LOGINWinter spent three days avoiding people. Not difficult in a cave system this large. She found unused tunnels that branched off from the main sanctuary, narrow passages that led to dead ends or forgotten storage chambers. Places where the only company was Vex and her own spiraling thoughts. The Council had decided she wasn't an immediate threat. That conclusion should bring relief. instead Winter felt hollowed out, like she'd been examined and found wanting. Trustworthy enough not to execute but suspicious enough to watch constantly. She trained with Levi in the evenings (still). But now other witches attended too, standing along the walls of the training cavern with expressions that ranged from curious to hostile. Observers making sure Winter didn't do anything dangerous. Witnesses in case her magic turned violent. It made focusing nearly impossible. Right now Winter sat in one of her discovered alcoves, a tiny space barely large enough for her and Vex. No light crystals here,
Winter followed Sophia and the elders toward a side tunnel. Behind her, she heard Olivia's voice rise slightly. The tunnel led to a small chamber. Inside, three more elderly witches waited. The full Whispering Council. Six women watching Winter with expressions ranging from curious to skeptical. The chamber's walls were carved with protective symbols that made Winter's skin prickle. Wards against intrusion. Whatever happened here would stay private. "Sit," the eldest witch said. Her voice was raspy but firm, gesturing to a stone stool in the chamber's center. Winter sat. The stool was uncomfortable, positioned deliberately so she faced all six Council members at once. Sophia stood to the side. "Winter Moon," the eldest witch continued. "Daughter of Sophia, granddaughter of Morwenna. We have questions about your time in the Crescent citadel. You will answer truthfully." Not a request. A command. "Yes, Elder." "How long were you in the Alpha King's custody?" "Weeks. I'm not sur
The mate bond pulsed in her chest and Winter pressed her hand over her sternum. Levi noticed, his gaze tracking the movement "the bond is still there," he said quietly. Winter nodded. "It's always there. Cold and distant but present. Like he's on the other side of a wall I can't see through." "Does it hurt?" "Sometimes. When I think about him too much. When I wonder if he's looking for me or if he was relieved when I disappeared." "He's looking." Levi's tone was certain. "Alpha Kings don't lose their mates without searching. If even half the stories about Ezekiel's possessiveness are true, he's probably torn apart half his territory trying to find you." The image should be frightening. But what Winter felt was complicated warmth mixing with guilt. "Would you go back?" Levi asked. "If he found you. If he asked." Winter opened her mouth to say no automatically, but the word stuck. Because she didn't know the answer. The citadel had been lonely and frightening and suffocating. Bu
"You're going to ruin her life because Levi won't give you private lessons?" Alice's voice cracked. "That's what this is really about." "This is about protecting our community." But Olivia's tone had shifted. Less certain. "If I'm wrong, no harm done. The council will investigate and clear her. But if I'm right and we do nothing, she could get us all killed." Footsteps retreated down the tunnel. Alice stayed outside Winter's alcove for a long moment before she finally left too. Quieter. Slower.. Winter sat up on her pallet. Her hands were shaking and that tight feeling in her chest had spread to her throat. Vex pushed through the curtain and pressed his muzzle against her shoulder. "She thinks I'm a spy," Winter whispered. The words tasted wrong. Absurd. But also terrifying because if Olivia believed it, how many others might? Vex huffed. dismissive. Unconcerned. "The Council meeting is tonight." Winter's stomach twisted. Hearing Olivia's accusations changed everything. Now it
Winter woke to arguing.The voices were muffled through the curtain separating her alcove from the main tunnel, but loud enough to pull her from sleep. Female voices, both familiar. Alice and Olivia."-don't care what you think you saw," Alice was saying. Her normally gentle tone had gone sharp. "You're making things up because you're jealous.""I'm being observant," Olivia shot back. "You're so busy befriending the half breed that you can't see what's right in front of your face."Winter's chest tightened. She stayed perfectly still on her pallet, barely breathing. Vex was silent outside (probably awake and listening too)"Don't call her that," Alice said."Why not? It's what she is. Half werewolf, half witch. Doesn't belong to either world but somehow gets all the attention anyway." Fabric rustled. "Levi spends every evening training her. Your sister barely got two sessions before he said she wasn't ready. But Winter shows up and suddenly he's available for private lessons every sin
Winter tried again. And again. Each attempt got slightly better, the shadow tendril maintaining solidity for longer periods. By the tenth try, she could lift the stone a foot off the ground and hold it suspended for several seconds. Her head ached. A dull throb behind her eyes that suggested she was pushing too hard. "That's enough for tonight," Levi said, apparently noticing her discomfort. "You've made extraordinary progress. Most students would take weeks to achieve what you've done in an evening. " "I don't feel extraordinary," Winter said. The words came out more bitter than intended. "I feel exhausted." "Magic takes energy. You're burning through reserves you didn't know you had." Levi collected the stone and pocketed it. "Go rest. Eat something. Tomorrow we'll work on sustained manipulation." Tomorrow felt impossibly far away. Winter's entire body felt heavy, her mind fuzzy. But she nodded anyway. Vex fell into step beside her as she headed toward the exit. The beast's pr
[Crescent Citadel, West Wing Garden, Late Autumn Afternoon, Three Days After the Storm]Winter had been walking the library garden for nearly an hour, her fingers trailing over the rough bark of the gnarled trees, her breath misting faintly in the cooling air. Gareth stood his usual post by the ir
He found himself moving, his feet carrying him through the darkened, storm lashed corridors of his own accord. He told himself he was just checking the citadel's defenses, ensuring the storm wasn't causing undue damage. It was a lie, and he knew it. He found her in a lower corridor of the West
She found him in the northern forge, just as Jax had described. It wasn’t a weapons smithy, but a smaller, private place. The air was hot and thick with the smell of metal and coal smoke. The forge fire burned low, casting the room in a hellish red orange light. He was standing by a quenching barr
This must be Elspeth, Winter thought, recalling the name from Jax's earlier comment. She had served the Citadel for a long time, and her loyalty was to the Alpha King alone. The woman’s eyes, the color of slate, flickered over Winter once. It wasn’t a glance; it was a judgment. It was a look that





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