POV EMMA BELLE
The moon was a sliver of ice in the sky, casting long, skeletal shadows across the obsidian floors of the royal wing. Inside our chambers, the fire had burned down to a pile of glowing embers, painting the room in shades of deep amber and bruised purple.
I was asleep, but it wasn't a peaceful rest. My wolf was restless, pacing the borders of my mind with her ears pinned back. Since the Heat had ended and the spark of life had taken hold, my instincts were heightened to a terrifying degree. Every creak of the mountain felt like a threat; every shift in the wind sounded like a footfall.
Beside me, Félix was awake before I was.
I felt him stiffen, his body becoming a cord of tension against mine. His arm, which had been draped protectively over my stomach, tighten
