I can’t help but smirk, knowing all that glorious maleness is into me.
The shift is almost instantaneous: one minute he’s covered in fur and the next, his silver skin is shining as his runes dance wildly all over him.
Because he has never taken his hand off my waist, he must use the other to unclasp the loincloth wrapped around his waist that’s been hiding all the goods.
However, the moment it drops, so does my mouth.
“Holy Mother of God! It should be against all the laws to hide anything that glorious. HaL, sweet thing, you are hung like a mule, and there is no way that’s gonna fit, but whenever you decide to take me for a test drive, we are still gonna give it hell.”
HaL is huge so his feet, arms, height, weight, and apparently everything is proportioned accordingly.
I barely come up to the middle of his chest, and he thinks that monster hanging between his legs is gonna wiggle its way in?
Well, I have always wanted to be adventurous, but I have a feeling that is gonna leave a mark.
He raises an eyebrow, watching me take alllll of him in.
“You are way too pretty for your own good. If girls knew hotties like you were hiding beneath all that fur, you guys would be on the top of the missing yeti list because we would be stealing you.”
A faint, breathless chuckle escapes his lips as he comes farther into the warm water, his hands still secure around my waist. Every step draws me closer to him, until the space between us feels almost nonexistent.
His gaze drifts over me, lingering with such tenderness that warmth blooms beneath my skin wherever his eyes settle. I find myself holding my breath, caught somewhere between wanting to hide beneath his attention and wanting him to never look away.
With a gentle tug, he guides me down onto a smooth set of rocks carved naturally into the water before letting go of me. I settle against the rock, the tips of my hair brushing the water’s surface as the warmth surrounds me, and I let out a low groan as my body starts to tingle all over.
For a moment, neither of us speaks. He simply looks at me, and somehow, in the quiet between us, it feels as though he’s saying everything he doesn’t know how to put into words. Instead, he moves slightly, gently gathering my hair up and rolling it expertly into a bun at the base of my neck.
“Oh, you’re handsome and handy, and you come with coffee … not sure how much more my heart can take.”
“Your fur is stunning Dawn, and I apologize for not finishing the job you gave me this rising. I enjoyed grooming you.”
“You kinda had a few distractions this morning. And I know I was not there, and it really does not have a lot to do with me, but I don’t think Troza ever meant to deceive you. She just got so caught up in the web she had woven that she didn’t know how to unravel it.”
“I am upset simply because I hate falseness, and I trusted her more than anyone else. My mind says it changes nothing, but I wonder what else she has kept from me, and whether she would have ever told me the truth if not for you. But I am also going to have words with Father; he never once revealed her secret, so I was lied to on both sides.”
“Ughh, it sucks ass, I get it! But being mad at either of them is not going to change one second. Give yourself a few days to roll it over in your mind before you say anything. She said my arm was healed, but that I still needed to be careful, so we won’t have to run right out to see her in the morning.
But remember, even though she screwed up, she is still your mom, and I’m sure she is beating herself up right now.
I would do anything to see and talk to my parents again, but that doesn’t mean you should push your feelings away.
You have every right to be pissed. But don’t let that ruin a good thing and say what you need to …
but remember tomorrow is not promised, and you don’t want any of that to be the last memories.
So, were you the first to find this place?”
“I was, or I thought I was the first to discover this cavern. Because I had never seen anything like it before, I had the water tested, and it was rich in healing minerals. I have spent many a darkness in the cooler end, watching the stars. I enjoy the initial plunge into this warmer section, but soon I will have to start moving toward the other end and the cooler water. I will still remain with you though.”
“Even though I don’t know a ton about you, except that you smell good and are extremely comfortable to snuggle against, you’re already one of my favorite people in the world.”