Chapter 16
1772 Words
Too Close
“Again.”
Sam groaned.
The moment she heard that word, she already knew her morning was ruined.
Officially.
Completely.
Irreversibly.
The sun had barely risen above the snowy mountains of White Fang Territory, and yet Froz White Fang was already treating her like a warrior preparing for war.
A cruel warrior.
A heartless warrior.
A very handsome warrior.
Unfortunately.
“Do you know any other word?” Sam complained.
Froz folded his arms. “Yes.”
“Good.”
“Again.”
Sam nearly threw a snowball at his face.
Nearly.
Unfortunately, she valued her life.
Somewhat.
The Alpha’s lips twitched. The tiny movement lasted less than a second. But she caught it.
Immediately.
“You almost smiled.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“No.”
“You absolutely did.”
The future Alpha turned away. Which was basically an admission of guilt. Sam grinned triumphantly. Small victories mattered. Especially when dealing with Froz.
The last few days had changed everything.
The Mark of the Moon.
The mysterious symbol.
The strange power.
The ancient legends.
Nothing felt normal anymore. Even the palace felt different. The servants whispered when they thought she couldn’t hear. The warriors watched her more carefully.
Not with fear.
With curiosity.
With uncertainty.
Everyone wanted answers.
Unfortunately—
Sam wanted answers too.
And nobody had them.
Not even Froz.
Although he was trying.
She knew he was.
The Alpha had spent every evening buried inside the library.
Searching ancient records.
Studying forgotten legends.
Looking for anything connected to the Mark.
The realization warmed her more than she expected.
Because he wasn’t doing it out of duty anymore.
Not entirely.
He was worried about her.
And somehow—
That mattered.
A lot.
“Focus.”
Sam blinked.
Froz stood directly in front of her.
Too close.
Much too close.
The Alpha held a wooden training sword in one hand.
His icy blue eyes fixed on hers.
Serious.
Focused.
Dangerously attractive.
“You’re staring.”
Sam immediately looked away. “I was not.”
“You were.”
“You were staring too.”
The Alpha paused.
Unfortunately—
She had a point.
A very annoying point.
Metro, who was observing nearby, quietly pretended to be interested in his clipboard. The man had become an expert at avoiding involvement.
Smart.
Very smart.
“Training,” Froz reminded.
Sam sighed dramatically. "Fine."
The wooden swords collided.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Froz attacked.
Sam blocked.
Barely.
The Alpha moved with terrifying precision.
Every strike controlled.
Every movement calculated.
Every step perfect.
Which was incredibly annoying.
Because Sam tripped over her own foot.
Again.
Unfortunately.
She stumbled forward.
Straight toward him.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh no—”
Before she could hit the ground—
Strong arms caught her.
Instantly.
Everything froze.
The training field.
The warriors.
The wind.
The world.
For one brief moment—
Neither moved.
Sam found herself pressed against his chest.
Close enough to hear his heartbeat.
Close enough to feel his warmth.
Close enough to notice his scent.
Snow.
Pine.
And something uniquely Froz.
The realization made her heart skip.
One beat.
Then another.
Then another.
Neither spoke.
Neither looked away.
Neither seemed capable of it.
Then—
A loud cough interrupted.
Metro.
Of course.
The servant immediately looked elsewhere.
Pretending innocence.
Failing miserably.
Sam jumped backward.
Her face burned.
Froz looked equally uncomfortable.
Which somehow made everything worse.
Or better.
She wasn’t sure anymore.
The rest of training became awkward.
Very awkward.
Every accidental touch felt noticeable.
Every glance felt longer.
Every conversation felt different.
Neither acknowledged it.
Naturally.
That would require courage.
And apparently both of them were cowards.
At least when it came to feelings.
Several hours later—
Training shifted from combat to control exercises. Which was significantly less embarrassing.
Mostly.
Froz guided her toward the frozen lake beyond the palace grounds. The same place where they had spoken after the Winter Moon Festival. The same place where he had announced her training.
The memory made her smile.
Unfortunately—
The Alpha noticed. “Why are you smiling?”
Sam looked innocent. “I have no idea.”
“Liar.”
“Maybe.”
The Alpha sighed.
Then motioned toward the center of the frozen lake.
“Sit.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Trust me.”
Those two words surprised her.
Not because he said them.
Because she realized she actually did.
Trust him.
Completely.
The realization hit harder than expected.
Quietly.
Dangerously.
Sam sat cross-legged on the ice.
The cold barely registered anymore.
Weeks in White Fang Territory had changed that.
Froz sat opposite her.
The distance between them was small.
Again.
Too small.
Again.
Not that either mentioned it.
Again.
The Alpha’s expression became serious.
“The Mark appeared because something triggered it.”
Sam nodded. “Okay.”
“We need to discover what.”
“How?”
A pause.
Then—
“Close your eyes.”
Sam immediately became suspicious. “What are you planning?”
“Nothing.”
“That answer sounds suspicious.”
“It shouldn’t.”
“It absolutely should.”
For the first time that day—
A genuine smile flickered across his face.
Small.
Brief.
But real.
Sam forgot what she was saying.
Immediately.
Because seeing Froz smile felt strangely rare.
Like witnessing a shooting star.
Or a miracle.
Or snow deciding not to be cold.
Equally impossible things.
“Close your eyes, Sunshine Wolf.”
The nickname caught her off guard.
Again.
Every single time.
Trying to hide her smile, she obeyed.
Minutes passed. Silence surrounded them.
The frozen lake.
The snowy forest.
The mountains.
Everything became still.
Sam focused inward.
Searching for the strange power.
Searching for the Mark.
Searching for answers.
At first—
Nothing happened.
Then—
A warmth appeared.
Soft.
Gentle.
Unlike the overwhelming power she usually felt.
This felt peaceful.
Comforting.
Almost familiar.
A silver light flickered behind her closed eyes.
The sensation grew stronger.
And stronger.
And stronger.
Suddenly—
The Mark appeared.
Glowing brightly on her wrist.
The symbol pulsed with silver energy.
Alive.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
Sam gasped.
Her eyes flew open.
The moment she did—
The power surged. The ice beneath them cracked. A wave of energy swept across the frozen lake.
Snow erupted into the air.
The wind roared.
And for one terrifying moment—
The power escaped her control.
Again.
Fear shot through her chest.
“No—”
Then a hand grabbed hers.
Warm.
Strong.
Steady.
Froz.
Instantly—
The power calmed.
The silver light softened.
The wind disappeared.
The cracking ice stopped.
Silence returned.
Sam stared.
Breathing hard.
The Alpha hadn’t let go.
Neither had she.
For several seconds—
Neither moved.
The realization arrived slowly.
Then all at once.
They were still holding hands.
Very obviously holding hands.
Very intentionally holding hands.
Sam’s face warmed.
Froz looked away first.
A mistake.
Because she caught the faint redness on the tips of his ears.
And suddenly—
The terrifying Alpha looked almost human.
Almost.
That evening—
Queen Rhed invited Sam for tea. The Queen sat near the fireplace. Warmth filled the room.
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
Comfortable.
Home-like.
Something Sam had begun associating with White Fang Palace.
The Queen smiled knowingly.
A dangerous expression.
Very dangerous.
“How was training?”
Sam nearly choked.
Immediately.
Queen Rhed’s smile widened.
Dangerously.
“Oh?”
The older woman clearly knew something.
The realization made Sam nervous.
Very nervous.
“It was fine.”
“Only fine?”
“Yes.”
Queen Rhed took a sip of tea. “Interesting.”
Sam narrowed her eyes.
The Queen remained innocent.
Entirely too innocent.
Which meant she was absolutely plotting something. Years of experience with Fuji had taught Sam that much.
Elsewhere—
Froz sat inside the library.
Again.
Books covered every available surface.
Again.
Metro stood nearby.
Again.
The servant looked exhausted.
“Have you found anything?”
Froz stared at an ancient manuscript.
“The Mark is real.”
Metro nodded.
They already knew that.
“The bloodline is real.”
Again.
Known information.
Then the Alpha’s expression darkened.
“There are records of clans hunting them.”
Silence.
Metro immediately understood the implication.
And disliked it.
Greatly.
Because if the ancient stories were true—
Then Sam wasn’t just special.
She was valuable.
Dangerously valuable.
The kind of valuable that started wars.
The realization settled heavily between them.
Neither liked it.
Not even slightly.
That night—
Sam stood on her balcony.
The stars glittered overhead.
The moon shone brightly.
Everything looked peaceful.
Yet her thoughts refused to settle.
Too much had happened.
The Mark.
The training.
The power.
Froz.
Especially Froz.
Something was changing between them.
Every day made it harder to ignore.
The arguments felt different.
The teasing felt different.
Even the silences felt different.
More comfortable.
More meaningful.
More dangerous.
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
“You should be sleeping.”
Sam smiled.
Without turning around. “There it is.”
“What?”
“The lecture.”
Froz stepped beside her.
Moonlight illuminated his features.
Sharp.
Handsome.
Annoyingly perfect.
The Alpha leaned against the balcony railing.
For several moments—
Neither spoke.
The silence felt comfortable.
Natural.
Easy.
Eventually Sam glanced at him. “Thank you.”
Froz frowned. “For what?”
She looked down at her wrist.
The place where the Mark appeared.
“For not treating me like a monster.” The words escaped quietly.
Honestly.
And suddenly—
The atmosphere changed.
The teasing vanished.
The smiles disappeared.
Only truth remained.
Froz turned toward her.
His gaze steady.
Certain.
Never wavering.
Then he answered. “You aren’t a monster.”
The certainty in his voice stole her breath.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
No fear.
Just certainty.
Something tightened inside her chest.
Warmly.
Dangerously.
Because she believed him.
More than anyone else.
The realization left her speechless.
For a long moment—
Neither looked away.
The world seemed to disappear again.
Just like the dance.
Just like the lake.
Just like every moment when it was only the two of them.
Then—
A howl echoed through the distant mountains.
Both immediately turned.
The moment shattered.
Instinct took over.
Froz’s expression hardened.
Dangerously.
Because that wasn’t a normal howl.
It was a warning.
A message.
A signal.
Someone had crossed into White Fang territory.
And far beyond the northern border—
Hidden among the shadows—
A pair of eyes watched the palace.
Watched the future Luna.
Watched the girl bearing the Mark of the Moon.
Then the mysterious figure smiled.
Because the hunt had finally begun.
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