III

III
        Refusing to let this Trey win, I led the way, making sure to walk the fastest I could in my entire life. As we climbed the mountain, foggy breath escaped my lips, and my legs throbbed, pulsating with pain with each step I took further up the mountain. Occasionally, I stumbled back, snow sliding me back, slowing me down. 

For the first twenty minutes, I remained in the lead, occasionally checking over my shoulders to make sure Mariamme and Trey were still following closely. They must have purposely let me keep my trophy, they were walking slowly, seemingly deep in conversation. I didn’t know who this Trey is but I knew he seemed really close to Mariamme. 

And I almost envied that? How she treated him like a child and scolded him like one as well. I fell over a tree trunk buried beneath the snow, and before I could even scream for help, I was falling face first, my hands stretched out, doing nothing to hold my fall. 

I braced myself for the cold, hard impact of snow against my face, but it never came. A strong arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me upright with an ease that made my head spin. My feet dangled slightly before they found the ground again, and I was met with a deep, gravelly voice laced with mockery.

"Careful there, not-a-human," Trey said, his breath warm against my ear as he set me back on my feet. "Wouldn’t want you breaking that ‘dormant wolf’ of yours.”

I jerked away from him, brushing snow off my hands and shooting him a glare. “I don’t need your help.”

“Really?” he said, his lips curving into a smirk. “Because it looked like you were about to become one with the mountain.”

Mariamme appeared beside me, her eyes flicking between the two of us before sighing. “Trey, stop teasing her.”

“But it’s so easy,” he drawled, leaning casually against a tree trunk as if the freezing wind didn’t even register for him. “She’s practically begging for it.”

“I am not!” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. My cheeks burned, though whether from embarrassment or the cold, I couldn’t tell.

Mariamme shook her head, muttering something under her breath about children, and continued walking ahead. Trey gave me one last infuriating grin before falling into step behind her, his long strides making it look effortless.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to follow. The ache in my legs had grown unbearable, but there was no way I was going to let him see me falter again. Each step felt like a battle, the snow pulling at my boots and the wind biting at my face.

Ahead of me, Trey and Mariamme continued their conversation, their voices too low for me to catch more than fragments. Something about “timing” and “reinforcements.” I frowned, watching the way Trey occasionally glanced back at me, his expression unreadable.

What were they talking about? And why did it feel like I was the topic more often than not?

Another wave of jealousy bubbled up as Mariamme laughed at something Trey said, her voice light and free in a way I hadn’t heard before. She smacked his arm lightly, and he responded with a grin that seemed almost…human. Like he wasn’t some arrogant jerk whose sole mission was to mock me.

I gritted my teeth and kept trudging forward, refusing to let my thoughts linger on the strange pang in my chest. It didn’t matter how close they were or how easily they seemed to understand each other. I was here for my own reasons, and nothing was going to distract me from that.

As the incline grew steeper, the snow deepened, making each step a test of endurance. My breath came in short gasps, fogging up the air in front of me. The temperature seemed to drop even further, the cold seeping into my bones despite my layers.

“You’re slowing down,” Trey said, his voice cutting through the howling wind. He had fallen back to walk beside me, his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his ripped pants, like the cold didn’t affect him at all.

“I’m fine,” I snapped, not bothering to look at him.

“Right,” he said, drawing out the word. “You’ve got this, right? All that dormant power just waiting to spring out and save you.”

I stopped abruptly, spinning to face him. “Do you have anything useful to say, or are you just here to make my life miserable?”

Trey tilted his head, considering me with a spark of amusement in his eyes. “Miserable? I thought I was making it fun.”

“Try annoying,” I shot back, stepping closer without realizing it. “Or infuriating. Or—”

“Interesting?” he interrupted, his voice lowering slightly as his gaze locked onto mine. The smirk softened into something more subtle, something that made my heart stumble for half a second before I forced myself to snap out of it.

“Try again,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.

“Fine,” he said, straightening and giving me a mock bow. “I’ll try to be less interesting.”

I rolled my eyes and turned to continue up the mountain, but my chest still felt tight, like he’d stolen some of the air from my lungs. Behind me, I could hear the crunch of his footsteps following, closer now than before.

This time, I didn’t check to see if Mariamme was watching. I didn’t want to know. I hastened my steps. It took an extra thirty minutes which felt like forever but we made it to the top. A clearing, with layers and layers of snow all over and a small cottage just in the center of the clearing, covered in snow. The wind howled harshly at me and I knew anytime from then, my legs would actually give out and I would fall and… Trey would win, but I couldn’t let this happen, now, right?

My nose burned, and liquid leaked from my eyes like I was tearing up, red in the face. I turned, looking over the edge, awaiting Trey and Mariamme to catch up with me. My hair blew in the air, scattered, I probably looked like a mad girl. 

In the distance, I could see the length we had covered, could see past the trees, could see Mariamme’s cabin in the distance. I pointed, lips quivering, hands shaking, face pulling into a smile. “Mariamme, I can see the cabin from here!” 

She nodded, smiling softly, “I told you can do it.”

My vision blurred as the cold gnawed at every inch of me, my knees wobbling like they were made of jelly. Still, I forced myself to stand tall—or at least as tall as someone on the verge of collapse could manage. Trey and Mariamme reached the clearing, their steps annoyingly effortless despite the grueling climb.

Trey’s gaze fell on me, his mouth twitching into that infuriating smirk. “Oh, she smiles?” he teased, mimicking my tone with a dramatic flair. “I thought the wind had frozen your face that way.”

I shot him a glare, but it lacked its usual fire. My body was too busy begging for rest to muster anything intimidating. “Ha, ha,” I muttered, my voice hoarse and trembling. “Don’t you have something better to do? Like…fall off the mountain?”

“You mean like you almost did? Twice?” he shot back, raising a brow. “I think I’ll pass.”

Mariamme sighed. “Enough, Trey. Feyre’s done well to make it this far.”

Trey snorted, stepping up beside Mariamme as she smiled at me. "Careful, Mariamme, you might scare her. That’s twice in one day I’ve seen you not looking like you want to kill someone."

Mariamme rolled her eyes, brushing snow off her shoulders. "Don’t get used to it." She turned her attention back to me, her smile softening. "You did well, Feyre."

I tried to smile in return, but my face was frozen stiff, and my legs felt like they were made of lead. My vision blurred slightly as exhaustion began to take over. "Told you I could do it," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Trey crouched slightly to meet my gaze, his smirk as insufferable as ever. "Barely," he said, reaching out and flicking a stray strand of hair away from my face. "You look like you’re about to pass out."

"I’m… fine," I said, straightening my back despite the wobble in my legs.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Sure. And I’m a vegetarian."

Mariamme let out a small laugh but quickly covered it with a cough when I shot her a glare.

"I don’t need your help," I said, brushing past Trey and heading for the cottage.

"Who said I was offering?" he called after me, his tone laced with amusement.

I ignored him, focusing on the small structure ahead. The snow crunched loudly under my boots as I forced myself forward. Each step felt like a monumental task, but there was no way I was letting him see me falter now.

Behind me, I heard his low chuckle. "You’re stubborn. I’ll give you that."

"Better than being an arrogant jerk," I shot back, not bothering to turn around.

"Arrogant? That’s a little harsh," he said, his voice closer now.

I felt his presence beside me, his steps matching mine. His warmth radiated against my frozen side, making me painfully aware of just how cold I was.

"Think of it this way," he said, his tone light. "If you do pass out, at least you’ve got me to carry you the rest of the way."

I stopped abruptly, spinning to face him. "I don’t need you to carry me!"

Trey raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin widening. "Alright, alright. Just saying. You’re looking a little wobbly there, champ."

Mariamme stepped between us, her hand lightly grazing my shoulder. "Feyre, save your energy for getting inside. The cottage isn’t as close as it looks."

I nodded, my pride taking a backseat to the stabbing pain in my legs.

Trey tilted his head, his grin never fading. "You know, I could always—"

"Don’t even say it," I interrupted, already turning back toward the cottage.

He laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that grated on my nerves more than it should have. "Fine, but when you fall face-first into the snow again, don’t blame me."

"Keep talking," I muttered, forcing one foot in front of the other. "Maybe the sound of your voice will scare off the cold."

"Or motivate you to keep going just to get away from me," he countered smoothly.

I bit back a grin, refusing to let him see the small victory he’d scored.

As we trudged on, Mariamme sighed, her voice carrying over the wind. "You two are going to drive me insane."

"She started it," Trey said, not missing a beat.

"I’ll finish it," I shot back, though my breath came out in ragged gasps.

The cottage loomed closer, a beacon of warmth and safety against the unforgiving cold. My legs trembled violently, but I pushed forward, refusing to let Trey—or my own body—win.

"Almost there," Mariamme said encouragingly.

Trey’s voice was softer this time, though still teasing. "Think you’ll make it, Feyre?"

I glanced at him, my lips trembling from both the cold and sheer stubbornness. "I’ll make it," I said, my voice firmer than I felt.

And I did. Barely. But the triumphant look I shot Trey as I collapsed onto the porch was worth every agonizing step.