Chapter 1
Chapter 1:
Alex
The snow fell in thick, quiet layers. Every person in the courtyard stood barefoot on the ice, their faces turned up toward the huge, swollen moon.
Tonight was the night: those of us turning eighteen would finally learn if blood had claimed or rejected us. One mark would be revealed. One truth. Nothing could hide under the intense light of that moon.
I stood at the very edge, trying to be half-hidden behind a massive pillar, my arms wrapped tightly around my body. The cold was more than just the temperature; it was a constant, biting feeling trying to crawl under my skin.
Ahead of me, the true royals were positioned in a perfect half-circle. They wore heavy white fox robes, their clothes detailed with silver embroidery, and ice crowns that never lost their sparkle. And in the precise center of them all stood Kaelan.
He didn’t shiver, not even once. The light snowflakes landed in his black hair as if they were settling exactly where they belonged. When the High Priestess called his name, he walked forward alone, his shoulders perfectly straight and his head held high.
The moonlight seemed to fall over him like it was honoring him. He dropped to his knees without being prompted. A deep, natural growl ripped from his chest—it was low, powerful, and unmistakably royal.
Pain crossed his face for only a brief second before the mark flared on the inside of his left arm. It was the Frostfall sigil: three interlocking snowflakes enclosed within a circle of thorns, now glowing intensely bright and pure silver.
Everyone in the courtyard dropped instantly to their knees. Even the slight wind seemed to fall silent in respect.
“Behold your future king!” the Priestess shouted, her voice thick with pure pride. “The Blood of the Alpha King, true and unbroken!”
The crowd roared its cheers, a sound that completely filled the entire courtyard. Kaelan stood up and looked slowly across every single person, wearing the expression of one who already possessed us all. For one brief moment, his eyes found mine, tucked away in the shadows. Something cold passed through them. It wasn't surprise. It wasn't warmth. It was just a simple, immediate knowing.
Then the Priestess spoke again, the sound cutting through the celebratory noise.
“Alex of House Frostfall.”
My stomach twisted violently. Whispers immediately spread through the crowd even before I could force myself to move.
The bastard. The maid’s mistake. Why is she even here?
I forced myself to walk forward. Each step felt impossibly heavy. The melting snow instantly soaked the hem of my thin grey dress—the only color servants were allowed to wear—making sure no one could ever forget my place. I stopped exactly three paces from the Priestess and dropped onto my knees. The sharp ice immediately cut into my bare skin.
Please, I begged the moon in my mind. Let the mark be silver. Let it be the Frostfall mark. Let him look at me just once like I belong.
The powerful light of the moon hit me like a hammer.
A terrifying, burning pain exploded across my chest, sharp enough to completely steal my breath. My back arched up high. My fingers instinctively dug deep into the snow. When the pain finally eased, I slowly looked down at my skin.
Black.
It wasn't silver. It wasn't the Frostfall mark. It was black ink mixed with silver edges, and it appeared to be shifting under my skin as if it were truly alive. The image was a powerful wolf surrounded by jagged thorns. The mark made the entire courtyard collectively gasp in horror. Some young children began to cry out of fear. Then, someone whispered the name that would stain me forever.
“Shadow Wolf,” they said, their voice shaking badly.
It was the Enemy Clan mark.
Air felt permanently stuck in my throat.
King Alaric himself stepped forward, the loud, echoing sound of his boots hitting the ice ringing through the absolute silence. He stared down at the mark on my chest as though it completely disgusted him. When he lifted his eyes to mine, they were cold and utterly empty.
“I should have drowned you the day you were born,” he announced. His voice was cold, flat, and carried easily across the entire courtyard. “I knew my pure blood could never come from a filthy maid. Guards!”
Two massive armored wolves immediately grabbed my arms and pulled me roughly up. My knees scraped painfully against the ice as they dragged me.
“Father—” The word slipped out before I could possibly stop it. My voice was small and shaking badly.
He laughed then, a sound that was sharp and cruel. “I am not your father,” he said, his tone perfectly flat. “You are nothing. From this moment forward, Alex of no House, you are stripped of your name, your title, and your blood. You will serve in the cellars with the rest of the trash.”
Kaelan stood beside the throne steps, the Frostfall mark still gently glowing on his arm. His expression remained unchanged, but his knuckles were stark white as he gripped the ceremonial dagger fixed at his belt.
The guards began to drag me backward. My bare feet left long, red streaks in the pristine snow.
“Say goodbye to your princess days, little bastard,” a woman called out clearly. Her voice was too sweet, but her smile was completely full of pure hate. “Maybe if you scrub the floors hard enough, someone will eventually forget what you really are.”
I twisted my head, desperate to see Kaelan just one more time. He hadn’t moved. He hadn’t said a single word in my defense. He just watched me with those frozen eyes—the very same eyes that used to chase away my nightmares when we were small children.
The massive gates to the servant quarters rose up ahead of me, tall and utterly dark, secured with heavy chains.
Right before the gates slammed shut completely behind me, King Alaric’s voice echoed one final time.
“From today, she is no longer a princess but a slave under our feet,” he said, his voice as cold as the ice on which we all stood.
