It's because of that that he loves her, because both of them have insides as cold and harsh as the tundra from which she comes, because the fires lit in their dark landscapes to keep them alive are also at the risk of attracting predators. He nips at her lip a bit, holding her close, stroking a hand down her supple back.

"It's not like it was enjoyable for me either," he says when the kiss finally breaks, breath hot with the heat of her. "To be feuding like that, that is."