MasukCressida's pov The classroom was warm and the candles were bright and the air was thick with the smell of old parchment and ancient magic.I had never been in this room before and the walls were covered in symbols and the floor was covered in runes and the ceiling was covered in constellations. The desks were arranged in a semicircle and the windows were tall and the view was vast and the world outside was white and cold.I sat in the front row with my notebook open and my pen ready and my heart pounding. The frost was still there and the cold was still there and the fear was still there. But the curiosity was there too. The curiosity of what this class would bring and the curiosity of who would be in it and the curiosity of what I would learn.The door opened and Professor Verena walked in.She was tall and slender and her hair was silver and her eyes were bright and her presence was commanding. She wore robes of deep blue and her hands were adorned with rings and her voice was stea
Lucian's pov The corridors were crowded and the noise was loud and the energy was tense.I had been walking through the academy when I heard the shouting. It was coming from the boys' dormitory and the voices were sharp and the words were angry and the sounds of crashing furniture echoed off the walls. I quickened my pace and my boots were loud on the stone and my presence was heavy. The torches flickered and the tapestries moved and the wolves stepped aside when they saw me coming.Kade appeared at my side and his face was pale and his eyes were dark and his voice was low. He had been running and his breath was ragged and his hands were shaking."Alpha," he said. "We have a problem.""What kind of problem?""The kind that involves fists and furniture. The kind that involves blood and broken bones. The kind that involves the entire boys' dormitory."I rounded the corner and the scene was chaos.The common room was destroyed and the furniture was overturned and the windows were cracke
Cressida's pov The kitchen was warm and the ovens were blazing and the air was thick with the smell of flour and sugar and something burning.I had been baking for hours and my hands were covered in dough and my hair was dusted with flour and my face was flushed. The frost was still there and the cold was still there and the fear was still there. But the joy was there too. The joy of creating something and the joy of being with friends and the joy of forgetting. The warmth of the ovens seeped into my bones and the laughter of my friends filled the air and for a moment everything felt almost normal.Raven was beside me and her dark curls were wild and her face was covered in flour and her voice was bright. She was mixing batter with reckless abandon and her energy was infectious. Benita was at the counter and her brown eyes were soft and her smile was warm and her hands were covered in chocolate. She was decorating cookies with intense focus and her creations were beautiful. Tasha was
Lucian's pov The training yard was cold and the snow was packed and the torches were burning and the wolves were watching.I stood at the center of the circle with my blade in my hand and my chest heaving and my eyes sharp. The frost was still there and the cold was still there and the fear was still there. But the focus was there too. The focus that came from the fight and the rhythm and the burn. My breath fogged in the cold air and the torchlight flickered across the packed snow and the shadows danced along the stone walls.Kade was across from me and his blade was drawn and his eyes were steady. He had been sparring with me for hours and he was not holding back and I was grateful for it. His chest was heaving and his brow was slick with sweat and his grip on his blade was white-knuckled."Ready?" he asked."Ready."He lunged and I moved and the steel clashed and the sparks flew. The sound echoed off the walls and the wolves cheered and the energy was electric. The impact vibrated
Lucian's povThe greenhouse was cold and the glass was frosted and the plants were dead and the world was silent.I had been pacing for hours and the floor was worn and my boots were loud and my hands were shaking. The frost was everywhere and the cold was everywhere and the fear was everywhere. But the anger was there too. The anger that had been building for weeks and the frustration that had been growing for months and the rage that was finally breaking free.Cressida was standing in the corner and her arms were crossed and her face was pale and her eyes were bright. She had been watching me pace and her silence was heavy and her presence was sharp."Say something," she said."Say what?""Say anything.""I do not know what to say.""You always know what to say.""Not this time."She stepped closer and her voice was sharp. "You have been avoiding me.""I have not been avoiding you.""You have.""I have not.""You have."I stopped pacing and turned to face her and my hands were shaki
Cressida's pov The bathroom was warm and the steam was thick and the water was hot and the world outside was cold.I had been soaking for what felt like hours and the heat was seeping into my bones and the tension was easing from my shoulders and the fear was fading from my chest. The frost was still there and the cold was still there and the magic was still there. But the water was warm and the steam was thick and the peace was deep.My hair was wet and it clung to my neck and my shoulders and my skin was flushed from the heat. The water was clear and the bubbles were soft and the scent of lavender and something sweet filled the air. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back and the water lapped at my skin and the warmth enveloped me.The frost receded and the cold eased and the fear faded.I felt almost normal. Almost human. Almost free.The door opened and I did not hear it.I heard nothing except the water and the steam and the silence. My eyes were closed and my head was back a
Lucian's povMy lungs were burning and my thighs screaming as the blade of my right skate tears a trench with every stride and yet I can't out run the restlessness within me.My wolf is awake. Not the sluggish dying thing that's been fading inside me for years.This is hunger and alert This is a
Cressida's povA sharp pain like a blade between my ribs was what jolted me as I regained consciousness.My fingers flew to touch the injury on my face, it was closing. Thank goodness.Shit. That means half my cover has been blown."It's just me here don't panic" I turned and that's when I noticed
Lucian's povTonight was just like any other night but something felt different.I've been looking for control all because my wolf has been slipping. I was coming back from a recruitment meeting in the city, half my mind on the season ahead, the other half on the familiar weight of the curse settl
Cressida's pov "She's just ahead, hurry"They were right behind me, I could feel them. Wolves.And definitely but the civilized kind. They felt different just like savages. Rouges perhaps, that can be the only breed to give this kind of strong burning stench.Ever since I passed through the bord







