Page 45 of HaL

I stare at the steaming water.

“So, you brought me here because you thought I’d like it, trying to rack up some brownie points, huh?”

“I thought you might.”

I turn toward him, grinning. “You thought correctly.”

Something in his posture relaxes.

“The healing waters of this spring always help me relax. I cannot stay in the warm section for long, but I thought you would enjoy it.”

I look back at the water, then at him.

“You know, hot stuff, you may have just redeemed this entire frozen hellscape.”

His low rumble vibrates through his chest.

“I will consider that a success.”

I smile. For the first time since stepping through that membrane, I don’t miss the warmth of the sun quite so much.

HaL lowers me down gently, and the moment my feet hit the ground, I am already shucking off what I’m now calling the HaL snuggie.

“I’m assuming the water is safe?”

“Oh yes, Roja. I believe you will find it quite relaxing, and hopefully its soothing properties will help with all those aches still plaguing your small form.”

When I look back, all but HaL’s face is still heavily furred, and I wonder how in the world he controls all that fur the way he does. However, my curiosity will have to wait because that hot water is calling my name.

My onesie really comes in handy now. Even though it took me a couple of tries to figure it out, once Troza showed me the magic button on the side that releases the seams, it simply opens, and I step out in all my naked glory.

I hear a hiss from HaL behind me as I walk carefully into the water. The last thing I want is to land on this arm the wrong way and break it again. A clawed hand slides around my bare waist, helping me over the edge until I can feel the sandy floor below. It’s barely up to my knees right now, but I can tell with each step it is going to get deeper.

“Be careful, the edge is slick.”

I turn slightly, knowing he is not only getting a full view of my butt, but now most of my breasts as well. His eyes flash silver, and I can’t help but smirk, knowing all that glorious maleness is into me. The shift is almost instantaneous: one minute he’s covered in fur and the next, his silver skin is shining as his runes dance wildly all over him. Because he has never taken his hand off my waist, he must use the other to unclasp the loincloth wrapped around his waist that’s been hiding all the goods. However, the moment it drops, so does my mouth.

“Holy Mother of God! It should be against all the laws to hide anything that glorious. HaL, sweet thing, you are hung like a mule, and there is no way that’s gonna fit, but whenever you decide to take me for a test drive, we are still gonna give it hell.”

HaL is huge so his feet, arms, height, weight, and apparently everything is proportioned accordingly. I barely come up to the middle of his chest, and he thinks that monster hanging between his legs is gonna wiggle its way in? Well, I have always wanted to be adventurous, but I have a feeling that is gonna leave a mark.

He raises an eyebrow, watching me take alllll of him in.

“You are way too pretty for your own good. If girls knew hotties like you were hiding beneath all that fur, you guys would be on the top of the missing yeti list because we would be stealing you.”

A faint, breathless chuckle escapes his lips as he comes farther into the warm water, his hands still secure around my waist. Every step draws me closer to him, until the space between us feels almost nonexistent.

His gaze drifts over me, lingering with such tenderness that warmth blooms beneath my skin wherever his eyes settle. I find myself holding my breath, caught somewhere between wanting to hide beneath his attention and wanting him to never look away.

With a gentle tug, he guides me down onto a smooth set of rocks carved naturally into the water before letting go of me. I settle against the rock, the tips of my hair brushing the water’s surface as the warmth surrounds me, and I let out a low groan as my body starts to tingle all over.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. He simply looks at me, and somehow, in the quiet between us, it feels as though he’s saying everything he doesn’t know how to put into words. Instead, he moves slightly, gently gathering my hair up and rolling it expertly into a bun at the base of my neck.

“Oh, you’re handsome and handy, and you come with coffee … not sure how much more my heart can take.”

“Your fur is stunning Dawn, and I apologize for not finishing the job you gave me this rising. I enjoyed grooming you.”

“You kinda had a few distractions this morning. And I know I was not there, and it really does not have a lot to do with me, but I don’t think Troza ever meant to deceive you. She just got so caught up in the web she had woven that she didn’t know how to unravel it.”