Novels by Winter

DanteThis was the first time I’d really seen her this close, and she was already asking me this… something so unthinkable. She’d been Rosa’s friend for a while, sure, but she had never stayed this long in my house, never invaded my space like this. Something wasn’t right.My hand tightened around her neck, my thumb brushing over the thrum of her pulse. Her eyes widened, lips parting, but she didn’t push me away. That only made me angrier.“Who the hell are you? Who sent you! What are you! Are you a hunter?” I growled, my voice low, dangerous.Her face was covered in confusion. Her lips parted like she had something to say, but before she could answer, Rosa’s voice rang from the hallway once again.“Dad, I’m home!”The sound jolted through me. My jaw clenched. Damn it. I had no choice. I tucked myself back into my pants quickly, shoving Ivy into my drawer, pressing both of us into the tight space, our bodies tangled with the piles of clothes. Her breath was hot against my chest, my ar

IvyI walked back toward the house, my mind racing, my body still trembling from the headline I’d just seen. Mrs. Tessa… dead. The words clung to me like cobwebs, refusing to let go.And there he was.Mr. Dante stood outside, his tall frame shadowed by the flashing lights of police cars parked by the curb. Two officers hovered near him, notebooks in their hands, pens ready. His face was calm, too calm. His lips moved smoothly, like every word had already been rehearsed.“When was the last time you saw Mrs. Tessa, sir?” one of them asked.Dante’s jaw flexed slightly, but his voice was steady, casual. “Around nine last night. She said she was going to visit her family.”The same words. Exactly the same ones he had told me this morning.My stomach tightened. He didn’t even flinch. He was lying straight to the police—like it was second nature.I kept walking, my gaze dropping to the ground, pretending I hadn’t heard. My pulse was pounding in my ears as I slipped past them, into the house.

IvyThe second I heard his footsteps nearing the door, I ducked into the shadows, pressing my back against the cold wall. My breath caught in my throat. My body went rigid, frozen in panic.Through the narrow crack, I saw Mr. Dante’s shadow stretch across the floor as he opened the door wider, his head tilting slightly like a predator sniffing the air. His brows were drawn tight, his blue eyes sharp, scanning the hall.“Who’s there?” he muttered again, his voice low but sharp.I swallowed hard, squeezing my thighs together to keep myself still, praying my heart wouldn’t give me away with how loud it was thundering.Seconds dragged by like hours. His gaze lingered for a moment longer, searching, and then, finally, he pulled the door shut.Only when I heard the faint click did I release the breath I’d been holding. My legs felt weak, trembling, but I forced myself to move, hurrying down the hall before he could step out again.By the time I slipped back into Rosa’s room, my chest was ac

Ivy“Have you put it in?” My voice cracked, embarrassingly shaky, as I stared up at the most handsome guy on campus—Jaxon. His trousers were tugged halfway down, his lean body hovering close, and me… I was lying there, completely naked except for the pair of glasses I always hid behind.The boy I had crushed on for years. The hockey captain. The one every girl whispered about in the hallways.He was drunk, his breath heavy with the smell of alcohol. I knew it wasn’t right. I knew it wasn’t fair. But still, this was the only chance I thought I had. The only way I could lose my virginity to someone like him. Because sober Jaxon would never even glance at me, not when I was just the nerd no one cared to notice.“I… I can’t,” he muttered, fumbling with his pants, his eyes squinting as though reality was slowly crawling back into focus.Panic shot through me. I grabbed his wrist, my fingers trembling. “Let’s do this,” I whispered, desperate, begging him with my eyes.But then he really loo