The Recluse.

Winter’s POV

When the guard leaves, Keon exhales loudly.

He doesn't have to say anything for me to feel all of his emotions.

The way his emotions fight against each other like waves at sea.

His back faces me, while he stares down the window, deep in thought.

So am I.

Mother never, and I mean never, leaves the coven, unless it's a matter of life and death.

Did she sense that I was nearly attacked again?

Or could it be...

The golden eye burns in my memory.

The Eye of the Witcher.

No.

There's no way.

In our lore, The Eye of the Witcher is supposed a symbol of protection and favor. Our ancestors used it to win wars and conquer territories. Even the Wolf-Witch war.

I shake my head.

The only problem was...

The Wolf-Witch war ended centuries ago, and no one has physically seen the eye ever since.

So why would it resurface for me specifically? And then claim me?

The way it thundered "mine" still has my heart rate jumping.

Does it have something to do with Keon and Derrick?

Had it protected me when I first got attacked?

The only time I remember seeing it was in that study with Keon but I was the only one who saw it.

I try hard to remember if I'd seen it anywhere else.

Later that day...the first time I got attacked, I could've sworn someone saved me right before I was about to pass out. But was it Keon or Derrick that saved me?

Or maybe the eye itself?

I think long and hard, trying to at least recall something.

It doesn't work.

Dammit.

Just how much do I not know anyways?

I can feel my magic flaring at the edges as my anger rises.

Keon senses it too.

"Winter?"

Why is all of this stuff happening to my anyways? It's just too much that's happening all at once. From the forced marking to the mating I had no option but to go along with, to bring double marked, the attacks and fighting my feelings for both Derrick and Keon.

It's too much.

I should've never gone out on that run. Maybe if I hadn't, all this wouldn't be happening to me.

My eye feels moist with the onslaught of emotions passing through me. I ignore Keon, turning towards the wall.

I don't want him to see me like this. I hate being portrayed as weak. And all I've been since I got here was weak.

So so weak.

Father would be disappointed.

My breath shakes as I try to control my breathing.

Calm down Winter.

Meanwhile, Keon footsteps sound behind me as he approaches. His shadow towers over me once he reaches me.

His face falls when he sees the tears in my eyes. I swiftly wipe them against the sheets.

"Stregezza." He cups my face gently. "Are you okay? Are you in pain?"

I just stare at him. The gentleness in the way he handles me has my back heating up. I nod.

He doesn't seem convinced.

"Come on Winter, talk to me. Is it about your mother? I can send her back if it's too much for you to handle right now. I—"

I shake my head. "It's okay Keon, really."

He strokes my hair. "I know when you're lying Winter, we're connected remember?" His taps my chest lightly.

I sigh. He's not going to give up without me telling him something.

"It's just, the way things have been moving these days... It's a lot I guess." I avert my gaze to the wall as my sentence finishes.

He gently tilts my head towards him. "Winter."

I still don't want face him. Instead, I focus on the decorated walls on the other side of the room. "Yeah?"

He sighs. "Look at me Winter."

His voice is heavy with emotion. "Please."

Internally, the mate bond tugs at me, asking me to listen to him.

It's a tug of war in my heart between anger, sadness and everything in between. And it's not just directed towards Keon. My father, whose greed and selfishness got me into this situation in the first place, who then had the audacity to be angry about me getting attacked not because it's his daughter got hurt, but because his reputation did. My people, one for literally selling me off without any second thought, without visiting me at least for one last time before I was traded like a bag of beans and not a person, then having the balls to talk bad about me after.

And lastly, at myself. I'm angry at myself because the events that led me here made me so angry, yet there was nothing I could do about it. All my life, I've been told I'm no good when it comes to my powers and being a good witch. I didn't get up and prove them wrong by becoming one of the strongest witch in the entire coven by practicing my magic but instead I retreated. When others would go hours on end of spell casting and practice till their body ached, I became recluse. It was so bad that at the second I turned 18 I moved out of my father's house and deeper into witch territory.

Infact, up until the whole Keon marking things I hadn't been outside the house since the year started. I just didn't see reason in going outside. I had everything I needed inside, and no one liked me outside anyways.

Looking back on it now, I should've used all that alone time to train. I'm tired of blaming nature for the way I am. I'm done with letting myself be vulnerable to the slightest attacks.

I know what I must do.

I turn towards Keon as the gears in my head spin.

He lowers himself unto the chair close to me.

"Winter, I know these past few weeks haven't been the best. But please, don't you ever blame yourself for any of what happened. If you want to be angry, be angry at me. All of what you're feeling is on me, so please don't ever let it turn to self-loathing. If you want to be mad, mad at me, not you."

The way the hurt in his voice is so clear physically hurts. His irises shake as he looks at me.

For a few seconds, neither of us moves.

It's the sounds of our chests rising and falling in symphony and the flapping of the curtain as voices float upwards through the window.

The voice of a wolf is carried into the room where we stare in a heavy silence. It's words are clear.

"Did you hear? The High Witch's Council's wife is here."

The words I'm about to say die in my throat.

"It's okay Keon, I'm fine, really. Thank you." I grab his palm and kiss it. I can feel his pulse skyrocket.

I smile at him knowingly. His mouth opens as if to speak when another knock hits. I drop his hand with record speed, using my magic to push him further away from me, so we're at a distance that looks normal.

Keon's lips turn downward just before he turns towards the door. He takes a deep breath, as if prepping for something... or someone.

I recognize her voice before I smell her.

She's here.

She's actually here.

Well shit.