Apparently, the derpy little snowman out front is also similar to the movie because he’s being swarmed with screeching and giggling little ones.
Anya watches the happy children with a wistful gleam in her eye. I don’t know if she’s reminiscing about her not-so-child-childhood, or the thought of having our own someday. That thought does not help the desire I’m actively working to curb as we finally step inside.
Upon entry, the employees pass each of the guests an oversized fur coat to keep warm as we all move through the castle. I pepper Anya with the company’s history and little tidbits of knowledge. She’s astonished to learn that they manage to keep the structure up and running year-round. It obviously takes more work in the warmer months, but they make it happen.
“What do you think?” I ask, hoping she likes it as much as I’m interpreting that she does.
Her eyes dance across the space, looking at everything around us that’s made entirely of ice: the floors, the walls, the furniture, the chairs, the light fixtures, the doors. Everything.
Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she finally squeaks, “It’s—this—it’s gorgeous, Kodi. Thank you for sharing this with me.” She closes her eyes as she kisses me, nuzzling her nose with mine, causing me to melt into a puddle at her feet.
“They even offer rooms made entirely of ice that you can stay in,”but I have a better plan for the night.I keep that last part to myself.
She smiles and shakes her head. “Even the bed is made of ice?”
I grin, wink and nod.
She shakes her head more vehemently. “Absolutely not.”
When we’ve finished our tour of the ice castle, we grab a quick bite to eat from the one of the food trucks they keep parked outside and make our way to another surprise she doesn’t even know is coming.
“Did it really take this long to get here?” she asks, breaking the comfortable silence in the car as she continues to studiously monitor our surroundings through the window.
Smiling wide, “We’re going a different way,” I tease, and she catches my tone immediately.
Her head whips to face me, eyes narrowing. “Where are you taking me, Northerly?”
“One more surprise, Anirniq.” I wink. “This one is for me though, too,” I add more quietly which relaxes her features a bit.
She waits with a fidgety impatience as I park the SUV next to nothing but a tree, quite a ways away from civilization. This is one of the old shifter’s hunting grounds, away from the humans where we can just be ourselves. In most directions, all you can see is night sky, snow, and a few trees.
As I mingled with the community last night, I also took the opportunity to let everyone know we’d be coming out here tonight, and that we’d like some privacy.
Her brows wrinkle towards each other as she turns her head this way and that, looking for why we’re here, completely oblivious to all I have planned.
34
Anya
This man.
He seriously thinks I’m just going to climb out of this nice warm car into the bare nothing surrounding us. I have no intention whatsoever of moving, but clearly, he has other plans and uses whatever mate mind control he has against me. At least that’s what I keep telling myself about why it’s so easy for me to agree to his requests, even when they’re completely illogical.
He opens my door with a beaming smile on his face, just above that stupid chin dimple.
Don’t crack, Anya. You can do this.I coach myself with what little gusto I have left.
His smile changes to one of hope, love, and a little vulnerability I usually don’t see him wear. “Do you trust me?” he asks with a soul deep sincerity as he extends his hand in offering.
“Yes,” I answer with a cautious honesty as I slip my hand into his, knowing that I trust this man with everything I am.
He immediately pulls me from the warmth and into his arms before I have time to change my mind.
Following an extended embrace, he steps back with a wildly excited expression on his face. “Put this backpack on for me?”
I nod.
His eyes are bright and crinkled in the corner, his smile so big it looks like it would hurt. Completely undeterred, he begins removing his clothes in the middle of the Alaskan nowhere. It takes me longer than it should to realize he’s going to shift into his bear.
