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Trees whiz by, clouds of snow puff up around us and all I can do is hold on for dear life. Behind me, Arden is cackling like a maniac, clearly enjoying every second, yet I freeze up, my eyes locked on the darkness of the forest at the bottom of the slope. There’s no place to stop, just a sheer drop into utter darkness.
“ARDEN!” I cry out, my heart thumping like a drum and every muscle in my body tightening.
“JUST LET GO!” He yells back.
I can’t. We’re going too fast. There’s nowhere to stop and the sled is only getting faster.
We jolt and my body rises from the sled, and for a fraction of a second, I get air, but Arden’s arms cage me in from falling out, his body pressed against mine.
“Let it go, baby! Just enjoy the ride!”
Sucking in a gasping breath, I force myself to lean back against him. To relax my thighs and unclench my teeth. Each bump in the snow we hit isn’t nearly as bad now that I’m not tense, and every flurry of snow we kick up has me laughing.
But my eyes still stay trained on the bottom of the slope. We’re coming in hot, and with no brakes in sight.
“Arden!” I scream out at the trees rise above us, the last of the slope only a few yards ahead.
Widening his stance and raising his feet beyond the sled, Arden digs his heels into the snow.
A cloud of white surrounds us as the sled jerks to a stop with less than a few feet remaining of the slope. My head falls forwards and my stomach churns, a sense of queasiness rolling through me.
The world goes quiet without the rushing of air blasting in my ears, and I wipe at my face, drying my tears.
Howling with glee again, Arden leans over my shoulder, his breath panting against my skin. “How was that?”
I turn to look at his golden eyes, my heart pounding a million miles a minute and the blood finally returning to my fingers as I let go of the rope. “Again.”
CHAPTER 17
BLAKE
Over and over again, Arden and I race down the hill. Each time we tip over the ledge, my stomach jumps to my throat yet my cheers of joy echo through the forest. It’s exhilarating. Rushing down an icy slope with no control over the plastic tub, just the excitement thrumming through us, fueling us on.
“FASTER!” I scream, leaning forwards as we blast over humps and dips, catching air for only a second before landing back on our asses with a thump.
Arden’s joyous laughter has my soul singing. His eyes squinting each time he smiles and his canines flashing under the late afternoon sky. We’ve been sledding for hours yet it only feels like a few minutes.
“One more time, baby?” He grins down at me as we land at the bottom of the hill.
I nod eagerly, raising my arms for him to scoop me out of the sled. Climbing out, he reaches down, pulling me against his chest, his grip tight on my hip as he begins the long hike back to the top of the slope.
With the sled trailing behind him and my arms wrapped around his neck, I bury my face in his hair, sucking in a deep breath of his smell. The mix of pinecones and forest hit my lungs and I sink deeper into his grip.
“Do we have to stop? It’s not even dark yet,” I whine like a child but I couldn’t care less.
Chuckling, Arden reaches the top of the hill, setting me down on my feet. “Yes, baby. We need to go somewhere on the way home.”
“Where?”
I watch Arden sink into the sled with a tight groan, clearly feeling the efforts of carrying me up the hill all afternoon. I slide in front of him, wiggling my ass against his crotch and earning myself a heavy moan from him.
“Don’t tempt me to mate you out in the snow.” His hands grasp my waist, stilling me.
“Where are you going?” I press.
Getting the rope ready and sliding it between my grasp, he responds, “There’s a Lupin patch at the top of the mountain. It’s tradition for our mates to wear a crown of Lupins when we mate.”
My heart squeezes. A flower crown? I don’t know what kind of flower Lupin are but they sound pretty. My gaze tilts down the slope. Maybe we could call it a day now and get going? The thought of Arden making me a pretty princess crown has my body lighting up with heat.
