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
The moment the spark residue on his sleeve flared again, Marek was gone.Not walking. Not jogging. Running with the single-minded force of a wolf possessed. His feet hit the earth so hard leaves lifted in his wake. Branches scraped his arms. The cold air tore down his throat. None of it mattered.Th
“Kaelan,” I began.He cut me off by stepping forward. “This way. There is a fork ahead. If we take the left passage, we can reach the old storage hall.”We rounded a sharp turn. The spark sprinted ahead, stopping every few feet to check if we were still behind it. It stomped impatiently when we were
Cold.That was the first thing my mind registered. Not the gentle coolness of morning air or the refreshing chill of river water. No. This was the kind of cold that seeped into bone and memory, the kind that felt like someone had tossed me onto a slab in a meat freezer and then forgotten about me.M
The moment the palace wing shook again, Kaelan grabbed my wrist and hauled me into motion.“Move,” he hissed, practically dragging me across the marble.“I am moving,” I protested, stumbling after him. “It is your fault for having legs as long as small trees.”“Shorten your stride.”“That is physica







