ログインJACKSON’S POVWhen I opened the door to my apartment, I was greeted by an unexpected sight—Maya and Frost sitting on the couch together, Maya’s laptop balanced between them, both of them staring at the screen with intense concentration.“But why is the cat angry?” Frost was asking, his brows furrowed in genuine confusion. “What are they yelling about? Is the salad offensive somehow?”Maya caught sight of me and grinned. “Oh thank God, backup. Jackson, explain memes to your boyfriend. He doesn’t understand why anyone would care about a woman yelling at a cat.”“It’s not that I don’t care,” Frost protested. “I just don’t understand the context. Is this a human realm inside joke? Did something happen with this specific woman and cat?”I couldn’t help but laugh, dropping my bag by the door. “Frost, it’s just a meme. It doesn’t have to make sense. That’s kind of the point.”“But—” “Nope.” Maya held up a hand. “We’re moving on. Next meme.” She scrolled down, and Frost leaned in closer, his
JACKSON’S POVCampus was bustling with the usual midday energy—students hurrying between classes, groups clustered on the field despite the cold and the constant hum of conversation and life.I’d planned to have a normal day.Just go to class, maybe grab coffee with Maya, try to pretend my life was anything close to normal, and most importantly find Tammy and talk to her.But unfortunately, the universe had other plans for me.“Jackson Hayes?” A voice called out as I was crossing the courtyard. I turned to see Professor Martinez, my academic advisor, waving me over. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”My heart sank.Nothing good ever came from your advisor ambushing you on campus. Especially mine because she barely had anything to tell me. I always did well in my classes.I braced myself as we stepped into a quiet corner. She pulled out a folder and began searching for my file.I knew this wasn’t the time to be comedic, but did they really just carry this stuff around with them?“Jac
JACKSON’S POVSeveral days had passed by, and things had relatively gone back to normal.Well…relatively.My phone buzzed for the thousandth time this morning and I didn’t need to look to know who it was. Mom.I’d been dodging their calls for days now, letting each one go to voicemail with increasingly creative excuses I never actually sent.But I knew I couldn’t keep this up forever.Eventually, they’d get worried enough—or angry enough—to just show up at my door, and that was a confrontation I was absolutely not ready for.Especially not with Frost here.I silenced my phone and turned back to the kitchen counter, where I was preparing an early lunch for Frost and Kieran.It was a bit out of my way since I had class in less than an hour, but it was the least I could do.Frost came home each night completely exhausted and barely eating before collapsing into bed. I was starting to worry he wasn’t taking proper care of himself.They’d been training nonstop in the woods behind the apart
FROST’S POV“Kieran?” I took a step toward him. “What’s wrong? Why are you—”A tear slipped down his cheek, and then another, and suddenly he was full-blown crying, his shoulders shaking as he tried and failed to hold it back.“I’m sorry,” he choked out, wiping furiously at his face. “I just—I’m so happy for you, Caelan. So incredibly happy.”My throat tightened.“You’re crying because you’re happy?”“Yes, you idiot.” He laughed through the tears, the sound wet and broken and beautiful all at once.“Do you have any idea what it means? That the goddess gave you a mate after everything they said? After they called you an abomination and threw you away like you were nothing?”He tried to wipe away the tears, but more kept coming, streaming down his face faster than he could take actual control of.“It means they were wrong,” he continued, his voice thick with emotion. “The elders, your father, everyone who said you didn’t deserve love or happiness or a mate—they were all wrong. The godde
FROST’S POVI watched as Jackson dozed off in my arms, his hair sticking to his sweat-streaked face. I smiled when he mumbled something in his sleep, shifting onto his side.I was about to push a few strands away from his face when I froze mid-air.An electric current shot straight through my brain.Kieran.He was trying to contact me.I looked down at Jackson and planted a soft kiss on his forehead before slipping out of bed and pulling a shirt over my head.I’d completely forgotten about Kieran… about Frostfang, Winter’s Crest—about any of it.Somehow, whenever I was with Jackson, all the bad thoughts just seemed to vanish into thin air.It was a nice feeling.I had the biggest smile on my face by the time I made it downstairs.It was still nighttime, the air thick with chills and mist. Just like home. Winter was probably the closest the human realm would ever get to resembling my own.I inhaled deeply, the cold air filling my lungs as I tried my best to calm the still-whirling emot
SERAPHINA’S POV“When do you leave?”“Soon. I need to make preparations, gather information about the human realm, figure out how to track someone who was stripped of their magic and memories.”I moved to my desk, where maps and notes were already spread out. “It won’t be easy, but I’ll find him. I always complete my missions.”“Sera—”“I know what you’re going to say.” I held up a hand to stop her.“That this won’t heal the hurt. That revenge is empty. That I should let it go and move on. But I can’t. Can’t you see it? If I let this go, if I just accept what happened and try to build some other life, then he wins.”“And if you kill him?” Kaia asked. “If you hunt him down and take your revenge and reclaim your honor—then what? What comes after that?”I didn’t have an answer for that.I couldn’t see past the burning need for retribution that had consumed me since that disastrous dinner.“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But at least it will be something. At least I’ll have done something ot
SERAPHINA’S POVKaia was the only one who saw this part of me, who knew that I was capable of emotion.Even my own father saw me as nothing more than the pride and honor of FrostFang—strongest female warrior in all the lands.Capable of everything.But I wasn’t…I wasn’t capable of everything. At th
SERAPHINA’S POVI stood by my window, the soft rays of moonlight washing over me as I watched the snow fall across the Frostfang territory.Each flake caught the light before disappearing into the darkness below.It was one of the reasons I opted for my chambers to be at the very top. I liked seein
JACKSON’S POVI knew Frost would see what I said as challenging, but I wanted to see it. I wanted to see what it was like when he loses control.Frost and I never went farther than just kissing but in all honesty—I wanted more. I always wanted more when it came to him. And I didn’t necessarily want
Jackson POV“I can feel it,” he said, excitement in his voice. “My wolf recognizes you. He knows you. This pull I’ve felt since I first woke up and saw your face—it wasn’t just simple gratitude or affection. It was so much more and I just didn’t know it.”“W–what are you saying?” I stuttered, bare







