Page 69 of Escape from the Green

"Is it far?"

"Maybe five minutes off-course."

"Worth a shot," Sal decided, looking at Amy with a worried crease to his brow. "Maybe you can convince her to share your body warmth on the way," he suggested before falling into step with Smoky, veering off from my ancestral land to seek the shelter we badly needed if this snow was going to keep falling as it currently was.

I moved over to Amy, throwing an arm around her, not giving her any choice, just dragging her against my body, pulling her with me. "We are looking for shelter. If we find it, Sal can start a fire for us. We can warm you up," I told her, hoping I could make good on that. My finger had brushed her neck when I rearranged her blanket around her. There was no warmth in her flesh; she was cold as death. I didn't think she would make it all the way to a cave.

It was a few short minutes later when I saw the shack Smoky had mentioned. And it was a shack, maybe being only half the size of Amy's home in the city had been, made of strong, time-tested tree limbs stacked horizontally, held together with years' worth of thick sap, sealing all the gaps, keeping the wind out of the small structure. There was a tiny chimney out the side, no smoke coming out of it, giving me hope that the space was empty.

"We're good," Smoky declared, popping out of the building. "There's even some dry wood inside. Come on. She looks like she is at death's door," she added bluntly, opening the door to let Sal in so he could build the fire.

"I'm fine," Amy insisted, going for stubbornly strong, but her teeth were chattering too hard to pull it off.

"Of course," I agreed, needing to half-carry her into the small space, catching a quick view of the dried leaves on the floor, the odd design on the wall that looked like it may have been drawn in blood, before Smoky closed and bolted the door, shrouding us in darkness while Sal scooped the dried leaves and wood into the small fireplace.

"Bring her over here," Sal demanded as the fire crackled to life, smoking a bit wildly for a moment as I cut to the chase, scooping up Amy, and bringing her across the short room, dropping down as close to the fire as was safe, opening my jacket, pulling her onto my lap, and closing the lapels as far around her as possible.

The shivers that racked her were - in turns - scary, but reassuring as her skin lost its touch of death, slowly became warm again.

"Better?" I asked when her body relaxed into mine.

"Mmhmm."

It shouldn't have, but the sound of that sparked desire through my system. I couldn't help it, though. The sound was soft and sweet and satisfied. I had to take a few deep breaths to calm the building need even as she snuggled her butt further into me, half-turning so her head could snuggle into my neck.

My arms went around her, not even caring if it was possessive in a way I hadn't earned the right to do.

"Stop being stubborn," Sal's voice chastised, drawing my attention over my shoulder to find Sal had arranged the remaining blankets on the floor in a makeshift bed across from Amy and me, a few feet down the wall.

Across from him, just a few feet to my side, Smoky was leaning with her back against the closed door.

"I am making sure we're safe." Even she knew her words were bullshit, there wasn't much emphasis behind them.

"The door is barred."

"Someone could..." Smoky started, only to be cut off by Sal's slightly amused voice.

"We're in a room with two other people, Smoke. I'm not going to try to fuck you. I'm just trying to keep us all warm," he told her, reaching out, grabbing her ankle, and dragging her a few inches closer.

"Don't you dare think you can..." she tried again, really trying to put some indignation in her voice, but everyone - likely even herself - knew it wasn't genuine.

"I can. I did. Now shut up and get over here," he demanded, folding up, grabbing her around the middle, and dragging her the remaining few feet, turning her, pushing her down, and spooning her.

He couldn't see it, though because how well he seemed to know her, he likely knew it was there, but as slow, tentative smile spread across her usually guarded face.

His arm went around her belly.

Her hand could have rested anywhere, but it landed on top of his.

I turned away, wanting them to have what little privacy the small, silent space allowed.

"Can you start fires?" Amy's quiet, sleepy voice asked.

"Not like Sal can. Not when fully in this form."

"Are you excited to be able to Change again?" she asked, running her cheek over the scruff on my neck. With her sensitive skin, there would likely be marks there in the morning light, something I maybe liked way more than I should have. "Or worried?" she prompted when I was too lost in my thoughts of beard burn to remember to answer her.

"A mix," I admitted, keeping my voice low as well. "Fighting the Change for so long has been like..." I trailed off, unsure how to explain it.