All Chapters of Whispers of Frost and Fire: Chapter 71 - Chapter 79

Alpha Rhett’s POVThe Glacier Hollow wolves began to arrive in groups huddled in cars crammed with whatever pieces of home they could salvage. Burnt clothes. Cracked picture frames. Shattered weapons that had failed to protect them. Their stories matched: the pack had been leveled. Not a single building was left unscathed. The demons hadn’t just come to fight; they’d come to annihilate.Most humans didn’t even know we existed. That was by design. Our packs built towns on the edge of vast wilderness, tucked far away from human eyes. We had our business, and yes, we had human customers, but other than that, our paths did not cross. Foraker Mountain had its own front: a private compound, rumored to outsiders to be a secluded militia base or eccentric cult grounds. Enough to discourage curiosity.The apartments we’d prepared for the Alpha Council and the annual ball weren’t glamorous, but they were functional. Compact rooms, shared kitchens, basic beds, and heating. The survivors were exh

Aurelia’s POVThe morning sun filtered through the frost-covered windows, casting soft golden light across the hallway. Despite the exhaustion from the day before, there was a strange sense of purpose in the air. The pack was changing, growing, shifting, and I was right in the middle of it.Brandon was already waiting outside the dining hall with a clipboard and a pile of papers tucked under his arm."Ready to assign some futures?" he asked with a grin.I smiled. "Let’s do it."We entered the hall where the remaining wolves were gathered. The room buzzed with nervous energy. People clutched coffee cups, talked in hushed tones, or sat quietly with their families. Children clung to older siblings or napped in chairs.Rhett stepped forward, dressed in his black training gear, a sign he’d be out with the warriors later."Today, you’ll receive your temporary job placements and housing assignments," he said, projecting his voice. "These are not final. You’ll be observed, evaluated, and, if

"Keep your head straight; I don’t want to mess up the eyeliner," said Jasmine.Tonight was my birthday. I was turning eighteen on the last stroke of midnight. And I couldn't be more anxious. Jasmine was being so kind, carefully helping me get ready. Mom had made my dress by hand, and the pack was throwing a party in my honor.“Darling, here’s your dress. Are you ready to put it on?” Mom asked, her voice full of emotion.My dress was magical—an intricate black gown with crystals sewn in, a ballerina cut, and long, elegant sleeves. It contrasted starkly against my pale complexion, but that’s exactly what I wanted. A symbol of change: from the naïve girl I had been to the confident woman I was becoming. Or at least the woman I wanted to portray.The worst part of today was not having Ares by my side. We had shared this day for seventeen years. Now he was having his own celebration on the other side of the country. I missed him. My heart felt hollow without him.Mom was worried too. I cou

Aurelia’s POVMy heart thundered in my chest, drowning out the world around me.There he was. My mate.Alpha Rhett.Everything inside me tilted. The floor felt unsteady, the lights dimmed, and I swear time stopped as our eyes locked. I had dreamt of this moment, imagined who he would be, how I would feel. But nothing had prepared me for the rush, for the heat blooming across my skin, for the invisible tether pulling me toward him with a force that defied logic.He was still. Watching me.And that’s when it hit me.He knew.He had known. The way he looked at me before, the touches, the protectiveness, the way he growled when other men came close—it wasn’t just instinct. It was the bond.And yet… he hadn’t said anything.Not once.A knot formed in my chest. I didn’t know whether to run toward him or away.Had I not been enough?Had he been hoping the bond would change? Fade?My hands trembled slightly as a thousand thoughts raced through my mind. Maybe I was too young. Maybe he thoug

Aurelia’s POVHis lips moved from mine to the soft curve beneath my ear, and my breath caught in my throat. I felt like I was being unraveled thread by thread—his hands, his voice, the intensity of his presence all working together to melt my defenses.“I want you,” he whispered again, his forehead resting gently against mine. “Not just as my mate. As you. All of you.”That admission pierced through me deeper than anything else tonight.I touched his face, finally letting myself take in every detail. The seriousness in his eyes, the restrained hunger. His body was powerful and beautiful, yes, but it was the vulnerability etched into his features that undid me.“I want this too,” I whispered. “But not just the bond. I want you, Rhett.”His gaze flickered like a flame. I saw the way his restraint cracked, like a dam breaking.“Then say it again,” he murmured, voice low and rough.“I want you,” I said.That was all it took.He kissed me again, slower this time—deeper. Less desperate, mor