Shadows and Snow
The world was entirely different.
Looking through the silver eyes of my wolf, the Great Hall was no longer a terrifying, oppressive dungeon.
The air was alive with vibrant, pulsing colors of scent and emotion.
I could smell the sharp, metallic tang of Beta Torin's absolute terror.
I could hear the erratic, rapid heartbeats of the hundreds of warriors still pressing their faces to the freezing stone floor.
But out of all the overwhelming sensations, only one truly mattered.
Kade.
The Butcher of the North was still kneeling before me, his massive hand resting gently on my white snout. Through the Mate Bond, his emotions flooded into my mind—a tidal wave of blinding pride, fierce protectiveness, and an all-consuming, obsessive adoration.
My inner wolf let out a deep, rumbling purr that vibrated through my massive chest. I leaned my heavy head into his palm, closing my eyes.
Run, my wolf urged, her ancient instincts completely taking over. She had been locked in the dark for twenty years. She didn't want to stand in a stone room. She wanted the wind. She wanted the moon.
I pulled back from Kade's touch. I didn't look at the kneeling Pack Council.
I spun on my massive paws, my heavy claws clicking against the ice, and bolted for the heavy iron doors of the fortress.
The guards scrambling to open the gates were a blur of motion. I burst out of the castle and into the freezing, howling blizzard of the Northern Wastes.
The cold didn't hurt me anymore. My thick, iridescent white fur absorbed the freezing temperatures, turning the icy wind into a refreshing, exhilarating rush. I hit the deep snowbanks at full speed, my massive muscles propelling me forward with a grace and power I had never known.
I was flying. For the first time in my miserable, abused life, I was completely, absolutely free.
A thunderous roar echoed from the fortress behind me.
I didn't need to look back to know who it was. The heavy, intoxicating scent of dark musk and cedarwood flooded the freezing air.
I slowed my pace, turning my massive white head just as a shadow exploded from the castle gates.
Kade had shifted.
The Shadow King's wolf was an absolute nightmare made of muscle and teeth.
He was a colossal, pitch-black timber wolf, his thick fur blending seamlessly into the darkness of the night.
A jagged, hairless silver scar slashed across his canine face, mirroring his human form.
He was the largest wolf I had ever seen, slightly taller and much broader than my own ethereal white form.
His massive paws tore through the snow as he completely closed the distance between us in seconds.
He didn't tackle me. He didn't try to dominate me. The terrifying black beast slowed as he reached my side, matching my pace perfectly. His glowing golden eyes locked onto my silver ones.
My Queen, Kade's deep, rich voice echoed directly inside my mind through our mental bond.
Catch me, my King, I shot back playfully, a sensation I had never experienced before bubbling up inside my chest.
I dug my claws into the ice and launched myself forward, kicking up a massive spray of white snow directly into Kade's terrifying face.
Kade let out a booming, barking laugh through the bond. The deadly warlord was actually playing.
We ran for miles. We tore through the ancient pine forests, our massive forms weaving effortlessly through the trees.
It was a chaotic, beautiful dance of black and white.
Every time he got close enough to nip playfully at my heels, I would use my lighter, more agile frame to dodge, spinning around to tackle his massive chest.
We finally broke through the tree line, emerging onto a massive, frozen lake illuminated by the full moon.
I skidded on the ice, losing my footing. Before I could fall, the massive black wolf crashed into me. We tumbled together in a flurry of snow and fur, sliding across the frozen surface of the lake.
Kade pinned me softly to the ice. His massive, heavy body completely blanketed mine, but he didn't put his full weight on me. He hovered over me, his hot breath ghosting over my snout.
You are magnificent, Kade whispered in my mind, his golden eyes filled with absolute reverence as he looked at my white fur glowing in the moonlight. They kept a goddess locked in a cage.
I'm not a goddess, I replied softly, my wolf whining contentedly as I bumped my nose against his scarred jaw. I'm yours.
The admission shattered the last of his legendary control.
Kade let out a deep, possessive groan. The air around us shimmered with raw Alpha heat.
The transition back to human form was seamless. The massive black wolf melted away, instantly replaced by the towering, heavily muscled form of the warlord. Kade straddled my hips, his bare, tattooed chest heaving in the freezing air.
I shifted back a second later, my human body small and fragile beneath his massive frame.
The cold of the ice beneath my bare back was completely neutralized by the searing, impossible heat radiating from Kade's skin.
He didn't hesitate. Kade's large hands framed my face, his thumbs sweeping across my cheekbones as he leaned down and captured my lips.
The kiss wasn't gentle. It was a starving, desperate collision.
It tasted like winter and absolute devotion.
All the fear, the trauma, and the years of abuse completely burned away in the fire of his touch.
He kissed me like I was the oxygen he needed to survive, his heavy body pressing me into the snow, marking me as his equal, his mate, and his Queen.
When he finally pulled back to breathe, his forehead rested heavily against mine. His icy blue eyes were entirely dilated, completely consumed by me.
"I am going to build you an empire, Nia," the Butcher of the North vowed against my lips, the snow falling softly around us. "And anyone who ever made you feel small is going to burn."