"I can do it now, Zach."

Colour crept up her cheeks as she untied the knot just the way he had instructed and released it.

The rope dragged upwards almost immediately and the sails straightened in the air.

Rory had a look of awe in her eyes despite herself.

Zach stepped away from her and ran a hand through his wind tousled hair.

His face was flushed - from the wind or from...

Strands of her hair were pulling free of the coiffure she had mangled it into.

Sighing, she pulled the pins out of her hair and let the wind take it for a dance.

Aurora giggled and did the same thing, shaking out her hair as if it had been trapped in an inescapable dungeon for years and years.

The exaggeration brought a smile to Claire’s lips.

Thunder struck again and her sister hurried to Zach’s side again.

Claire couldn’t help the jealousy that sparked through her at that moment. It was obvious that Zach was the epitome of strength and safety, but it still stung that Rory never came to her side.

She turned away and glanced at the sky instead.

Much further ahead, it seemed to have started raining.

"A storm is coming, should we still return back to the shore?"

Claire glanced back at the shore and noted the considerable distance they had already travelled.

She didn’t want to go back for some reason.

At least not yet, she told herself.

A slight drizzle began over them. It felt cold on her skin, but it didn’t chill her to the bones the way rain had once done.

Sometimes she could not believe she now had a wolf.

Part of her always wondered if Yeren had triggered it or it had just decided to surface on its own. Since then, the dreams had stopped coming.

Zach tossed her a questioning glance.

"We should go a little further before turning back." She said quietly.

His eyes lit up and he hurried down the stairs to inform his men.

When he returned, he had a blanket for her and Aurora. She watched him open the door to the room she had seen earlier and light the candle inside.

"In case the storms scares either of you, you can stay in here."

Rory nodded, her hair bouncing. Her locks were beginning to stick to her head as the rain grew heavier.

"Go inside, Rory. You might catch a cold."

"But..."

"But nothing. Go inside the room."

Just then, a fierce wave of wind sent a tide reeling in their direction. The ship tilted slightly before regaining its stance.

Claire held onto the railing for her dear life while Zach laughed at the terrified expression on her face.

"Aren’t you cold?" He asked as soon as his laughter died down, coming up beside her.

She glanced at the door Aurora had disappeared behind before looking him dead in the eye.

"I have a wolf now."

He wiped rainwater out of his eyes and blinked, a slow smile curving his lips.

"You have a wolf?" He repeated. Then he held her by her upper arms and lifted her off the ground, spinning her high in the air until she screamed to be put down.

"No wonder I noticed you had a scent. This is wonderful news."

Claire laughed at his excitement. He was even happier than she had been when she found out about it.

They stood there staring at each other until their smiles faded.

He reached out to put a wet strand of her hair beneath her ear.

To her, it was just a touch, nothing more.

Why did it always feel different when Yeren touched her?

She quickly turned away and stared at the dark sea beyond. Claire was soaked to the bone.

"I have to admit, you have come a long way in a few months. How did you do it?"

Zach placed both arms on the railing and leaned on them.

"I surprise myself as well, sometimes. People just like the way I treat them warmly and began to patronise me more than the other boats. Then, the merchants also started doing business with me. And I needed a bigger boat to carry more things to the South and back. I thought on it... and I increased my travel fare. No one complained about it." He paused and wiped his face with his hand. "But there are a few men who pay extra for you to convey their goods quietly to the other side."

Claire raised a brow. "Like who?"

He tossed her a look. "I cannot tell, remember?"

She clamped her lips together and stared ahead.

"I forgot to tell you that you look beautiful."

She gulped.

Please don’t...

"Thank you, Zach."

He reached out and took her slender hands in his. "Be my wife, Claire. I can’t think of you as anything else."

She said nothing.

He increased the pressure of his hands on hers, trying to look into her eyes all the while.

"I keep imagining what you would look like when you’re swollen with my child... I love-"

"Stop it, Zach."

He stood up straight, his eyes wide with emotions she refused to name.

"I have to tell you how I feel, Claire."

She turned away.

"You’re too good for someone like me, Zach. I don’t deserve you after everything that has happened to me."

He held her shoulder and spun her around to face him.

"I don’t care about anything or anyone else. As long as you will have me, I will be yours, Claire."

She stiffened.

Just as she expected, his lips came down on hers.

It should have been a passionate moment - kissing under the stars, drenched with rain and radiating body heat...

But it wasn’t.

Because something was missing from one end.

Her heart.

Yeren had stolen it, locked it up somewhere even he wouldn’t remember and threw away the key.

His hand slipped to the back of her dress and fumbled with the laces.

She had to tell him - but he had said he didn’t care.

His warm hand slid into the back of her dress and carressed the warm skin there.

She still felt nothing. Just the warmth of his body.

Claire finally found the courage to push away.

"Let’s just enjoy the view." She murmured sheepishly.

He took a step back and wiped his face with his two hands.

"It’s because of him, isn’t it?"