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
“I cannot.”“You can.”“No,” I said, voice shaking. “Not if the realm is summoning me directly. Not with the king dying. Not with the barrier collapsing. I am the realm bridge. Remember.”His jaw clenched. “Then let me go with you.”“You cannot.”“I will.”“You cannot,” I repeated, more desperate no
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. “Then I will go with you.”“You cannot.”“I do not care.”“I care,” I insisted.The portal pulsed behind us again, the light swelling until the floor glowed bright as ice under sunlight. The wolves flinched as another wave of cold rolled outward, fo
I turned toward the wolves.They stood in a loose circle. Silent. Scared. Bracing themselves as if they already knew this moment was inevitable.One by one, they stepped forward.The warrior with the crockpot looked like he might cry. “Do you want food? It is still warm.”I smiled weakly. “Thank you
I laughed breathlessly. “You cannot negotiate with a realm.”“Watch me,” he said.The portal pulsed again.The house lights flickered.Elara drifted sideways through the air like a floating librarian. “Your magic is connected to the realm. If the realm pulls harder, your magic pulls harder. If your







