When She Arrived.

Winter’s POV:

Ariana bursts into the room a few seconds later, an old spell book in hand.

"Stupid son of a..." she stops her swearing when she spots me. "Oh my goddess Winter are you okay?!"

She embraces me in a hug, and I fight the urge to wince in pain. She seems to remember I'm injured, releasing me with care. "I'm so sorry are you okay?"

I nod, because I don't really know what to say. I'm fine, but I'm not fine at the same time.

She switches to the old language witches use, probably for some privacy. "When we heard the news, Mother almost burst into tears. She was so worried. Unlike some people." Her eye roll tells me she's talking about Father. "If Father had allowed her she would've been here ages ago. I was so scared." She rubs my arm softly. "I thought the worst and...' I hear the sniff in her voice. I touch her softly. "Relax Ari, I'm here, I'm fine."

She nods at me.

I hadn’t expected her to be here so soon, and seeing her with me again, after so long made my heart pang. I should keep in touch with her by writing letters to her. She was my little sister after all. Her eyes flicker between Keon and Derrick, makes my chest tighten. Her presence isn’t commanding, but it’s impossible to ignore. She’s calm, but there’s a sharpness there, a quiet seriousness that makes me aware of the weight of her concern.

Keon shifts slightly, his gaze flicking toward her before snapping back to Derrick. The tension between them is almost unbearable, the air thick and charged, and I feel it in my chest. My pulse races, my fingers clutching the sheets beneath me, uncertain where to place myself. I didn’t do anything wrong, nothing had happened, yet the way they look at each other makes me feel small and exposed.

Ariana clears her throat softly. It’s quiet, but it cuts through the tension in a way that makes both of them glance at her. Her whole little sister mood has gone, the Ariana here was not one to be messed with.

“Alpha Keon, Royal Derrick.” she says, her tone careful but steady. “You know what our father thinks about all this. What this means for our people."

Keon stiffens. I can feel the shift in his shoulders. He doesn’t respond immediately, and the silence stretches long enough for me to notice the slight tremor in my hands as I try to steady my breathing.

“I know,” he says finally, his voice low. “I’ve already heard enough.”

Ariana doesn’t look away. “You’ve heard enough, but do you understand?” Her eyes flick to me for a brief moment, softening, and I realize she’s trying to anchor me, to remind me she’s here and we’re not alone. “In the words of our father he would have preferred being executed, than for someone to shame the family by attacking his own kin and leaving her vulnerable. You know understand how that makes us Witches look right?"

I swallow, feeling a knot form in my stomach. I want to hug her for not spilling the beans on my weakness. For whatever reason, the wolves think I'm strong. Only my own people know of my weakness. Ari doesn’t have to spell it out, I understand perfectly. My father’s disappointment is like a shadow I can’t shake, and Ariana’s words only make it sharper, more real. I blink back the tears.

Winter, Winter.

Always the failure.

Keon’s jaw tightens. I see his fingers curl at his sides, his muscles tense as if he’s holding back something. Derrick shifts as well, leaning slightly forward on the bed, but his posture is calm, deliberate. I can feel the subtle heat of him near me, a reminder that I am not alone, that he’s still here, still watching out for me.

Ariana’s gaze moves between them, and she speaks again, carefully, her voice softer but firm. “With all due respect, how am I, we, Witches aupposed to be sure the next person won’t just Winter and finish what they started?" Her words make me swallow. "You know there’s supposed to be peace, a treaty. How are we supposed to keep it if the person responsible for guarding that peace can’t even keep her safe?”

I nearly gasp. Her boldness in front of men who could easily tear her to shreds is jarring. Her words hang in the air. Keon’s eyes dart to me for the first time since she entered the room, and I can see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands clench. Derrick doesn’t move, but I feel the subtle shift of his body, the quiet challenge in the way he tilts his head.

I press a hand to my chest, trying to steady my racing pulse. “Ariana,” I murmur, “you don’t have to...”

She doesn’t look at me. Her eyes are on Keon, unyielding. “I do,” she says softly. “I can’t just watch and not say anything. I know you’re upset. I know it's weird your mate is here and...” She glances at him, Derrick, the man she believes to be my mate, her tone even, but her eyes flicker with awareness of the tension, “...and I get it. But this isn’t just about feelings. It’s about what happens next.”

I nod, feeling the tight coil of nerves in my stomach loosen slightly. I dare not look at Keon. I can feel his anger.

Keon swallows audibly, his gaze never leaving Derrick. “And what exactly do you want me to do, Ariana?” he asks, his voice calm but edged with something I can’t quite place. Frustration, maybe. Or a warning.

Ariana tilts her head slightly, her expression unreadable. “I want you to make sure she’s safe,” she says quietly, but her words carry weight. “Because if she’s hurt again, or if the treaty fails because of what happens to her, it’s not just Winter who suffers. It’s all of us. And you know it.”

Derrick exhales slowly, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, though his eyes remain serious. “She’s already safe,” he says, his voice calm but firm. “And I’m taking care of her. That’s all that matters right now.”

Keon’s gaze narrows, and the tension spikes again. I can feel it radiating across the room, a silent challenge. “And who gave you the right to decide that?” he asks. The words are calm, but the weight behind them is unmistakable.

“I didn’t decide anything,” Derrick replies smoothly, almost lazily. “I’m making sure she’s okay. That’s all.”

That seems to appease her a bit. She turns toward me. "Please don't bicker in front of her, our ears are sensitive after we wake up from being unconscious.

The words hit Keon in a way that makes the tension shift slightly. His jaw loosens fractionally, his eyes flick to me, and I realize he’s reminded, finally, of what matters most.

I push myself up slightly, my voice quiet but deliberate. “Please, both of you,” I murmur. “I’m awake now. I don’t need to be part of an argument. I just need…care, not conflict.”

For a moment, silence falls, heavy but different now. The tension is still there, but it’s softened by Ariana’s calm presence and my words. Derrick leans back slightly, his gaze still sharp but less intense. Keon shifts as well, though his shoulders remain tense, his jaw tight.

Ariana walks towards me, opening the book.

"Well, let's get to it."