Chapter 26
Feray
They will never understand.
Something in this cavern calls to me, tugging at my very soul. It's not an object I can identify, but a presence I can feel more than see. My ancient mates would understand if I voiced this feeling. But I don't want to cause a rift between the mythics and Khal and Torben.
As I follow the sensation, it leads me around a bend to where the dragon's skeleton rests.
Behind it, a chest protrudes from beneath a sheet of ice.
Shifting my nails to claws, I strike the ice, chipping it away bit by bit.
The cold bites at my fingers, but the drive to uncover the source of this calling pushes me onward.
Eventually, the ice gives way, and I pull the small chest free. Inside, I find a pair of bone-carved bracers. Beneath the bracers lies a solid bone circlet, adorned with jewels and carvings of wolves in mid-run.
My heart races.
I close my treasure within its case and carry it back to where the guys are.
"What do you have there, little wolf?" Torben is the first to spot me, approaching with a warm hug and a kiss.
"Not sure. It called to me." I offer the box to Easton.
His eyes widen as he looks inside. "The first Arctic Queen wore this set. I have a book back at my house about it."
"So, I found another crown and bracers?"
"You're half right. It's a bracer set and a bone collar. The clasp is hidden under the ornate peak here." With a click that echoes in the cavern, Diaval opens the necklace and sets it on me, locking it in place. The necklace is oddly warm against my skin, pulsing with a rhythmic energy.
"I'm guessing there's a reason you put it on me?" I arch a brow at him.
"Yes. It further proves your claim to the throne." Diaval smiles.
A shiver runs down my spine—not from the cold, but from the weight of his words. The pulsing of the necklace syncs with my heartbeat, and I feel an ancient power awakening within me. As if the queens who wore this before me are reaching across time, lending me their strength.
"Alec?" I call out. "From here, which direction to the Crescent Valley?"
"I'll show you." Alec leads us through the labyrinthine cavern, guiding us with confidence.
Finally, we emerge back to the surface. The biting cold hits me immediately as we step out into the falling snow.
"If you look due east, you can see the peak of the Queen's Mountain.
" Alec points toward the distant horizon.
"To the right of the base of that mountain is the cavern that leads you to the Crescent Valley. "
"How far do you think it is?"
"About two hours shifted. On human feet, about four hours, maybe a little more.
" He studies my map. "This is quite outdated.
We removed several of these older structures about twenty years ago.
Beyond the cavern, it's about a day and a half journey, weather permitting. In bad weather, two days easily."
I take a deep breath, ready to face whatever lies ahead.
Torben shifts beside me, and I carefully adjust the harness to fit him snugly.
With everything in place, we start our journey down the mountain.
As we pass the outskirts of the village, I notice the wolves from my father's pack lining up.
One by one, they bow as we move past them.
My eyes drift over their familiar faces, and I lower my head slightly in thanks.
"We will unite the packs. It's what my parents wanted, and it's what's best for us." The wolves respond with a chorus of howls, a sound that reverberates through the crisp air. Their song fills my chest with warmth—a blend of love and devotion radiating from their howls.
They are expressing their unwavering loyalty to their new Luna.
The weight of their trust settles on my shoulders with a comforting heaviness.
Torben's bear trudges along ahead, its massive paws leaving deep imprints in the snow, guided by Alec.
Easton, Khal, and Diaval follow close behind in their heavy winter gear.
Every breath I take is a visible puff of steam.
"Luna?" Dorian closes the distance between us. "Who are you leaving in charge?"
Well, shit. I hadn't thought that far ahead. "You and Alec will watch over the pack in my absence."
"We won't let you down, Luna." He bows his head and turns back toward the village.
"That was a wise decision, my flame. Spoken like a true queen." Easton moves alongside me.
"Just following my gut."
"We'll camp in the cavern overnight. Torben and I will remain shifted to provide extra warmth for you guys." From what I've read about my species of wolf, it would take a second ice age to bother me. Winter wolves literally have ice in their veins.
"Hey..." Easton squeezes my biceps. "Where did you go just now? Your eyes went pale blue like your wolf's before she uses her weapon."
"I was thinking about all the research my father has on what I am." I motion to the sweatshirt and jeans I'm wearing with my hiking boots. "For example, I'm comfortable wearing what most would wear in the fall. The cold has never bothered me. If Dad's research is correct, it never will."
Diaval cants his head, and I see his serpentine slits rise in his eyes. "Makes sense. I've seen winter wolves before—they are magnificent war beasts and extremely hard to defeat in battle." Pride floods his tone.
"I wouldn't be so battle-ready if it weren't for the four of you training me to fight. Some of it is my wolf's instinct, but a good part of it is what you have taught me. Thank you, everyone." Silence stretches out, and the only sound is the crunching of snow beneath our feet.
We take a short break so Torben can eat some snow.
I move alongside him, resting a hand on his broad back as I adjust his harness straps.
My wolf could easily pull this cart, but I was outvoted.
They need me to be able to shift and fight if necessary, and being attached to the cart would make that difficult if we're attacked.
The mountain range we need is in sight. Less than a mile away. About twenty minutes ago, we bundled Easton into some blankets on the sled. He was stubborn about admitting he was cold, his pride almost costing him dearly.
"We should reach the cavern soon," I yell back to the others, moving up alongside Alec.
"This has been too easy." Alec stops walking, his wolven head turning to me. The words send ice through my veins—a different kind of cold than the wind. He's right. It has been too easy.
"Go back to the pack. I have a feeling it's going to get very dangerous once we get to the cavern." He raises his hackles at me, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
"I am not going to stand here and argue with you. Head back and protect the others. A blizzard is coming, and they need both betas to guide them." His eyes dart to Torben, then back to me.
"He's not going to side with you," I add, just as Torben sits down, refusing to move.
Alec lowers his head and starts heading back to the pack, his silhouette merging with the snow-covered landscape.
"What made you send him back, Precious?" Khal moves closer, lowering the scarf from his face.
"Something is waiting for us. Either in the cavern or just on the other side." A shiver runs down my spine—not from the cold, but from the sense of impending danger that grows stronger with every step.
Then I see it. "Hey Diaval, what lays what looks like ice eggs?" I steer us behind the nearest rock formation, heart pounding in my chest.
"Blizzard dragons, frost worms, or ice serpents. Why?" Diaval steps beside me as I point toward a haphazardly constructed nest with four shimmering eggs.
His face goes pale. "Frost worms," he mutters. "They use their eggs as bait."
The words hang in the air like a death sentence.
Frost worms. I've read about them. Massive creatures that burrow through ice and snow, drawn by vibration and body heat.
They can sense prey from hundreds of feet away.
Their bodies generate intense cold—cold enough to freeze a full-grown man solid in seconds. And they explode when they die.
"I can almost hear his silent conversation with his dragon," I murmur, watching Diaval's eyes flicker. "They both know I'm no match for a frost worm."
But I have an idea. "Khal? How close do you need to be to turn someone to stone?"
He blinks at me, startled. "Within thirty feet. Why?"
"I'm not liking where this is going," Diaval growls.
"Well, here's my plan." I position myself in front of my mates, their eyes fixed on me with varying degrees of horror. "That rock grouping should be big enough for Khal to hide behind, coiled up in his basilisk form."
I gesture toward the cavern. "I'll lure the worm out and get it to chase me, leading it straight to Khal. Once I'm close enough, I'll signal him, then hit the ground as soon as I hear him move."
"You want to use yourself as bait." Torben's voice is flat in my head through the bond. It's not a question.
"I'm the fastest. I'm immune to the cold. And I'm the one it won't be able to freeze."
Silence.
Then Khal nods slowly. "I'll slide my tail out and grab you while I turn the worm to stone."
"Just in case, I'll be ready to shift and torch it," Easton adds.
"Make sure to take off that heavy coat. Goose down doesn't do well with fire," I warn. Then I turn to Diaval. "If it's stone, will it still explode?"
His eyes narrow into slits for a moment. "No. It won't explode."
"Problem solved." I look at each of them—my mates, my family, my reason for fighting.
If this goes wrong, they'll have to watch me die.
But if I don't do this, we all die anyway.
"Everyone into position." I shift into my wolf form, feeling my muscles coil with power, my senses sharpen to razor edges.
The frost worm is ancient. Deadly. A creature of nightmare and legend.
But I am a winter wolf.
The last of my kind.
And I am not afraid.
I launch myself toward the nest, ready to test just how fast I can really go.