THE ICE QUEEN

*TWILIGHT'S POV* Footsteps echoed through the snow behind me. I ran through the Frostveil forest in the dead of night, my bare feet slipping on snow. The thin shift they’d given me for my execution did nothing against the cold. My father’s guards were at my heels. I had to run faster. But my lungs were burning, and my body was giving out. I’d been sentenced to death. The order came from my own father—the Alpha. And tonight was the night. Dawn execution. In front of the entire pack. I escaped because the guard watching me blinked. Three seconds. That was all it took to slip the chain I’d been loosening for days. I ran. “Get her! Don’t let her escape!” The head guard’s voice shattered the quiet. I didn’t look back. If I looked back, I’d slow down. I tripped over a root and hit the ground hard. “No…” I dragged myself up and kept going. My legs felt like they were on fire. My joints screamed with every step. But stopping meant death. And I refused to die on my knees. Then my ankle twisted. “No… please…” Pain shot up my leg so sharply I bit my lip to keep from screaming. “Damn it. Why now?” I cursed under my breath. I tried to put weight on it and nearly fell. “No. Not now. Please, not now,” I whispered. Why me? If only I had a wolf. I wiped tears away from my face before they could fall. I forced myself up, hopping, dragging my bad leg. I wouldn’t die here. Not like this. But then the forest went silent. No wind. No animals. No footsteps. Just a heavy pressure in my chest, like the world was holding its breath. I stopped. A figure stood in the clearing ahead. She was wrapped in a white cloak from head to toe. No skin showed. No face. Just fabric and shadow. She lifted one hand, and the air in front of her tore open. A portal. Blue light spilled out, melting the snow in a perfect circle. The air smelled like lightning and old magic. How was she doing that? That wasn’t pack magic. That wasn’t anything from our books. I stared, frozen, until her voice came through the cold. “Come on, child. Go. You don’t have much time.” She sounded young. Maybe thirty. Maybe thirty-five. Her voice was calm, but urgent. “Who are you?” I asked. My ankle throbbed with every heartbeat. “You don’t have much time,” she repeated, gesturing toward the light. Branches snapped behind me. “There she is!” a guard shouted. “Get her!” They’ve found me. “Move,” the woman thundered. They were close. Too close. I didn’t think. I threw myself toward the portal, limping, dragging my leg. “Stop!” a guard yelled. I didn’t look back. Pain exploded in my ankle, but I pushed through it and dove into the light. Cold. Pressure. The feeling of being pulled apart and stitched back together in the same second. One second, I was in a forest with death at my back. Next, I hit dirt and rolled into a cluster of bushes. I lay there, gasping, clutching my ankle. The pain was blinding. It was dark. No trees. No snow. Instead, there were buildings. Tall ones with glowing signs. The air smelled like smoke, rain, and something sweet I didn’t recognize. I had to move. If the guards followed me through, I was dead. If someone found me here, I would be dead. My ankle was already swelling. I forced myself up and limped toward a paved path I saw through the bushes. Every step was agony. But I couldn’t stop. Headlights shone through the dark. “Well... what is a pretty girl doing out here alone in the middle of the night?” A voice sounded behind me. I turned slowly. Three young men stood a few feet away. Their smiles didn’t reach their eyes. The one in the middle stepped forward, revealing crooked brown teeth. “I’m talking to you,” he said. His gaze swept over me. “Are you lost?” I took a shaky step backward. “Leave me alone.” My voice came out barely above a whisper. He laughed. “She’s got spirit.” The other two chuckled. “I like that.” He reached for my face. I slapped his hand away. His smile vanished. “Big mistake.” He rubbed the back of his hand before glancing at his friends. “Take her.” The two men lunged toward me. I tried to run, but my injured ankle gave out. No… Headlights suddenly blazed across the road. A deafening engine roared toward us. “What the heck,” the young man cursed. Tires screeched. A sleek black vehicle stopped inches away. The men exchanged nervous glances. “Forget her.” They turned and disappeared into the darkness. The door opened. A young boy stepped out. He wore clothes I’d only heard about in the stories the elders called “human lies.” Dark pants. A jacket. Shoes that laced up. This was the human world. This had to be the human world. He was beautiful. So unreal. Sharp jaw. Dark hair falling over his forehead. Eyes that scanned me fast, checking for injuries. He crouched a safe distance away. “Hey...” His voice was low and warm. “Are you hurt?” I stared at him. He frowned slightly. “Can you understand me?” I nodded. “I won’t hurt you,” he said gently. I still couldn’t speak. He studied my face before his gaze dropped to my swollen ankle. “I think it’s broken.” He looked back at me. “I’m taking you to the hospital, okay?” “I...” My throat felt dry. “I don’t know what... a hospital is.” His brows lifted. “Did you hit your head too?” “I...” He gave me a small, reassuring smile. “It’s alright. We’ll figure everything out later.” Slowly, he held out his hand. “May I?” I nodded slowly. Carefully, he slid one arm beneath my knees and the other around my back. The instant his skin touched mine, warmth rushed through my entire body. The freezing cold vanished. I gasped. He looked down at me. “Did I hurt you?” “N-No...” My voice trembled. Something had changed. I could feel it. I lifted my eyes to his face. Who... is he?