Snow blanketed the pine forests surrounding the chalet, muffling the world in white hush. Inside, warm light flickered from the hearth, casting long shadows across glass walls and wooden beams.
Amber stood barefoot in the greenhouse, sleeves rolled as she tended to rows of frost-resistant sprouts. Her breath fogged the glass. The air smelled of pine, soil, and something alive.
From behind her, Raven's voice rumbled low. “I caught a new family of strays near the ridge. Five pups. Black coats. Sassy."
Amber turned, smirking. “You promised me no more collecting wolves like lost toys."
He set down a bundle wrapped in fur. Inside: five tiny, snuffling pups blinking up at her. One sneezed.
“I lied," Raven said.
Amber knelt beside them. “Of course you did."
She scooped one pup into her arm
