As a young stag-shifter, all Pembroke dreams of is being harnessed to Santa’s sleigh. Yet his world comes crashing down when Santa is slain by the imposter Frost.<br><br>War erupts in the Arctic Circle, pitting elf against reindeer, and Pembroke is sent on a perilous mission. If he fails, his herd will be lost. When the mission goes awry, the stag-shifter must put his trust in an unlikely ally.<br><br>Where does one turn in a land of ice and blood? What happens when the enemy infiltrates your heart? What begins as a wavering alliance just might take Pembroke farther than he ever imagined.

Sugar Plum'd

Their playful nips digging into his muscles, biting down, pinning the skin tightly to the muscle fibers bulging below. It reminded him of Kassel’s teeth, his grasp. Kassel had always seemed to hold a bit tighter than any of the other stags, as if always preparing to be let go. In the curtains of steam, the dust made him so.


Pembroke’s eyes were painted closed with stag saliva, but he could see.


Kassel came towards him. Rarely out of stag form. Even now, not abandoning it. He had always said walking around on two feet was silly and impractical in artic conditions.


Kassel strutted towards Pembroke now. His furry ears flicking playfully, his eyes full of light, but his pelt was different. Always the color of night; now it appeared streaked with silver. His gait; a bit slower, as if favoring his right side, ignoring a wound on his left flank.


Chapter 8