Frostfall was unlike anything Aria had ever imagined.
The fortress rose high above the valley, carved directly into the mountainside, its towers glowing with warm amber light that contrasted the sharp bite of the storm. Snow drifted in quiet spirals, almost peaceful now—like the mountain itself guarded this place.
Aria clutched the cloak tighter around her shoulders as Ronan helped her down from the sled. The moment her boots hit the snow, she felt dozens of eyes on her.
Wolves—both in human form and giant wolf form—stood along the entrance path, silently watching.
Some curious.
Some afraid.
Some hostile.
Ronan stepped in front of her, subtly shielding her from their stares. The gesture warmed her more than the cloak.
"Don't be nervous," he said quietly.
"I'm not nervous," she whispered.
He glanced at her.
"Aria… I can feel your pulse."
Her cheeks warmed. "Okay… maybe a little."
Ronan's lips twitched, almost like he wanted to smile but refused to let himself.
The wolves parted as he walked, allowing the two of them through. A few bowed their heads in respect to him, but when their eyes shifted to Aria's wrist—the faintly glowing Moonborn mark—they tensed.
Some even stepped back.
Ronan noticed. His voice turned colder than the wind.
"She is under my protection. No one touches her."
A ripple of obedience shuddered through the pack. Aria's heart clenched.
He didn't say mate.
He said protection.
But the unspoken truth hung heavy between them.
"Ronan," she murmured, "they're afraid of me."
"Not of you," he corrected. "Of the power you carry."
She stared at the ground. "I didn't ask for any power."
"No Moonborn ever does," he said softly.
They reached the massive doors of the fortress—two towering slabs of carved stone depicting wolves standing beneath a full moon. As they approached, the doors opened from within with a deep, resonant groan.
Warmth spilled out.
For the first time in hours, Aria's bones thawed.
⸻
Inside Frostfall
The entrance hall glowed with firelight. Thick rugs covered the stone floor, muffling footsteps. Torches lined the walls, and above them hung banners in deep midnight blue embroidered with silver wolf symbols.
Aria stared at everything, overwhelmed by the beauty and strangeness of it all.
Ronan walked close beside her, his presence grounding. "This is the Alpha Court. Where my pack gathers."
"And where I'm supposed to… stay?" she asked.
"For now," he said. "Until we stabilize your mark."
She swallowed. "You mean until the bond completes."
Ronan stopped walking. He didn't turn to face her, but his shoulders rose slightly—tension radiating from him.
"That will not happen," he said.
"But you said—"
He turned then, eyes sharper than she'd ever seen.
"It will not," he repeated. "Not until your body can handle it. If the bond settles now, it could harm you."
Aria held his gaze, her voice barely a whisper.
"And what if it… doesn't wait?"
Ronan's jaw tightened.
"Then I will stop it."
"How?" she breathed.
He didn't answer.
He couldn't.
⸻
The Court Gathers
A group of elders stepped forward from the shadows of the hall. They wore long navy robes lined with silver threads, their eyes wise… and wary.
The eldest among them bowed slightly to Ronan.
"Alpha King," she greeted.
"Elda," Ronan replied tersely. "We've brought a guest. Prepare a room in the inner wing."
The elder's eyes slid to Aria, lingering on the faint glow beneath her skin.
"A human?" she murmured.
Ronan's voice dropped. "No."
The room stilled.
Aria shifted uncomfortably under the elders' gazes. Their eyes held knowledge… and fear.
"Moonborn," one whispered.
"It can't be," another muttered. "The Moonborn died out ages ago."
"This one didn't," Ronan said.
Aria wrapped her arms around herself. "I wish everyone would stop saying that like it's a curse."
"It is not a curse," the eldest elder said, stepping closer. Her gaze softened. "It is a legacy. A dangerous one, but a powerful one."
Aria blinked. "Legacy?"
"Moonborn were once the protectors of the Alpha Kings," the elder explained. "Only a Moonborn could amplify a king's strength… or turn the tide of war."
Aria's breath caught. "And now I… what? Suddenly have a responsibility I never agreed to?"
The elder sighed. "Destiny rarely asks permission, child."
Ronan's jaw flexed.
"That's enough," he said. "She's exhausted."
The elders nodded respectfully and retreated.
Aria turned to Ronan. "Amplify your strength? Is that true?"
Ronan walked again, leading her deeper into the fortress.
"Yes," he said simply. "A mate bond between an Alpha King and a Moonborn amplifies both. But it's dangerous. Too much power too quickly can destroy the weaker host."
Aria paled. "And I'm the weaker one."
"For now," he corrected. "Your blood hasn't fully awakened yet."
She bit her lip, anxiety rising. "So I'm basically a walking accident waiting to happen."
"Not while you're with me," Ronan said.
The way he said with me sent a shiver through her—not fear.
Something else.
⸻
Inside the Inner Wing
Ronan pushed open a heavy door, revealing a spacious room lit by soft lanterns. A large bed draped in furs sat against the wall, and a crackling fireplace warmed the air.
Aria stared. "This… this is the guest room?"
"This is your room," he said.
She blinked. "My room? As in… I stay here?"
"Yes."
"But it looks—" she swallowed "—kind of royal."
He shrugged. "It's close to mine. For safety."
Her stomach flipped. "Close… to yours?"
He nodded toward another door across the corridor. "If you need anything, if your mark hurts, if you feel dizzy or overwhelmed—you come straight to me."
Heat flushed her cheeks.
Ronan looked away quickly, as if realizing how intimate that sounded.
"It's precaution," he added stiffly. "Not preference."
But the slight tension in his jaw said otherwise.
Aria took a hesitant step inside. The firelight warmed her skin, but her mind still spun with too many questions.
"Ronan…" she murmured.
He turned back.
"Will they all accept me?" she asked softly. "Your pack?"
"No," he answered honestly. "Not at first."
She swallowed.
"But they will respect you," he added. "Because I do."
Her breath caught.
"And in time," he continued, voice low, "they will see what I already see."
Aria's heart hammered. "And what's that?"
Ronan's eyes met hers—steady, intense, unguarded.
"A survivor," he said.
"A force."
"And someone fate is determined to tie to me—whether I'm ready for it or not."
Her cheeks warmed again.
Then his expression hardened slightly.
"But Aria, listen carefully."
His voice was calm but edged with warning.
"There are wolves outside these walls who will want your power. Rogues. Enemies. Perhaps even traitors within the packs."
Aria's stomach knotted.
"You must trust me," he said. "Even when you don't understand everything. Even when I make choices you don't like. Can you do that?"
Aria hesitated.
She didn't trust easily—not after what happened on Christmas Eve, not after betrayal.
But Ronan had saved her life.
He protected her without question.
And somehow, even in this strange new world, she felt safer near him than anywhere else.
Slowly, she nodded.
"Yes," she whispered. "I trust you."
Something softened in his eyes. "Good."
He stepped back toward the door.
"Rest now. I'll be just across the hall."
Aria nodded, though her heart pounded.
Ronan paused at the doorway, glancing over his shoulder.
"And Aria…"
His voice lowered.
"You're not alone anymore."
Then he left, closing the door gently behind him.
Aria exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to her glowing wrist.
Not alone.
Not human.
Not normal.
But maybe… finally safe.
The mark pulsed softly—once.
Like a quiet heartbeat.
And for the first time since the storm, Aria felt hope.