by Lily Thomas
The next time she looked over at him, he was smiling down at her.
Nervously, she put a hand in front of her mouth as she asked, “What’s so amusing?”
Dryden stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back slightly. “I’m just glad to see you enjoying something.”
“It is hard not to. This bird is the most flavorful I’ve ever had,” Jasmine stated, surprised it was true. She would’ve thought the royal court would serve better-tasting food. Yet, here she was sitting around a campfire enjoying a simply roasted bird leg more than any of the special court meals she’d ever sat through.
They sat in silence while Jasmine chowed down on the pheasant leg. Once done, Dryden and the other ice giants wasted no time in putting out the fire. The warmth slowly left the air around them.
Jasmine huddled closer under her fur cloak.
“Don’t you need your fur cloak back?”
“No.” Dryden smiled over at her.
“Another reason you all are called ice giants?”
He nodded. “The cold doesn’t affect us as much.”
“As much?”
“Prolonged exposure would be bad, but a few days would be fine.”
Jasmine snorted. “A few days? For me, that would be prolonged exposure.”
Dryden smirked. “We feel the cold, it just doesn’t harm us as quickly.”
Dryden couldn't believe it. Here she was trusting him to be a perfect gentleman while she dove enthusiastically into the pheasant leg. The juices flowing down her chin made him think of something completely inappropriate.
He could imagine her being just as eager and excited in the bedchamber, or in his tent. Every time her sweet little pink tongue darted out to catch the juice… just the thought of it had him hard and aching.
They had just a few more days to go before they arrived at the castle, but would she be receptive to any advances he made? He sorely hoped so. Jasmine seemed to be testing his restraint.
He found her to be one of the most beautiful females he had ever laid eyes on in his entire life. She was the only human female he had seen up close, but maybe they were all beautiful.
He and Stryme had to be going crazy.
He only hoped she would accept her situation as a captive. She wasn’t screaming her head off, or fainting in fright, so he took that as a positive sign.
But now was not the right time to be thinking about her beauty. It was time to get things packed and get his men out and back on the move.
Jasmine was left to her thoughts as Dryden, and the other ice giants finished packing up the camp.
Maybe she was imagining things, but they seemed to be connecting. There’d been a light in his eyes as they spoke that made her think he might feel something for her.
Jasmine smiled to herself. If he did feel a bond with her, she could use those feelings to her advantage. Sure, he was a nice giant, but she had a sister to save and that came before anything else.
She turned to watch Dryden. Why couldn't he have been born a human man? Then maybe they might have had a chance, but now? She belonged with her people, with her sister, and he belonged here among his snowy mountains.
With an aggravated sigh, she looked at the dying embers of the fire they had just extinguished. They twinkled at her before they burned themselves out, winking into darkness. Soon all she was looking at was charred wood.
Her breath puffed out in little white clouds, as the air quickly grew colder and the warmth of the fire disappeared completely.
Memories of last night came rushing back to her. Though she had rejected him last night, a part of her wanted a second chance to go back and do things differently. If she was leaving anyway, then why not engage in an activity she probably would never get another chance to do with him?
It couldn't be that risky, could it? She had never heard of a human and a giant being able to have a baby. It seemed pretty unbelievable with all the visual differences.
Jasmine bit her lip. What if she did get pregnant? That might be a bit difficult to explain to her sister, not to mention the rest of the people at the manor.
Jasmine put those thoughts at the back of her mind since she was getting ahead of herself. Dryden walked towards her or strode more like. He had a way about him when he walked.
She could watch him all day and love the experience.
He looked like the warrior he was. He had two black hilted swords strapped to his back, one black hilted sword strapped to each of his hips, and she knew he had some smaller knives hidden away somewhere on his person.
Then there was the black armor he wore. It covered all of his body, hands, and feet included, except for his head. He had his black helmet tucked between his arm and his side. His white hair blew in the slight breeze that carried the snowflakes.
There was no denying it. Her ice giant rescuer was devastatingly handsome.
He could be the heroic knight of her dreams… if he were human.
As Dryden stopped in front of her, he offered her his hand. “May I assist you?”
Jasmine mentally added considerateness to his growing list of endearing qualities.
Sliding her hand into his much larger one, she allowed him to assist her to her feet. He then led her away from the extinguished campfire and to his already readied horse.
Dryden put his foot in the stirrup, mounted his horse, and then offered his hand to her once again. “Give me your hand, and I will swing you up before me.”
“Thank you.” How could she not feel a slight thrill? This was the kind of adventure she had only read about in the manor library, and now here she was, traveling with ice giants, trying to get back to save her sister from an evil mastermind.
She only hoped she would end up being the hero and vanquish the villains. Only time would tell though.
Dryden bent over the saddle, gripped her hips, lifted, and sat her down in front of him on the saddle. As her back slipped into place in front of his chest, Jasmine had flashbacks of the previous night and sleeping next to him. Her face heated a bit.
Jasmine was glad his armor added another layer between them, because she remembered his hardness pressing into her back the previous night, and she didn’t need it tempting her. A shiver shot through her. She was grateful she wouldn't be able to tell if she was arousing him right at this moment.
With all that armor on, he probably wouldn’t be able to feel her bottom brushing up against him as the horse walked through the forest. That thought gave her some more comfort. Jasmine didn't know how she would feel if he could feel her butt pressed against him.
“Relax a little bit. You’re always so tense.” Dryden leaned down to chastise her gently from behind, wrapping his arm more firmly around her waist.
“I’m not tense,” she defended herself.
Dryden snorted. “I can feel the thoughts in your head from here.”
Jasmine willed her spine into a more relaxed and comfortable position. “There, I am more relaxed.”
“I can tell.” He unhooked the reins from the saddle horn and nudged his horse forward.
The group started out. Dryden and Mathar led the way as the others followed close behind. A couple of ice giants split off from the group.
“Where are they headed?”
“To scout ahead.”
“For what?”
“In case there is something impassable or a reason we shouldn’t head in a certain direction.”
They fell back into silence, and she could hear some ice giants talking with each other. The language barrier was a real issue. It prevented her from knowing what was going on around her, but it wasn’t like she was about to learn how to growl easily.
Jasmine straightened her spine and leaned away from Dryden's armored chest. She felt uncomfortable relaxing against him, no matter how much material was between them. She shouldn't want to cuddle up with him again, but she did, and that worried her a bit. She should only be thinking of her sister.
As time passed, she soon
had a back full of aching muscles, but she was unwilling to let herself relax against Dryden. Instead, she focused on everything they passed, anything she could use as a marker for when she did escape because she would. It was only a matter of time before she found her moment.
Once she was long gone, then maybe Dryden and his men wouldn't be so keen on getting her back. But she highly doubted the ice giant behind her would let her go easily.
Sometimes when he looked at her, she sensed pity in his eyes. He believed that she wouldn't ever be able to return to her human life. He would never let her go, for fear of human retaliation.
She would show him, though. She was a force to be reckoned with when she had a purpose. She wasn't keen on staying with the ice giants any longer than she absolutely had to.
Adorra was still heading toward a wedding with Lord Gothar, which would end in a way Jasmine knew her sister had never even contemplated.
Just then, Dryden slid his armored arm more firmly around her waist and slowly pulled her closer to his chest. She tried to resist.
“Relax, Jasmine. You look uncomfortable with such a stiff spine.”
Her back really was driving her crazy, and she did want to lie back against him. The muscles in her back couldn’t take it for much longer.
Even with his armor on, he poured out an amazing amount of heat. She gathered the fur cloak around her body, making sure no part of her was sticking out. The air cold air bit at any exposed skin as the horse navigated its way through the mountains.
She relented and leaned back against the giant, allowing his arm to keep her steady on the saddle.
“It is beautiful here,” Jasmine admitted out loud.
“What was that?” Dryden leaned forward to try to catch her words in the swirl of snow.
“It’s beautiful up here in the mountains.”
Dryden’s arm gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad you can see it. I was afraid you might miss the chance to enjoy the beauty that the mountains hold.”
“Now that I am warm and… not so scared, I can see the draw of this area.”
The snow-covered trees leaned down under the weight that had built up on their limbs. Every once in a while, a crackle could be heard as one of the trees bent even further beneath the weight of the snow. Then there was the loud snap that followed as a tree was unable to keep hold of a branch under such an impossible burden.
She loved the sounds and the sights. It made the forest seem otherworldly. “It looks magical.”
“It kind of is. There are fairies roaming around.”
“Fairies?” Jasmine scoffed. “You’re teasing me.”
“Hand to my heart, I am not.”
“Fairies?”
“Indeed. Tiny nasty little-winged things.”
“They can’t be that bad.” Jasmine tried to remember some of the books she’d read in the manor library, but she couldn’t recall what they had stated about fairies.
“They are, but you don’t usually see them up here. The cold keeps them at bay. From what I hear, you can find them in the forests around the fire giant territory. Stryme, the fir giant king, has made it his mission in life to kill as many as he can find.”
“What could make them so bad?” Jasmine had a hard time seeing anything so small becoming such a nuisance that someone would want to hunt them down.
“They tend to cause chaos wherever they fly. Leading people to their deaths seems to be a pleasant pastime for them.”
“If they’re as bad as you say then I hope I don’t run into any of them.”
“You won’t.”
“You sound pretty sure about that.”
“After being hunted so ruthlessly by Stryme, the fairies keep their distance from anyone who isn’t a woman or child. And you’re with us.”
Unless she escaped, but Jasmine wasn’t about to say that out loud.
The snow still fell in soft white fluffy flakes around them. Sometimes a flake would wind up floating down to land on the tip of her nose, and she would smile as she went cross-eyed to look down at it. The heat from her skin would melt the snowflakes before she was able to see their intricate shapes.
Opening her mouth, she tried to catch a few on her tongue, which she stuck out of her mouth.
She caught a few, but the snow wasn't falling heavily enough for her to notice the extra water really.
A cough came from behind her, and she turned to look back at Dryden, who had a smile plastered all over his face.
“What are you doing, little human?”
She puffed up her chest a little. “I have already told you my name, and 'little human' is not it,” she fumed.
Jasmine felt like he had just related her to a child. Then again, with the size of these ice giants, she might be near to the size of an adolescent. It also didn’t help that she was sticking her tongue out of her mouth.
“I didn’t intend to insult you,” he backtracked quickly.
“I accept your apology.” Even though he hadn't truly apologized, she was going to make it feel like one.
The ice giant snorted. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without your forgiveness.” He put a hand to his heart as though he would be wounded if she hadn’t forgiven him.
Now it was her turn to snort at him. “Anyways, to the question you asked, I was trying to catch the snowflakes on the tip of my tongue.”
“Why?” He seemed to be genuinely confused why she would want to do something so silly.
Before she could answer, he wrapped his arm around her tightly just before his big black warhorse jumped over a fallen tree that had been partially covered by the treacherous snow.
“Thank you.” She tried to wiggle his arm loose, but he wouldn't budge. “I was just having some fun and trying to keep my mind occupied since this ride seems to be an eternal journey through the snow.”
“I can assure you that our journey will eventually end.”
They drifted into silence, enjoying the sights and sounds of the mountains around them.
As they rode through the snow, Dryden daydreamed about Jasmine. It was easy when she was sitting right in front of him. She was so soft, warm, and beautiful. He enjoyed having her close, pulled up against his chest.
His arm was currently tucked just under her soft breasts, and he wished dearly that he didn't have the armor on so he could feel the press of her breasts against his skin. He would enjoy the feel of her full breasts, but she may not ever allow him that sweet pleasure.
Only when she was asleep had she been less guarded. She’d even pressed herself into him eagerly while she slumbered.
She leaned into him, and he suppressed a groan. What he would give to feel her pressed up close to his cock. Cursing the armor that was between them, he wondered why he had even bothered with it. There was nothing out here that would surprise him. He could battle every creature out here butt-naked, and it would still be an even fight.
Unfortunately, he liked to be prepared for anything and everything. Like finding a human female freezing in the snow. Although nothing could have prepared him for that surprise.
He looked down at Jasmine. He was curious why anyone would leave her to die in the snow. She’d told him a little bit, but nothing specific. She didn’t trust him yet, but he was determined to win that trust.
Maybe it was for the best that he wasn’t letting her go back to her people. She might just end up right back in his mountains if the same man got his hands on her again.
For now, he could only speculate, since he doubted she would answer any questions he might press on her.
Dryden’s mind drifted until Jasmine shifted in the saddle, jolting him back to reality.
Realizing he’d started daydreaming instead of focusing on his surroundings, he frowned. This human was a distraction, but he enjoyed how much she was distracting him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d daydreamed about his future or anything else in his life.
Everything in his life had been a repeat of a basic
theme until the last few days. Not much changed up here in the mountains, since nothing ever wanted to visit for an extended period. Jasmine had thrown a little chaos into an otherwise dull life.
Ever since she showed up on his land, he only had eyes for her. He felt responsible for watching her to make sure she was doing well and not about to relapse from her prolonged exposure.
Mentally, Dryden gave himself a shake. He needed to be focused on a lot more than just her. If he was going to daydream, he should start trying to figure out how to explain keeping a human to his people.
They would accept her if he told them to, but they would want to know how he’d come across her.
Some would think he was making a mistake keeping her alive, and some would understand his kindness. Dryden thought that even the ones who believed it was a mistake would welcome her eventually. The mountains had sheltered them from most human contact.
“Dryden?”
Jasmine’s musical voice drew him out of his daydreaming yet again. Frustration coursed through him. Was he to forever daydream about her?
“Yes?”
“You seemed to be in another world.” She smiled up at him, laughing lightly as she said it.
Dryden smiled back down at her. She could light up a room with just her smile, and cause everyone else to smile as well. She had the most contagious smile he had ever seen.
“I suppose you could say that,” he remarked.
Before he could say anymore, she asked, “I’m curious as to how you know the language of my people. I have never met an ice giant before, but I would assume you would not need to know my language.”
He took some time in trying to figure out the best way to phrase his answer. Could he phrase it in a way that wouldn’t insult her?
He didn’t think so.
In the end, he decided it would be better just to tell it to her straight.
“We giants have learned how devious you humans can be. Now, I’m not saying giants can’t be devious or bad, I’m just explaining why we’ve taken the time to learn your language.”
She scoffed and tried to interrupt him, but he wouldn’t let her. He held up a hand.