Thorne's POV
I woke up on the cold stone floor with no memory of how I got there.
My head pounded like someone had hit me with a hammer. I groaned and tried to sit up, but my arms wouldn't obey. Everything felt heavy and wrong. "Your Majesty!" Captain Ryder's face appeared above me, worried. "Don't move. You might be injured." "What... what happened?" My voice came out rough and scratchy. "I don't know. I found you unconscious in the hallway about an hour ago. There was dark magic residue everywhere." Ryder helped me sit up slowly. "Do you remember anything?"
Dark magic. The hallway. And... "Nova," I said suddenly, memory rushing back. "Where is she? Is she safe?"
Ryder's expression changed to confusion. "The quiet servant girl? Why would" WHERE IS SHE?" I grabbed his shirt, panic clawing at my throat. "I... I don't know, Sire. I haven't seen her since last night."
I was on my feet before he finished speaking, swaying slightly. The world tilted, but I forced myself to stay standing. I had to find her. Had to make sure she was okay.
Because she was my mate.
The realization hit me like a lightning bolt. That golden light, that pulling feeling, the way my heart seemed to beat in rhythm with hers, it all made sense now.
Nova was my fated mate.
And Lady Seraphina had attacked us. "Search the palace," I ordered, my voice hard. "Find Nova. And find Lady Seraphina. I want both of them brought to me immediately." "Sire, perhaps you should rest." "NOW, Captain!"
Ryder jumped, then bowed quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty."
He ran off, shouting directions to the guards. I leaned against the wall, trying to piece together what had happened.
Lady Seraphina had been there. She'd said something about the Winter Solstice and the Crown of Winter and... a lost princess?
Nothing made sense.
But one thing was crystal clear: Nova was in danger, and I had failed to protect her.
Just like I'd failed eight years ago.
No. I wouldn't let history repeat itself. Not this time.
I pushed off the wall and headed toward the servants' rooms, ignoring the pain in my head. Guards and staff scattered out of my way, their eyes wide with fear at my expression. "Has anyone seen the mute servant girl?" I asked. "Nova?"
They shook their heads, scared.
I searched room after room, getting more desperate with each empty space. Where was she? What had Seraphina done to her?
Finally, I burst into the servants' sleeping area, a big room with rows of small beds. Most were empty, the staff already up and working.
But one bed in the corner had a lump under the blankets.
I crossed the room in three steps and yanked the covers back.
Nova lay there, curled into a tight ball, shaking. Her eyes were closed, and sweat beaded on her temples. She was having a nightmare.
Relief crashed over me so strong I nearly fell to my knees.
She was living. She was here. She was "No," she whimpered, not out loud, but I saw her lips form the word. "Please... don't hurt them..."
She was thinking about something terrible.
I knelt beside her bed and gently touched her shoulder. "Nova. Wake up. You're safe."
Her eyes flew open, wild with fear. For a second, she didn't recognize me. Then understanding flooded her face, and she scrambled backward against the wall, her hands up defensively. "It's okay," I said softly, keeping my distance. "It's just me. You're safe now."
But she didn't look like she believed me. She looked frightened.
Of me?
No. Not of me. Her eyes kept moving to the door, to the windows, like she expected someone else to burst in.
She expected Seraphina. "Nova," I said carefully, "I need you to tell me what happened last night. After I touched your heart, the golden light appeared. Lady Seraphina was there, and then..." I frowned, trying to remember. "Everything went dark. Did she hurt you?"
Nova shook her head quickly, but I didn't believe her. She was pale and shaking, and there were dark circles under her eyes like she hadn't slept at all. "Did she say anything to you? Threaten you?"
Nova paused, then nodded slowly.
Rage burned through me. "Where is she now?"
Nova pointed toward the guest wing of the house, where the visiting nobles stayed. "Stay here," I ordered. "Don't leave this room. I'm putting guards outside your door. You'll be okay."
But as I turned to leave, Nova grabbed my wrist.
The moment her skin touched mine, that golden light flared again, softer this time, but still noticeable. The mate bond hummed between us, warm and right.
Our eyes met, and I saw everything she couldn't say: fear, hopelessness, and something else. A warning. "You want to tell me something," I said. It wasn't a question.
She nodded frantically. "About Lady Seraphina?"
Another nod. "Is she dangerous?"
Nova's grip on my wrist stiffened, and her eyes filled with tears. She nodded so hard her whole body shook. "I'll be careful," I promised. "But I need answers, and she's the only one who can give them to me." I gently pried her fingers from my wrist. "Stay here. Trust me."
The look in her eyes said she wanted to trust me, but didn't think it would be enough.
I left two guards outside her door with strong orders not to let anyone, especially Lady Seraphina, anywhere near her. Then I headed toward the guest room, my mind racing.
What was going on? Why did a noble lady from the Eastern Territories know about mate bonds and lost queens and the Crown of Winter?
And why did she want to hurt my mate?
I found Lady Seraphina in the breakfast room, quietly eating pastries like she hadn't attacked two people with dark magic last night. "Your Majesty!" She smiled brightly when she saw me. "How nice to see you this morning. I heard you had a little accident last night. Are you feeling better?" "We need to talk," I said coldly. "Privately."
Her smile didn't change. "Of course."
I led her to my private study and locked the door behind us. Then I turned to face her, letting all my alpha power show. "What did you do last night?" "I don't know what you mean, Your Majesty." "Don't lie to me." My voice came out as a growl. "You attacked me and my... and Nova. I remember it. There was dark magic."
Seraphina's perfect image finally cracked. Her smile turned cold. "Ah. So you do remember." She tilted her head. "How terrible. I was hoping the memory spell would hold longer." "Memory spell?" My hands clenched into fists. "Who are you really?" "I am exactly who I said I am," Seraphina said. "Lady Seraphina Frost, from the Eastern Territories. Though I may have left out a few... facts about my background." "What details?"
She walked to the window, looking out at the palace gardens. "Tell me, Your Majesty, what do you know about the Moonstone Kingdom?"
The question hit me like a punch to the gut. "Why are you asking about that?" "Because eight years ago, you failed to save it. You arrived too late, and everyone died. Or so everyone believes." She turned back to me, her silver eyes glowing slightly. "But what if I told you that not everyone died? What if I told you the princess survived?"
My heart stopped. "That's impossible. We searched the ruins. There were no survivors." "You searched badly, then." Seraphina smiled bitterly. "Princess Nova Winterhart has been living this whole time. Living right under your nose. Working as a servant in your home."
No. She was lying. She had to be lying.
But even as I thought it, pieces clicked into place. Nova's learned handwriting. Her age is 24, the same age the princess would be now. The way she'd been in the house for exactly eight years.
The Crown of Winter is hidden somewhere that only royal blood can find. "You're saying..." I could barely make the words. "Nova is Princess Nova Winterhart?" "Finally, the great Ice King figures it out," Seraphina mocked. "Yes. Your precious mute helper is actually the lost princess. The true heir to the Moonstone Kingdom. The keeper of the Crown of Winter." "Why are you telling me this?" "Because I want you to know exactly who you're going to lose." Dark magic swirled around Seraphina's hands. "The Winter Solstice is tomorrow night. During the festival, when all the wolves are gathering, and magic is at its peak, I'm going to kill Princess Nova and take the Crown for myself. And you, Ice King, won't be able to stop me."
She raised her hand, and I felt invisible bands wrap around my body, freezing me in place. "A little leaving gift," Seraphina said sweetly. "This magic will wear off in a few hours. Just enough time for me to make sure your precious mate can't run away again." "Don't you dare touch her!" I roared, fighting against the magic. "Oh, I won't touch her. Yet." Seraphina walked to the door. "But I will be watching. And the moment she tries anything foolish like warning you or running away, I'll kill those precious wolf brothers of hers. Did you know about them? Three cursed princes, stuck as wolves, hidden in the Enchanted Woods."
Brothers. Cursed. The dogs from last night.
Everything Ryder had hinted at suddenly made terrible sense. "You're a monster," I spat. "No, Your Majesty. I'm a winner. And survivors do whatever it takes to win." She opened the door. Enjoy the fair tomorrow. It will be your last."
She left, locking the door behind her with magic.
I fought against the invisible chains, my wolf howling inside my mind. I had to get free. Had to warn Nova. Had to The door burst open.
Captain Ryder stood there, his sword drawn and magic glowing around the blade. "I heard yelling. What?" He saw me frozen and cursed. "Dark magic. Hold still, Sire."
He swung his sword, cutting through the imaginary chains. They shattered like glass, and I fell forward, gasping. "Seraphina," I managed. "She's going after Nova. We have to"
An explosion rocked the house.
Ryder and I ran to the window and looked out. Smoke rose from the maids' quarters. "No," I whispered. Then I was running, faster than I'd ever run in my life.
Please be okay. Please be living. Please
I burst into the maids' area to find it in chaos. The two guards I'd placed were unconscious on the floor. The door to Nova's room was blown off its hinges.
And Nova was gone.
On the wall, written in dark magic that sizzled and smoked, was a message: "Come to the Enchanted Woods at sunset tomorrow, alone, or the princess and her brothers die. Bring the Crown of Winter if you want them to live. S"
I fell to my knees, the weight of failure crushing me.
I'd lost her.
Just like I'd lost her country eight years ago.
History was repeating itself, and I was powerless to stop it. "Thorne." Ryder's hand gripped my shoulder. "We'll get her back. We'll" How?" I looked up at him, and I knew my eyes showed the despair I felt. "I don't have the Crown of Winter. I don't even know where it is. And even if I did..." I swallowed hard. "Seraphina is more powerful than any enemy I've ever faced. How am I supposed to save Nova when I couldn't even protect her from being kidnapped from my own palace?"
Ryder was quiet for a moment. Then he said something that changed everything. "Maybe you're not supposed to save her alone. Maybe that's been your problem all along, trying to carry everything by yourself." He pulled me to my feet. "Nova has been living for eight years without anyone's help. She's better than you think. And she has three brothers who would die for her, a doctor who's protecting them, and now she has you, her fated mate." "But the mate bond" Makes you stronger together. Not weaker." Ryder's eyes were fierce. "So stop thinking like the Ice King, who fights alone. Start thinking like an alpha who has a pack. A mate. A cause."
He was right.
I'd spent eight years building walls around my heart, sure that being alone made me stronger. But maybe all it did was make me cold.
Nova had cracked those walls in one night with just a look from her scared eyes.
And I would tear down the whole world to get her back. "Gather everyone we can trust," I ordered, power returning to my voice. "We have until sunset tomorrow. That gives us one day to figure out where the Crown of Winter is hidden, how to rescue Nova and her brothers, and how to beat a dark witch who's more powerful than anything we've ever faced."
Ryder grinned. "Now that sounds like the alpha king I know."
As he ran off to join our allies, I looked down at my hand, the one Nova had grabbed earlier. The one that still tingled with the warmth of the mate bond. "Hold on, Nova," I whispered. "I'm coming for you. And this time, I won't be too late."
But even as I said it, a terrible thought occurred to me.
What if the Crown of Winter wasn't kept in some secret location?
What if Seraphina had been telling the truth when she said it was hidden in Nova's heart?
What if saving my mate meant losing her forever?