Rhiannon’s POVI shoved my hands deeper into my pockets and huddled down into my coat. Snow tumbled through the air, a thousand infinitesimal ballerinas dancing in the dark; everything felt eerie, as though the world itself was leaning in closer to watch whatever was about to unfold. I couldn’t know what was to come, but the intensity of the very air around me made me think the earth beneath my feet and the trees surrounding me could.‘Maybe this isn’t a good idea,’ I muttered to Tiger, but I knew I didn’t mean it even as I said it. I’d never had a single sliver of doubt in my mind that I was going to find Caleb. I couldn’t refuse his call, not after we’d been forced apart for so long. Goddess, it was ridiculous, really – I’d spent longer apart from Stephen before, the man I was actually in love with, and though I’d missed him I’d just made the most of our time apart and then been happy to see him when we were reunited. This, though? This was like I was going out of my head with des

Stephen’s POVIt had all been going so well.By that, of course, I meant that I’d been avoiding Rhiannon like the coward I was and spending far too much time with Hyacinth. Moving in here had meant to push me closer to Rhi. In reality, it had done the opposite.Not that she seemed to mind. She spent all of her time with her new pet, Foxy Spangles, walking alone and brooding, or sitting with her father’s plaque in the woods. I’d gone with her to The Endpoint once, where she’d stared blankly at her dad’s name where it had been carved into the wall. That had been the last time I’d insisted on coming with her.I didn’t know what it was, but I felt half a step out of stride with my mate. That wasn’t supposed to happen – was it?‘It’s because you’re a scoundrel, young man!’ cried Brian. ‘Hyacinth is the bee’s knees, that I cannot argue with, my boy, but it does not justify your behaviour. You and Rhiannon need to have a jolly good chinwag about the whole thing. You are just chockablock with

Amelia’s POVCaleb was gone. Again.I reached for his side of the bed. It was cold. I shivered as my palm pressed into the mattress. Even with the fire crackling in the hearth I felt the night’s chill – but I thought it had more to do with the fact that my mate had never come up to bed than the bitter middle-of-the-night air.He’d been distant since we’d been back in Night Wind. Okay, to be fair, he’d been distant with me for a lot longer than that, but he’d been particularly unaware since our return.I missed home. I missed home and, more than anything, I missed Kieran. Leaving him behind had carved an entirely new hole out of my heart. It was for the best, I knew that, and I’d made this choice a long time ago… regardless, that didn’t make it hurt any less.He was my soulmate. Making a decision in my head didn't change the way my heart felt.And now I was back here, in the place where somebody had poisoned me, and the one person I relied on more than anyone else was leaving me alone

Caleb’s POVI raced upstairs to tell Amelia everything, desperate to share the news that the Eternal Winter seemed to be ending, though I’d left my heart back in the gardens with Rhiannon. Separating myself from her, for now, was painful but necessary. I was so hopped up on passion and joy and the swirling highs of the mate bond that I was prepared to tell Amelia the truth about everything. It was the only way to get us through this. She could be with Kieran and I could be with Rhiannon – no harm done.I swung the door open. I’d seen the lights were on from outside, so I knew she was awake. “Ames?” I called, smoothing a hand over my sex-ruffled hair. Oh, to hell with it. She was going to find out soon enough.She lunged at me with her teeth bared. Her hand balled into a fist at my collar, digging into my throat. “You,” she spat, her upper lip curling as she glared at me. “You bastard, Caleb!”She shoved me back against the door. I stumbled, taken by surprise. “What?” I winced, rubbin

Rhiannon’s POVI just stared at Caleb’s back as he walked away. I wasn’t going to run after him or beg for him to come back. Fuck that. He’d treated me like dirt for the last time.I’d thought this was it. I’d thought we’d chosen each other. Apparently, I’d been wrong. Really, really wrong. My bottom lip quivered; I bit down on it, hard enough to draw blood. I wasn’t going to cry over someone so callous and cold – even if I was curling in on myself, my head too light, my breaths too shallow. He’d gone and taken my soul with him.I don’t know how long I stood in the doorway. My fingers had long since gone numb from gripping the wood. It was the only thing I had to hold me up. A small, red body wound around my legs. I laughed, the sound choked by a sob. “Hey, Foxy,” I murmured, reaching down to scratch his little head.“I tried to feed him, but he wanted you – Rhi? What’s wrong?” Hyacinth’s worried voice spilled out into the hall. “Are you crying?”I took a deep breath, picked up Foxy