Page 19 of Frozen Star
His mouth captures mine immediately, and this time, there’s no slow buildup. It’s like a dam breaking, a tidal wave crashing down over both of us.
I let myself get lost in it—the taste of him, the feel of his body pressed against mine, the intoxicating blend of ice and water magic swirling around us.
We sink onto the fresh snow in the clearing, and the connection between us hums to life, bright and intense, amplified by everything we’ve been through. Every touch sends another pulse of magic through my veins, sparking a fire deep inside my core.
I tug at his shirt, eager to feel the smooth, familiar coolness of his skin beneath my fingertips.
He chuckles low in his throat, leaning back just enough to look at me. “Impatient tonight, Princess?” he teases as he pulls his shirt over his head, letting it drop to the ground beside us.
My eyes roam the perfect planes of his body, impatience firing in me even more.
“Just following your royal lead.” I let my fingers trail down his chest, tracing the frost along his skin. “I thought we had a club to join.”
“Then allow me to formally welcome you—with full honors.” His voice is rougher now, his fingers sliding beneath my shirt and peeling it away, each brush of his fingertips igniting sparks that cascade through me.
The bond thrums between us, and in this moment, I let myself stop worrying. Instead, I let myself fully feel him—myRiven. The man I chose, the man I love, the man whose soul is bound to mine in every way possible.
“I love you,” I whisper against his lips, and his love crashes over me like a tidal wave—fierce, consuming, and absolute.
“And I love you,” he murmurs, his forehead pressed against mine. “Forever, Starlight.”
With that, every lingering doubt fades away. Because tonight, there’s only Riven.
My soulmate, my prince, and the love that binds us stronger than any magic in existence.
ZOEY
I pace the tower room,my bare feet silent against the cold stone floor.
It’s been twenty-two days since my transformation. I should be feeling stronger, more powerful. Instead, exhaustion weighs down my limbs like lead. The hunger that once consumed me has been fading, replaced by something far worse—a creeping weakness that I refuse to acknowledge.
The silver pendant pulses against my chest, Aerix’s blood calling to me, but even that comfort feels distant. Wrong. It’s supposed to be giving me strength, but it’s not working.Nothing’sworking.
When the lock turns at midnight, I force myself to straighten and mask the tremor in my hands as Aerix enters.
“You look pale.” He moves toward me with fluid grace, his fingers brushing my cheek.
I lean into his touch, fighting back the nausea building in my stomach. “I’m fine,” I lie, managing what I hope passes for a smile. “Just hungry.”
Laura follows behind him, her blonde hair catching the candlelight. She’s learned the routine well over these few weeks.She’s no longer the terrified girl I chose at the barns. Somehow, she’s grown stronger while I’m stuck here growing weaker.
My stomach clenches at the thought of drinking from her. It’s been bad recently… but notthisbad. I swallow it down, but it doesn’t do much to help.
“Your control is improving,” Aerix says, and I laugh inwardly, wishing what he was seeing right now wascontrolinstead of whatever sickness has taken hold of my body.
But I can’t let Aerix see. I won’t. I’ve tempered it down every time he’s visited me since it started, and there’s no reason why I can’t continue to do it now.
If I can keep it controlled, maybe it will go away. Maybe this is just one of those struggles that comes with the transition. I can get through it, just like I’ve gotten through all of it so far.
So, I straighten and focus on Laura. “Let’s do this,” I say to her, my voice steadier than I feel.
She moves toward me robotically and extends her wrist, pulse fluttering beneath pale skin.
I take her arm, trying to summon the hunger that made me nearly drain her on that first night. As hard as I try, it doesn’t come. But Aerix’s gaze is fixed on me, so I take a deep breath, force my fangs to extend, and pierce Laura’s delicate skin.
The first taste of blood is warm, metallic, and life-giving.
This is normal. It’s okay,I try to convince myself, drinking deeper, forcing the liquid down my throat.
