Chapter 36 A crack in the Ice 1

Chapter 36: Chapter 36 A crack in the Ice 1

Talia’s POV

The footsteps grew louder and closer, coming from behind me, from the training ground.

I stepped back into my hiding spot and pressed myself against the wall, wishing I could disappear.

But it was all for nothing.

The footsteps reached the door, and then they stopped. But I did not know he was right in front of me.

I had kept my eyes closed, as if that would help me become invisible, and as if the shadows could swallow me whole if I wished hard enough.

Then I heard him breathe.

I opened my eyes, and saw Kaelen was standing in front of me.

His shirt was not fully buttoned, his skin was slick with sweat, and his chest was heaving from the workout. Every muscle in his body was visible, defined, and carved like stone.

His arms were thick, his shoulders broad, and his stomach was flat with ridges of muscle that moved with every breath he took.

My mouth went dry, and I tried to look away. I really did. But my eyes would not obey. They kept moving across his chest, his arms, and his shoulders. Every part of him looked like it was made for battle, and every part of him looked like it belonged here.

I did not belong here, but he made me want to. I had never seen a man look like this before.

Because in Cresswood, the warriors were strong, but not like him. And they were not like this.

I swallowed hard and finally looked away, as my face was burning. I knew that I should not be looking at him like this, and I should not be noticing any of it. But I could not stop myself.

His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, and his gray eyes were locked on mine.

He did not speak. He just stood there, watching me.

I could smell him as he dripped with sweat, and he smelled of pine and something else that felt wild.

The scent was intoxicating, as it filled my nose, my throat, and my lungs.

I wanted to step closer, and I wanted to press my face against his chest and breathe him in. The thought came from nowhere. It was not mine, or maybe it was. I did not know anymore.

The bond was confusing everything, and making me want things I had no right to want.

I could not escape it, or maybe I did not want to escape it.

My heart was pounding, and my hands were shaking. I pressed them harder against the stone wall behind me, trying to steady myself.

He was too close, too big, and he felt too much in this small space.

I should step away, or push past him and run back to my room. But my legs would not move, and my feet were frozen to the ground.

I was trapped between him in front and the wall behind me, and a part of me did not want to leave either.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought he could hear it. My face was burning hotter and my hands were shaking against the stone wall behind me.

I should say something. Apologize, or explain why I was hiding in the shadows and watching him train like some kind of coward.

But the words would not come.

His gray eyes moved across my face like he was searching, and studying me.

"You watch me like you are studying prey," he said.

His voice was low, quiet, and cold.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Because my throat was dry.

I put myself together and tried again.

"You moved like someone who has never been watched," I said.

The words came out before I could stop them, and they were firm, but unplanned.

His eyes narrowed just a little. "What does that mean?"

I did not know. I had not thought about it before I spoke. I just wanted to give a response.

"You do not hesitate," I said. "You do not second-guess either. You just move like your body knows what to do before your brain decides."

He was quiet for a moment, but his gray eyes did not leave my face.

"You have been watching me for a long time," he said. "I felt you, before I even saw you."

My face burned hotter. "I was walking by when I heard voices. I did not mean to..."

"You hid," he cut in.

"That’s because I did not want to interrupt," I answered.

"You hid," he said again. "In the shadows, like you were afraid of being seen."

I said nothing this time, because he was right.

He stepped closer and I held my breath.

It was just one step, but it was enough to make the space between us disappear. I could feel the heat coming off his body, I could smell the sweat on his skin, and I could see the scars on his chest that had become faint white lines against his tanned skin.

My breath caught in my throat.

He stared at me for a long moment, and his jaw was tight. His hands hung at his sides, clenched into fists.

I could see the conflict in his eyes. It looked like the war between whatever he wanted to do and whatever he was allowing himself to do. His chest was still heaving, but not from the training anymore. His breathing had also changed.

He was not angry. He was feeling something else. But I could not place what it was.