Valkyrie
My last laugh and fleeting happiness had shifted into unease. I never imagined such a place could exist in this isolated area.
“Don’t wander too far from me,” Ragnor said, gripping my hand tightly. His tone was firm, his golden eyes scanning the shadows ahead. “It’s an old settlement, and we don’t know what might be lurking here.”
“How long has it been here, I wonder,” I murmured, trying to steady my nerves.
“Long before my father’s reign,” Ragnor replied grimly. “I didn’t know it still existed.”
As we moved deeper into the eerie stillness, the sharp creak of wood broke the silence. A cottage door swung open, and an elderly man stepped out. His sharp, calculating eyes fixed on Ragnor, his expression a mix of recognition and suspicion.
“Alpha,” the man greeted, his voice stea
