Page 9 of Polar Destiny
"Well, I'm not human. But you're a cute human, so why shouldn't I sayit?"
"Because..." Wait, did he just call me cute? This isn't happening. A Viking shifter in my bed calling me cute. I need to wake up. And if this isn’t a dream, I need to get out of this bed before… I don’t even want to gothere.
Luckily, Húnn's voice rescues me from any forbiddenthoughts.
"Breakfast isready!"
In response, my stomach grumbles. Torben snickers. "That almost sounded like you have a bear cub inthere."
I don't deign him with an answer, and just push against his back to get him out of the bed. And somehow manage to touch him a little below his back. Oops. His bum is soft and hard at the same time. Yumm- bad. Really bad. My hand flies back and cowers under the duvet, which I'm tempted to hide under until the end of the world. Which I should have done, because now Torben gets up. And he's not wearing any clothes. And I can see everything. And I mean, everything. Bits that I shouldn't be seeing, that I've never really seen before. At least not in that size. I mean, in a man that size. My mind is close to exploding. My corneas will never be able to unsee this. Why would they want to, a tiny voice whispers inside my brain. I ignore it. I'm a good girl. I don't stare at men's genita- are they all this big? Please someone knock me out! I can't takeit.
"Like what you see?" My face is burning and I hide under the covers. I should have done this ages ago. It would have spared me a gazillion moments ofembarrassment.
He laughs and I cringe. Men shouldn't be allowed to run around naked. It should be a rule. I can hear him rummage around the room, and I dare to peek out of the covers. He's dressed - well, he's got trousers on. For these men, that seems to be very dressed. He gives me a mocking bow. "Your chariotawaits."
I remember my ankle. He wants to carry me downstairs with no shirt on? Nothanks.
"Don't you want to get dressed first?" I timidlysuggest.
He shoots me a wicked look. "But I'm warm. Besides, I don't have any nice shirts uphere."
"I don't mind if you wear a not-so-nice shirt. Really, Idon't."
He laughs again, but finally picks up a black t-shirt from the ground and pulls it over. I can finally breathe again. And all of this torture before I've even had mybreakfast.
Luckily I'm still wearing my clothes. I decide against trying to change with him in the room - he'd never look away, no matter how many times I'd ask him to. And I'm not going to beg. They'll have to deal with a smelly human. After all, I'm having to cope with super-sized, bear-shaped, muscle-propped...guys.
I climb out from underneath the blanket, carefully lifting it off my injured ankle. It's pulsing softly, on the border between soreness and pain. Maybe I can ask one of the guys downstairs to make me another snowpack. Torben squats down in front of me so I can climb on his back. I can feel his hard muscles underneath the shirt. His pine-woodruff scent tingles my nose - in a very pleasant way. When we get to the ladder, I grip him more tightly. It's just because I'm scared of falling, really. Not because I like the feeling of him against my chest and between my thighs - no, that sounded entirely inappropriate. When we reach the ground floor, I wriggle until he lets me jump off his back. I hop into the living room on one leg - much better than clinging to him like a needymonkey.
Húnn is sittingnext to the fireplace, a plate full of meat skewers next to him. More are sizzling on a grill above the fire. He smiles at me. "Good morning,sweetie."
"Good morning. And don't call methat."
"But you smell so sweet, sweetie. I don't think I can stop, unless you change your scent. And that wouldn't be a goodidea."
I sniff at my clothes. Not smelly, at least not in a bad way. Just smelling more like... me, rather than washingpowder.
He grins again and passes me a skewer. I'm not quite sure what kind of meat it is, but it tastesdelicious.
"Do you eat anything besidesmeat?"
They look at each other as if that's the most idiotic thing they've everheard.
"There's food that isn't meat?" Torben asks in wonder. "However could such a thingexist?"
I throw my empty skewer at him. He catches it in mid-air, and now it's my turn tostare.
"I like honey," Húnn chimesin.
"That's very... beary." We laugh, and even Torben breaks a smile. One that isn't suggestive or dripping with sarcasm foronce.
"Would you pass me another skewer?" I ask him, and add, for good measure, "honey?"
Húnn looks at me like a predator looks at a mouse. Torben snorts. "She's good. And cute. I'm glad you didn't freeze, littlehuman."
I don't deign them with a look and instead focus on my breakfast. The meat is juicy, but not bloody. I wonder if Húnn caught it as a bear. I imagine him sinking his claws into a deer, his fangs ripping into the flesh... Strangely enough, I'm ok with that. Which is very strange indeed. I've never been a fan of violence and cruelty. But after seeing the men as bears, as predators, I can see their animalistic traits peeking out beneath their human skins from time totime.
"What are the plans for today?" Húnn asks. The question is clearly directed atTorben.
