Ghostly Snow: A Dark Fairy Tale Adaptation (Girl Among Wolves Book 3)

by Lena Mae Hill

  She nods like a bobblehead the entire time I speak. “Agreed,” she says, standing and brushing her dirty hands together. “I’ll sign whatever papers, and get my people to sign…our people. Well, actually, you might have to do that part.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask, squinting up at her. “Bringing me in to help isn’t going to earn you any respect in their eyes.”

  “But you’re equally the heir as much as I am. You can be my co-queen.”

  After a pause, I stand and hold out my hand for her to shake. “Okay. If you’ll be my sister.”

  Chapter 35

  While I was busy with Astrid, I forgot to watch the moon. When I look up, the wolves are all waiting, looking supremely uncomfortable. And then I see the moon, a huge red orb in the sky, earth’s shadow blocking it from reflecting the sun. The wolves are past due for shifting, but they were waiting for me.

  “I’m sorry,” I mutter.

  “Are you kidding?” Harmon asks, grabbing me and pulling me in for a rough kiss. “You were brilliant. You were…” For a second, his eyes flicker out, glazing with the effort of holding back his wolf. Now that I’ve done it, I know how hard it is to control.

  “Let’s talk later,” I say.

  “Thank you,” he says quietly. “And thank you for…negotiating so brilliantly for us.”

  “For us,” I say, squeezing his hand.

  His gaze sizzles with heat as it meets mine, his animal wanting to come out. The promise in his eyes that makes my cheeks warm.

  But for now, I have to share him. He raises his voice to carry over the others. “Let’s hunt.”

  A raucous, wild cheer goes up. Clothes are shredded in the wolves’ hurry to undress.

  “What about me and Astrid?” I ask, knowing we should be gone, not witnessing this sacred ritual.

  “Stay,” he says. “Hunt with me. You’re my mate.”

  “Should I try to shift into a wolf?”

  He shakes his head. “You’re not a wolf, and I’m not asking you to be one. Be yourself.”

  “Can I come, too?” Astrid asks.

  Harmon’s cheek twitches, and I know he’s measuring the cost of this. Will the other wolves disagree? But he’s the Alpha, and he doesn’t allow more than that one second of indecision. “Yes,” he says. “As a show of our faith in the shifters’ new leader, and the unity of our peoples.”

  “Cool,” Astrid says, hopping up and standing before him, completely naked, with no shame.

  My jealous streak flares, and my tiger roars to come out. While Harmon drops to all fours to shift, I try to catch Astrid’s eye with my glare, but she doesn’t notice.

  “What should I shift into?” she asks innocently, still standing there stark naked.

  That’s it. I let my tiger out, and she leaps forward at Astrid, sensing a threat. Astrid shrieks and shifts into an owl, and I wonder if she was the owl I saw watching me a long time ago when I tried to escape. My tiger doesn’t care. Her first instinct is to kill, to ask questions…well, never. But I reign her in, getting the hang of being in her skin again. Once, I might have let her swipe at Astrid. Hell, I did try to eat her five minutes ago. But now, I control that tiger instinct even as I race along the trail beneath a pair of outstretched wings. Astrid is my ally now. My sister.

  *

  Ahead, the howl of wolves echoes up the mountainsides, through our valley. One day, it will echo through all of the Three Valleys. I can feel it. With Harmon’s determination and leadership, with my ties to the shifters, it will happen. We will make it happen.

  I race to catch up, the pads of my huge feet gripping the ground, my claws gripping boulders as we start up the mountain. A little white wolf slips in beside me, and a brown one takes my other side, throwing her shoulder against my leg as I stride forward. I stumble, and she prances around, her tongue hanging out, laughter in her eyes. I swipe at her with one paw, but she turns and streaks up the mountain. My tiger wants to lie down and preen, reveling unashamedly in the swelling joy in my heart.

  But she catches a scent, and her attention turns. I let her carry me, let her take over. A hunger fills me, not my stomach but my soul. And I love it. For the moment, everything is right in the world. We pass a wolf, then two more. Outpacing everyone, until we’re running shoulder to shoulder with Harmon. Pride swells inside me. I’m no longer the scared little outcast hidden away in an attic. I fought my way up, and now I’m the strongest one here. I’m at the front of the pack, next to my Alpha.

  This is where I belong.

  This is me. Girl. Tiger. Queen.

  The End

  From the Author

  Hey, y’all! Thank you so much for coming along on Stella’s journey! If you’ve enjoyed reading, please leave a short review here. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

  Though Stella’s story ends here, I have lots of stories planned for other characters in the series. To get updates on upcoming books in this world, please join my VIP Readers Club. You’ll not only be the first to know about new releases, but you’ll also get sneak peaks, bonus content, and have the chance to make suggestions for future books. Get access here.

  If you haven’t read the short story, Before the Magic, you’ll get that first thing!