Yrsa awakes, warm, yet alone beneath Harald’s cloak. She spins around, seeing Harald cooking the kill they made a few hours ago. The old bear pelt smelled like woodsmoke and juniper berries, its weight pressing Yrsa into the packed earth of the cave floor. She blinked crust from her lashes, the flicker of Harald’s fire painting his silhouette against the limestone walls. He worked with the quiet precision of someone who’d...

Lucy and Adam were trudging through the snowfall before they arrived at her apartment entrance. As its intensity started increasing, things started becoming barely visible through the swirling white. The electronic key trembled in Lucy's numb fingers. They slipped twice before finally activating the lock's sensor, the faint green light flickering like a dying firefly. Adam exhaled sharply behind her, his breath fogging ag...

Giselle’s brown eyes flutter open, a small smile on her face as she stretches beneath the thin quilt. She loves this part—the quiet darkness before dawn, when the ranch still sleeps and the only sound is the occasional shuffle of hooves outside her window. She swings her legs over the side of the bed, bare feet hitting the cool hardwood floor. The chill doesn’t bother her; she’s used to it. "Damn, you’re one sexy woman,"...

The whetstone slid along the axe blade with a slow, practiced rhythm. Harald’s hands were broad and scarred, his knuckles split from last week’s brawl. He didn’t look up when the door creaked open, didn’t pause when the cold wind rushed in. Winter had teeth here, and the longhouse always smelled of smoke and damp fur. "Your axe will be sharper than your wits if you keep at it," Yrsa said, leaning against the doorframe. Th...

“Giselle, time to get up. You are needed in the south to help herd the cattle.” Her mother's voice echoed from downstairs. Giselle groaned, rubbing sleep from her eyes as the morning sun sliced through her bedroom window. The smell of coffee and bacon crept under her door, mingling with the dust motes dancing in the light. She stretched, her bare midriff brushing against the rough cotton sheets, and swung her legs over th...

Riley sits in her leather back chair, the Hartford merger file in front of her, waiting for Walker to arrive, she desperately wants to postpone it, but understands how vital this is. Walker strides into Riley's office, his broad shoulders filling the doorway like he owns the place, which, professionally speaking, he doesn't. But the way his rolled-up sleeves cling to his forearms, veins tracing paths Riley's fingers itch...

The swift morning sun crept higher in the sky, casting a golden blanket across the northern lands of Elyria, painting the sky a brilliant orange and red. Liseria stirred first, her bare shoulder pressing deeper into the feather-stuffed mattress as she stretched beneath the linen sheets. She blinked against the light, her sapphire blue eyes adjusting slowly, and exhaled through her nose, the warmth of Arterius’ chest still...

Riley twirled her pen in her hand mindlessly, while focusing on a case file, when she noticed the ink smudge across her thumb. She'd always thought it was funny how she could meticulously argue corporate litigation but couldn't seem to keep her hands clean. The late afternoon light slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows of her firm’s office, casting elongated shadows across the stacks of paperwork crowding her desk....

Yrsa lay in her fur-covered bed. The cold weather was growing more fierce, winter was on its way, only a few weeks away. She had been dreaming of Harald again; she had seen him in the training circle yesterday, sparring with the other warriors. She thought back to the way he moved, swift and strong. She sighed as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She could hear the sounds of the village outside her window, the smell of cooked...

A crisp summer's day was long-awaited as Luke and Alexis had spent the last few weeks planning a sailing trip to the Philippines from Honolulu. They had dreamt of this tripfor years, and now, finally, the winds were in their favor. Since childhood, Luke has been in the company of his grandfather an WW2 Navy Veteran and sailor himself, who often regaled Luke with his adventures, sparking his imagination. On the morning of...

On a scorching summer's day, Commander Arterius watched beneath the large oak tree, sweat trickling down his temple as he watched the infantry drill in the midday sun. Leather straps dug into their shoulders, their movements sluggish under the weight of full armor. One recruit—barely old enough to shave—swayed on his feet before catching himself. Arterius exhaled through his nose. “That’s all for today,” he ordered, a hal...

A crisp, chilled morning, Yrsa stirred under the thick fur covers of her bed, reluctant to leave the warmth. She willed herself out from beneath them, and for a moment, she admired her youthful naked form before slipping on a thick wool tunic. "Yrsa!" her mother's voice called out sharply, "You'll be late for breakfast. Your father won't wait." Astrid stood in the doorway, hands on hips, her own blonde braids framing a fa...

I came home to my apartment, mentally prepared to finally set up my Christmas decorations, as I entered it was already transformed into a festive wonderland, and in the centre of it all was Nikki, completely naked, wearing only a Santa hat tipped to the side over her blonde locks. She leaned against the fireplace, one leg crossed over the other, her bare toes curling into the plush rug beneath her. The dim glow of twinkli...

A damp cold evening had rolled in, the familiar cold rain has started to fall gently, but it always gets worse, Mila prowling on the roof trying to find a shield from the rain. While looking for a suitable place, hidden from guards, who have beaten her before for theft, sees an open window and a strong smell of fresh steaming stew was irresistible. Mila, ears flattened against the downpour, slid down the moss-slicked tile...

Tracy awakened to the slivers of the morning light peeking through the shutters of the pool house's floor-to-ceiling windows. Tracy yawned, and she checked the clock on her phone, reading 10:30 am. Tracy slipped out from under her bed, stood her attire, just an old oversized shirt, no bra or panties on either, completely naked underneath. She brushed her dark black hair away from her face as she climbed out of bed. Tracy...