Morning inside the Skadi pack felt quieter than the night before, as if the pack itself was holding its breath, anxiously waiting for all the Alphas to just leave again so peace could finally return and life could transform back into what it had always been.
I stood at the edge of the ice-carved courtyard, the cold biting gently at my cheeks, my breath fogging the air in soft clouds. Above us, the towering palace glowed pale blue and silver as dawn filtered through the frozen arches, light refracting through walls of enchanted ice that never melted. It was beautiful—otherworldly.
And heavy with goodbyes.
Kael stood at my side, already in his black traveling attire, his presence a solid, grounding force. Orion lingered just behind us, watchful as always, his gaze sweeping the courtyard w
