MasukThe 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 should have known something was wrong the moment I stepped into the hall.The sound of punching echoed through the corridor. Someone snarled. Someone else yelped. A deep growl vibrated through the floor. I assumed the pack had an actual training hall, maybe with polished floors and weapon racks, m
When I walked back into the training hall the next morning, I was armed with one very powerful truth.This room was hideous.I stood in the doorway with my arms crossed, staring at the scuffed floors, the torn mats, the scratch marks on the walls, the sad corner where someone had dumped broken chair
I had survived battles, political sabotage, assassination attempts, magical injuries, ritualistic trials, and being flung across realms by a murderous portal.But nothing prepared me for pack members trying to interpret my feelings about Christmas.I had barely stepped into the packhouse hallway whe
I woke to banging.Not gentle knocking. Not polite tapping.Actual banging. Like someone had decided my door was an enemy combatant and must be destroyed at dawn.I groaned and pulled my blanket over my head. “If this is another Christmas activity, I am declaring war.”The banging grew louder.“Prin







