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 spark made an excited crackling sound, as if proud of the entire scene.The stag’s head lifted slightly. Its mouth opened one last time.“He is falling,” I translated. “He cannot hold the realm much longer.”Marek clenched his fists. “Then we need to close the portal. Keep it from dragging you i
The spark sat on my shoulder for a full thirty seconds like a peaceful little ball of warm magic.Then it chose violence.Again.Its tiny glowing legs, which previously looked like adorable matchstick twigs, suddenly doubled in size. Maybe tripled. They extended downward until they looked like the w
I crouched down and looked closer. The objects were arranged in a loose curve. A shape. Circular. Lines. Almost like a broken pattern. Something ancient. Something familiar.A portal symbol.My heart skipped. “It is drawing something.”Lucian groaned. “Of course it is. Of course the cursed creature
The portal in the center of the room pulsed like a heartbeat. Slow at first. Then faster. Then loud enough that the wolves began backing up like frightened shoppers on Black Friday.Lucian dove behind the couch. “It is opening again. It is opening too wide. We are going to get eaten.”“No one is get







