Sera's mouth dropped open. She knew that he was angry, and she supposed he had a right to be, but he was the one that had left her alone all day. And now that she was finally having fun, she was not about to stop just because he was mad. "Really?" She climbed to her feet, and brushed the snow off of her. David and Mike nervously shuffled along behind her.
"Yes, really."
"That's good to know."
She gathered the snow from her clothes and threw it at him. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Being a child."
She ran at him, and flung herself forward. The force of her small impact was enough to knock him into the snow. He cried out in surprise as she shoved snow into his face. Then, he started to laugh as he rolled her over, and pinned her down. She grinned up at him. His hair was now white, and wet, as it hung around his magnificent face. His eyes lit with desire and her body immediately arched into his. For a moment she forgot about everyone else as she gazed at him.
"Get him!" Mike yelled.
They were suddenly on top of them, throwing and tossing snow, screaming and yelling happily. Liam rolled off of her as he tried to fend them off. She was instantly on her feet and joining in the foray.
Ten minutes later they lay spent, and panting. Sera stared up at the stars, happy, tired, and freezing. Snow adhered to her clothes and skin. Her feet and hands were numb, but she didn't want to move. She didn't want to go back into that cabin to face Danielle and Kathleen.
"Come on," Liam said as he extended a hand to her.
"Do we have too?" she asked.
"You'll freeze to death."
"I'm thinking I might prefer it."
He smiled down at her as he took hold of her outstretched hand. "I'll give you a piggyback ride," he offered.
She wrapped her numb, wet legs around him as she tightened her arms around his neck. He carried her through the woods, moving with a swiftness that startled, and enthralled her. She nuzzled her face against his neck as she sought his warmth and strength. She kissed his cheek and rested her head upon his shoulder. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too." Her smile was so soft and angelic that it melted his heart. He forced himself to look away from her before he was completely lost. "How have you been?" he asked David.
"Cold and she seems to enjoy keeping me that way."
Sera laughed as she nestled closer to Liam. "Did you find Beth?" Mike asked.
Liam's hands tensed on her calves. "No, she wasn't there. She was at one point in time though; she left enough signs of that. We looked for her, but she seems to be gone, for now anyway."
"Wonderful."
They moved out of the forest, and Sera lifted her head to look at the cabin. It looked so peaceful, but she knew how much looks could be deceiving. "Well guys," Jack said. "Here goes all hell."
"Yeah," Liam muttered.
"It'll be okay," she said.
He squeezed her hand, and David opened the door. "Have you decided what we're going to do?"
"No," Mike answered. "We'll decide that now."
"Why don't you go join them," Liam suggested as he set Sera down. "We'll be right there." She stared at him for a minute before leaving the porch. "Sera!" She turned to him, a puzzled look on her face. "Stay here."
"Liam," David said quietly.
"She stays."
She had been out of his sight all day, and it had eaten him up. He had done nothing but think of her. He knew that she probably shouldn't be here now, but the minute she had turned to leave he had realized that he didn't want her where he couldn't see her anymore. He didn't know what was going on inside of him, but he did know that it was getting stronger, and it was getting worse. When he had come across all of them in the snow, he had almost attacked David and Mike. It had only been the fact that she was present, and might be injured, that had halted him. He had never even gotten into a fistfight with any of them, but he'd felt the insane urge to kill them both when he'd seen them with her.
"She is part of what we need to talk about." David took a step back as Liam glared at him. "It's not what you're thinking," he added quickly.
