Chapter 2

Splashing cold water on my face, I stared at my reflection. The woman in the mirror had bloodshot eyes. I tried to force a smile, but my throat tightened painfully. The marble countertop felt icy cold. My mind drifted back to the deep winter last year. Ronald had just been nominated as the pack's candidate Alpha. I stood waiting for him outside the training grounds, clutching a scarf I'd knitted for three months, embroidered with our initials. I stood in the howling wind, my fingers numb with cold. Two hours later, he finally rushed up. "Louisa! I'm so sorry I kept you waiting!" He was out of breath, his voice urgent. "Elizabeth was practicing skating on the frozen lake and fell through the ice! The water was freezing. She was terrified. I had to take her to the healer. That's why I'm late." He explained. My heart felt pierced by an ice dagger, cold and sharp. But seeing his lips, purple from the cold, I instinctively swallowed the rising emotion. "It's alright, Ronald. Saving someone was the right thing to do." I stood on tiptoe, carefully wrapping the scarf around his neck. I felt the slight tremor as his body instantly relaxed. For a moment, the sourness in my chest lessened. However, the next day, I went to the training ground to deliver new hand guards. Passing near the medical tent, I froze. Ronald used the scarf I'd made as a cushion on the cold bench… for Elizabeth. The sunlight was bright, yet my vision suddenly darkened. My blood ran cold. A crushing wave of humiliation surged through me, burning my face. That scarf… three months of work, the most expensive fabric from the Southern realms. And now, it was treated like something cheap, placed under her. Ronald seemed to sense my gaze. He looked up abruptly. Our eyes met. A flicker of rare panic crossed his face. He instinctively straightened, his lips parting as if to explain. But I didn't give him the chance. I spun around and walked away quickly. The wind cut my face like knives, yet it was nothing compared to the icy chill in my heart. Why did Elizabeth only need to say a word, and Ronald flew to her side? Why did the slightest scratch on Elizabeth make Ronald act like she was made of glass? He had promised I was his one and only. But this position of primacy… was a pathetic lie. Jealousy knotted me up, turning me into a snappish mess. Ronald dismissed it as unimportant, didn't even see it as a big deal, thought I was making a mountain out of a molehill. "Louisa!" He caught up and grabbed my wrist. "Listen to me—" "Explain what?" I wrenched my hand free. "Explain why you casually gave away something I made to be used as a seat cushion? Or explain that your promises were always just empty words?" "Could you be any more childish?" He frowned, his voice laced with impatience. "Elizabeth lost both parents. Do you have any idea how much hardship she's endured in the pack? I was just lending a hand. Is it really worth making such a fuss?" "Lending a hand?" I laughed, tears betraying me and spilling over. "Ronald, what exactly am I to you?" Seeing my tear-streaked face, his tone finally softened into placation. "Alright, alright, stop this. It was my fault. Once things settle down, I'll take you to see the Northern Lights, okay?" Back then… I actually believed him again. I slumped against the cold restroom counter, staring at my reflection: eyes swollen, cheeks streaked with tears. Biting my lip, I tried to muster the last shreds of composure to fix my appearance when a soft knock sounded on the door. Before I could respond, the door cracked open. A long, strong hand extended inside, holding a silk handkerchief that smelled faintly of crisp snow and pine. Then, a figure stepped in calmly and gently closed the door behind him. Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack. Will. He didn't speak. Instead, he carefully dabbed the tears from my face. "What happened, Louisa?" "I just finished the alliance talks with the Northern Three Packs. I came as soon as I got your message. Have you changed your mind? Is it off?" Raising my eyes, my breath caught. Will stood silhouetted against the light. His silver-grey hair cascaded like spilled moonlight. A few stray strands fell across his forehead, making his ice-blue eyes seem even deeper. I noticed the silver clasp at the collar of his battle robe was still undone. It was the Silver Moon Pack's highest ceremonial combat attire – he'd clearly come straight from an extremely important event. A lump rose in my throat. "No. I'm willing." His fingertips brushed lightly against my trembling lashes. He leaned close, his murmur soft against my ear. "Don't be afraid. I'm here now." "I glanced at the venue. Today's ceremony setup is… rather shabby. It's beneath you." He paused, his tone turning serious. "Starting tomorrow, I will host a grand celebration for you, witnessed by the entire pack. I will ensure all Twelve Packs know you are my one and only mate for life." His palm settled gently on my back, giving a reassuring pat. Suddenly, I remembered the pack wars three years ago. He'd shielded me just like this, taking a near-fatal blow meant for me on his shield. Back then, he'd said: "Louisa, the one who deserves… would never make you wait this long." When we returned to the main hall, my mother stood at its center. Her Frost Moon guards stood behind her, hands on their sword hilts, facing off against the Winter Song members. The air crackled with tension. "Alpha Bellamy!" "Your arrival is timely!" Will ignored everyone, striding directly to the center of the great hall. His silver-grey hair caught the candlelight, gleaming coldly. The aura of a supreme Alpha radiated from him, sharp as an unsheathed blade of ice, instantly silencing the hall's clamor. The murmurs died abruptly. Even the eldest elder of the Blaze Pack instinctively straightened his posture. "Esteemed Elders." "My apologies for the unsightly display you witnessed today." His ice-blue gaze swept over the seats of the Twelve Pack elders, finally settling on the Winter Song delegation. "However, since the ceremony has commenced, it cannot simply be abandoned midway." A faint, humorless smile touched his lips, failing to reach his eyes, only making the temperature in the hall drop further. "Tomorrow, at this same hour and place. I, Will Bellamy, will form the mate bond with Louisa Fletcher of the Frost Moon Pack." "I expect every one of you to be present." "Punctually." He emphasized the last word, imbuing it with undeniable authority. "Bellamy!" The elder of the Falcon Pack slammed his hand on the table, rising to his feet. "Mating is a sacred affair! How can you treat it with such flippancy? This is tantamount to—" "Flippancy?" Will's gaze turned glacial. "The Winter Song Alpha abandoned his own ceremony before the elders of the Twelve Packs, for the sake of another woman. That is your notion of propriety?" He took a step forward, his presence radiating menace. "Starting tomorrow, I will set the new precedent." The Silvermoon Pack's influence was immense, and Will, as its Alpha, was a figure of dread whom none dared defy. The hall plunged into dead silence. Even breathing seemed suspended. Will paid no further heed to the stunned assembly. Turning, he placed a protective arm around my waist. As he leaned down, his lips brushed my ear. "The humiliation you suffered today… tomorrow, I will make the entire Winter Song Pack apology. You're exhausted. Let me take you to rest." With that, he guided me through the crowd. As we passed Ronald's sister, her face turned ashen, lips trembling as if to speak, but meeting Will's icy stare, she swallowed her words. Outside, the snow had stopped. Moonlight broke through the clouds, scattering shards of silver across the ground. Will unfastened his own cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders, instantly banishing the chill. "Cold?" He looked down at me. I shook my head, gazing at his sharply defined profile. A question escaped softly: "Are you truly willing?" He stopped walking, turned to face me fully, his ice-blue eyes holding mine, reflecting my image. "Louisa," he said with utter seriousness, "I have waited nine years for this day."