Chapter 1

I'd just paid for premium venison with obsidian and stepped outside when a few packless wolves bared their teeth and backed me into a corner.Annoyed, I held up the wolf-fang charm Nolan had given me to scare the lowlifes off, but it did nothing.The witch's magic in the charm was tied to Nolan's life. If it wasn't responding, something had happened to him.Nolan was the youngest and strongest Alpha in the North. He hadn't lost a single fight since he was 17, and he'd made the Frost family stronger than ever. Every pack in the land feared him!And yet this proud, untouchable Alpha spoiled only me.Looking at the dull, lifeless fang, I felt a strange flicker of panic.When I looked up again, the lazy look in my eyes was gone, replaced by cold, murderous intent.I didn't have time to waste on this trash. I closed my fingers around the lead wolf's throat and twisted hard, without mercy...Once I'd dealt with those idiots who didn't know when to quit, I pulled out my phone, but a werewolf

Chapter 2

Unsettled by everyone's grieving stares and Nolan's exhausted face, I blurted out, "Will they have fresh venison there?"Nolan answered patiently, "They do.""Will you still make me a magic wolf fang every month to keep me safe?" I asked softly.Nolan leaned down and gently kissed my forehead. "Iris, there'll be guards to protect you."I pressed my lips together and didn't answer. After a moment, I asked, "Then are you coming with me? If you don't come, who will cuddle me to sleep? Who will dig up obsidian so I can buy things?"Helena heard me and stormed over in a rage, pointing at me. "Iris, do you even have a heart?!"His father is still unconscious. His two brothers are suffering in cages. And to keep you safe, Nolan is even using the family's last ancient portal to send you away."And you're still standing here whining and asking for things?! Don't you know staying here means certain death for him?!""Mother!" Nolan cut her off sharply. Exhausted as he was, he suddenly radiated th

Chapter 3

I shoved open the doors to the council hall and saw a horrifying scene.Several Southern Alphas had Nolan pinned to the floor. Sharp wolf claws pierced his shoulder blade, and blood streamed down his arm."You were pretty tough when you punched me just now, weren't you?! Come on, get up and hit me again!" The Alpha Nolan had punched earlier planted a foot on Nolan's back and laughed wildly."You're throwing your life away for some worthless nobody. Pathetic." With a vicious glare, he drove a dagger into Nolan's thigh.The pain made Nolan tremble. Sweat and blood dripped to the floor, but he clenched his teeth and didn't make a sound.That was when I pushed the doors open.When Nolan saw that I'd actually come back, he stared at me in shock.He tore free of the Alphas holding him, ignored the claws through his shoulder, and forced his way to my side, roaring, "Who told you to come back?! Damn it..."I looked at him and shook my head. "I'm not leaving. I can't sleep if you're not holding

Chapter 4

My words silenced the room for a beat.Then Ennis burst into wild laughter. "Have you lost your mind from fear, you useless little thing? You don't even have a wolf core, yet you dare pretend to be the Moon Goddess's Judge?"The other Alphas sneered too. "Nolan, your useless little pet must have a death wish. She could at least come up with a better lie!"If you're trying to scare us, you'll have to do better than that."The only thing that useless pet of yours is good for is pleasing us with her body. Nobody's buying her lies."Helena's eyes were red as she suddenly shouted at me, "Iris! Haven't you caused enough trouble? Get out of here! Stop getting in Nolan's way!"I knew she was insulting me to create an opening for me to escape.I ignored her, picked up the parchment scroll, and smiled scornfully.Ennis's expression shifted. "Get that scroll! Tear her apart!" he roared.Two powerful wolf knights sprang at me.Nolan sent them flying before they could reach me.His shoulder blade h

Chapter 5

In the deathly silence, fear finally crept onto every face.None of them had imagined that I held absolute power over them all.One of the Southern Alphas shook all over. He shouted at Ennis, "Ennis! You lied to us! You said Nolan was keeping some useless pet, so why is she the Moon Goddess's Judge?"Another Alpha shouted in terror and fury, "You idiot! Why did you hide Nolan's connection to the Judge from us?! You told us attacking Nolan would free the Witch of the Black Forest, so why is the Judge here?!"Watching these rebel Alphas turn on each other like dogs, I couldn't hide my contempt. I withdrew my power.The pressure holding them down vanished, and Ennis scrambled up from the floor.His eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed the Alpha who'd been yelling at him by the throat and flung him aside."Shut up! You useless bunch! Are you that scared of one woman?" Ennis roared, his face twisted. "She's not the Moon Goddess's Judge at all!"A real Judge would have the Moon Goddess's mark o

Chapter 6

Ennis's downfall should have ended everything, but I'd underestimated how far he would go when cornered.Nolan's wounds had not fully healed when Ennis deployed fighters he'd secretly trained for years, each prepared to die for him. While Garrett and Helena were out patrolling the territory, the fighters kidnapped them and took them to Death Canyon, deep in the ice fields.Ennis sent Nolan a bloodstained scrap of clothing and demanded that he come alone. Otherwise, Ennis would throw Nolan's parents into the bottomless abyss.Nolan told no one. Before leaving, he leaned down and kissed my forehead while I slept, then walked out into the snowstorm.He was afraid of dragging me into it, so he chose to face death alone. But he had no idea I already knew everything.When I appeared silently at the top of the cliff, Ennis had one foot planted on Garrett's back and a poisoned dagger pressed to Helena's throat.His face twisted with rage, Ennis screamed at Nolan, "Get on your knees, gouge out