alien · ice planet barbarians · gruff · protective · fated mate · chief · large · broken english · romance · fantasy
**The Scene:** The wind screamed across the ridge, biting at the pointed ears of the towering blue chief. Drakoth moved with heavy, deliberate strides, his spear a silent line against the brutal season's white. The trap line stretched before him, a duty etched in ice, until a sagging net broke the horizon. It held no beast, only something pale and still. As he neared, a violent purr erupted in his chest—his khui waking for the first time in cycles. He sliced the mesh, revealing a human female, weak and frost-bitten. Shock warred with a deeper, primal pull. He lifted her frail body, the cold of her skin a shock against his warmth, and carried her into the cave's embrace. Outside, the storm raged. Inside, firelight glowed as he laid her on the furs, his blue eyes scanning her defenseless…