Ze'ev could tell he was getting closer; the sweet scent of human wafted all around him, as potent as the brisk pine of the trees. There was blood woven in as well, thick enough that he couldn't control the watering of his mouth. Red droplets littered the snow, too small for the human eye to catch, but his enhanced pupils caught sight of every single one. He recalled the taste of those droplets in his mouth – fresh from the source – and ran his tongue along his fangs.

Padding through the snow on all fours, Ze'ev followed the trail further away from the mountain and closer to flattened ground. It was rare that he was able to hunt like the predator he was, and he enjoyed every second of it. Except the constant ache in his jaw from his healing injury.

He could still remember every inch of the girl's gun barrel as she fired, splintering his jaw into small bits that were still molding themselves back together. Though he may have had genetically heightened healing abilities, it didn't absolve him from feeling pain. And getting shot hurt.

Ze'ev growled to himself when he thought of the red-haired girl's smirk as she pulled the trigger. When he got his paws on her . . .

"General?" a static voice in his ear spoke. Ze'ev snarled back loudly enough to ensure his annoyance came through over the communicator. He had warned his men not to disturb him while he was on the hunt.

"I'm sorry, sir," the static voice came again. Ze'ev could finally recognize it as belonging to his second-in-command. "But Queen Levana has requested a report. From you."

In his head, Ze'ev cursed every star in the sky. Out loud, he merely barked, "Understood."

Turning on his hind legs, Ze'ev began the long trek back to their base ship deep within the mountain. He remained fully morphed in his animal form, hoping to hurry up and make his meeting with the queen a brief one. The sooner he could get back to hunting down the red-headed girl, the better.

As he approached, Ze'ev could see his men had barely moved from the positions he had left them in. One of the second lieutenants tended to the injured – or disposed of the dead, by the smell of them. The other soldiers sauntered around the ship with clueless faces, trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out how to work the Alpha without Miss Cress's navigation. The rest sat around a makeshift bonfire with looks of abhorrent boredom as they waited lifelessly for their next command.

That was what Ze'ev hated most about being one of the queen's enhanced soldiers. They were programmed to blindly follow orders and had diligence built into their bones. However, when there weren't any orders to be followed, they were all as useless as a block of melting ice.

Ze'ev heard a snicker to his left and turned to find his brother twirling his military issued pocketknife around his fingers. He leaned against the side of the ship and flaunted his freshly-healed body in an obnoxious pose.

"Weren't you going to bring back a present?" Ran smirked as Ze'ev drew closer. "One with a pretty, red bow?"

Clenching his jaw in restraint, Ze'ev said nothing as he stretched his body back into his Lunar form. Were it anyone else but the queen herself calling, he would take the time to tear his brother's throat out. With nothing but his narrowing eyes revealing his annoyance, Ze'ev brushed past Ran and into the open barracks door.

When he reached the command bay, he found his second in command standing against the wall with a painfully erect spine. Ze'ev noticed the almost imperceptible shaking of his saluting arm; he must have been standing at attention for a long time.

To the soldier's left, an open commlink buzzed to life. A pixilated version of the queen, draped in her crystalline veil of ice, stared back at Ze'ev. He didn't need to see her face to know how furious she was – he could feel it radiating through the screen.

"Your majesty," he greeted in the lowest bow his sore muscles would allow. His second in command took his silent cue and scurried out of the room as quickly as he could.

"General," she sneered, failing to sound pleasant. "I trust there is a good explanation as to why you weren't here to answer my call?"

"I–" Ze'ev began.

"As a matter of fact," she interrupted, icily. "I was surprised I was forced to call you in the first place. After all, I demanded a full report as soon as that Iceland brat was killed."

Ze'ev sucked in a deep breath, knowing what is to come. "I'm afraid, my queen, that is the problem."

Something cracked over the commlink, like shattering glass. Ze'ev looked to the bottom of the screen to find that the queen had crushed the armrest of her ice throne. "What did you just say?" she growled at him.

"The princess escaped," he reported, trying not to let her fury shake him. "We tracked her to the mountains and prepared an assault far away from any witnesses. Unfortunately, we weren't expected her . . . companions."

The Snow Queen made a sound of disgust. "Companions?"

"Yes, your majesty. A human hunter that happened to have anti-lunar weapons and a ship full of Iceland soldiers. We believe the ship was out searching for the princess when they found us instead."

The queen shifted under her veil. "That wretched ambassador boy – he should have mentioned the humans had sent a search party. As soon as I get down there, he will be the first to witness my displeasure."

As soon as I get down there. Ze'ev gulped down his failing composure and attempted to hide his growing anxiety. "Your majesty?"

The queen turned back to him, folding her hands in front of her. "I have decided to pay the younger princess of Iceland a visit. Although, in light of your recent failure it seems as if I will be visiting both princesses. In the meantime, I want you to get everything ready for my arrival. It's time the Earth remembers why they are so afraid of me."

Ze'ev struggled to believe what he was hearing, but never let his emotions show on his face. The queen hadn't left her palace since she first cast the world into an eternal winter – now she wanted to storm the streets of one of the last surviving countries. And though she tried to make her visit sound spontaneous, Ze'ev couldn't help but think this was a part of her plan all along.

"I need you to return to the Iceland capital and ensure there is a spot on their crown with my name on it," the queen continued. "Storm the place if you have to, just make sure no one will interfere with my arrival."

Ze'ev clenched his fists. "But, my queen, I was planning on tracking down the princess and her companions–"

"Your orders have changed, General," she said, curtly. "You had your chance to kill that accursed princess and you failed. I will be dealing with her myself."

Ze'ev imagined the Snow Queen descending upon the princess and her companions like a vengeful storm. She would cast them all into an endless blizzard, or perhaps just freeze them where they stood. They would suffer – but not nearly as much as if she allowed Ze'ev to get his hands on them.

No, Ze'ev thought his mind stuck on the image of the red-haired girl, she was his kill.

Ze'ev clenched his jaw, stubbornly. "But my queen–"

"Enough!" In a fit of rage, Queen Levana slammed her fist down against her throne's cracked armrest and shattered it into thousands of tiny shards. "You are to do as I say when I say it. And I say, go to the Iceland castle and pave the way to my succession as Queen of Iceland! Am I clear?!"

Her anger shook the screen and Ze'ev waited a moment for the pixels to refocus. As much as his animal part wanted him to tell off his queen, the Lunar part knew he could not refuse the queen if he wanted to live. "Clear as ice," he responded, grudgingly.

"Good. Now bring me that warm-blooded insolence. I have a job for her as well."

Ze'ev faltered, completely forgetting the young girl's kidnapping until that very moment. If he was being honest, he didn't much care what happened to the girl now that her usefulness ran out.

"I'm sorry my queen, however, Miss Cress was captured by the Iceland soldiers hunting for the princess."

Queen Levana let out an exasperated huff that Ze'ev could see on the screen. "That is a problem."

"With all due respect my queen, I didn't think you would care about the loss of a warm one."

"I wouldn't, normally. However, that girl holds trade secrets of the crown that we must not let fall into the hands of an Earthling." Ze'ev watched her tap her nails against the remaining armrest on her throne, calculating a new plan. "She must not be allowed to survive."

Ze'ev frowned, not understanding her full meaning. The queen stood to give her explanation. "You are to order your men to meet me at the Iceland castle, where they will assist me in taking over the throne. You, on the other hand, will hunt down that warm-blooded wench and keep her from talking. Permanently."

A breath filled Ze'ev's lungs, cold from the icy air, and filled his entire body with frost. He didn't particularly like Miss Cress, but warm-blooded or not, he did not condone killing a fellow Lunar.

The queen seemed to sense his hesitance. "What's the matter, General? Cold feet? Need I remind you of your first mission on Earth I had you carry out not too long ago? As I recall, you have no problem with killing people."

Ze'ev didn't need to be reminded; he had long since tried to wipe the memory from his brain completely. The blood. The sweet, ripe scent of blood everywhere around him. There was so much in the snow that his nose had been full of the smell for days afterward.

He could still remember every inch of the Iceland King's pained face as Ze'ev sunk his teeth into the king's chest. He remembered the scream that tore out of the Iceland Queen's mouth as she watched him slaughter her husband. He remembered the horrified look on her face when he chased her into the trees and ripped into her throat.

Princess Cinder's frightened face looked a lot like her mother's. That was the only thought running through his mind when he attacked her.

Ze'ev looked down to the metal floor, knowing he had nothing to say in his defense.

"Do you understand, General?"

His voice came out in a defeated tone he had never heard himself use before, like a dog that had just been scolded by his master. "Yes, your majesty."

"Then get to it. Do not fail me again General, for your death will not be a merciful one."

The screen hummed a second longer before buzzing to black. Ze'ev finally let out his held breath and stood in the silence of the command bay for moment with his thoughts.

She wanted him to kill Miss Cress. Worse yet, she wanted him not to kill the red-haired girl. His blood boiled with such rage at the notion, he feared it would start bursting from his skin. After all he had done for her, she still treated him like a pet.

Which to her, that was what he was – what they all were. The soldiers enhanced by animal genetics were created for the sole purpose of following orders. Ze'ev had always known this, but maybe he had never thought about it while his animal was still awake and manic inside his head. Its voice bit into Ze'ev's thoughts, pure, wild instinct, and urged him to disobey his direct orders.

Finish the hunt.

The more Ze'ev lingered on the thought, the more it tempted him. It would be all too easy to continue tracking the red-haired girl's scent and pay her back for the throbbing pain in his jaw. Even if he lost his position as General – or worse – it would all be worth it if he could just get his teeth on that girl.

He could deal with the queen's wrath later – for now, he wanted revenge.

Ze'ev stormed out of the Alpha with enough aggression to shock all of his comrades. His second in command stood from his seat around the bonfire and saluted in respect. "What are our orders, General?"

Unable to keep the ravenous grin from his face, Ze'ev snickered. "You lot are to return to the Iceland palace and wait for the queen's orders there?"

"And what about you?" Ran asked, scowling. He hated the thought of his older brother getting any 'special assignments'.

"I'm going to find a little, red fox," Ze'ev replied, already brushing past the other soldiers to find the red-headed girl's trail once again.

It's been too long my good friends! I've missed you all :)

But there is actually a reason for that: I moved. Now that I'm settled (with reliable wifi!) here's an update! We are nearing the end and I am so excited!

I can't believe I've reached over 100 reviews. You guys are truly the greatest! Thank you so much!

creepyvampiregirl13: YOU ARE THE SWEETEST! Thank you so much for your awesome review! I love, love, love your reviews!

Angel Princess 31: To all of your reviews: Thanks a million! You are so nice and I'm so glad you are enjoying the story! As to your question about Nainsi, yes she is a sled. A sarcastic, funny, android-influenced sled :)

Guest: Thank you! And yes, I really need to write more :)

Livy2019: Thank you so much! I ship Winter and Jacin too! It'll be fun to see how they work things out :)

ShipAllTheThings05: It's so great to hear from you! Congrats on getting an account :) I'm so glad you still love it! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

BookAddict510: Lol thank you so much! Yes, I do love cliffhangers (as you probably read)!

dreamlit-daedalist: Oh my gosh, I am still blushing furiously from your review. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I haven't thought about Peony or Pearl in this, but maybe . . .

Human-at-Heart: Thank you so, SO much! I loved your review! You are too sweet! THANK YOU!

An enormous thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! You are all amazing people!