“Yeah!” she shouted over the noise of the engine and gripped my sides. The feel
of her clinging to my body for leverage brought a smile to my face. I wanted more of
it, and I never wanted her to stop.
Shifting the snowmobile into gear, we took off down a path that had been used
several times by Scott, not only to prepare this ride so that it was safer for Jaden,
but to travel back and forth from hunts when I couldn’t. The machine cut through
the snow without an issue, giving Jaden a nice little ride as I took us over hills,
between trees, and driving further up the mountain for the best view. A full moon
was out in full force tonight, bathing everything in white light and giving the snow
an eerie pale glow. We passed a herd of elk and the occasional deer, all of which
Jaden pointed out like a little kid at the zoo. It was adorable. She might not have
been able to enjoy herself much in the presence of the public eye, but out here,
where she was alone with me, she could breathe a little easier. Her excitement
behind me was beyond evident, and I was satisfied in knowing I was the cause of
that excitement. For a small moment, she was happy.
After about an hour of fun, I pulled us over to the side of the mountain that
would grant us the best view and cut the engine. I lifted my helmet, Jaden following
suit, and set them on either handlebar while stepping off the snowmobile.
“How was that?” I asked her.
She gave me that look she gives when she doesn’t want to admit the obvious,
but eventually, she conceded.
“Okay, that was a lot of fun,” she said. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“You should let me drive on the way back,” she added.
“I don’t think so. You’d probably lead us right off the side of the mountain.”
She glared back at me, the cuteness of her anger not lost on me.
“Don’t tempt me,” she threatened, her eyes narrowed as she moved off the
snowmobile. I could help but chuckle.
“Come here,” I said, holding my arm out for her to huddle to my side, the weight
of her warm embrace enough to satisfy me. When she settled, she looked down the
mountain to gaze upon the best view of Alaska. Her eyes widened as she took in the
scene while I took in the simple beauty of her.
“Wow,” she beamed. “This is … amazing.”
“Agreed,” I murmured, my eyes still lingering over her.
After a moment, a stick cracked in the distance of the trees, causing Jaden’s
head to whip to the source of the sound, her breath hitching in a gasp. I couldn’t
help but smile.
“Don’t worry, princess,” I said, sitting down on the snowmobile and pulling
Jaden onto my lap. “No wolves out here. I made sure of it.”
She scoffed but nodded. I watched as her facial expression softened into
something uncertain as she seemed to withdraw into herself. I squeezed her hand,
hoping to encourage her to give voice to her thoughts, but she looked away back
toward the world below. My eyes followed suit.
She sat there with me for a few moments, just admiring the scene around us
until she finally said something I thought I would never hear.
“I never thanked you,” she muttered quietly, her eyes lost in thought. I knew
where she was going, but I never got what I truly wanted unless I pushed her for
more.
“For what?”
Jaden released a deep breath before answering, as if thanking me was the most
painful thing for her to do.
“For killing the wolves.”
“You mean for saving your life,” I corrected, anger rising in my voice at the
thought of even having to save her from a situation she had caused in the first
place. The thought of her in danger had my blood boiling in seconds.
Jaden’s warm amber eyes met mine, fire licking through her irises as she glared
at me. She didn’t want to admit that I had rescued her from a fatality she could not
have escaped from by herself. My warrior princess didn’t want me to be her hero; it
would contradict her image of me being the villain, and wasn’t that something to
smile about?
Jaden wanted to be her own hero, her own knight in shining armor, but I was
diminishing her independence by forcing her to rely on others for her safety. I had
no doubt that if Jaden had been armed, she could have handled the wolf pack
herself, but it was too soon to trust her with
