LOGINFROST’S POVMy eyes slowly open as consciousness began to settle back in.Colors blend into each other, shapes refusing to stay in place no matter how hard I tried to focus my vision.Pain was the next thing I registered.It arrived with enough force to drag a groan out of me before I could stop it. It felt like all the air was slowly leaving my lungs, my chest tight and heavy like something was crushing it from the inside out.I tried to catch my breath, fingers digging weakly into what felt like earth beneath me. Earth?I forced my eyes open.Where was I?I tried to sit up and immediately regretted it.Pain exploded across my chest and sides, radiating down my arms and into my fingertips like my entire body had been used as a punching bag.Everything burned.I lay still for a moment, breathing through gritted teeth and waiting for the worst of it to pass. Then I tried again. Slower this time.I managed to prop myself onto my elbows. Then, ignoring the violent protest of every muscle
JACKSON’S POVThe carriage began moving, slow at first, then steady. The world outside started to shift—Glacier Moon fading behind us as the road stretched into white silence.Kieran stayed focused ahead with the coach while Silas leaned back slightly. And I—well, I tried very hard not to notice how close he was. Which was exactly when he shifted even closer and his shoulder was practically rubbing against mine.I froze immediately.Silas didn’t move away. If anything, he seemed perfectly comfortable. I wanted to say something but decided to just drop it since it really wasn’t that big of a deal.I focused my attention back outside to the frost-covered trees blurring past us, the sound of the horses’ heavy footsteps filling the silence. The air inside was warm enough thanks to the thick furs lining the seats, but somehow, I still felt weirdly tense.A few minutes passed before I noticed Silas’s breathing beginning to slow.At first, I didn’t think much of it.Then, before I could proc
JACKSON’S POVMorning came quickly.The moment consciousness swam back into my senses, the very first thing I thought about was Frost.It had been three whole days. Three days since I’d seen him. Held him. Heard his voice. Or touched him. And somehow, the realization hurt more than anything else ever could.A sharp ache settled deep in my chest, so sudden and overwhelming that for a second, breathing felt harder than it should’ve. I blinked rapidly as tears burned at the edges of my eyes, threatening to spill over.I wished—God, I wished—this had all just been some horrible dream.That I’d wake up back home. That Frost would somehow be there beside me, teasing me about sleeping too long or making some sarcastic comment while pretending he wasn’t worried about me.But it wasn’t a dream.This was real.Frost was gone. And every second that passed felt like another second too long without him.I drew in a shaky breath and pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes for a moment, forcin
JACKSON’S POVWe walked quitely through the garden, which was somehow beautiful even in its frozen state and I realized this was the perfect time to bring it up.“Um, Silas…” I called out and he looked back at me curiously. “I was wondering if you could maybe tell me more about your mate. If you don’t mind talking about it,” I said carefully.“I just… I’m trying to have a better understanding of it. In hopes that I can use it to save my mate when the time comes?”Silas was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice carried heavy grief.“Zephyr was… unimaginably beyond this realm. His beauty was ethereal. Breathtaking. People would stop and stare in awe when he walked by.”A soft smile touched his lips. “His hair was soft and long, this beautiful brown that caught the light. And his eyes—light brown, almost glowing were the most beautiful things I’d ever seen in my long years. He carried himself with such grace, such quiet dignity. It was impossible to not get lost in him.”The
JACKSON’S POVI pulled the furs up around me, surrounded by warmth and softness and the gentle glow of ice walls, and let myself drift off.Then few hours later, I woke in darkness.For a moment, I had no idea where I was. Then it all came back in pieces—the beast, Silas, Glacier’s Moon, the room made of ice and wood. I sat up slowly, blinking in the dim light.Kieran was still asleep in the other bed, his breathing deep and even. Whatever time it was, it was clearly night now.I should go back to sleep.Should stay in this warm bed and rest like Kieran had told me to until they called us for dinner.But I was wide awake now, my mind too active to settle back down. And there was a window right there, showing me a world I’d never seen before.I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could and padded over to the window. When I looked out, my breath caught.The view was stunning. The city spread out below, ice structures glowing softly in the darkness. But above it all was the sky—deeper and
JACKSON’S POVMy body ached by the time we climbed up a hill, but all of that was worth it because I was genuinely blown away.At the edge, we could see everything below. Glacier’s Moon was more breathtaking than I could have ever imagined. I’d been thinking it would be a bunch of normal buildings or houses made of wood and stone or something, but—It was obvious that I was devestatingly wrong because I simply forgot how to breathe at the sight.Below us stretched an entire winter wonderland so beautiful it almost didn’t look real.Massive structures of ice rose from the snowy landscape, intricate and impossibly detailed, their frozen walls gleaming beneath the pale light like something crafted by gods themselves. Towers spiraled toward the sky, carved with delicate patterns that looked too precise to exist naturally, while bridges of crystal-clear ice arched elegantly between buildings.Some looked like grand palaces, others like bustling shops and taverns, every single one sculpted
JACKSON’S POVI slowly drifted awake, my eyes peeling open as I gained consciousness. The other side of my bed came into view and it was empty, like no one had ever been there.I reached out and caressed the spot with my fingers.For a disorienting moment, I wondered if last night had been some fev
JACKSON'S POVMy hands were shaking as I pressed them against Frost's burning skin."Okay, okay, think Jackson," I muttered to myself, trying to keep the panic at bay. "What do you do when someone has a fever? Get them comfortable. Cool them down. Then monitor their temperature."But Frost wasn't j
JACKSON'S POV"I know we did, but—""No buts! You said you were going to be honest with her. You said you were going to tell her that you don't see her that way before she got her hopes up even more."Maya's expression softened slightly. "Jackson, she's actually the sweetest person in the whole wor
FROST POVI didn't know how to feel. The world suddenly blurred around me and this aching sensation I didn't understand appeared in my chest.Why did it hurt so much?I slowly lifted my hand and saw that it was trembling.Jackson thinks I'm confused about my feelings.He said whatever it is I felt







