The snow had softened everything.
It muted the packhouse, the forest, even the thoughts that usually raced through Holly’s mind when she was alone.
Night pressed gently against the windows, moonlight spilling across the stone floor in pale ribbons.
Holly sat on the edge of the balcony that overlooked the inner courtyard, legs tucked beneath her, wrapped in one of the heavy blankets someone had left draped over the railing. The air was cold enough to sting but not enough to drive her inside.
She liked it out here.
It made her feel small in a way that wasn’t frightening.
Just… human.
She didn’t hear Rowan approach.
She felt him.
The subtle warmth at her back, the quiet certainty of his presence settling into the space behind her like a promise kept.
“You’ll freeze out here,” he sa
