Where The Ice Gives Way novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59 Loyal to the Bone

Blake

The fire pops low in front of us, and smoke drifts up through the cold evening air. Then is in the middle of a story now, using both hands wi Charlie stands beside, trying not to look like he’s enjoying himself. Charlotte watches them too. “Your friend talks a lot. I look over at her. “Theo?” She nods, and I laugh. “He only breathes between stories.” I lean back in my chair a little and point across the yard with my bottle. “That’s Uncle Ross near the firewood. He’ll tell you the same hunting story six different ways if you let him. The woman beside him is Aunt Jean. She runs the school canteen and terrifies half the town.” Charlotte follows where I point. “Terrifies?”

“She smiles while her in one go pretends

glan

Charlotte laughs outright at that. I keep going, just giving her people instead of throwing a whole pack harp ears. Callum, Renee, and their twin boys, who climb everything they shouldn’s. Old Mr Baker, wh

d still never misses one. She listens while she picks at her food, lifting her eyes when I name someone little by little. She pulls one sleave further over her hand

question. It settles her, I can see it hap

fire, warming her fingers in the heat my jacket off before she finishes spea

her shoulders anyway. The leather h look away for a second because seei around the plate, into it and looks do smile before she looks back at the f

1. She starts to shake her head, but pauses and shru

“Blake, you don’t have to.”

owing her hands and falling almost to her knees whe makes me want to lose any restraint I have left. She sli grin. “You’re tiny.” She peeks at me from under those la does Lex.

hile, we sit in comfortable quiet, wa she means without asking. “The pa

e says quietly. “Not this lou

After a while, you stop hear everything I’m th

udges her knee on

like both options

Charlotte glances sideways at me. “Does it always feel like this?

of my bottle. “It’s louder when it’s fresh. You’ll get used to the feel o e’s pushing a thought hard on purpose.” Her fingers still on the fork. “C on her face. “No. Thank God. The pack would never recover if it went th her properly. Her cheeks have gone pink again, either from the fire or fro nean it,” I tell her. “Sending something. Same as hearing it. You’ll get the ha

biscuits.” I tip my chin toward her plate. “I can show you the basics later if you want my heart thunders in my chest. “Yeah, Lotty. Of course.” Her fingers smooth once over th she attempts to avoid my eyes.

er a circle of women around one of the tables, all of them talking at once while she points towa can’t see from here. I can. So can Theo apparently, because he follows her line of sight, spots me

g like an idiot. I lift a finger at him without expression. His grin gets worse. Charlotte notices the

hat was that?”

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