The Talk. pt1

Winter’s POV

His gaze sharpens slightly after my words.

“No,” he says.

The answer is immediate.

Certain.

It catches me off guard.

I frown slightly. “It complicates things.”

“That doesn’t make it wrong.”

My chest tightens.

That confidence in his voice… it does something to me.

Dangerous things.

I look away.

“Derrick—”

“I’ll handle Derrick.”

The way he says it shuts that down immediately.

Not aggressive.

Just final.

Like he’s already made that decision and there’s no room to argue it.

I don’t like how much that reassures me.

Or how much it scares me.

I exhale slowly.

“This isn’t just about Derrick,” I say. “This is about… everything.”

“My pack?” he asks.

“My people.”

He watches me for a second, then nods slightly.

“That’s fair.”

I blink.

I wasn’t expecting him to agree that easily.

“So… what now?” I ask.

He steps further into the room, stopping a few feet away from me.

“Now we stop pretending we don’t feel it.”

My breath catches slightly.

“Feel what?”

He looks at me like I already know the answer.

“The bond.”

My chest tightens again.

Right.

That.

I swallow.

“Explain it to me properly,” I say. “Because I don’t think I fully understand what this means.”

Something in his expression shifts slightly. Not softer. Just… more focused.

“The mate bond isn’t just attraction,” he says. “It’s instinct. Recognition. Your core identifies mine as…” he pauses briefly, then continues, “as something it wants to stay close to.”

“That sounds vague.”

“It’s not.”

I fold my arms slightly. “Then explain it better.”

He exhales quietly.

“When mates are close, the bond reacts. Emotion gets stronger. Awareness increases. You feel each other more clearly than you would with anyone else.”

I think about last night.

The pull.

The way everything felt amplified.

“That explains a lot,” I mutter.

“It gets stronger over time,” he adds.

Of course it does.

“Can it be ignored?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer immediately.

“That depends on how stubborn you are.”

I huff slightly.

“Great.”

He watches me for another second, then adds, “There’s also the mindlink.”

I perk up slightly.

“Derrick mentioned that.”

“He didn’t teach you.”

“No.”

“I will.”

I hesitate.

“Now?”

“Focus,” he says simply.

I blink.

“On what?”

“Me.”

That makes my stomach flip slightly.

“Okay…”

I close my eyes slowly, trying to follow what he’s saying.

“Clear everything else,” he continues. “Just focus on me. My presence. The way you feel me through the bond.”

I try.

At first there’s nothing.

Just silence.

Then—

A faint pressure.

Soft.

Barely there.

Like something brushing against the edge of my thoughts.

My breath catches.

“I feel something,” I whisper.

“Don’t fight it.”

I don’t.

The pressure grows slightly clearer, not loud, not overwhelming, just… there.

“Good,” he says quietly.

I open my eyes again.

“That’s weird.”

“It becomes normal.”

I’m not sure I like that.

A sudden thought hits me.

“Sabrina.”

His expression shifts slightly.

“She’s not here.”

My brows knit together. “What do you mean?”

“She left this morning. With Derrick.”

Of course she did.

That makes sense.

Sort of.

“She left something for you,” he adds, reaching into his pocket and handing me a folded note.

I take it quickly, unfolding it.

Her handwriting is messy but clear.

"We need to talk when I get back. Be careful. You’re already being watched more than you think."

My stomach tightens.

Great.

That’s not ominous at all.

I look up at Keon.

“Who’s watching me?”

“The pack notices everything,” he says. “Especially when something changes.”

Of course they do.

I exhale slowly.

“I need air.”

“You need to stay inside.”

I ignore that.

“I’m going out.”

“Winter.”

I’m already moving.

I don’t stop.

I need space to think.

To breathe.

To not feel like everything is closing in at once.

The hallway is brighter now, filled with morning light, but it doesn’t help much.

I walk quickly.

Too quickly.

I don’t even realize how far I’ve gone until—

“Where are you going?”

I freeze.

Keon stands at the end of the corridor, arms crossed, expression tight.

Oh.

Right.

I wasn’t supposed to leave.

“I just needed—”

“I told you to stay inside.”

His voice isn’t loud.

But it’s sharp.

I lift my chin slightly.

“I’m not a prisoner.”

“No,” he says, stepping closer. “But you are still a target.”

That shuts me up.

For a second.

Before I can respond, another voice cuts in.

“Well.”

Both of us turn.

A man stands a few feet away, leaning casually against the wall like he’s been there the entire time.

Rowan.

I recognize him instantly.

The Beta.

His gaze moves between us slowly, taking in the tension, the distance, everything unsaid.

Then it sharpens slightly.

“I see things are… progressing,” he says.

My stomach drops.

Fuck.

Keon’s jaw tightens.

Rowan straightens, pushing off the wall.

“We need to talk. Now."