In the kitchen, Alistar and Flora were already there. Flora darted between counter and stove, humming softly while she prepared breakfast. The sun was peeking through the clouds now, as though last night’s storm had never happened.

"Good morning, Your Grace," the couple said in unison.

"Mhmm," Derek grunted in acknowledgement as he crossed straight to the fridge, pulled out a bottle of water, and twisted the cap off.

"How’s Maya doing today?" he asked.

"She is better, Your Grace," Flora replied with a warm smile. "She is with Alistar’s sister."

Derek only gave a nod of acknowledgement.

Kira burst into the kitchen a moment later like a beam of sunshine breaking through the window. "Good morning, everyone!" she sang. "Did you sleep well?"

The couple’s faces instantly lightened with joy as they saw her.

"Good morning, Your Highness!" they chorused.

Derek watched with growing irritation as she exchanged warm hellos and quick hugs with the couple, chatting as though they had known each other for years.

"How’s your granddaughter?" she asked.

The replied that she was better, going into better details than they had shared with him, yet he had known them for the longest.

"I’ll like to see her if that’s fine," Kira offered.

"Of course, Your Highness," Alistar replied. "Any time."

He reached inside his pocket and removed a cream envelope sealed with a Snow Crest wax. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"This arrived for you last night from Alpha Lucas, Your Grace. He’s inviting you and Her Highness to a dinner party tomorrow night."

Derek took it, tore the flap open, and scanned the contents. The Alpha expressed his apologies for the short notice but wished to be graced by the presence of the King and Queen while they were in his territory.

"Send him a reply. Tell him we’ll come." He glanced at Flora. "Could you take the Queen shopping and arrange a suitable outfit for tomorrow?"

"Of course, Your Grace," Flora replied with a pleased smile.

Derek gave a curt nod, turned, and walked out.

After breakfast, Flora took Kira into town. The town of Snow Crest was nothing like the stone-cold fortresses Kira had expected from a smaller pack. As Flora drove them in Alistar’s old truck, Kira found herself pressed against the car window, her eyes wide.

"It’s like a fairy tale," she breathed.

Flora chuckled lightly. "We like to think so, Your Highness. Alpha Lucas has a soft heart for greenery. He says a pack that breathes together, stays together."

They didn’t just head for the shops. Flora took her on a winding route through wide, tree-lined avenues where the leaves shimmered like emeralds in the morning sun.

They passed public parks so vast they looked like small forests and stumbled upon hidden gardens tucked between sleek, modern glass buildings.

Everywhere she looked, people moved with easy smiles, children chased each other through flower beds, and the salty sea breeze mixed with the sweet scent of fresh bread from the bakeries.

"People travel for miles just to see the spring bloom here," Flora explained with a touch of pride. "It’s a tourist attraction, truly."

For a few hours, Kira felt the weight of everything else slip off her shoulders. She laughed until her sides ached as Flora told her stories about the pack and it’s people.

They spent far too long in the boutique where she tried on dress after dress, twirling in front of the mirrors while Flora clapped and offered gentle opinions. They stopped for ice cream at a little stall by the park, and Kira insisted on buying Flora a cone too.

"Come," Flora said, her eyes twinkling. "Maya will be awake by now. It’s only a stone’s throw to our cottage from here."

As they turned the corner into Flora’s quiet, sun-drenched neighbourhood, they saw a group of people huddled outside a small, blue-shingled house. A young man was pacing the porch, his head in his hands.

"Oh no," Flora said softly. "That’s Ellen’s husband. The pup must have come early."

She packed the truck and quickly got out of the car. Kira followed her into the house, her heart beginning to thud in her throat.

On the bed, Ellen was screaming. It was a raw sound that tore through the room. Kira watched, mesmerized and horrified, as Flora and the other women worked with quickness. Ellen’s fated mate, who had been pacing outside now knelt by the bed, clutching her hand, and muttering encouraging words.

"One more push, Ellen! Just one!" Flora urged.

A final, gut-wrenching cry echoed through the house, followed by the thin wail of a newborn. For a heartbeat, there was a collective sigh of relief. The man let out a broken laugh, leaning in to kiss his mate’s forehead.

"You did it, my love," he whispered. "Look at him. He’s perfect."

But Ellen didn’t look. Her head rolled to the side, her eyes fixed on nothing.

"Ellen?" the man called, his voice cracking. "Ellen, wake up. The pup is here."

Kira watched as the light left the woman’s face. She watched as the movements of the women slowed into a suffocating stillness.

"I’m so sorry," Flora whispered, shaking her head, her shoulders sagging.

The man didn’t scream. He let out a low, whimpering sound that was far worse and gathered the lifeless body of his mate into his arms, sobbing into her neck, his entire body shaking with a grief so deep it made Kira’s own chest tighten.

The sight triggered something inside her. This was exactly how Rolf must have felt when her mother died giving birth to her. The same helplessness. The same crushing grief. The same moment when everything bright in his world turned dark forever.

It was me, she thought, I did this to him. I was the reason he lost his light.

A sob tore out of her, loud and uncontrollable, surprising everyone in the room. The grief of the stranger on the bed and hidden guilt of her own birth crashed together.

"Your Highness!" Flora turned, her face pale with alarm. She hurried over, ignoring the tragedy on the bed for a moment to catch Kira as her knees gave out. "Dear, look at me. Breathe."

"I’m sorry. I’m sorry," Kira apologised. She hadn’t truly wanted to cry or make this about her, but she couldn’t help it.

"Come away, come away from here."

The other women looked on in shock and confused at the sudden realisation that their Queen was standing in the room, and was grieving as if the dead woman were her own sister.

Kira let Flora lead her away from the room. On the short walk to Flora and Alistar’s cottage, her weeping slowly subsided into quiet sniffles, but the ache in her chest stayed sharp.

"Sit, child. Just sit," Flora pleaded, guiding her to a soft armchair. "I’ll get you some water."

Kira slumped into the chair, her head spinning. She closed her eyes, trying to push the image of the grieving husband out of her mind, but it was burned into her retinas.

A soft creak sounded from the hallway which made her open her eyes, wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her hand.

A young girl of about twelve years stood in the doorway. It had to be Maya, but she didn’t look like the "sweet" child Flora had described.

The girl’s hair was in dark dishevelled tangles. She was wearing a simple nightgown that looked too big for her thin frame. But it was her eyes that stopped Kira’s breath—they were deep, vacant, and surrounded by an eerie, shimmering aura. She didn’t move. She just stared at Kira with intensity.

Kira forced a trembling smile. She didn’t want to frighten the child, despite the cold shiver crawling down her spine.

"Hi there," Kira whispered, her voice still thick from crying. She stood up slowly. "You must be Maya. I’m Kira. Your grandma told me so many wonderful things about you."

The girl didn’t blink. She moved forward with a mechanical gait until she was standing directly in front of Kira.

Kira stretched out her hand.

Maya hesitated for a second, then reached out and took it.

The moment their skin touched, the world dissolved. Kira felt her soul being yanked backward through a vacuum. A rush of forgotten memories flooded her.

A dizzying flux of images began to fire behind her eyelids. She wasn’t standing in a living room anymore. She was facing her worst nightmare.

She gasped, eyes widening, but she couldn’t pull her hand away.

Maya’s small fingers tightened around hers, and the trance pulled Kira deeper.