Damian’s POV
The cold wind never bothered me.
I pushed open the heavy front doors of my fortress, shaking the frozen snow off my shoulders. I had spent thirty-six hours straight at the northern border inspect-lines, and my head pounded with a dull, heavy ache.
Inside the grand hall, the air was warm from the stone fireplace, but the smell made me want to turn around and walk right back into the storm.
Heavy perfume. Cheap sweetness.
Two women sat on the long sofas near the fire.
The moment they heard my boots hit the marble, they scrambled to their feet.
Elena Vance smoothed down her white silk dress, putting on that soft, pure smile she always used to play the innocent lady. Her father was Elder Vance, the highest-ranking council elder in the Wolfe Kingdom, second only to my own ru
