Page 49 of The Midnight Blizzard
I struggled to sit up and did my best to call out to him, but each sound I made was closer to the noise a dying cat might have made and in no way resembled his name. Despite my inability to shout, a dark shape formed in the whiteness until the snow parted to reveal Jack. He held hisungloved hands outstretched, keeping the snow at bay as he ran toward me. “Noelle!”
I sank back down, energy spent. I was found.
For the first time since I’d known him, Jack looked truly angry. “What did you run away for?” he shouted, his voice loud enough to compete with the blizzard’s howling wind. “Didn’t you know it was dangerous?”
It proved impossible get my lips or jaw to work enough to give an answer. Frost coated my face, and each sharp breath burned painfully in my chest. Could this icy wind shred my lungs? It certainly felt that way.
“Whatever your reason, that was stupid,” he scolded. With a wave of his hand, a thick ice shelter rose around us, strong enough to block the wind. The domed ceiling was so low that I wouldn’t have been able to stand properly, but at least the wind was unable to sneak in and steal my breath. Stiffly, I did my best to rub my numb fingers together.
“You could have died!” Jack continued, glaring for all he was worth. “What if I hadn’t found you? People can freeze to death in less than an hour. If Stephen hadn’t found me and sent me after you…”
“I c-couldn’t marry S-Stephen. There was n-nothing left for me at the b-ball,” I stammered, still shuddering all over.
“What am I, chopped dog meat?Iwant you.” He didn’t look at me while he placed his hand on the snow that was almost knee deep. It instantly melted away, almost like it was being absorbed back into his palm. “I thought my feelings were clear.”
If I hadn’t feared that tears would have turned to shards of ice, I might have cried. “I didn’t w-want you to get into trouble. If p-people found out about us…”
“They already knew. We weren’t exactly hiding it very well. Besides, it’s legal now, or at least it will be in a fewdays, remember? There was no need to run away.” Once all the snow was gone from the inside of the shelter, Jack let out several long breaths and crouched next to where I was huddled.
“C-can you stop the blizzard?” If there was a break in the blizzard, we would be able to return to the castle and warm up.
Jack slowly shook his head. “I’m not that powerful. I can create snow and ice and make some disappear, but I can’t stop this much. Why did you run? I told you I would come and help you plead your case.”
“Stephen took me to see the king and queen and they were talking about marrying him. I got scared,” I admitted quietly. “I didn’t think.”
“That was obvious,” he grouched, then his tone softened. He hesitantly brushed his knuckles over my cheek. “Are you still cold?” The clear, icy blue of his eyes overpowered everything else and left me speechless. How could anyone ever look at him andnotbe rendered breathless?
“Only a….a lot,” I stammered, trying not to let my teeth chatter too badly or my breath escape in too ragged of a fashion.
“Here,” he offered, opening his coat and guiding my arms in to wrap around his warm chest. I fought against my shivering as best I could and failed spectacularly. I curled my numb fingers into the fabric of his shirt, burying my face against his chest as he wrapped the coat around my back, enclosing both of us in his warmth.
“Are you c-c-cold?” I stammered.
“I don’t get cold,” he firmly reminded me, tightening his arms around me. After a moment, he redoubled his hold on me, squeezing me so tightly I couldn’t breathe. “When I realized you were gone, I’ve never been more scared in mylife.” His breath warmed my neck. “Don’t ever do that again.”
His body radiated heat in waves so intoxicating that I closed my eyes, the better to soak in the warmth. I breathed a sigh of relief and cuddled closer, burrowing against Jack and marveling at how perfectly we fit together. His fingers caressed my back, applying just enough pressure that I was kept locked into the coat with him. Secured against his chest, I felt safe. Jack would protect me from the blizzard. He would protect me against anything.
“This feels familiar,” Jack murmured.
“I don’t remember ever hunkering down in an ice house with you before,” I laughed shakily.
“No, but there was this one time when I was hiding in a closet with this beautiful woman. I was thinking of that.”
“How scandalous.”
“It was.” Several quiet moments passed as my shivering slowly subsided. “Why didn’t you stay?” Jack asked. This time, his voice was nearly a whisper. His warm, peppermint-scented breath was a welcome change from the frigid storm I’d been enduring.
“I don’t want to marry the prince,” I answered sleepily. The heat from Jack’s body was making me drowsy. “I don’t love him.”
“I know.” Jack’s comforting voice was the last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep, but before I lost complete consciousness, I felt his lips press against my forehead.
I didn’t love the prince. I loved Jack. I loved him with my whole heart.
Jack held me all night long while I slept. He must have dozed off too, because when I awoke, we were curled together, wrapped in his coat as one. Jack’s back was against the ice wall he’d conjured, arms still wrapped tightly around me. The ice building had been sealed off completely, and without the snow on the ground, it felt surprisingly warm. I closed my eyes again and relaxed in Jack’s embrace, listening to his deep, steady breathing and wishing the moment would never end.
Slowly, the interior of the ice structure grew lighter. The sun must have risen, because the velvety darkness soon gave way to a thin, pale blue that made the ice appear translucent. Jack shifted, his arm tightening around my waist briefly before he let out a sleepy snuffle. I scrunched my eyes shut, clinging to the last moments of tranquility before he awoke.
“Are you still wearing the other ice slipper?”
