LOGINBeatrice POVThe journey back to Wynterhold took two days, and I spent most of it pressed against Darius's side in the carriage, unable to stop touching him."You're going to make me blush," he said, catching my hand for the third time as I traced his mark on my neck."Good," I said, kissing his jaw. "I like when you blush."When we finally arrived home, my brothers were waiting on the front steps. All four of them lined up like a welcoming committee."The happy couple returns," Silas called out, grinning. "Did you two even come up for air on the ride back?""Shut up," I said, but I was smiling.Theron came down the steps first, pulling me into a hug. "Welcome home. Both of you.""Both of us," I repeated, liking how that sounded."We need to plan the mating ceremony," Corin said as we walked inside. "The formal one. For the pack and territory.""Oh goddess," I groaned. "Can't we just skip that part? We're already mated.""Absolutely not," Theron said firmly. "You're a Wynter, this nee
Beatrice pov Theron ignored him, pulling Darius into a brief hug. Then he kissed my forehead and returned to his seat."Corin," the High Councilor said. "As second brother, do you give your blessing?"Corin stood, his healer's face gentle. "I give my blessing gladly. Darius is good for Beatrice. He grounds her when she needs it. Challenges her to grow and loves her unconditionally. As a healer, I can see the bond between them. It's strong. Healthy. Exactly what a true mating should be."He smiled at us. "Be happy, both of you. You deserve it.""Silas," the High Councilor prompted.Silas stood, grinning. "Oh, I definitely give my blessing. Darius is smart enough to handle Beatrice's stubbornness. Patient enough to deal with her mood swings and brave enough to face four overprotective brothers, that alone makes him worthy.""I'm not stubborn," I protested."You absolutely are," Silas laughed. "But we love you anyway. And we love Darius for loving you. So yes. Full blessing. Complete ap
Beatrice POVThe final Council session was scheduled for the next morning. The formal acceptance ceremony where I'd be officially recognized, given a seat and made a permanent part of the Council.But Darius and I had other plans first."Are you sure about this?" he asked as we got dressed, his hands adjusting his formal jacket. "We could wait and do this privately.""I'm sure," I said, fastening the clasp on my dress that matched my eyes. "I want everyone to know. I want it official and public, no more hiding.""Your brothers know we're doing this, right?" he asked nervously."They know," I confirmed. Through the bond, I felt his anxiety. His fear that this was too much, too soon. "Darius, look at me."He did, but his green eyes were worried."We're already mated," I said, taking his hands. "The bond is complete, the marks are visible. This is just making it official to the Council and letting them know we're a unit.""A beta and an alpha princess," he said quietly. "Some of them won
Silas pov "Check their bank records," I said simply. "No payments from us. No contact until last week when I asked them to testify. Compare that to your witnesses, who were paid thousands each."The High Councilor was reviewing the documents, his face grave. "These allegations are serious, Lady Selene. Very serious.""They're lies," Selene insisted. "All lies to protect her. The Wynters are powerful, they can make anyone say anything.""Can we make the medical records lie?" I asked. "Can we make bank transactions disappear? Can we fabricate surveillance footage?" I pulled out a crystal, the kind used for memory recording. "This contains footage of your meetings with your paid witnesses. Now would you like the Council to watch it?"Selene went silent."I have one more witness," I said. "The most important one. Someone who can speak directly to the incident Selene described. The alleged attack."I walked to the door again. "Please come in."An elderly woman entered. Frail but dignifie
Silas POVI spent the night working, no sleep just coffee and documents and fury.Selene thought she was clever, bringing paid witnesses. Spinning lies into something believable but she'd made one critical mistake. She'd underestimated me.By dawn, I had everything I needed. Evidence, real witnesses. Documentation that would destroy her credibility so thoroughly she'd never recover."Are you sure about this?" Theron asked, reviewing my files. We were in his room, surrounded by papers. "Some of this is... harsh.""She tried to destroy our sister," I said flatly. "Harsh is appropriate.""She'll fight back," Kaelen warned from the window. He'd been watching the grounds all night, tracking Selene's movements. "She's not going down easy.""Let her fight," I said, organizing the final documents. "I have the truth. That's all I need."The emergency Council session was called for midday. Selene had requested it, confident in her victory. Thinking she'd won yesterday by planting doubt. She had
Beatrice pov I forced myself to breathe, to unclench my fists."These accusations are serious," Lady Morgana said. "Lady Beatrice, how do you respond?""I respond that Selene is a liar," I said, keeping my voice low level. "She tormented me for years, made my life miserable. And now that I've escaped, now that I've proven my bloodline and power, she's desperate to tear me down.""By telling the truth," Selene said sweetly. "I'm sorry, Beatrice. I know this is hard to hear. But you need help, not a position of power.""You tried to poison me," I said, my voice rising despite my efforts. "You hired assassins, you have been plotting against me since the moment my brothers found me.""I've been trying to protect people from you," Selene corrected. "You're dangerous, everyone can see it. Look at you right now. Your eyes are glowing, your power is barely contained. You're proving my point."She was right. I could feel it. My power was responding to my rage. The Council members were watchin







