Page 24 of Winter's Scorching Kisses
“I know her name, Jasmine.”
“Pfft,” she dismissed it easily, “anyone could find that out, even an ice giant. You seem resourceful enough.” Or he wouldn’t have been able to get to her without getting himself killed by the guards around the manor house.
“Thank you for the compliment.” He sent her a half smile, and it looked too good on his face.
“It wasn’t?”
He cut her off with a raised hand. “I don’t care what it was, Adorra.”
“So, you know my name. Still not impressed.” But she was slightly intrigued. Just the mention of her sister after so long was tempting.
“I once overheard your sister telling a story about your childhood.” The ice giant kicked out one of his legs as he draped an arm over his knee. “I believe it was something about an injured bird she’d found in the courtyard of your manor house. The both of you tended to the animal until it was ready to go off on its own.”
Adorra’s heart stopped in her chest. She swallowed harshly. “You’re speaking the truth about knowing my sister.” She felt her jaw drop as she said those words, but then she snapped it shut. She couldn’t give him the upper hand by showing her absolute shock. She wouldn’t have expected his words to be true, but there was no way for him to know that story unless… he’d been around Jasmine. “Is she still alive?” She leaned forward slightly eager for more news.
“Yes.” The ice giant held her gaze, and it unnerved her, but if Jasmine were alive, she’d put up with him. “We ice giants don’t tend to bother ourselves with killing human women.”
“Why did you kidnap her?” Because it made no sense to Adorra. Try as she might to rack her brain for a reason, but she couldn’t come up with one.
“Kidnap her?” He leaned back as he chuckled lightly like she was the densest person in the land. “We didn’t kidnap her.”
“We?”
He kicked out another leg, relaxing, when her arms were tied uncomfortably behind her back. She hated him for that. It was like he was flaunting how comfortable he could get when she wasn’t able to, and it irked her. If only she could smack that small smile off his lips.
“We didn’t kidnap her.” He repeated himself.
“You kidnapped me. Why?” Adorra wanted to get to the point of this kidnapping and move on. If he wanted something, then she would be happy to give it to him before she sent armed soldiers after his head. Assuming her people had the resources to spare. They were currently fighting a war with the rock giants and the fire giants, so if her sister were alive, then Adorra would have to be the one to rescue her.
“Because your sister and her husband?”
“Excuse me?” Adorra kicked out a leg making sure to kick his leg away from her with a slippered foot. “Husband?” Adorra shook her head noticing her hair was coming loose from her bun and waving around behind her head. “Are you sure you have the right woman?”
“Yes. Reddish brown hair, hazel eyes, and a bit of a backbone.” He took a moment before raising a finger into the air, “And bookish.”
It sounded like Jasmine.
“My sister isn’t married.” Maybe he’d been lying before about knowing her sister, and he was just really good at fibbing his way through a childhood story.
“In my culture, she is married, but she’s insisting on a human wedding, which she has demanded your presence at, which is why we are here.” He eyed the tent walls around them. “Why she can’t get married without you is beyond me, but here we are.” He waved a hand in the air as he explained.
“Wait.” Adorra closed her eyes as she spoke the next sentence. “Are you saying she’s married to an ice giant, or about to be?”
“Yes.”
She opened her eyes and glared at him. “You forced her.”
“We did not.” His onyx eyes darkened as a growl curled the last word.
He appeared to be genuinely pissed that she would think that, but how could she not?
“You must have. My sister would never marry one of you.” She spat the last word. Her poor sister. Jasmine had been forced into a marriage with an ice giant! She would save Jasmine from her horrible fate if it were true.
“Your sister is happy and pregnant.”
Adorra paled. “Pregnant?” Her heart sank with dread. Every time he opened his mouth he delivered even worse news.
He nodded his head.
