FREYA
The clearing held dozens of bodies—wolves, elders, guards—arrayed in a wide ring. They turned as we appeared; silence dropped like a weight. I stumbled, vision swimming, lungs burning. The world contracted to a pinpoint of sound and motion: paws on dirt, the rustle of cloaks, a chorus of sharp, surprised exhalations.
Killian was there before the breath left my throat, his presence folding around me like iron and heat. He stepped forward, hands reaching, and I felt him catch me as I shifted into my human form.
“Freya.” His voice was raw. He pressed a cloth to my shoulder, wrapping his coat around me, the fabric heavy and warm against my skin.
He lifted me with unnerving, and I let my head loll against his chest, hearing his heartbeat steady. He muttered something to the nearest p
