Quinette took my hand, then I pulled her closer.

Our bodies crashed together, I slipped my hand to her waistline, drew her closer.

Her breath caught. She looked deep into my eyes.

"W-what are you doing."

She was stunned. Not yet flustered.

I needed her flustered.

I leaned closer to the slim line of her neck. Which glistened with sweat, frozen dry.

I let out a warm breath which tickled her neck.

"S-stop... we’re in the middle of something." Her voice was fully flustered, even with her words she barely resisted.

Her hand rested on my chest but didn’t push.

I filled my lungs with her scent, sweaty. Intoxicating.

I kissed her neck, her skin with scales layered up. The warmth of her body intense.

It was risky knowing the wolf was closing in still. But it was a perfect plan.

[Draconic Pairing Response Triggered.]

[Mate Viability: Confirmed.]

[Bonding Protocol: Initiated]

Using [Dragon Potent] I triggered pairing, which was useful when breeding a dragon so I could absorb her essence at climax.

To evolve.

With pairing, the heat of her body was enhanced by magic to make her suitable for mating.

But that sexual heat could be converted to real heat.

Quinette gripped my robe, as the heat took over her. Her breath came out heavy. Warm. She hung her head down hiding her reddened face.

Her tail stood on end.

I touched her cheeks and absorbed the heat. Amplified it. And released in quick procession.

By the time the wolf was already close, its jaw widened to snap at us.

The area was covered in mist, the heat collided with the snow, keeping us hidden in the steam.

It was warm. Keeping Quinette warm. The trembling grip on my robe stopped. She continued to stare down blankly, probably wondering why she had stopped being turned on.

She was too embarrassed to look at me. We had no time. Before she could fully process it all

I grabbed her hand. And ran.

The wolf snapped at nothing, unable to see us. I carried her, hand beneath her legs. In a princess carry.

I slid down the frictionless surface. Using the slope of the landslide to escape quickly, without getting noticed.

Clouded in the mist.

My feet reached past the edge of the glass sheet, skidded to the snow. My momentum slowed. I pushed myself to my feet and ran, carrying Quinnette in my hands. It was much easier as the pain in my spine began to heal.

Making it easy to move while carrying Quinnette in my arms.

Her face was still reddened. She avoided my eyes.

Leaving the mist we had made. Out of the mist, the cool resumed draining the little warmth from Quinnette.

For me, I had no problem.

I kept bolting away, using mana engagement to amplify my speed.

"Drop me." Quinnette said. Her tone was too low. I barely heard her words.

"What?"

...

She pushed herself out of my arms, gaining foot on the ground as she ran side by side. Steps forward, wings spread out.

The warmth had freed her wings from the cold. But I was sure if she exposed them to cold further, the cold would still creep in.

She took to the air, leaving gusts of wind behind with a gentle flap, about to fully take off.

I watched her fly above ground level, but not sky high.

For some seconds I thought she was about to take off, leaving me behind — out of embarrassment.

"If we’re going to escape, it’s better we fly away." Quinnette said.

Then she dove down, wrapped her arms around me midrun. She took off. My feet left the ground as I rose.

Towards the sky. The ground grew distant.

At this rate I had already grown used to the usual feeling of flying.

With her arms around my waist, holding me from behind, we were much closer to each other. I felt her armored breast plate, hard on my back.

She held her breath, since her chin was — after our little scene, I guess it felt awkward breathing over my shoulder.

Strands of her hair slipped from her ponytail, blown by the wind. They spilled down onto my shoulder.

I looked back to where the wolves were still shrouded by the mist.

It was already far behind, drawn to a distance.

But the chamber was closer to the pack. I wasn’t sure if we returned, it would still be standing.

I shifted my eyes from the mist to Quinnette’s face. Her expression — eyes shut, lips thin — didn’t change for a while. Before she exhaled.

"You — what was that back there?"

"My magic."

"I’m asking what kind of magic is that."

"Dragonpotent. You haven’t heard of it, I’m sure."

"...Nevertheless, this should be the first and last time you use it on me."

Her face hardened, contrasting the blush on her face.

*First and last?* I scoffed. I was yet to use what the pairing is meant for.

"This is the first, but definitely not the last." I said casually, making Quinnette gasp.

"What?!" She paused, hovering on a spot.

"I am not asking."

"Don’t raise your voice — the wolves have good ears."

"Tch..." She tightened her arms around me. "Next time you do such, I’ll abandon you and find my way out of here. Alone."

While Quinnette kept raising her voice to establish authority, I kept my tone low.

Looking down at the white land, watching if the wolves would spring out of nowhere.

"We both know that’s not possible. Together we were barely a threat against a pack of wolves. Individually, worse."

"Fine." Her arms then loosened from my abs. "Let’s find somewhere to camp. It’s getting late."

The clouds darkened, the light barely passing through. Dim. Darkness curtained over the freezing wilderness as night came.

The blizzard grew more violent. I squinted my eyes, barely able to look ahead.

While Quinnette had a hard time steering through the winds, I watched her wings fail at turns.

Some minutes had passed since we had escaped the pack. Even a silhouette of a single wolf was no longer visible.

"We can go on foot now."

I alerted Quinnette. She dove down, dropping me on my feet. I looked around — we were far from the thick forest. The surrounding was open, rocky, with land steeps.

Which was the perfect place to find a cave where we could stay.

We continued our journey on foot, pushing through the blizzard, searching for a cave.

The battering snow made it hard to look. Apart from that, I wasn’t really bothered by the cold.

[Adapt] had been running throughout my stay out in the cold.

[70%] already. By morning it would be totally harmless to me.

Quinnette. I paused my steps to check how she was holding up. She was wrecked.

Her wings, folded behind her, shivered.

Arms wrapped around herself.

Her breath was ragged, a crack on her frost-bitten lips.

"I could warm you up a bit, if you agree."

She pushed her arms down, forcing the shiver to halt.

"I never asked. And... I’m fine."

I shrugged and kept moving forward. If that’s her wish, she can endure the cold.

If things go sideways and her body starts to fail from exposure to intense cold, she’ll leave me no option but to use her heat.

"Unless you have a better way. Maybe we find a cave, you make a fire — I’ll appreciate that."

"I don’t—"

About to claim I was unskilled to start a fire, I spotted a cave not far off.

"Look." I pointed in the direction. "There’s one. Let’s camp there for the night."

She nodded.

I walked to the cave, Quinnette following from behind.

Getting closer, I felt another — a presence of mana inside the cave. Distinct enough not to be ambient mana.

The cave was dark, unable to see what lay inside.

I halted at the entrance and signaled Quinnette to also halt.

Without hesitation, her blade sang out of its sheath.

"A beast?"

I nodded.

Yet the cave was silent. I stepped inside.

Immediately the difference was clear — no heavy wind blowing at me. No blizzard piercing my skin like tiny needles.

It was warm. Silent, too silent.

"If you believe something is lurking inside, let me go first. I have a blade."

Quinnette’s voice from the entrance of the cave echoed down the walls of the cave, to the abyss depth of the cave, till it woke something up.

Crimson eyes snapped open. A growl followed.

A huge bear with thick fur hauled itself out of the cave.

It stood before me, height reaching the ceiling of the cave.

Then growled, shaking the walls of the cave.

[FrostMaw (B-rank)]

I fixed it with a bored stare. After facing those huge wolves, this was a mere insect in comparison.

Yet Quinnette still decided to be the hero.

"Let me handle it." Quinnette rushed to attack it.

Ice already formed in my palm. I hurled the icicle at the bear. It found its mark, square on the bear’s head.

The bear tilted back, crashing to the ground. It remained motionless.

Quinnette slowed her steps. She looked at the bear lying in its pool of blood, then slowly sheathed her blade.

"Once more, I’ve proved I don’t need your saving."

Quinnette crossed her arms and changed the topic. "Well, you said you can absorb fragments from slain beasts." She glanced at the beast. "Show me."