“It’s all right,” he said to Leonie. He opened the door to the walk-in freezer, releasing a cloud of icy air. “How long am I supposed to spend meditating on my failures, Ragvald?”
“Ten minutes,” Leonie said promptly, before the wyrm could so much as open his mouth. “And not one word out of you, Ragvald. I’m not letting Shan turn himself into a jumbo popsicle out of respect for your customs.”
Ragvald made a small bow in her direction. “As you wish, shield-sister. It is only appropriate that you decree his fate.Inside with you, then, cowardly one. You may rejoin us at the fire when you are ready.”
Shan was quite happy for that to be ‘never.’ He stepped inside the walk-in freezer, pushing through the thick, transparent plastic curtains that hung across the entrance. As the door closed, he caught a last glimpse of Rufus; still watching him with that oddly thoughtful expression.
After the muggy evening outside, the inside of the freezer felt arctic. A single dim strip light illuminated the cramped space. Stainless steel shelves lined the walls, packed with large storage tubs labeled things likeSHRIMP (JUMBO)orVEG MIX 3 - PEA/GREEN BEAN/SWEETCORN.
His breath steamed in the frigid air. Shan tucked his hands under his arms, glad of his gloves. Still, there were worse places to be. At least here, there was no risk of temptation.
Rancid sourness still lingered in his mouth.I can’t think of anything, she’d claimed.
He’d tasted the lie. He’d seen the blush sweep over her face when the children asked her if she’d been disappointed that he’d refused their first dare. Much as he tried to convince himself there had to be some other explanation, he knew why she hadn’t answered.
No. No. Anything but that.
He could swallow his own yearning. He could cage the monstrous need and never let it escape. He would gladly live with this aching hunger for the rest of his life if it meant she could be free.
But ifshewantedhim…
She was his mate. He could not deny her anything.
Perhaps it was just as well she’d refused his dare.
It surely couldn’t have been ten minutes, yet the freezer door opened. He straightened, startled. “What are you doing here?”
“I dared Estelle to give Ignatius a compliment.” Leonie slipped through the plastic curtain, a fresh stripe of soot across her forehead. “I knew she wouldn’t do it. Budge up.”
“Ragvald!” It was one thing to insisthepay this ridiculous penalty, but hismate? “Let her out at once!”
“He’s not there. I left him to supervise the kids.” Leonie shut the door behind her, twisting the handle. “Stop fussing. We’re supposed to model good sportsmanship for the kids, and it’s not fair if the rules don’t apply to everyone. Besides, I couldn’t leave you to freeze in here alone.”
He would much rather she had. But there was no escape. The limited space meant he would have to literally climb over her to get to the door.
He settled for flattening himself against the shelves, keeping as far away as he could. “How much time is left?”
“I don’t know.” She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. “I had to give Ragvald my watch. He didn’t have one of his own. Don’t worry, he’ll let us out at the right time. He promised on his honor as a wyrm.”
Shan found it difficult to believe that Ragvald—a man able to carry an apparently infinite quantity of random items in his magical hoardspace—had somehow neglected to store any form of timepiece. He was also beginning to harbor distinct suspicions that a wyrm’s honor was rather more flexible than most people assumed.
He was comfortable enough in his gloves and jeans, but Leonie was a lot more lightly dressed. She was already shivering, gooseflesh prickling along her bare arms and legs.
“You can’t stay in here,” he said, though he already knew it was futile. “It’s too cold for you.”
She rubbed her arms for warmth. “I-I’m fine. Really, I am.”
“Leonie. You can’t lie to me.”
She glared at him, teeth chattering. “C-can’t you p-politely pretend not t-to notice?”
“No.” He would have given her his gloves, but that would have raised too many questions. “Come here.”
“But,” she started, and then yelped as he folded his arms around her. “Shan! What are you doing?”
He pulled her close, enveloping her in his body heat. “Keeping you warm.”
Her hands flattened against his chest, but she didn’t try to push him away. “You don’t have to do that.”
