Page 15 of Fates Fulfilled
A loud roaring filled her ears, and she gasped for breath.
Knees trenched in the snow and still holding her, Garrin hauled her up until she lay half on top of him.
His chest rose and fell beneath her cheek. “Are you okay?”
She couldn’t answer. In the span of a heartbeat, she’d nearly plummeted to her death.
“Say something, Lex.”
Black fog filled the corners of her vision.
Garrin sat up, bringing her with him. He gripped her shoulders. “Lexandra, listen to me. I told you, I will not allow harm to come to you.”
No matter how powerful Garrin was, he couldn’t save her from herself. What if he missed her next time? And once they figured out she was of no use to them, what then?
She shook off Garrin’s hands and bent over until her vision cleared. Then she stood slowly and trudged forward, stumbling, and catching herself.
She’d die in this place. They thought her Fae and powerful, and she was only a scared nobody.
Perhaps this was her destiny. To perish the way her mother had.
Tears pricked her eyes.
Hours later, when her legs would go no farther, she collapsed to her knees.
Without missing a beat, Garrin swept her up and into his arms.
Lex was too tired to protest. She tucked her head into Garrin’s warm chest, covering what was exposed of her face from the cold. Being in his arms felt incredibly good, and it had nothing to do with the warmth of his body.
The heavy weight of sleep pulled her under.
* * *
When Lex woke,she was lying inside another damn igloo. She’d only managed to walk one day—and not even a full day—before nearly getting herself killed. It had been so exhausting that she didn’t remember Garrin setting her down.
She turned her head and studied the man beside her.
Garrin lay on his side with his eyes closed. His arms were crossed, hands tucked inside his armpits as though to protect from the cold, but he didn’t perpetually shiver the way she did. His breathing was even and slow. And he was so close that she felt the warmth from his breath on her face.
He smelled of pine needles, and she smiled. The sweet, earthy scent of his breath was probably due to all those leaves they’d been eating.
Her gaze traveled down his facial features. His forehead was broad and smooth, the lines of his nose straight. All three Fae had serious facial hair after this many weeks traveling, but up close, Garrin’s wide mouth and rose-hued lips looked soft and pillowy next to his beard.
Do Fae kiss?
She squeezed her eyes closed. What was wrong with her?
Garrin was warm, and she had the urge to scoot closer and curl within the shelter of his body—the man who’dkidnappedher. The cold had either frozen her brain cells or she had Stockholm syndrome. Either way, she wasn’t herself.
He was super arrogant, and somehow that was both infuriating and humorous at the same time. When she didn’t give in to his demands, he smiled. What sort of masochist smiled when someone wouldn’t do what they wanted?
Apparently, women in his land didn’t talk back to him. No wonder he was so spoiled.
She ignored her better judgment, scooted closer to Garrin, and breathed in his scent, because she’d becomethat person. The kind of woman who was so desperate she smelled guys while they slept. She’d lost her mind. Or maybe, whether she wanted to or not, she was growing attached to the arrogant, masochistic prince.
He smelled good. Really good. Whatever happened to body odor, and why was she the only one with it after all these weeks?
Lex rolled her eyes in frustration and looked across the igloo. Zirel and Amund’s shadowed figures sprawled near the opening, one of them snoring lightly. The only other sounds were the wind whistling outside and the snow crunching beneath her when she moved.
