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 portal snapped shut with a crack that rattled the whole hallway. The aftershock rippled through the air like heat off pavement. My hair lifted for a second. Then everything went still.Except for the hand.It hovered in the air exactly where the portal had been, fingers curled as if mid reach. N
He ground his teeth so hard the sound cracked through the air.Then he said, “I do trust you. That is the problem.”Wolves stared at him like he had just admitted something scandalous.Lucian lifted a hand. “I would like to remove myself from this emotional snowstorm, but my legs are numb.”“Be quie
“This is an illusion,” I said.“It is not,” Lucian said.The pup sneezed softly on my neck.I made a sound that might have been a squeak.Elara laughed. “Aveline. He imprinted on you.”“No,” I said quickly. “No no no.”The pup licked my cheek.I panicked.My magic reacted instantly.A burst of cold
And that was the moment Marek walked in.He froze in the doorway.He took in the scene.Me taped to the table. Lucian taped to me. Wolves taped to Lucian. Ribbons wrapped around everyone. Glitter everywhere. Tape sticking to the walls. Paper stuck to the ceiling somehow.We all stared at him.He sta







