The wolves circled without sound.
Elara sensed them before she saw them, the way the air tightened and the forest seemed to lean inward. Frost crunched under her boots as she slowed, Mira's small weight warm against her side. The child had fallen asleep minutes earlier, trusting in a way that both comforted and terrified Elara.
"Stay quiet," Elara whispered, more to herself than to the sleeping girl.
She kept walking.
The Frostveil forest was nothing like Silver Fang territory. The trees grew taller and older, their trunks scarred with marks that felt deliberate, not wild. The wind carried a sharp, clean scent that stung her lungs. Magic lived here. Not loud. Not cruel. Old and watching.
A shadow moved to her left.
Elara stopped.
"Show yourselves," she said calmly.
The first wolf stepped out, massive and pale, eyes the color of winter steel. Then another. And another. They did not snarl. They did not attack. They studied her.
Judged her.
Elara lowered Mira gently to the ground and straightened, shoulders squared. The bond stirred faintly in her chest, unsettled by unfamiliar territory.
"I'm not here to claim," Elara said. "I'm passing through."
The largest wolf tilted its head. A ripple passed through the pack. Whispers brushed Elara's senses, not words but impressions.
Not prey.
Not an enemy.
Something… different.
Mira stirred, blinking awake. Her silver eyes fixed on the wolves without fear.
"Pretty," she murmured.
The wolves stiffened.
The largest one dipped its head.
Elara exhaled slowly.
They parted, creating a narrow path through the trees.
"Thank you," Elara said quietly.
She did not wait for permission. She walked.
Hours later, her legs shook from exhaustion. The adrenaline had burned off, leaving behind pain she could no longer ignore. Every step sent a dull ache up her spine. She had crossed too far, pushed too hard.
A clearing opened ahead, revealing a cluster of stone buildings half-hidden beneath snow-dusted branches. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys. Wolves moved openly here; some shifted, some were human.
Frostveil.
Elara slowed, senses alert.
Before she could take another step, a man stepped into her path.
He was tall, broad without being bulky, with silver hair pulled back loosely. A scar ran from his temple down to his jaw, old and healed cleanly. His presence was steady, grounded, like the land itself.
"Stop," he said calmly.
Elara stopped.
His eyes moved to Mira, then back to Elara. Something flickered there. Recognition, perhaps. Or caution.
"You crossed protected borders," he continued. "Give me one reason not to send you back."
Elara met his gaze evenly. "Because I won't survive the return."
The man studied her a moment longer, then nodded once. "Name."
"Elara."
He waited.
She did not offer more.
"Rowan Frostveil," he said. "Come."
He turned without checking if she followed.
She did.
They gave her a room with a fire and clean water. No questions. No pity.
Mira explored immediately, touching everything, humming softly. Elara sank onto the edge of the bed, muscles trembling now that she was safe enough to feel it.
Rowan returned with food. He placed the tray down and watched as Elara stood again, forcing strength into her limbs.
"You don't have to perform," he said.
"I know," she replied.
She ate slowly. Mira devoured her portion with enthusiasm, crumbs dotting her cheeks.
Rowan leaned against the wall. "You're not ordinary."
Elara's mouth stilled.
"I don't mean insult," he added. "The forest reacts to you. Wolves listened when they should have challenged."
She swallowed. "I don't want trouble."
"Trouble rarely wants permission."
Silence stretched.
"Your child," Rowan said at last. "She carries something ancient."
Elara's fingers tightened around her cup. "She carries my blood."
Rowan's gaze sharpened. "And more."
Elara did not respond.
Rowan sighed. "You can stay. Temporarily."
"Thank you."
"But Frostveil isn't a refuge for broken bonds," he continued. "Whatever you ran from will find you if you don't face it."
Elara looked up, eyes steady. "I didn't run."
Rowan studied her a moment longer, then nodded. "We'll see."
That night, Elara dreamed of fire and ice colliding. Of silver light breaking through darkness. She woke with her heart racing and her skin warm despite the cold.
Mira slept peacefully beside her, one small hand glowing faintly.
Elara closed her eyes.
No. Not now.
She covered Mira's hand gently until the light faded.
Days passed.
Elara worked without complaint. She cleaned, gathered herbs, helped repair stone walls. She spoke little and observed much. Frostveil watched her in return.
She felt herself growing stronger. Not in bursts, but steadily. Controlled.
One evening, as snow fell thick and slow, Rowan found her training alone beyond the outer ridge.
"You move like you expect an attack," he said.
"I do."
"From who?"
Elara paused, breath misting in the cold. "From the past."
Rowan crossed his arms. "You won't outrun it forever."
"I don't intend to."
He watched as she shifted partially, claws forming, then retracting smoothly. Power hummed beneath her skin, disciplined and sharp.
Rowan's expression changed. "That control isn't learned."
"It woke when I lost something," Elara said quietly.
Rowan nodded once. "Royal blood responds to loss."
Her head snapped up. "What did you say?"
He met her gaze calmly. "You didn't know."
Elara laughed once, sharp and humorless. "No."
Rowan's voice softened. "Then you should."
Before he could continue, pain slammed through Elara's chest.
She gasped, staggering back.
The bond flared.
Violent. Demanding.
Rowan caught her before she fell. "What is it?"
"He found me," Elara whispered.
Far away, Kael fell to his knees as the bond snapped tight, roaring awake.
Elara pressed a shaking hand to her heart, then to her stomach instinctively. Mira's presence steadied her, anchored her.
"I won't let him take you," she murmured.
Rowan's jaw tightened. "Then Frostveil will stand with you."
Elara straightened slowly, pain burning but contained.
"No," she said. "I will stand."
The wind howled across the ridge, carrying with it the promise of reckoning.
And somewhere beyond the mountains, a former Alpha began to understand the cost of his choice.