Why Does The Author Win The Iditarod In Race Across Alaska?

“You belong to me, Aria,” he growls, his nose brushing against mine. “The harder you push me away, the deeper I fall into this madness of wanting you.” “You don’t even want a mate!” I remind him, hating how small my voice sounds, and how my body sings whenever he’s this close. His breath brushes against my lips. “You’re right. I don’t. But I burn for you, Aria, and I don’t think I’ll make it through the season without tasting what’s mine.” ***** They call Ryder Drexel the Ice King of Ironclaw University, captain of the undefeated Iron Wolves, cold-blooded on the rink and untouchable off it. He doesn’t do distractions. He doesn’t do relationships. Until her. Aria Murdock is the opposite. She’s an invisible scholarship student hiding secrets that she’s spent her entire life hiding—she’s a wolf who can’t shift in a world where wolves like her are called runts and are mercilessly killed to be rid of their weak bloodline. But when an accident reveals her true scent, Ryder’s world fractures. She’s a walking death sentence. Someone undesirable to most. Off-limits because of her low rank and bloodline. And she’s his mate. Now, the Alpha heir has a choice. He can either reject the bond, or risk everything to claim her. The problem? Claiming her means breaking every rule and starting a war within his own pack. It also means revealing who Aria truly is, and she’s so much more than a runt. They’re enemies by nature, but bound by instinct and fate. In a world where packs, rules, and reputations reign, claiming her might just cost him everything, especially his heart.

On a stormy night during the apocalypse, my own mother threw me out of the house while I was burning with fever, along with my husky, so my little brother would have a better chance of surviving. She shouted through the crack in the door, “Take that useless mutt and go die somewhere. Stop wasting your brother’s food!” I huddled in a pile of trash with my dog in my arms, convinced I was going to die. Then my husky suddenly spoke. “Host’s vital signs critically low. Infinite Supply Search System activated.” “Supermarket warehouse one hundred meters ahead. Three thousand freeze-dried meals detected.” “Pharmacy five hundred meters to the left. Five hundred boxes of antibiotics detected.” Three days later, I’d built a fortress with packs of dogs and mountains of supplies. I sat inside eating steak and watching the show. Outside the barbed wire, my mother and brother were on their knees, fighting each other over half a piece of moldy bread. I smiled. “Mom, even dogs wouldn’t eat that. Better savor it.”

Created for the Moon Goddess, the Snow Wolf Pack thrives in the icy Vottovaarra Mountains of Russia. Their snow-white coats make them invisible to all as they roam freely. They are the apex predators until the human race evolves. Each generation follows the previous, with a strong Alpha finding his equally strong Luna, all of them tracing their bloodline back to the Original Four Siblings. Until the Red Wolf appears, she's the Goddess's Blessing, her powers when joined to the Alphas provide the strength to defeat the humans when it is required but not all the Alphas know this legend. The Alpha that scorns the Goddess's gift and rejects the stunning red wolf is a dead Alpha, Werewolves serve the Moon Goddess you disobey her at your own peril. Alexis had grown to become the most powerful Lycan Snowwolf in their history, he rules his Pack with a firm but fair hand and they adore him. His stunning good looks ensure he is never short of female company to warm his bed and he is in no rush to find his fated mate. Aurora is the daughter of the Hunter Leader Prince Constantine, who leads the deadly Hunters against all Immortals, killing them without mercy, especially the Werewolves. His hatred of Werekind was well documented, he sent his men into their villages and murdered everyone including the females and their pups. When Alexis discovers his fated mate is the beautiful Aurora he is delighted and sets out to claim his mate. Their attraction is instant and explosive he cannot wait to claim her and mark her as his. Until she tells him who she is, the daughter of his hated enemy he pushes her away leaving her devastated. Will their love have a chance in a rapidly changing world?

On the Northwind Trail, just before sunrise, my flashlight cut across the inside of the SUV and landed on five lifeless bodies. My hands shook as I dialed 911. "Hello? I'm on Route 296, the Northwind Trail. Everyone in my car… is dead." The operator's voice was calm but quick. "Please confirm your location. Officers are on their way." My words dropped heavy and flat, like stones hitting the ground. "I'm on Route 296, about three miles east of the mountain pass. The plate number is NA318X. Five people inside the car are dead… and I'm the only one alive."

My childhood sweetheart and my older brother both fell in love with Rose, the Omega who had just sought refuge from the Northern Pack. The one who broke our engagement said, "Grace is the kind of Luna who was born to stand beside an Alpha. I’m just not worthy of her." The other had forgotten our mother’s dying words. "Rose has suffered so much. If I share half the love I gave you with her, that wouldn’t be too much, would it?" On the day of my birthday, my mate chose to throw a party for Rose instead. On the anniversary of our mother’s death, my brother was happily celebrating with Rose and her mother, helping deliver her kitten. They went with her to the Snowpine Pack to take part in the Royal Totem Insignia Design Contest and personally draped the cloak of honor over her shoulders. And me? I set fire to the house that held all our memories. I drank a potion bought from a witch, severed every mind-link I had, and faked my death in that fire, then left the Northern Pack without a word. When news of my death reached Snowpine, those two men, who had already cast me aside, went mad with grief. They rushed back to the Northern Pack overnight and collapsed in front of the burned-down house, crying like their hearts had been ripped out.

A blizzard had buried the mountain, turning every road into a death trap. Locals called it Deadman's Pass—seventy-two icy switchbacks with zero room for error. As the only person who had ever made it through without a scratch, I'd just gotten a million-dollar rescue call from beyond the final curve. Ten years ago, I went there once. My seventeen-year-old daughter, Maya, was skydiving with her classmates when a violent air current forced an emergency landing. The rescue came too late. She died there. Later, I learned my husband, Jayden Boone, had ignored Maya's safety. He poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the rescue effort and redirected every team to save his ex's daughter instead. The girl had only sprained her ankle on a hiking trip. The day Maya died, I walked away from my career as a professor and stayed here, living as a broke driver. I risked my life running Deadman's Pass again and again until I knew every turn by heart. In the ten years since, no one else had died on that road. Today, a friend shoved a million-dollar rescue job in front of me and told me to leave right away. I looked at the face in the photo—the one I could never forget. Then I smiled and tossed my keys onto the table. "I can't take this job."