Where The Ice Gives Way Chapter 117

**Blake**

Morning drifts in through the edges of the room. I lay stretched out on my back, staring up at the ceiling while the quiet of the house filters in around me. I expect to be sore from last night with how hard Dad and the pack pushed me. But when I roll my shoulders and stretch my arms out over my head, I feel good. No stiffness. No soreness. No reminder that I had half the pack coming at me in waves until the fire burned low and my lungs felt like they’d split. The only thing that feels wrong is the space beside me.

I turn my head slightly, my eyes landing on the empty stretch of mattress where Charlotte should be. I’ve gotten used to her being there. I like waking up with her tucked into me, her hand curled somewhere over my ribs, her hair a mess against my shoulder while she smiles with those plump lips of hers. Through the bond, I can feel her, though. There’s warmth sitting in her now that wasn’t there yesterday, a softer edge to everything she’s feeling. Whatever the girls got up to last night managed to reach her where the rest of us couldn’t. She needed that. Hell, I needed that. I only ever want her happy.

I push the covers back and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The floor is cold under my feet as I stand and run a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the last of the sleep before I head for the bathroom. I can hear the house is starting to wake up around me, distant movement downstairs, a cupboard closing, the low hum of voices carrying just enough to tell me Mum’s already up. I reach the bathroom at the same time the connecting door opens.

Charlotte stands there, framed in the doorway, hair tangled from sleep, eyes still heavy, one hand braced against the door as she blinks at me. I smile. God, she’s cute in the mornings. Well, she’s cute all the time, but I really like this morning ruffled look. “Morning, pretty girl.”

She glances back over her shoulder, and I follow the movement just enough to catch sight of Jessica and Annabelle still buried in blankets behind her. One of them is half-hanging off the mattress; the other is completely gone under a pillow. Charlotte turns back to me, and I tilt my head slightly before crooking my finger toward her. “Come here.”

She hesitates just long enough to check they’re still asleep, then eases the door closed behind her and walks toward me, barefoot and soft and entirely too easy to watch. There’s no rush in her steps, or uncertainty, just that steady pull that sits between us now. The bond humming low and constant, always there, even when we’re not touching. The second she’s close enough, my hands find her hips and draw her in, and she settles against me. The warmth of her presses into me, and I have to bite back a groan. She fits against me perfectly. I drop my head, and her soft, pink lips meet mine. I kiss her slowly, her breath warm against my mouth as she melts into me. I tighten my grip on her hips, and she slides her hands up my chest, fingers brushing over my skin, spreading delicious tingles through my body.

I angle my head slightly, deepening the kiss as she wriggles against me. “Missed you,” I murmur against her lips, my voice low enough that it stays between us. She hums in response, the sound soft, and presses closer, her body needing mine the same way I need hers. “Shower?” I ask, between kisses and touches that are driving me insane. She nods, her forehead brushing mine for a second before she answers. “A quick one.”

I huff out a low laugh, reaching past her to turn on the water, letting it run until the pipes warm and the sound fills the small space, steam curling into the air. “I’ll agree to a quiet one,” I say, glancing back at her with a small smirk. “Not a quick one.”

She gives me a look that tries to be unimpressed and doesn’t quite make it as she bites her lip and looks at me with those big green eyes. I can’t help but grin as I reach for her shirt, tugging it over her head. Then I kneel in front of her, slowly dragging away her pants. Lex growls low in my chest as I run my hands up along her calves, her thighs, fuck, she’s so soft. 

I stand and check the water before I strip my own pants. I stalk towards her, bending just enough to get my hands under her thighs. Her legs wrap around my waist, her hands around my neck, and she giggles. “Shh…” I whisper. “Don’t want to wake your friends.” 

She nods quickly, but when she leans in and licks her mark on my neck, I think maybe I’m going to have trouble with the quiet part this morning. I carry her into the shower, where everything slows and narrows to just the two of us. 

Right now, with her in my arms, the rest of the world could be burning, and I wouldn’t give a shit. The water hits us in a rush of heat, steam rising fast as it curls around us, softening everything, muting the world outside this small space. Her fingers tighten at the back of my neck, her forehead brushing mine as she exhales, and for a second we stay there, breathing the same air, letting it settle.

I press my mouth to hers again, my hands holding her up easily. I don’t plan on letting her go anytime soon. Everything outside this room is waiting for us, all the people, expectations and threats. They can all wait. Right now, it’s just her—just us. And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.