“Do you want to go back?” Evan asked. “Is it too cold?”
Nix shook his head then stepped closer until his chest pressed against Evan’s. “Thank you for this. I want you to show me everything.”
Evan smiled. “I’m going to.”
Nix pushed up and kissed Evan hard. Heat filled him as Evan deepened the kiss. Nix gripped the back of Evan’s jacket, holding him in place.
Evan drew back.
Nix tried to chase his lips. He wanted more!
“We really need to get going,” Evan said.
“You are totally going to make this up to me,” Nix warned.
“I always do,” Evan promised.
They continued their trek up the mountain and Nix had to admit that it really was pretty. Snow covered the ground, rocks, bushes, and trees. The sun was high in the sky but clouds were moving fast and Evan wasn’t wrong about another snowstorm approaching.
The higher they went, the colder it grew.
“Not much farther,” Evan told him.
Nix had the hood up on his jacket already. He tightened the cord, pulling it tighter around his face. Evan had bought Nix’s clothes for the trip. At first Nix had been confused. Sure, he knew it was much colder in Colorado. Part of the reason that he was so excited to spend Christmas was so they would have a white holiday. It was a first for him and his brothers. “Okay.”
After another ten minutes, Evan led him to a cave. A freaking cave. Nix stopped at the entrance. “Is this safe?”
Evan flicked on a flashlight as he turned. “Safe?”
“Don’t bears, like, hibernate in the winter? In caves. Like that?”
“Not this one,” Evan told him.
“Are you sure?” Nix did not want to come up against a bear. Especially if they were responsible for waking that animal. He wanted to live through this trip up into the mountains. He was too young and pretty to die!
“Trust me.” Evan held out his hand.
Nix shuffled closer, but he was trying to look in all the corners for a threat.
Evan grabbed his hand, pulling him deeper into the cave. Nix had good vision. An added gift from being born a shifter. He also had enhanced scent. The cave smelled nothing like he’d expected. It was cold but the cave had a sweetness to it as well.
“I know there aren’t any bears, because this is my cave,” Evan explained as he crouched. He pulled out a bundle from his pack.
“What’s that?” Nix asked leaning forward to see what Evan was up to.
“This is blackthorn wood,” Evan said while setting the bundle down in the middle of a rock circle. “There are other magical ingredients as well that have been used by my clan for centuries.”
Excitement grew inside him. Nix had been dying to know more about Evan’s clan and the magic connected to his dragon side.
It was confusing but Nix was beginning to put together the differences between him being a shifter and Evan having another form. It was hard since Evan hated to talk about the past and what had happened to most of his kind. Nix tried not to push since it was something that often upset Evan to talk about.
“This fire will keep us warm and give plenty of light,” Evan said. “It also marks this space as mine. Natural predators won’t enter because of the magic that has been used here.”
“What about other animals?” Nix asked. He was a fruit bat shifter and hadn’t felt anything when he’d entered. No deterrent.
“I have found smaller or injured animals here, but they are welcome. I’ve taken several to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife when necessary.”
“That’s awesome.” Leave it to Evan to have a safe space for even wild prey animals.
