Before the Last Freeze, She Claims the Beast

Chloe, a wealthy heiress, dies in the icebound collapse after her fiancé Liam and her stepsister Mia seize her wealth and shelter, then leave her for the undead. Given a second chance one week earlier, she discovers that her late mother's pendant holds a boundless cache. Determined never to be powerless again, Chloe abandons the people who betrayed her, gathers provisions, medicine, weapons, and fuel, and turns her home into a sealed refuge. While seeking gems that strengthen the pendant, she frees Asher, a savage lab-made warrior whose blood carries a hidden wolf strain. When the disaster strikes ahead of time, freezing streets, monsters, and desperate survivors tear the city apart. Chloe has supplies beyond measure and Asher at her side, feared by all yet devoted only to her. Together, they expose the scientists behind his creation, avenge her mother, and forge a new order from the ruins.