Page 106 of Between Fear and Favor

I snorted, but pulled at her collar anyway. She wiggled, a sharp knee nearly ruining my night further as it jabbed at the inside of my thigh. Nor didn’t bother opening her eyes, sinking down into the furs below us.

“I don’t think so, pigeon. Clothes off.”

She jerked her head away from me, and her eyes fluttered open. Awestruck, I noticed tiny shards of ice fall from her lashes. Even freezing, Nor was breathtaking. Propping myself up on an elbow, I began unbuttoning her shirt. I wasn’t sure exactly how getting her naked would distract me from the all-consuming urge to kiss her until I couldn’t fucking breathe, but it was a task that needed to be done. I frowned when my fingers slipped, still not quite warm enough to do anything so dexterous.

“Where are we?”

“Shelter,” I said. “Clothes.”

“F-fire?” she asked, gripping my hands in hers. She winced, releasing them quickly. The pressure probably hurt her freezing fingertips.

“Maybe f-f-f—” My entire body rippled in a shiver as I gritted out the words. “F-followed. No fire.”

She groaned in disappointment. I didn’t want to risk it, but if she didn’t get warm quickly, I’d have to light one. Letting her die was not a fucking option. The moon shifted, revealing our surroundings to her. Twisting in my arms to get a better look, I couldn’t help my smile as she stared in astonishment.

Wood arched in a dome overhead, meticulously bent and tied into shape, with a small hole in the center allowing the light in. Long grasses I’d gathered myself were woven between the wood, keeping us safe from the roaring wind. Though a faint scent of mildew persisted, the outpost had been well-stocked with plenty of furs and wood. A sound of longing tore up her throat when she saw the pile of firewood, and I knew the noise would make a home in my mind. Creeping out at night to gnaw on my lustful thoughts about her, it would become a persistent pest.

“Nor, focus,” I whispered. It was easier to speak through the shivering if I was quiet. Cupping her chin, I gently turned her to face me. Searching for clarity in those ever-changing eyes, fear tightened in my stomach as she stared up at me blankly. “I woke you so you’d be informed, but these wet clothes have to come off.”

Her full lips parted, and then she blinked quickly, sharp awareness pulling her out of a fog. She swallowed hard, nodding, before sitting up abruptly. “Right. Y-y-you’re right,” she said.

I exhaled, relief wobbly on my breath. “Do you need help?”

“Worry about your own c-clothes,” she snapped, and I couldn’t help my grin. The return of her wry disposition meant she was coherent, at least.

“Already d-done, pigeon. But I’m glad you want t-to see me naked,” I teased, rolling over to give her privacy.

I hadn’t realized how much I’d warmed up after taking off my wet clothes until she pressed her ice-cold hand to my spine.

“If you keep calling me pigeon, I’m not sharing this blanket. Er, fur. I have never seen one so large, but I will keep it all to myself out of spite,” she said, tone scathing in my mind.

I laughed, and it jostled a piece of ice loose from my hair. I winced as it slid down my back, gooseflesh following in its wake. Nor traced the movement with the tip of her finger, and it was too dangerous of a motion. Using my divinity, I decided to show her the creature whose hide we laid upon, distracting me from her touch.

Allowing myself to fall into it as well, I created the exact right shade of blue skies and tried to capture the shade of green-brown grass in this area of the plains. I swallowed hard when I realized just how similar it was to her eyes. Nor gasped as the vision took over, and she spread her hand wide on my back. In the field before us, a giant buffalo stood, quietly watching her. Huge, with brown, shaggy fur, the beast turned before plopping onto the ground.

“That is quite a f-fearsome looking cow,” she breathed, and I didn’t allow myself to laugh. It was shockingly endearing, her awe and confusion over the animal. I let the vision dissipate.

“Buffalo,” I said, grateful she couldn’t see my smile. “My village built these shelters for hunting season. This one was mine.”

She sighed, gently scratching my back with her nails, and I shuddered from her touch. “You built this one?”

“With my sister’s husband,” I said, and then I showed her another vision. Saski, hand protectively resting on her swollen stomach, barked orders at me and Magnus. He didn’t speak much of the common tongue at the time, only recently moved from Skos, and Nor laughed when she saw his bewildered expression in response to Saski’s rapid yelling. I imagined Nor’s face as she quietly watched a younger me pack mud on the outside of the earth lodge, spotting the herd we’d be hunting out on the horizon. Pure and open and kind, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth, Nor was every good thing I’d wanted and didn’t have the courage to take.

After what had just happened, gods, did I want to be brave.

“That’s w-w-why s’not that c-cold,” she said, and I rolled over. It was cold as fuck, and her wet clothes were not helping matters. The shelter protected us from the wind, but little else. I’d warmed up a bit by being dry, but I knew the answer to our predicament was shared body heat.

“Clothes, Nor. Let me help,” I said, and balancing on an elbow, I began to unfasten her buttons. She didn’t stop me, thank the gods, only staring at my hands with rapt attention as they moved. Working quickly, I did my best to avoid touching her skin in case I decided warming her with my mouth would be more effective.

“Skies, I’m s-sorry,” she said, voice raw. Tracing my knuckle with her fingertip, she refused to meet my eyes.

“Why?”

“You h-had to jump in and s-save me,” she murmured.

“M-my fault. Should’ve caught up sooner,” I said, working on the top button of her shirt. When my careless hand swiped over the soft skin of her breast, I swallowed hard. “I’d prefer you avoid repeating it, but I’ll always come to your rescue.”

“Must s-save the h-helpless maiden,” she said, and she finally met my gaze. Upper lip thinning with the curve of her smile, her nearness was a taunt. Sleeping with her in my arms, fully clothed without a hint of skin showing, was difficult enough. Naked and starved for warmth?

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