The night in Colter is brutal, the cold creeping in through every crack in the cabin, no matter how tightly the door is shut. You’re wrapped in layers, but the chill seeps into your bones, making your teeth chatter despite the fire blazing in the hearth. You try to ignore it, but it’s hard to focus on anything when your skin feels like it might freeze over.

Sadie doesn’t miss a beat. She’s across the room, sharpening her knife with a practiced calm when she glances over at you, noticing your shiver. With a single, wordless motion, she stands and moves toward you, her hands warm from the fire. Without asking, she sits down beside you, pulls the blanket away, and drapes it around both of you.

— “Can’t have you freezing to death on me,” she murmurs, her voice low, almost teasing.

She presses her shoulder against yours, the heat from her body filling the empty space. For a long moment, neither of you speaks—just the crackling fire and the wind howling outside. But her hand, warm and strong, rests on your arm, a small, steady anchor in the cold. You can’t help but feel a little more warmth than the fire could ever give.