Where The Ice Gives Way novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83 Breathe

“lake

about three minutes. Maybe four, if

, in theory, means helping John

e in the cold. In practice, it my

ward the back windows lik

generous with myself. Dad sends Charlie and me outside with Theo to “busy ourselves.”

back toward the shed and checking the side fence, where one of the posts has gone

hear absolutely none of what Theo is saying, and spend the entire time looking

help. They are inside.

I know where they a

Then why an

he’s crow

cause I don’t have one that doesn’t make me sound pathetic. Charlie straightens from where er at me. “You’re doing that thing again.” I frown. “What thing?”

stayed inside and your body got left out here with us.” Theo laughs so hard he nearly drops the with. I shoot both of them a look. “Can you two sh

off his hands. “If you’re going to creep around t

five minutes?” Theo grins. “No.” Charlie

commit to it.”

y what you’re doing.” I look back toward the out here, but not enough to stop me catch

ing room are only partly drawn, enough to

s when someone moves. Lex perks up. Go

decide which of us is m

Charlotte say somethi

how there’s a bett

mmit to it.”

intly through the cracked kitchen window, capturing my am I even out here? Theo jerks his head toward the side of the

m slowly, and he lifts one shoulder. “What? As he said,” he motions

h of them behind me. We stop just short of the kitchen window. From here. I

n is sitting on the couch with that huge old book open in her lap, and Charlotte g from the page, glances up, says a few words I can’t quite catch, and Charlotte Theo asks under his breath. “White wolves,” Charlie says immediately. “Well, yeah, at howling thing?” Charlie shrugs. I stay quiet because I’m watching Charlotte’s face, cues. Does she need me? Maybe the bond wants me closer. She is learning herself, Lex says ong enough to glance at Charlie. “What do you know about her wolf?” He lifts a shoulder ans one shoulder against the weatherboards. “I know they apparently make men useless.” I look at ce you found her.”

k and sets it de

lotte sit

th her on the couch, and says

or in front of the fireplace, and

e hand over the centre of her

9:02 am Pppp.

Chapter 83 Breathe

own chest and says something quietly, something I still can’t fully hear from here through these stupid walls. Charlotte watches her, then mirrors the movement, palm resting lightly over her sternum. Mum’s shoulders rise once, then lower. Charlotte follows. I feel it before i understand it. There’s a small change in the bond. It moves through me in a quiet pulse, low and even, and Lex lifts his head. There.

Charlotte’s eyes are closed now, her shoulders have dropped, and the line between her brows is gone. For the first time off the ice, I see what it looks like when she is sitting inside her own body without bracing for the next thing to hit. She looks peaceful, calm, and safe inside my home with my mother. I glance at Charlie and find him watching his sister with wide eyes. It’s clear it’s a rarity to see Charlotte like this. You may as well come in, Blake. Mum’s voice says through the link. Her eyes open, and she stares at me through the window as she speaks loud enough for me to hear now. “We can hear you out there,” she says. “You’re not exactly discreet.” I drag a hand over my face and head for the back door because there’s no recovering my dignity at this point, and I do want to be closer. Lex, of course, is delighted. She invited us in.

She invited me in because I’m apparently incapable of minding my own business.

Same thing.

I step into the living room, where Charlotte is still on the rug, red creeping up her cheeks. I feel bad now, maybe she didn’t want me here. Maybe she wanted to do this alone. I stop near the couch and shove my hands into my pockets. “Sorry.” Mum waves it off. “You were coming in eventually. You alpha wolves are impossible to keep away from your mates.” Charlotte looks at me for one quick second, then away again. I glance at the book. At the rug. At Mum. “What are you doing?” I ask, and Mum’s smile softens. “Teaching her how to be still enough to hear herself.” My eyes go back to Charlotte. She sits there in the middle of the room, jumper sleeves over her hands, hair loose around her shoulders, cheeks pink, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything look more breakable or stronger at the same time. “Can I join you?” I ask and wait for Charlotte to look at me. When she does, she looks shocked, like maybe she thought I was asking Mum. But it’s her space I’m intruding on right now, and it’s her that I want to feel safe enough to keep going. She blinks, then nods, small but sure. “Okay.” I step around the table and lower myself onto the rug across from her. Mum watches us both for a second, then settles back without a word. Charlotte adjusts her hands over her chest again, and I mirror it. “Just breathe,” Mum says quietly. I do, I watch the way Charlotte’s chest rises and falls, and I match my breaths with hers. In. Out. In. Out. I sit in the moment, and I breathe.

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9:02 am P p p p

Where The Ice Gives Way