Betrothed to King Aldric Ravenhold since infancy, Sunniva Kell spent nineteen years as an outcast at court. But when the long-awaited Choosing arrives, Aldric publicly rejects her in front of nine hundred wolves, branding her a "null" without a wolf to her name. Stripped of her title and cast out into the winter cold to die, Niva soon discovers the horrifying truth: the king didn't reject her because she was empty. He rejected her because the ancient, terrifically power-laden mark forced onto her back as an infant has finally split open.



Ambushed on the mountain pass by royal guards sent to silence her forever, Niva is saved by Ronan Draeg—the ruthless, feared Alpha of Blackmarrow. Draeg sees through the royal lies to the ancient, monstrous entity awakening beneath her skin, a force older than the throne itself. Draeg offers her shelter, but he doesn't offer charity; he offers a war contract.



As the northern packs fracture and King Aldric comes hunting for the powerful weapon he mistakenly threw away, Niva and Draeg must navigate a high-stakes alliance forged in secrets, blood, and unwanted desire. To survive the coming storm, Niva must step out of the shadow of the man who unmade her and embrace the terrifying power of the wolf that sleeps within her chest.