Chapter 12: The Eternal Winter

Sera

A sudden, deep shudder woke me.

The carriage bounced over the hard, icy snow, the wheels crunching loudly with every bump. But it wasn't the rough ride that woke me up.

It was the air.

For twenty years, the air had felt heavy and damp, smelling of river mud, stagnant water, and the cloying lavender Beatrice used to hide my presence.

Now, the air seeping through the edges of the velvet curtains tasted completely different. It was crisp. Sharp. It carried the pure, biting chill of mountain ozone and clean, frozen pine.

The moment I inhaled, the dull ache that usually pounded behind my temples vanished. The dark binding runes on my wrists didn't burn; they felt cold and strangely quiet, as if the suffocating magic Tyler had woven into my skin was losing its grip.

"We have crossed the northern boundary," a deep voice rumbled across the cabin.

I looked up.

Cassian was sitting on the bench opposite me. He had pulled off his heavy armor, wearing a clean tunic of dark slate-gray wool clasped with silver wolves at the collar. He sat with his hands resting casually on his knees, his golden-flecked eyes fixed on me with that same steady, unyielding warmth.

"The border?" I rasped, my throat still a little dry.

"The Dragon’s Teeth Pass," he said, gesturing with his chin toward the window. "Look."

I reached out with my right hand. To my surprise, my wrist was wrapped in clean, soft linen, smelling faintly of wintermint and honey. The throbbing pain had completely disappeared.

I pushed the heavy velvet curtain aside and peered out.

I held my breath.

Riverfang’s lands were all gray mud, brown slush, and leafless, twisted oak trees. But here, the world was dressed in blinding, immaculate silver.

Towering peaks of blue-white ice rose into a sky so clear and dark blue it looked like polished sapphire. Enormous pine forests, heavy with thick blankets of virgin snow, stretched as far as the eye could see. There was no mud. No dead grass. The whole world looked ancient, peaceful, and untouched by the cruelty of men.

"It is... so bright," I whispered, pressing my forehead against the cold glass.

"The eternal winter," Cassian said quietly. "It cleanses everything it touches."

The carriage slowed, turning off the main road onto a wide, stone-paved courtyard surrounded by low timber walls. Iron braziers roared with bright, crackling fires, casting warm amber light over fifty mounted Lycan guards who were already dismounting their warhorses.

"We stop here for the night," Cassian said, rising from his seat and pushing the carriage door open. "The royal garrison outpost. You need hot food and a real bed before we push on to the Citadel tomorrow."

Before my bare feet could touch the frosty step, he leaned down and scooped me into his arms once more. He wrapped the heavy bear-fur mantle around me until only my eyes peeked out against the mountain breeze.

He carried me through the heavy oak doors of the garrison lodge.

The inside was vast and welcoming. A massive stone fireplace burned with whole pine logs in the center of the hall, filling the room with dry, fragrant heat. But unlike the tense, terrified silence of Riverfang, this room was filled with the low murmurs of warriors and the clatter of iron pots.

The moment Cassian walked in, every male and female in the room snapped to attention, their hands over their chests.

"Duke Cassian," a stout woman with braided white hair and a leather apron called out, bowing deeply. "The private solar is prepared as ordered. The water was brought up from the thermal spring ten minutes ago."

"Thank you, Martha," Cassian nodded.

He carried me past the rows of bowing warriors, up a flight of solid stone stairs, and into a warm, wood-paneled room.

I looked around in absolute shock.

In the center of the room, steaming in the amber light of beeswax candles, was a large cedar tub filled to the brim with clear, hot water. Rose petals and dried mint leaves floated on the surface, filling the air with a sweet, calming mist.

Beside the tub stood a low table laden with hot food: a bowl of rich venison broth thick with root vegetables, a loaf of crusty, fresh-baked bread, and a roasted apple drizzled with wild honey.

And resting on a low stool by the hearth was a folded nightgown made of pale, cream-colored silk, edged with white rabbit fur.

"Put... put me down," I whispered, suddenly terrified that my dirty gray homespun dress would soil the pristine stone floor.

Cassian set me down gently on the fur rug near the hearth. He knelt before me, his golden eyes searching my face.

"The maids are outside if you need help," he said softly. "The water comes from the underground hot springs. It will wash the river grime from your skin and soothe your muscles. Eat as much of the broth as your stomach can handle. When you are finished, put on the silk and rest."

I stared at the warm tub, then at the steaming bowl of soup, my mind spinning into complete confusion.

"Cassian..." I whispered, my voice trembling. "Why are you doing this?"

He paused, his hand gently brushing a loose strand of hair from my forehead. "What do you mean?"

"I am an omega," I choked out, tears of exhaustion blurring my vision. "I don't have a wolf. I am weak. In Riverfang, when someone gave me food, it only meant they were preparing to take three vials of my blood the next morning. What... what do you want from me?"

A flash of raw, agonizing pain crossed his harsh face.

He didn't pull away. He took both of my bandaged hands into his large, warm palms, squeezing them with quiet, unbreakable strength.

"I want nothing from you, Seraphina," he said, each word landing like an iron anchor in my soul. "You will never pay for a meal with your pain again. You will never bleed for anyone under my roof. You are going to heal. You are going to eat, you are going to sleep, and you are going to learn what it feels like to be protected."

He leaned forward, pressing a warm, lingering kiss to the center of my forehead, right between my eyes.

"Bathe, little bird," he murmured. "I will be outside the door."

He stood, turned, and walked out of the solar, pulling the heavy oak door shut behind him.

I stood alone in the warm, candlelit room, listening to the gentle crackle of the hearth fire, staring at the clean silk nightgown with tears streaming silently down my cheeks.