Ari stood at the edge of the pack grounds, leaning against a tree as if he couldn't care less about the arrival of his new mate. His heart, though, betrayed him with each eager beat. He tried to ignore it, to shove down the giddiness that churned in his gut like some foolish pup. He wouldn't let himself be excited, wouldn't allow any hope to bloom just yet.

His mind drifted back, unbidden, to that other winter when he'd courted a she-wolf, their shared glances under moonlit skies, the soft promises he'd let himself believe in. He'd been so close to asking her to be his mate. But that had been before the agony of Shadow Bane, before his shifting began to fail, before he'd lost her to fear and pity. The sting of it clawed up his throat, bitter as frost.

Now, here he was, about to meet a human woman he'd never even seen. His excitement dulled, and his mood soured further as his thoughts spiraled. What kind of human woman would agree to such an arrangement? What was wrong with her? Was she...disfigured? Desperate? Unable to find a mate among her own kind?

Just then, he spotted movement in the distance. His sister, Trissa, approached, a small figure bundled beside her—his bride-to-be. As they neared, he narrowed his eyes, his gaze snagging on her thin coat, unsuitable for the harsh winters of pack territory. His jaw tightened. Weak, frail—he'd heard how humans fared in the cold.

Without a second thought, he shrugged off his fur cloak and threw it in their direction, watching it settle awkwardly around her shoulders. "It's winter, you know," he said, his voice laced with mockery as he crossed his arms. "Wouldn't want you catching your death before we even get started."