THE WOLF KING'S BRIDE

m did no

flesh. The world shone in silver and quiet. Snowflakes dropped, soft as breath, but it was not winte

ys, she

ing around her center. His touch filled her brain

ys calling. His voice was

ld respond, the world broke-moonlight breaking on glass-an

elder grove. Dawn filtered across the villages' rooftops, frosting the fields. Ye

ollow at the base

and unworldly since the day of her birth. No one else had it. Not her mother. Not

would say, with a straine

hy of the full moon festival, Aria

ing te

The scent of wet dirt filled the air as she fled across the narrow pa

marily dreade

lf King in hushed tones-of how he once ruled with fury and flame. Of how he vanishe

a childre

anymore. And she di

the Wolf King clo

s an

s a m

ething els

rived in the vil

hing. Children trailed behind her wheels; elders closed their doors. And Aria's

her mother whispered. "Each gen

led. "Dec

er forehead and said, "Wear wh

cle, wearing white robes, flowers braided through their hair. Aria found hersel

came upon her, th

to ice. Fir

moon," she breathe

d. "What am I supposed t

boding. "He dreams of you too, child. The Ki

backe

face. "You were not born to this vill

torches flared, burning and intense, th

sworn that she saw blazing gold eye

chi

it

n they

mountains, stood the Wolf

through broken stone. And the moon

ot slept

tr

sinc

tugged at his soul lik

m had co

e the moon branded. The o

qu

eneath his skin, re

voice echoing through the empty

eir heads as one, ho

would soo

me, he woul