Chapter 12 : The Ice Begins to Crack LIRA It started with small things .
A cup of warm honeyed tea left on my table in the morning .
A fresh set of riding gloves when mine wore thin .
A silent presence beside me when I wandered the snowy paths around the fortress .
Caius never said a word about it .
Never pushed .
But I felt him .
The bond between us was a steady thrum in my veins .
I knew he was near before I even saw him .
My wolf silent , waiting- stirred whenever he entered the room .
And every time I looked at him , I hated that I was starting to see him differently .
He wasnt just the Alpha who kidnapped me anymore .
He was the man who made sure I had warm tea every morning , who thought of me when I didnt even ask for it .
He was the man who stepped between me and his warriors when they stared too long , their eyes lingering in ways that made me feel uncomfortable , like they were measuring my worth or my strength .
He was the man who never forced me to accept something I wasnt ready for , who respected the space I needed even when I was pulling away from him in every way I could .

And the worst part ? I was starting to crave his presence .
I could feel it in the quiet spaces of my mind .
When the day stretched long , and I found myself waiting for something I couldnt name , I realized it was him .
His absence felt heavier than I ever wanted to admit .
Even the smallest interactions , the simplest exchanges , began to feel like they meant something .
I hated it .
I hated that he was getting under my skin , that I was beginning to rely on him in ways Id never intended .
That night , I sat by the fire in my chambers , lost in thought .
The flames crackled , their warmth dancing across the cold stone walls , but my mind was elsewhere .
I wasnt sure what I was thinking about perhaps the days that had passed , the way the bond between Caius and me seemed to strengthen every day , or maybe the way my wolf stirred when he was near .
But whatever it was , it was enough to distract me from everything else .
The door opened , and I didnt even flinch .
I knew who it was .
1/3 Chapter 12 The Ice Begins to Crack Caius .
+15 Bonus He walked in slowly , his presence filling the room like an imposing force .

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His silver eyes met mine , cold and unreadable at first .
But there was something else in them too something different , something that made the familiar chill of his gaze feel like an electric charge passing between us .
He held something in his hands , something small and wooden .
A carving .
A wolf .
For a moment , I didnt know what to say .
He hesitated before placing the little figure on the table beside me , the wood worn and smooth in a way that suggested care and patience had gone into crafting it .
He stepped back , silent , watching me for a moment as if waiting for something .
I wasnt sure what he expected , but I knew he wouldnt push for a response .
It reminded me of you , he said simply , his voice low , soft even , though his words carried a weight that made my chest tighten .
Then , without another word , he turned and left , the door closing behind him with a soft click .
I stared at the carving , my breath catching in my throat .
My fingers reached for it before I could stop myself , drawn to the smoothness of the wood , the shape of the wolf so intricately carved , so full of life in the way its body curled , as though it was ready to spring forward into the wild .
It was small , yes , but it felt significant .
Each detail seemed so intentional , so personal , like it wasnt just a wolf it was a piece of him .

A piece of something he saw in me .
A wave of warmth unfurled in my chest , spreading through me like a slow burning fire .
I was falling .
And I wasnt sure I wanted to stop .
The thought made me want to pull away , to push the carving away from me and pretend it didnt matter .
I didnt want to want him .
I didnt want to be vulnerable in his presence , to give him a piece of me when I didnt even know if I could trust him .
But my fingers tightened around the carving , and I couldnt help the soft sigh that escaped my lips .
It was too much .
Too complicated .
Too real .
It wasnt supposed to be like this .
I wasnt supposed to care .
But I did .
And the worst part was , I wasnt sure what came next .