Widow sta Helgesen's husband died years ago in a brutal attack that cost her everything she loved. For four years, she has lived as sta Oleander, hiding in plain sight as she mourns her husband. The one time she took a man to her furs, the crushing guilt overwhelmed her brief need to move and she vowed Dnel would be the last. Now the maniacal Jarl who killed her husband has discovered she's alive and is determined to make her his bride. He's dangerous, powerful and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Forced to flee, sta journeys to the bitterly cold northlands to seek sanctuary in the isolated lands of a man she bedded once, and then rejected. Will he protect her from a murderer? Or has she made a terrible mistake?
A warrior with a painful past...
Following the death of his brother, Dnel Kvitfjell has returned to the Smi northlands to take over the shipping fleet that supports the family village. Yet everything reminds him of the tragedy that led to his childhood banishment and he realises that, after more than a decade fostered with Vikings, his family now feel more like strangers. All he wants is to fulfill his duty to his people and return to life with his Viking comrades, but the unexpected arrival of sta and her dangerous secrets jeopardizes everything. Why has the woman who rejected his affections sought him out? Forced to flee deep into the wilderness with sta, Dnel must confront the painful past that haunts him. Can he protect sta from both the man hunting her and the harsh winter land where one mistake can steal those you love?