Ice Queen

My eyes widened as we pulled back up to the packhouse.

Standing next to Emmet and Hartley was the Queen, my mother, in all her glory. She’d gone all out. Perfectly styled hair. A long, flowing dress fit for a ball, not everyday life, and a guard posted on either side of her.

I sighed audibly, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise. I get to meet the Ice Queen herself,” Ezra chuckled.

“There is nothing pleasant about my mother,” I groaned, trying and failing to ignore the anxiety that crept its way into my mind. My heart was racing as she turned, locking eyes with me. Her face remained hard as stone, not even a single twitch as she stared at me.

“Uhm, princess, you’re bleeding,” Ezra stared down at my clenched fists.

It was then that the pain in my palms became apparent, releasing a fresh wave of fear. I hadn’t felt the pain. I was numb staring into my mother’s eyes.

I don’t want to be numb. I want to feel.

Pain reminds me that I'm aliv