Todos os capítulos de The Weight of Frost: Capítulo 31 - Capítulo 40

Emerald nodded, happily following the Alpha's twin out of the box. They waved goodbye to Maddox, Cobb, and Nesha, who were perfectly content to stay seated and wait for the official climbing scores to be tallied.The festival grounds were in full swing now. As they navigated through the crowds, the air was filled with the sharp thwack of arrows hitting targets down at the archery and shooting ranges. They passed the massive, churned-up mud of the tug-of-war pit, which was currently being used for the "crossword games"—a hilariously chaotic event where teams of wolves had to sprint across the pit carrying massive, heavy wooden letter blocks to spell out pack trivia answers before the opposing team could tackle them.Emerald couldn't help but laugh as they walked by, watching two massive warriors get completely bogged down in the mud while fighting over the letter 'E'.They finally made their way toward the center of the valley, where the hand-to-hand combat rings were set up. The crowd

"I put them both on the mat in under three minutes," Reagan stated proudly, entirely unapologetic about her lethal skills. "But the one on the left—Gareth—decided to make a snarky comment about my form while he was eating dirt. Xander had to practically haul me Reagan’s face instantly flushed a brilliant, vibrant shade of crimson. She playfully tossed a crumpled piece of paper at the back of her mate's head, though the besotted, absolutely radiant smile on her face gave her away completely.Sitting beside her, Emerald laughed out loud. It was a free, clear, unburdened sound that easily drifted over the noise of the crowd. As she watched the playful, fiercely devoted dynamic between Reagan and Xander, Emerald didn't even spare a glance for the head warrior sulking on the other side of the ring. It was exactly the proof she needed to know how powerless Stephen’s presence truly was when she was surrounded by people who actually knew how to love.Even over the roaring cheers of the crowd

Stephen gripped the top rope of the ring boundary so hard the thick canvas actually groaned under his grip. His chest actually hurt as a dark, desperate panic clawed its way up his throat. He had lost the respect of his men. He was tied to a woman who made his skin crawl. And the only female who had ever looked at him with real, unconditional devotion was slipping further out of his grasp with every single second that ticked by.I've got to fix this, Stephen thought, his dark eyes fixing dangerously on Emerald's smiling face in the crowd. I have to fix this before she realizes she doesn't need me at all. The final buzzer sounded, a sharp, shrill wail that signaled the official end of the afternoon combat brackets. The crowd surrounding the rings immediately began to break apart, the aggressive energy of the tournament giving way to the festive, relaxed atmosphere of the approaching evening. The air, once thick with the scent of sweat and adrenaline, began to fill with the drifting ar

But before she could even draw breath to speak, Reagan stepped directly into her line of sight, completely blocking Julia's access to the artisan.Reagan might have been a fraction of the warrior she used to be, her frail frame practically swallowed by her oversized knit sweater, but the cold, golden-eyed fury of an Alpha's daughter still burned fiercely in her glare. And she wasn't standing alone.Xander moved flawlessly with his mate, his heavily muscled frame stepping right up to Reagan's shoulder. The Frost Beta formed an terrifying wall of protection, crossing his tree-trunk arms over his broad chest as he stared the Claw Mountain female down.Julia immediately recoiled, taking a hasty half-step back from the terrifying proximity of the Beta. But her shock quickly morphed into indignation, her face flushing an angry, bright red as her carefully laid plan was derailed."Excuse me!" Julia shrieked, stomping her boot into the dirt and throwing a full-blown tantrum. "Are you kidding

The warm, easy atmosphere at the Silver Paw booth only grew as the evening set in. Drawn by laughter and the stunning display, more Lunas and female warriors from visiting packs wandered up to the table.Soon, the booth was bustling. Emerald found herself at the center of a lively, animated circle with Reagan, Lettie, and the other women, discussing the intricate techniques behind her leather and copper beadwork. They marveled at the delicate wire-wrapped stones, their fingers reverently tracing the plush, heavy cable-knit scarves and thick, cozy blankets she’d draped over the wooden stands.For a little while, the shadows of the past year vanished. Emerald was just an artist in her element, wrapping up purchases and accepting genuine compliments—her laughter ringing out, bright and real.The cheerful chatter was interrupted by the crunch of boots on the dirt path.“Hey, Em!”Emerald looked up from wrapping a copper pendant to see two familiar faces jogging down the trail—Lucas and Al