The ice hadn't melted where Kieran fell, but the stories had already spread across three territories.
In a tavern at the border crossing, a trader held court by the fire. "I heard she froze him solid. Just touched his chest and his heart stopped beating."
"That's not how it happened," another trader argued. "My cousin's pack was there. She tore out his throat with her teeth. The ice came after, preserving the body."
"You're both wrong," a scarred rogue said from the corner. "She carved her family crest into his chest while he was still alive. Made him watch as she reclaimed the bloodline he tried to erase."
The stories varied in details but agreed on the core. Reign Winterhart, exiled omega, had killed Kieran Stormfang, Alpha of the northern reaches. The how mattered less than the what
