By the time the sky had begun to dim, the castle was already humming with whispers of the upcoming festival. Lanterns were being lit, carriages prepared, and even the cold air carried a slight buzz of anticipation. Kiara had been the one to mention it first—casually, while adjusting Serena’s cloak.“Everyone’s going,” she said. “Even the generals. It’s the only thing that breaks the monotony here.”Serena had paused, caught off guard. She hadn’t really planned to go—but something about the invitation lingered in her mind. She’d already spent days buried in silence, in long walks filled with cold thoughts, and she couldn’t handle one more evening spent alone staring at the window, waiting for Alexandro to notice her.So she made her choice.By twilight, Serena stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the delicate fur-lined shawl over her shoulders. The dress she chose was a deep forest green that clung modestly to her shape, with a velvet trim and long sleeves that made her skin glow ag
The wind rattled against the windowpanes as Serena stood by the frosted glass, her hands resting on the edge of the sill. Outside, the landscape stretched endlessly in white, broken only by the silhouettes of pine trees and distant stone walls. The sun had sunk behind a veil of clouds, casting the castle grounds in a dull, aching shade of grey.She had been quiet all day—unusually so. Not that anyone noticed. No one ever did.Not Alexandro, who was buried in endless training drills and war meetings. Not her father, who hadn’t written a single letter since they last met. Not the world that seemed determined to keep spinning without her.Her thoughts, tangled and restless, returned again and again to her family—especially to her father. The last time she had seen him, his expression had been stern, unreadable. Since then, silence. Not a word. Not even a note through a trusted soldier. And the longer that silence stretched, the more it pierced her.Did he blame her? Did he regret marryin
Alexandro's POVShe was sulking again.Alexandro leaned against the stone archway near the outer yard, arms folded across his broad chest, his sharp gaze fixed on the girl in the snow—his wife. Serena stood in the open stretch just past the wall, her boots kicking aimlessly at clumps of half-melted snow. Her head was slightly bowed, her hair loose beneath her hood, and she wore that distant look he’d grown painfully familiar with. The look she wore when she was lost in thought… or loneliness.She didn’t know he was watching.But he always was.From a distance, always from a distance. As if proximity might break something in him he’d spent years holding together with iron and silence.She looked so small out there. So utterly misplaced in this world of soldiers and frost and political shadows. He had brought her into it, and now she walked the halls like a ghost of something gentle, something human, trying to hold her ground where wolves tread. His wolf, Ravik, stirred restlessly benea
The air was heavier here, closer to the border, closer to the memories.As the carriage passed through the outer gates of the Night Walker castle near the southern line, Nivera felt the shift in the atmosphere immediately. It was colder, not just because of the altitude or the wind that howled through the narrow peaks, but because this place was steeped in tension. This was Valerian’s first stronghold—his seat of power closest to the Blood Moon Pack. And though it was well-kept and fortified, Nivera had always found it more... haunted.Valerian didn’t speak much on the way back. He rarely did unless something was pressing on his mind, and this time was no different. She sat beside him in the closed carriage, her hands resting on her lap, gaze fixed on the streaks of grey snow blurring the windows. His hand rested idly on the hilt of his sword the whole ride, his mind clearly lost in thought. He hadn’t mentioned Serena again since their brief conversation days earlier, but Nivera hadn’
The evening had fallen into silence far earlier than usual. The halls of the winter fortress were dimly lit, with torches flickering against stone walls and wind groaning through the narrow windows like a reminder of the world outside. Snow fell in gentle spirals, piling against the panes in soft white layers. Inside their shared chamber, the air was warm but laced with something heavier than cold.Dinner was laid out on the low table between them—sliced roast, winter vegetables, fresh bread, and a spiced wine that neither had touched. Serena sat across from Alexandro, slowly tearing apart a piece of bread she didn’t intend to eat, her thoughts louder than the fire crackling in the hearth behind her.She had spent the day wandering the halls, aimless and unsatisfied, feeling caged by the routine and the quiet. It wasn’t the place—it was what the place represented. Stillness. Suspicion. And silence. Especially from him.Alexandro, ever stoic, had barely spoken to her since the morning.
The sky hung heavy with clouds, casting a pale, dull light over the endless sea of white. Winter in the north was different—sharp and unrelenting, like a constant reminder that warmth was far away, and perhaps never coming. Serena walked through the stone corridors of the mansion with no purpose in mind. She had already seen everything there was to see, walked every hallway, glanced at every tapestry and frost-laced window. Now, it all just felt cold. Repetitive.She pulled her fur-lined shawl tighter around her shoulders as she stepped into the outer courtyard. Her boots crunched softly against the frozen path, snow glimmering like glass around her. It had been beautiful once. When they first arrived, the snow had seemed magical. Peaceful. Pure. But now, it just felt lonely. And endless.Back home, there was sun. There were forests and rivers and birdsong. She missed the sun most of all. The sun and the laughter. The sound of people speaking to her like a friend, not a queen they had