“Pray that your luck continues and we find Thaw or—”

“Or what?” Tarass challenged before she could finish.

Her sister Sorrell popped into her head and words she would use shot out of her mouth. “Or I’ll cut your balls off.

Loud gasps echoed around the room, though Snow thought she also heard a chuckle in there somewhere.

“Be careful, Snow, you don’t want to know why they call me Lord of Fire.”

His harsh whispered threat sent a shiver through her.

“We will find, Thaw, you will eat, then I will take you home.”

“I have no appetite, I’d rather go home after we find Thaw,” she said, keeping as calm as she could.

“You’ll eat first or you won’t go home until tomorrow,” he ordered.

If she could see, she would walk home, but that wasn’t possible, and she wisely kept quiet.

Tarass couldn’t believe that she had spoken to him the way she did, but then he hadn’t dared thought that she would tell his da that he lied when they had been young. Snow had surprised him then as she did now and all the times when he had stopped at the Macardle keep and Thaw would growl and bark endlessly at him. She would defend the pup regardless of what he had threatened.

Giving it thought, he realized when those Snow loved were threatened, she spoke up without thought to any consequences, and that took courage. And in that sense, she would make an excellent wife, since a husband could count on her, defending him and their bairns.

Tarass kept a firm hand on her arm as they descended the stairs so she wouldn’t fall in her haste, some spots slippery from the snow. He wasn’t surprised when Snow started shouting for Thaw as soon as they reached the bottom.

“Thaw! Thaw! Come here at once!” she yelled, worry ringing out with her command. “Now, Thaw!”

They took only a few steps when they heard a bark.

“Thaw!” Snow called out again, her heart pounding in her chest that the bark came from him.

The bark grew stronger and closer and Snow continued calling to him.

“There he is,” Tarass said as soon as the pup came into view.

Snow let out a heavy sigh as if she’d been holding her breath far too long and she gripped Tarass’s arm, her legs growing weak with relief.

Thaw barked continuously as he ran toward Snow, and she smiled. She truly believed the pup understood that she couldn’t see and did what he could to help compensate for it.

Snow reached down to scoop him up as soon as he jumped against her leg. “Where were you? You had me so frightened.”

Thaw licked her face, his tail wagging furiously as happy to see her as she was to see him.