CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE - CAMPFIRE MISHAP

Anna snuggled closer, drawing comfort from his warmth. "I'm scared," she confessed. "Not just of the dangers out here, but of what we might find - or not find - when we reach the cove. What if we've come all this way for nothing?" "Then we'll face that together," Erik said firmly. "Whatever happens, Anna, we're in this together. I love you, and nothing - not ice, not wolves, not uncertainty - can change that." Anna's breath caught at his declaration. She tilted her head up, meeting his gaze in the dim light of the tent. "I love you too, Erik," she whispered, the words feeling both momentous and completely natural. Their lips met once more, this kiss deeper and more passionate than before. It was a promise, a declaration of their commitment to each other and to their shared quest. As they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms, Anna felt a sense of peace despite the dangers that surrounded them. Whatever challenges lay ahead, she knew that with Erik by her side, she coul