LOGINRurikI spun around and she let me go. I staggered and went down in the snow with a grunt beside the water trough."Fuck you," I spat, getting up.The frozen slush soaked through my leggings and shirt. I shivered but didn't stop. I had to get back in there. I had to make Sarn pay.I tried for the hall doors. She stepped in my way without a word. Her face was as flat and quiet as ever. No emotion, no warning.I tried to shove past her shoulder. My feet flew out from under me, and once again I slammed into the snowy ground, this time on my back."Bloody hell!" I snarled, getting up, shaking the snow off my braids.The firelight from the high windows made long shadows across the yard. The laughter inside felt like claws in my head. They were celebrating a victory while Taya burned.I eyed the girl. She stood between me and those doors, silent and still as a statue. Maybe if I tried a different way. I feinted left, then darted right. She put me down with barely a twitch.I stopped, breath
SeraChief Thorne slammed his cup down and spoke loud enough to carry. "Kael's girl is ash, so where is Kael? Has anyone even looked for him?"The hall quieted, table by table. I met Thorne's glare calmly, my fingers curled around my mead horn. "Kael was not in his house when Mina found Taya this morning. No one has seen him since. His whereabouts are being seen to.""A man like Kael can not just vanish," Thorne growled, slamming his horn down on the table. "Not without a word, even to his brother." He swung his gaze to me. "And it seems strange that the Luna of this hold does not know what goes on beneath her own roof."I met his eyes, my own expression unyielding. "I would sooner have answers than guesses, Thorne. If you have any, I would hear them. But I will not be swayed by reckless speculation."Before Thorne could retort, Vidar stood, his cup raised. A few chuckles rippled through the hall at the gleam in his eye. "My brother will turn up," he said easily. "He has too many debt
SeraMina cringed and dug her fingers into my arm. "I can't watch this. It's too much," she muttered. "Taya's face out there, beaten and broken... I keep seeing her on that bloody floor."I had to make her stand fast. "Many eyes are on us today, for this," I said, as evenly as I could. "We must be seen at this pyre.""I know. It just ..." Mina shuddered, her free hand pressed to her stomach.Amara stirred at my back. I reached for her hand and felt her fingers squeeze mine.The yard was filling with faces, all turned toward the pyre. Fire would send Taya to the Moon Goddess in a few moments now."Quite the turnout," Vidar Sarn said, coming up on my right side. "My niece was well known here.""She was known," I said."Alpha." His son who happened to be his beta appeared at his shoulder. "Kael's absence...""Quiet, boy," Vidar said sharply.Gunnar fell silent, but his glare at me was venomous. I turned my face away from it.The crowd hushed as Taya was carried out. Vane walked beside th
SeraI turned to find Vidar standing by the bare shelves, his fingers trailing over the rough stone. There was an airiness about him that belied his imposing frame, a casual ease that made him seem almost friendly."When I first heard of a Southern girl ruling Ironmaw as Luna, I couldn't help but ask myself what in the world the Alpha was thinking," he said, turning to face me. His gaze was steady, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in amusement."I have never made it a thing to judge people I don't know," he continued with a shrug. "But there it is." He ran his hands along the empty shelves, his eyes roving over the bare room. "Riding here, I expected nothing but a pretty face. Women of the South can be very beautiful, because why else would an Alpha go that far for a mate?"The edge in his words was sharp enough to raise gooseflesh on my arms, but I kept my expression blank. I knew what he expected of me, what he thought I'd be: a dainty, delicate thing, all soft curves and e
SeraVidar's low voice cut through the sounds of Rurik's grief that filled the kitchen. "Luna, I'd like to speak with you alone."I nodded, casting a last glance at the room as I left. The cloak draped over Taya's still form on the table. Rurik huddled on the floor, his sobs echoing off the stone. Amara, Mina, and Vane stood in stunned silence, eyes fixed on the alcove where Taya lay. Amara moved as if to follow me, but I stopped her with a small shake of my head.The passage was dark and cold, empty of the usual bustle of servants. Vidar's men stood guard at the doors, their broad shoulders blocking the frigid air from the open courtyard. They watched me pass with narrowed eyes and curled lips. I suppressed a shiver, both from the chill and their hostility.At the end of the hall, Vidar stood before the door to Kael's study, his hand resting on the latch. He pushed it open slowly, his movements deliberate. I stepped past him into the room, and froze.The desk was bare, its drawers pu
ElaraMarcas knocked, his knuckles sharp on the wood. Kane's deep voice called from inside, "Come in."The door swung open and Marcas and Delia stepped through. I slipped in behind them, staying back, my eyes on Kane behind the desk.He looked up, taking us in, one by one. His gaze lingered on me a beat longer. I knew he was thinking I had called them, and I didn't care."Hey there, Kane. How are you holding up?" Marcas asked, his voice smooth as honey. "Pack's doing alright?"Kane answered with a short nod. "Fine, thanks. Pack's good." His focus was on me."We heard it's been a scorcher out there today. I was just saying to Delia, haven't we had some heat waves these past few summers." He cleared his throat. "Speaking of, I think I heard you're planning a little trip up North real soon?"Kane's expression turned flat. "Yeah, I am." His tone said that was the end of it.Marcas smiled again, casual as could be. "So, Elara might as well come stay with us while you're away, what do you t
LyraShe ignored me. She dropped to her knees, her hands sliding down to the waistband of my trousers. She shoved her fingers inside the fabric, gripping my hips tight. With one sharp pull, she dragged the pants and my underwear down to my ankles. I stepped out of them, kicking my boots off in the
Lyra"Tell the girl to step into the room," he said."Leave her out of this," I said. My voice came out as a pathetic, raspy whisper. I cleared my throat, trying to find some spine. "She didn't do anything. It was my idea to come in here.""Tell her to step into the room," he said, his eyes going d
LyraThe voice didn't belong to Nadia. It didn't belong to me. It came from the metallic object resting directly behind my hip.Nadia froze. She pulled her mouth away from me and yanked her fingers out of my body. She stood up quickly, wiping her wet mouth with the back of her hand, her chest heavi
SeraNight fell fast, and with it, the temperature plummeted. We had three fires going, but the heat didn't seem to travel more than six inches past the flames. I sat on a log by the middle fire, pulling the wagon fur around my shoulders, shivering so hard my teeth were literally clicking together.







