The Ice Beyond (Deluxe Edition) (The Empress of Thorns, 1)

Raised in a world of wolves, Lyra has spent her life chasing two impossible dreams: shifting into a wolf and winning the heart of Nordin Stormsson. Both illusions shatter when she discovers she is not a shifter, but a valkyrie stranded far from her true home, and Nordin rejects her for another. Seeking salvation, Lyra flees beyond the protective wards, only to find herself hunted by dragons, vampyrs, and rival packs.

Nordin follows, but his motivations are as dangerous as the creatures stalking her. When he intercepts her, their volatile dynamic shifts from bitter rejection to a forced, desperate alliance forged in the frozen wilderness. As they navigate the lethal landscape of the North, the lines between captor and protector blur, reigniting a forbidden passion that threatens to consume them both.

Yet, just as Lyra begins to believe in a future tethered to Nordin, she unearths a chilling secret regarding her own origins. This revelation does more than threaten their fragile bond; it exposes a truth so devastating that it promises to ruin everything they have fought to survive. In a land defined by ice and blood, Lyra must decide if the man who broke her heart is the only one who can save her legacy.