ay

ry passing hour. People smiled here. Not the polished smiles servants wore

les. War

greeted her

e b

oduced th

ply welc

ome

se confu

o

only a

se. Nobody asked what flowers she could grow. Nobody

sure what to

ng for the hid

xpect

de

d not

e

cage. Perhaps a larger o

till

appened when pe

changed. The rules changed.

ed and children ran toward her, May

nearly collided

ve been older than six. Snow clung to her boots. Her brown braids bounced

l thrust som

low

white

ed. One petal had

ed proudly. "I pi

sta

er given her

without wanting s

nt down to acc

ered. One boy offered another flower. Then another. So

agical flowers. Not flowers

because someone wa

left her stran

wasn't unusual. She

n didn't se

eally grow fr

alk to but

u a pri

bli

r head at the

ldren l

wasn't strange. As tho

Maya forgot

the castle gate. Once the gate closed, Maya looked behind to all the bri

rs into her dress pocket, vow

it warmed

/

ingdom was not as lavish as Aurellia. Instead of marbled floors and gold crystal chandeliers, there

isk punishment on day one. The wounds on her back stung at the thought. So, she stayed perfectly still on the spot where Grey

. He was just so... big and menacing. Especially his obvious irritation or perhaps even disgust toward h

ou

e. His eyes were

ewolf famous for their temper and with a body as big as Grey surely would not hold

tbeat neit

he was struggling to say this, "

blin

ctually m

re not to tell anyon

her

an on telling a

o demonstrate

also m

ll do a

y stared at him. Then

his voice,

her

it as

/

erself standing near a

ed. A fireplace crackled softly nearby. Fresh blankets covered a

the door. No guar

Strange... yet wa

pon the windowsill. The tiny flowers looked

The door opened to an older woma

aya thought she wa

n's cheek. Another disappeared beneath her sleev

a warrior, Maya t

ed warmly. "I

ly. Warm. Rich. Comforting. The

om a freshly

d painfully insi

o

t

th

ng but

blivious. "Eat bef

hands trembled. The s

tt

ema

vege

ic

ly th

y. The

ok one bite. And suddenly s

tongue." Freya laughe

blew at the steaming pie.

s crinkled with amusement.

ut

N

am

N

ory sha

. Then another. And another. She hadn't even re

diately panick

ily shook

g was

ing was

ing was

pie was

d beside her. "Di

Maya. Although she stil

" The wom

hook h

" the woman kept pu

aya's he

N

ya's tears

g the woman confused made Maya laugh weakly through h

d. Then awkwardly patted Ma

Because nobody had comfort

top crying, the woman introduc

tened at

one of Stormfa

tell Bina that. So she just scooped another

"I know. Hard

y as Bina settled i

es people. I can

if asking Bina to elabora

s can transform into both forms." Sh

d. She kne

Bina shrugged. "So now I

l. As though life simply moved on. May

spoke about Stormfang. About the Everlasting Tree. About wolves

ope. Every story som

stened

her chest slow

they didn't. She wasn't t

n't eve

windowsill swayed

ers. Simple

ations. N

exi

herself sta

Perhaps simple things c

/

the conversation.

od. "I'l

revealing Grey s

didn't rec

e white shirt and black trousers. His dark hair remained damp as tiny droplets stil

, very intim

an none

room and paused briefly on th

ng," he anno

ng. No ex

mediate

cloak toward her. S

r th

ob

us. "Will she be

iately. "I don't know."

like

him, leaving a co

/

and Red waited b

e relief, it was

ft. Comfortable. She silently than

t sparkled in his eyes.

nod

t thing to laughter she

e and sat opposite her. H

al, passed the central market, passed

d everythin

ildren chased each other through the snow

seemed

ssed. Especially

, people feared powerful men. Valir

ed somethin

us

cross from her only showed irritation toward her. Perha

il

ple lov

dn't unde

t

/

ty disappeared. T

ees stretched endlessly toward t

aveled, the quieter

ly the carr

rcus followed. Then Red. M

ld herbs surrounded the fence despite the cold. Smoke curled from the ch

fore she could

y looked away. Maya too,

ocked, the door

illed down her shoulders. Wrinkles covered every inch of her face. He

ened hi

ler

Instead, she hurried straight

woman grabbed both of her hands.

dened further. As though she had

. Unsure w

. Red frowned. Even Gr

aughed. A delighted

trembled in excitement. ".

nds tighter. Staring d

dec

a Rona so brimmin