Bride of Ice and Blood

Chapter 3 : The Council

The Council chamber was colder than Lyria imagined. Stone walls lined with banners of black and silver, a long table carved from dark oak, and a row of wolves whose eyes glinted like predators circling prey. She stood just inside the threshold, every muscle taut, every instinct screaming to flee.

Rein sat at the head of the table, his presence swallowing the room. His silver gaze never left her, though he hadnt spoken to her since the night before. His command was clear: stand tall, say nothing, observe.

She could feel the weight of every Council members stare. Suspicion. Contempt. She was Lyra. To them, that made her poison.

Jarek, the pale-haired wolf who had burst into Reins chamber, leaned forward, his eyes cold. This is the girl? The treaty bride?He spat the words as though they tasted foul.

Lyrias chin lifted, though her stomach twisted.

She is the daughter of Lyra blood,Rein said smoothly, his voice a blade cutting through the air. And she belongs here now.

The word belongs made her heart stutter.

Another Councilman, older, with scars along his throat, growled low. The packs wont accept this. Wolves follow strength, not… arrangements.His eyes cut to her like daggers. She has no bond to you.

Lyrias breath caught. He was right. No bond. No mark. No proof. Just a treaty inked by men who saw her as currency.

Reins lips curved, humorless. Bonds can be forged.

The words sent a flush through her, hot and sharp. She didnt know if it was threat, promise, or both.

Before she could dwell, the heavy doors swung open, and the room shifted.

A new scent rolled in—smoke, leather, and wolf musk, sharp enough to make her pulse skip. Heavy footsteps echoed against stone, and when he appeared, her heart jolted.

Travis.

Her breath caught. He looked nothing like the boy she remembered. This was not the cold, distant betrothed she had known in youth. This was a man carved from violence and fire.

His dark hair was cropped short, his jaw lined with stubble. Tattoos climbed his throat, snaked down his arms, black ink twisting into wolves, blades, and symbols she didnt recognize. His leather jacket was open at the throat, showing the edge of another mark over his heart. His eyes, once cold, now burned—feral, stormy, dangerous.

Travis of Lyra,Jarek announced, though his voice carried unease.

Lyrias stomach twisted. Why is he here?

Travis didnt look at the Council. His eyes found her instantly, pinning her like a predator catching its prey. Heat surged through her, but it wasnt safety. It was fire threatening to devour her whole.

You,he said, his voice rough, mocking. They gave you to him?

Her lips parted, but no words came.

Traviss mouth curved, but there was no smile. Only cruelty. Guess they were tired of waiting for me to claim whats mine.

A growl rumbled from Reins throat, low and lethal. Careful.

Travis tilted his head, unbothered, his tattooed hand flexing at his side. Why? Afraid she might remember she already belongs to someone?

The words cracked through her chest. She hated the way her heart twisted, the way old promises whispered in her memory. But this Travis wasnt the boy who had stood beside her at sixteen. This was a wolf she barely recognized.

I dont belong to anyone,she forced out, though her voice trembled.

For a moment, silence. Then Traviss eyes narrowed, his smirk vanishing. He took a step closer, his dominance rolling off him like a storm. Say that again, little wolf.

The nickname hit her like a slap. She remembered it from long ago, whispered in quiet moments when he had almost been gentle. Now it sounded like a threat.

Before she could speak, Rein rose from his chair, the air thickening with raw alpha power. His silver gaze burned, his voice sharp as ice. She is Shadowfang now. Not Lyra. Not yours.

The tension cracked like lightning. Wolves in the chamber shifted uneasily, growls rumbling in their throats as dominance and fury clashed. Lyria felt the pull of it in her bones, the way instincts demanded submission. She clenched her fists, refusing to bow.

Travis laughed, the sound low and dangerous. Shadowfang? You think a treaty can erase blood? Her scent still screams Lyra. Shell never be yours.

Reins jaw tightened, but he didnt lash out. Instead, his gaze cut to her. Sharp. Demanding. Choose.

Her heart hammered. She wanted to scream that she chose neither, that she was not a pawn to be tossed between kings and alphas. But the words stuck in her throat.

Enough,one of the older Councilmen barked, his voice a growl. This posturing weakens us. If the packs sense division, theyll strike.

Silence fell heavy.

Traviss eyes never left hers. Ill stay.

The room stirred, voices rising in protest, but Reins gaze sharpened dangerously. Why?

Travis smirked, though it didnt reach his eyes. To watch. To see how long it takes before she realizes cages dont suit her.

The words sent a shiver through her. He wasnt just here for her. He was here to burn everything down.

Later, Rein led her from the chamber, his stride sharp, his hand brushing her lower back in a way that felt both possessive and grounding.

You shouldnt let him get to you,he murmured as they walked through the stone halls.

Her voice cracked. He was my mate.

Rein stopped abruptly, turning to her. His silver eyes flared, furious. He was nothing. Do not forget that.

Her chest tightened. And what are you, Rein? My jailer? My king? My—The word caught before it could escape. Mate.

For a heartbeat, his gaze softened, just slightly. Then he leaned closer, his breath brushing her cheek, his voice low and dangerous. I am the one keeping you alive. Do not test me.

Her pulse raced, her body betraying her with every ragged breath.

And yet, as they continued down the hall, she couldnt help but glance back.

Travis was there, leaning casually against the wall, tattoos visible in the torchlight, eyes locked on her with a promise that made her

shiver.

This was no longer just survival. It was a battlefield.

And her heart was the prize.