"Where are we going Des?"

I had blindly followed my mate into the snowy wilderness because, I quote, there's a beautiful view. We had tracked through a foot of snow.

My hands and feet had become sensitive from the last time I ventured out here. They nearly got frostbite the last time I came out here and I with that recollection I shivered at the memory.

"When Osiris and I started to build a pack we found this place up in the mountains." Desmond started, moving a branch out of my face before I smacked into it. "When we were checking out the terrain we came across this place."

Ducking under the branch I gasped. The view, it was beyond words. Nothing could describe the exact view I saw, but I could try.

Once I was past the branch I came to see a cliff's edge. When I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stepped closer to its edge the landscape became that much more breath taking.

Beyond the cliff was a snowy valley with an icy lake at the base of it. The lake side town looked tiny in comparison to the size of the frozen lake. It took my breath away. The faint outlines of the narrow streets and buildings were all I could make out from this distance.

"Wow." I murmured tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"You like it?"

I nodded looking over my shoulder to see him grinning. He was beaming with enthusiasm as he jumped on top of a rock at the edge of the cliff.

Desmond stood proud, a nostalgic look in his eyes grew as he scanned the horizon.

"Why'd you bring me here?"

He slid down the boulder effortlessly, his dark brown curls bounced against his forehead. "I thought you'd like the view." He looked shyly away averting his sight from mine. "Plus, I thought you'd like to spend more time together. You know..." He looked back over to me. "Since I haven't been making much time for us. For you."

Happy warmth settled in my belly at his words. He didn't seem to realize how much his statement meant to me and honestly I might hold off on ever telling him feeling like a little fan girl.

Desmond had really taken me on a date. It was more of an adventure but regardless this was what I yearned for all this time; this was what I begged of him though I had kept that need to myself.

I swiveled around completely to face him an animated smile wide on my face. A sheepish and timid grin tugged at the corners of his lips. I could tell that Desmond tried to hold it back. I couldn't understand why he was so unsure of himself around me.

He looked out of place almost, though he genuinely looked happy to see me beaming. For being my mate he was awfully shy of me, not holding my eye contact long and constantly finding reasons to keep his distance from me.

I've told myself now that this was just who he was and who he'd probably always would be. Desmond was a bubbly person and full of life but as a mate he was withdrawn. I saw him as an orange; a rough and tough exterior but a soft and sweet interior that is worth all the work it is to peel ack each layer to get to.

I just hoped that I would succeed in one day getting to that sweet place with him.

Wanting to get a glimpse at that part of him I reached out to cup the stubble side of his sharp jaw. His brown eyes scanned over my face cautiously as if searching and reading my every move.

He was over analyzing, I told myself. Desmond is over thinking everything between us and he's scaring himself away before he even lets himself become vulnerable.

Taking it upon myself to ease the tension I rose to my toes to shorten the distance between our height difference. He was substantially taller than me and as I looked over him more closely with his height I soon realized the difference in height between him and his brother.

Desmond was only slightly shorter but it made for a noticable difference when I could more vivdly make out the pattrens in his brown irises.

"You don't have to be so uptight around me." I whispered hoping that my calming voice would sooth his nervousness.

It did the complete opposite as the muscles of his neck tightened with tension and his jaw flex with an apprehensive twitch. I had done it again. I had said the wrong thing.

No. I couldn't have, I was only trying to reassure him.

So, I tried again, hoping once again that the next set of words better comforted my mate. The deep lines of his forehead looked painful ever since his eyes darkened with distress.

"It's okay to be nervous Desmond." I pulled away slightly and I felt relief wash over me as I watched him visibly relax. I took that moment to wrap his hands and place them on my hips deciding to take the lead. "You can touch me."

I imagined his grip to be gentle and loving but as I rested his palms against the softness of my hips they felt stiff and cold. His hands reminded me of the stiff plastic hands of a barbie doll. His fingers stuck straight out. They only reason that his hands didn't drop from my sides is because of the fact that mine still supported his.

His adam's apple bobbed anxiously as he swallowed. His mouth was dry as his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth hesitation in his movement as he took a step back and then immediately returning.

It was like a switch had been turned on as his once stiff hands grabbed and wrapped around the plains of my body. I delightful hum escaping my lips at the sudden change in atmosphere.

Desmond pulled me flat against his chest his hands not once lifting away from me. His right hands skimmed up the side of my torso until he found his way up to the center of my upper back. His other hands trailed down the side of my hip until it rested just above half way down my thigh.

In one swift motion I was lifted into the air, my legs guided around a muscular waist as my back was placed carefully against something cool. My back arched against the chilling object beneath me.

I looked straight up into the cloudy sky, my brows furrowed. Sky? How was I now looking at the sky?

My cheeks heated as it slowly dawned on me that our once innocent embrace had turned into something much more intimate. In a matter of seconds I had been whirled around and pinned against a boulder and the warm body of my mate.

Desmond shuffled above me, propping himself up on his elbows to gaze down at me. His eyes changed between gray and their normal vibrant brown. Trying not to dwell on the fact that I was being mate-blocked by someone I couldn't hear nor see planted a damper on my emotions.

My once excited and enthusiastic disposition evaporated as I glared up at Desmond until I regained every ounce of his attention.

"What?" He asked oblivious once he saw my face.

I wasn't sure if it was the audacity of his question, the pent up sexual tension, or the fact that I wanted to kill the person that interrupted us but I had lost my filter.

"Really, Des? You're going to ask me, what?" I shoved his chest causing him to stand up right. I slide out from under him crossing my arms.

"What? I can't ask you what?"

"Are you serious right now? You're going to let someone mind-link you in the middle of such a moment like... like this? It's so inconsiderate."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You were being inconsiderate. I was trying to help you and then you just ruined the moment." I accused walking away making my way back the way we came. Out footprints were clearly visible in the snow still so I stepped in them as I tracked back. I didn't get far before I was roughly yanked back.

I yelled out in shock as I landed on my back. The snow crushed around me leaving me buried in a few inches of snow.

"What the fuck Desmond!" I was furious, freezing already from the climb up here. He really had the nerve to just toss me in the snow like I was a some sort of rag doll.

Grumbling I whipped the snow from my red heated face. I was going to give him a piece of my mind. Huffing once I cleared away the snow I opened my mouth to shout but couldn't find the same angry urge as I did just a second ago.

Staring up from the ground I tried to fight back the smile the crept across my face. The last thing I imagined was coming face to face with a tomato of a face Desmond. He snorted as he bent over in a full blown cackle.

"Why?" I groaned trying to up hold my annoyance. I failed quickly as I too began to giggle from his snorting fit.

"You... you should have seen your face." He said through gasps as he fought himself to breath. "You were so furious." He mocked sarcastically.

"I'm glad my irritation brings you joy."

"Aww, is little Sera irritated?"

"Little Sera is going to punch you in your balls soon if you don't wipe that smug grin off your face."

He had let out a fake gasp as I stood up. "I'd really like to keep my jews in one piece please, or two if you know what I mean," I rolled my eyes, where was this conversation going? "Or would it be three?"

"Des." I scolded.

He shrugged innocently. "What?"

"Can we go home please? It's getting late." I told him looking over the cliff at the setting sun. It was getting darker sooner now and we were get robbed of our light faster than I cared to notice. I hated winter for this very reason.

"Hey, hey, wait." He shouted catching up to me stopping me when he moved to stand in front of me. "Are you still upset at me?"

There was a change of tone in the way he asked me. His once humorous and joking side gone, instead a concerned man stood in front of me. I was beginning to believe that Desmond was like a light switch flipping from one emotion to the next like a page turned in a book.

He stared down at me genuinely distraught with the possibility of me really being mad at him. It made me feel guilty for my angry outburst. The more I thought about it the more I grew guilty.

It was just a joke Sera, no need to blow it out of preposition.

"Of course not," I smiled taking his hand to reassure him but not before throwing a hard punch against his shoulder.

"Ouch."

"That's for throwing me in the snow, asshole."