Thessa led me through the forest for another hour, navigating paths that I never would have found on my own. The cold seeped into my bones. My legs trembled with exhaustion. But I kept moving, following the gray shape ahead of me, trusting her even when I didn’t trust myself.
Eventually, we emerged into a clearing where a cabin stood, large and well-maintained from the outside, surrounded by frozen gardens that hinted at summer beauty.
Thessa shifted back, grabbed a key from under a decorative stone, and opened the door.
“Get inside before you freeze to death,” she said. “There should be clothes in the bedroom.”
I shifted and stumbled, catching myself on the doorframe, naked and shivering and too broken to care about modesty. Thessa wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and guided me to a chair by a cold fireplace.
“I need to go back, get supplies, let my family know where we are.” Thessa paused, crouching to meet my eyes. “I know you’re thinking about running the moment I leave. Don’t.”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because this is the Mirabelle lake house.”
I went still.
“My mother gave me the keys,” Thessa continued. “I was planning to bring you here before... everything happened. This was your family’s property. The only one that survived the fire. The queen kept it exactly as it was, hoping that someday...” She trailed off. “Anyway. It’s yours now. And there might be things here, memories, belongings, that you’ll want to see.”
My eyes filled with tears again. I was so tired of crying. I’d been crying for days, and every time I thought I was done, my body found more tears to produce.
“Stay,” Thessa said softly. “Please. I’ll be back soon.”
She left.
And I stayed.
I started a fire.
It took me three tries because my hands were shaking too badly, and I hadn’t started a fire from actual wood in years, but eventually the kindling caught and flames began to lick at the logs. Warmth spread slowly through the room, chasing away the worst of the chill.
Three tries to start a fire. My wolf ancestors were probably howling with embarrassment somewhere. Some powerful white wolf I was turning out to be.
But small victories. I could start a fire. I could survive. The bar was low, but I was clearing it.
There were clothes in the bedroom, a woman’s clothes, my mother’s clothes, I realized with a jolt that made my chest tight. They were hanging in a wardrobe, waiting for their owner to return. I ran my fingers over soft fabrics, lifted sleeves to my nose and tried to catch a lingering scent.
There was nothing. It had been too long. Obviously. I don’t know what I was expecting. Some kind of magical motherly perfume that survived two decades in an abandoned cabin? Pathetic.
But I chose a cozy dress anyway. Pulled it over my head and wrapped my arms around myself, pretending that I was hugging her, that she was here, that I wasn’t completely alone.
Goddess, I was a mess.
The cabin was huge, much bigger than it looked from outside. Multiple bedrooms, a large kitchen, a library, a living area with windows overlooking a frozen lake. Everything was dusty, covered in years of neglect, cobwebs in corners, a fine layer of grime on every surface. No one had been here in probably twenty years.
The Mirabelles apparently didn’t believe in minimalism. Or cleaning services.
But beneath the dust, I could see what it once was: antique furniture, faded paintings on the walls, books with cracked spines. A home. My home, the home I’d forgotten.
I was sorting through more clothes in one of the bedrooms when Thessa returned.
“Here.” Thessa thrust a small vial into my hands. “Drink this. All of it.”
I stared at the silvery liquid. “You know, in the human world, we have a saying about not drinking mysterious liquids that strangers hand you.”
“I’m not a stranger. I’m your sister-in-law.” Thessa paused. “Sort of. Drink it.”
I didn’t argue further. At this point, what was the worst that could happen? I uncorked the vial and swallowed the silvery liquid inside. It tasted like nothing, no flavor at all, but within seconds, I felt it working. The dizziness that had been plaguing me for days started to fade. The nausea settled. The weakness in my limbs receded.
