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Chapter 6

Chase looks at me with a raised eyebrow as he thinks about my comment before smiling, "I guess it would be a waste of a life if all you did was sit around all day."

With that he steps off the porch and crunches through the snow a few feet before he bends down and grabs a paw full of snow and forms it into a ball. The snow is moist enough that it easily holds its shape as he lifts it up to eye level and studies it.

After a moment he says, "I guess that with Richard and Jasmine having a cub now we are going to have to relearn some kids games aren't we."

In the moment that it takes me to process what he has said my eyes go wide as he launches the snow ball right at my face. I barely manage to duck under its path so that it explodes against the wall behind me. I look back up growling low in my chest, "What was that for?"

Instead of answering my question Chase just laughs as he reaches to form another snowball. Not to be caught off guard again I drop my bag and sword by the door and move quickly towards a nearby tree for cover.

I barely get behind it as the next attack explodes beside me raining snow over my head. Just as I get behind the tree Chase's laughter reaches a new level. It takes me a moment to think what could have amused him so much. I don't have to long to wonder though.

A rustling sound comes from above me and I look up just in time to see the limbs of the tree shaking over my head. I lower my ears to my skull as I mutter, "Oh shit..."

The tree limbs shake more and the snow that is being held up by the branches begins to fall. I can only watch in irritation as I am quickly buried in a lot of the filthy white stuff. Eventually the snow stops falling as the tree finishes shaking off its burden.

I slowly blink my eyes and turn to glare at Chase who has come around to my side of the tree and is trying to hide his amusement at my situation. My glares seem to only encourage him more as I must have looked quite the site. Snow is piled up on my nose, head, and shoulders as well as all around me up to my knees. The sight must have been too much for him because he burst out in laughter again.

His laughter serves only to drive my irritation up even higher. I cross my arms and glare at him around the small snow drift on my nose. His laughing at my humiliation stirs a deeper emotion in me and I feel my blood begin to boil. As I watch Chase his laughter begins to die out as he watches me, his eyes going wide.

I look at the snow on my nose and realize why he is starting to stare. The snow is beginning to turn to steam where it is touching me. My blood really has begun to boil. I close my eyes and lower my arms as I take a deep breath to try and calm down.

Once I have calmed down I open my eyes and look at Chase again. He is staring at me with wide eyes and his mouth slightly open as he points at the snow around me. I look down and see that all the snow that has landed on me has evaporated and dried as well as the snow on the ground within a few inches of my feet.

I let out a sigh and look back at Chase who asks, "Guess the phrase 'hot under the collar' has a different meaning to you huh?"

I cough slightly as a bit of embarrassment floods my face, "Uhm... yeah it does. That tends to happen when I get upset."

He raises an eyebrow and continues his questioning, "I take it this has to do with your... ancestry?"

I nod, "Yeah it's a side effect of being a demon, or more precisely a draconic demon, which explains the horns and wings."

He snorts as he looks at me with an almost hungry look in his eyes that flashes for just a moment before it disappears when he says, "Bet that comes in handy on cold nights."

After crossing my arms across my chest I respond by saying, "It would if I could control it. Unfortunately I can't generate the heat at will. It only happens when my emotions begin to get out of my control. Otherwise I wouldn't have been huddled around that fire when Agerex found me."

The mentioning of my brothers attack on me has a sobering effect on the two of us and causes a silence to stretch out between us. As the memories of the pain from that night flood back to me, I unconsciously rub a paw over the still healing wound on my left arm. Chase must have noticed the movement because he steps closer and puts his own paw on mine and moves it away from the bandage before he straightens the wrap.

As he does he says softly, "Rubbing it like that will only aggravate the wound and make it take longer to heal."

I look from where he is adjusting my bandage to his face. On his face I see a look of genuine care. No one has given me a look like that in a very long time. In fact the last time I remember someone looking at me that way was when I was a small cub and was being held by my mother.

Chase looks up from my arm to my face causing our noses to be just an inch apart. I can smell the scent of stew still on his breath as he exhales his hot breath in my face. Our eyes meet and I can't help but stare into his amber eyes. In them I see a loneliness and longing reflected back at me that I know so well. I can almost see the many long nights he has been left alone without someone to hold just as I have been left alone.

I don't know how long we stand there just staring into each other's eyes ignoring the rest of the world neither of us wanting to move. I slowly lick my lips as I think about doing something that I have wanted to do since I woke up earlier.

At that instant a pair of snow balls hit both me and Chase in the side of the head breaking the spell of the moment and shattering my thoughts. We both turn to the direction of the attack and glare at the porch where Richard and Jasmine are standing forming more snowballs as they laugh.

With a glance at me Chase smirks as he bends down and gathers up a paw full of snow saying, "Looks like they just declared war on us doesn't it."

I grin at him mischievously, "If there is one thing my kind knows how to do well, its wage war."

We both dive to either side of the tree as the next volley of snowballs is launched at us only to hit the trunk instead. I roll through the snow gathering up snow as I go so that when I come to a stop in a kneeling stance I have two rough snow balls, one in each hand ready to be thrown.

With barely a glance at my targets I send both flying at the attackers. Both miss their targets but serve as a distraction from Chase's volley which manages to find both Richard and Jasmine with solid thumps. Laughter comes from where Chase is now standing packing another snowball.

With another grin I grab a paw full of snow and quickly throw it at Chase. It makes a solid impact with the side of his muzzle filling his mouth and eyes with snow causing his laughter to stop mid breath. He turns and glares at me as I double over in laughter at the snow falling from his face.

After he spits out the snow he growls playfully, "Oh this means war indeed."

Soon snowballs are flying in all directions as everyone reverts to a childish behavior. Before long the rest of the pack has come outside and everyone is throwing snowballs at anyone and everyone in range.

..............

For hours we all laugh and play in the snow. I haven't felt this much fun in a long time. I lean against a tree panting and smiling. As I work to catch my breath I notice that the sun is starting to set and stars have begun to appear in the sky.

As the last rays of daylight fade from the sky Chase calls an end to the snowball fight and tells everyone to go inside and warm up. I lean against a tree and watch as the pack file inside laughing as they reenact particularly impressive shots some of them had made. Chase stands by the door holding it open for them, when the last tail crosses the threshold he lets go of the door allowing it to swing closed and makes his way over to me.

I grin as he pads his way through the snow over towards me saying, "I can't remember the last time that we all did something like that."

Letting out a small bark of laughter I respond, "Well it has been a very long time since I did as well. Been out on my own for so long I haven't stayed anywhere long enough to even get in a snowball fight. Just the normal kinds of fights."

Slowly I slide down the trunk of the tree till I am sitting on the ground leaning against it. I stretch my arms over my head letting out a groan as the exertion from the last several hours settles into my limbs making them sore. Chase settles down next to me and leans against the tree as well.

For a few minutes we sit there in silence watching the sky visible through the tree branches grow darker and darker as the stars grow brighter and more numerous. When the darkness of the forest has grown to the point where I could vanish with ease he turns to me and asks, "So earlier when you melted all that snow, is that something you can control or does it just happen when you're riled up?"

I chuckle softly before responding, "It's part of my demon heritage. For the most part I can control it but sometimes when my emotions run high I can get a bit on the hot side."

I feel his gaze on me through the dark as he says, "I can certainly see that."

Listening to his voice I think I hear more than just a casual statement. It almost seems like he is hinting at something more than just temperatures. But then that is probably just me wanting to read more into what he is saying than is really there.

He shifts a bit in the darkness so that he is a bit closer to me before he shivers a bit from the cold air. Feeling a nip from the night as well I close my eyes and focus inwards on myself willing my body heat to rise heating the area around me several degrees. I hear Chase let out an appreciative sigh as the wave of heat hits him.

After a moment I open my eyes and look over at him asking, "Does that feel better?"

He nods, "Yes it does, thank you."

I shift a bit and look up at the stars for a moment before saying, "You have a wonderful home here. I really like the view you have, ever since I was a small cub I remember being fascinated with the night sky. All the countless stars and the shapes they make."

From my right Chase says, "The view here really is nice isn't it. I rarely get to fully appreciate such things." He shifts a bit then continues, "The stars are especially nice tonight as well."

We sit for several minutes just watching the stars flicker in the black of night content in the silence growing between us. Eventually he breaks the silence by asking, "Do you have anyone special in your life that you care for Eb?"

The question catches me a bit off guard so it takes me a moment to register what he is asking before I respond, "No I don't. I'm not on speaking terms with most of my family and the rest like to treat me like Agerex does. So I really haven't been able to stay anywhere long enough to get attached to anyone."

Chase lets out a soft sigh as he says softly, "I'm sorry to hear that." something in his voice has me wondering if he really is sorry though.

Silence begins to grow between us again so I turn the question back on him, "Do you have anyone special in your life?"

He takes a deep breath before answering, "I did once years ago, but things didn't work out between us. But there is always hope for something new in the future."

With that he stands up and offers me his paw to help me to my feet which I accept graciously. Once on my feet my nose was just a few inches from his. I could feel the heat of his breath as he exhaled in my direction. Just as I'm sure he could feel my own breath.

At that moment the moon cleared the horizon and cast its soft glow over the area giving its soft touch to the world. Chase looked into my eyes and I into his, allowing me to see the moon reflected in them. Then without warning Chase leaned forward slightly and pressed his lips to mine.