Natalie's POV
The words hung in the air like frost. Elara Winter. My great-grandmother. The first Sovereign. The monster sleeping beneath the ice. My blood. My legacy. My responsibility. I felt sick. The crown on my head suddenly felt like a curse instead of a blessing.
Roric was the first to move. He stepped forward from the crowd of injured wolves and met my eyes. "I am coming."
I blinked. Surprised. "You do not have to do this. You heard what Cassia said. The Great North is a death sentence. Anyone who goes might not come back."
"I know." His voice was steady. Certain. "I am coming anyway."
Something shifted in the warehouse. A ripple of energy. Of decision. One by one the others stepped forward. Mira. Her hands were still bloody from treating wounds. Jamie. His leg was wrapped in
