Page 38 of A Bridge to a Troll's Heart
The Full Moon
Toby
Excitement mingledwith nerves as dusk approached one cold January evening. The crisp air revealed every puff of breath as silvery wisps. Toby worried Arlo wouldn’t be warm enough, but the troll insisted otherwise.
“No need to fret, love.” Arlo shrugged his pack onto his shoulders. “I’m wearing my best wool clothes. I’ve got decent shelter and a thick, heavy blanket. I’ll be snug as a moonbug in a rug.”
“I hope so. If it gets to be too much, I’ll understand if you need to head back to our den.”
“Nonsense. I’ll have my wolf to keep me warm.” Arlo dropped a kiss to Toby’s forehead. “Lead the way.”
Toby tilted his head for a real kiss. Arlo’s lips landed warmly on his, soft and gentle, providing effortless reassurance. Toby snaked his hands around the woolen layers of Arlo’s coat and tugged him closer. To share the full moon with his mate would be living a dream he’d thought would never come true.
With one more playful peck to Arlo’s plump lower lip, Toby drew back, grinning. “All right. Let’s go!”
Hand in hand, they left their bridge for the rolling hills of the forest. Snow crunched beneath their feet. Since Toby couldn’t control his shift, he often took wolf form hours before the rest of the pack. He planned to guide Arlo to his favorite spot, but whether he’d be man or wolf when they got there wasn’t his choice.
They traveled along a path at first, into the tall evergreen forest, over root and rock until the trail dwindled to nothing. But these lands were Toby’s extended home, and he knew the perfect place to make Arlo’s camp. The troll followed his lead while humming a happy tune.
“Well, look at that.” Arlo pointed ahead.
Toby didn’t have to look. He grinned, knowing Arlo had spotted the massive granite boulder they were heading toward. The one that looked exactly like—
“A giant snail!” said Arlo, eyes wide and sparkling.
—a giant snail. “I thought you’d like him.”
“But who could have done that? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
Toby gave a little shrug. “No one knows. My grandfather said that his grandfather said it looked like that even when he was a boy. So whoever carved it must have done so at least a hundred years ago.”
The snail-shaped boulder stood at least twice Arlo’s height. At the top of the shell, it was wide enough for Toby and his cousins to all fit at once. Mint-green lichen partially covered the old gray stone, adding to its unique beauty. Arlo made straight for it, running his hand along flakes.
“Generations of wolf cubs have climbed all over him. I bet you could get up there if you wanted to.”
“You think?”
“Sure. Give me the bag.”
Arlo shrugged the pack off his shoulders and handed it over. “Where do I start?”
Toby gestured. “There’s a good handhold on that ridge of his shell, see? And you can put your foot there.”
Arlo scrambled up the rock face without too much difficulty. He was a decent climber, what with living under a bridge and all. Toby enjoyed the view. The play of muscles in Arlo’s forearms flexed and rippled with effort as he gained height.
When Arlo sat upon the uppermost bulge of the shell, he let out a whoop of triumph. Sheer joy crossed his face, and his cheeks flushed purple from the exertion.
“I can see the top of your head.” Arlo grinned.
Toby let out a string of laughter. “You can always see the top of my head, silly. You’re taller than me.”
Arlo’s gaze shifted, scanning the landscape from his new viewpoint. His expression turned thoughtful. “To think this was no more than a couple of hours’ walk from my bridge the whole time. And I would never have ventured away to discover it without you. I’m so glad we found each other.”
Toby’s chest warmed despite the cold. His lips curled into a smile. “Me too.”
* * *
ARLO
