LOGINThe portal burst open in a swirl of silver and gold, light scattering across the snow in shimmering waves. Wolves skidded to a halt mid snowball war. Pups froze with handfuls of snow. Even Marek paused with a snowball raised above his head.The king stepped through.And immediately tripped over a sl
I strung lights across the top of the house, weaving them around the chimney and down the far side. Magic flickered from my fingertips, helping the strands cling perfectly in place. Every spark of golden light that escaped curled like a lazy ribbon in the air.Someone below cleared their throat loud
Snow blanketed the entire pack territory in soft, perfect drifts. It made everything look gentle, like the world had been iced with sugar. The trees bowed under the weight of white powder, branches sparkling in the afternoon light. Smoke curled from chimneys. Laughter drifted through the cold air. M
The king watched silently. Marek nodded slowly beside me, jaw tight with agreement.Kaelan looked between us, breath shaking. His voice dropped to a whisper. “You do not understand. I… I spent so long believing I would never amount to anything. I believed I was only useful as your protector. Your sh
The snow had nearly stopped falling by the time the king summoned us. Only a few flakes drifted lazily through the gray morning sky. Wolves formed a loose circle around the clearing, whispering quietly among themselves, tension flowing through them like an undercurrent.The portal behind the king cr
His breath shuddered.I leaned closer, forehead resting against his.“I could not do it.”Marek closed his eyes, attempting to hold himself together, but his hands trembled at his sides.“I love you,” I whispered. “I love this pack. I love this world. I love who I am here.”He opened his eyes, and e
Rowan joined him, ripping through a line of soldiers with the precision of a trained killer enhanced by a god. Theo crushed a creature under his paws with a force that cracked the ground.Lucian leapt so high he crashed through a shadow beast mid air.Rhea ducked under a swing of corrupted steel, he
Snow fell in slow spirals from the gray morning sky, each flake drifting as if suspended by invisible threads. The clearing buzzed with quiet movement behind me, wolves taking down tents, packing supplies, tending the wounded. But their voices felt far away.Too far.I wrapped my arms around myself
The world did not end all at once.It began with a crack.A thin fracture running along the surface of the permanent portal, glowing like molten lightning under water. The noise that followed was a deep, violent groan as the very fabric of reality strained under Lysandra’s scream.Then everything br
The moment the reality settled, the world seemed to tilt beneath my feet.The king was not breathing.I dropped to my knees so fast the ground jarred my bones. My hands shook as I leaned over him. Dirt and ash streaked his skin, but beneath it I could see what terrified me most.Too much stillness.







