I always loved snow.
In Kearney, snow every winter and early spring was a normal thing. Every time it snowed, it filled me with the same peace I felt right now. Just like when it stormed, I was at peace. Nature always called to me and filled the gaping hole inside me for a while until Rune came into my life. I wasn’t surewhynature did it for me. Growing up, some kids caught on that I enjoyed it way more than usual, more than any normal person should. And they liked to make comments to pick on me and make me feel bad. There were times I questioned myself and my sanity because of them.
“Ms. Robin, Isa is doing it again! She’s staring outside and whispering to the rain,” a boy whined with disgust.
“What a freak,” another peer said, disgusted.
I shot my widened eyes to the teacher as warmth bloomed in my chest up to my cheeks. I shook my head, denying everything the others were saying, while she eyed me with annoyance.
“I’m not doing anything,” I squeaked quickly as I kept shaking my head, hoping she believed me.
She heaved a sigh and waved me off. “Pay attention, Miss Finely. I don’t have it in me to send you to the principal today.”
I swallowed nervously, and my pulse thundered in my ears, making it hard to hear anything else she said. It took everything in me not to look at Corey, who tattled on me. He had been watching me for a while, and I’d been on his radar, so I didn’t want to give him any more reasons to keep picking on me.
I blinked out of my memory as a big, puffy snowflake kissed my eyelashes and stuck. I didn’t bother wiping it away and smiled softly.
The last time I’d been here was such a horrible experience and memory that it was nice to make new ones with a fonder feeling. I glanced around as I remembered what Rune said about this realm. It had extreme weathers that could kill a human—me—in seconds.
So why wasn’t I dead now?
It was cold, yes. But not so cold where I was shivering and chattering my teeth till they rattled.
“The cape is keeping you warm as well as you not being human,” Rune answered my silent question.
That was right. I forgot him and Hluti told me I wasn’t human anymore. That I was going through an awakening. Just like Death had said too.
I swallowed hard and met eyes with him. His tired blue ones softened.
I wanted him to sleep. He needed it, and I craved to take care of him. But I also wanted to tell him to connect the link like he did so often with me. The urgency to make him feel better grew stronger and stronger every time I saw the exhaustion cross his face. There were shadows in his eyes from the trauma he had gone through. And there were darker circles under them that made me want to kiss them, hoping if I held him, he’d feel safe enough to close his eyes for a few hours.
Even with our souls merged, he still somehow kept himself from me. I wasn’t sure how, but it made me suffer through the numbness and cold without his touch. It wasn’t his fault. I’d never blame him for it or say anything about it. Butgod, I wanted to feel him.
But he needed to focus on himself for once, not on taking care of me. Not worrying over me and preventing me from spiraling into panic attacks.
Instead of saying anything, I nibbled on my lower lip and glanced away.
Peering around at the group, I noticed Harper was bundled in Hluti’s massive cape and a blanket he pulled out at some point while here. Only a sliver of her face showed, and she looked miserable as her body trembled against the large man who held her close to him. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were glossy, but from desire... and I knew exactly what she was feeling.
Hluti and his damn sex musk.
It surprised me how well she hid her reactions to him until now. I was sure because of the weather and having gone through a portal that it was hard for her to hold any composure. But I was positive Hluti was sharing his warmth with her. And I was sure he would do other things to keep her distracted until we got to where we needed to be.
Proving my suspicions right, Hluti grunted as he rode past Rune and me, “I’m going ahead to get the female somewhere warm.”
Crunching snow under heavy hooves filled the otherwise echoing silence, along with the soft snorts of the horses.
My eyes drifted down to Sugar, and my heart gave an excited leap as I remembered what happened right before we came into this realm. I clenched my hands on the reins, staring down at her shadowed white wavy mane and thick neck.
She communicated with me before we went through the portal.
“I see you finally made a connection,” Rune said softly.
I raised my gaze to his. He smiled at me with a glint of amusement in his eyes as his horse impatiently sidestepped for us to start our travel.
Rune somehow knew about Sugar and me and the amazing thing that happened. And he said it like he’d been waiting for it to happen, that it was a normal daily occurrence not to be shocked by.
He winked at me and gently kicked the horse’s sides while he said, “In your past life, you had a way with all living creatures. They connected to you and you to them. It’s about time she finally spoke to you.”
