All Chapters of Beneath the Winter Moon: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Celeste hadn’t realized when her eyes slipped shut. Wrapped in her blanket, she had shifted closer and closer until she was leaning against Silas, her breathing steady, her cheek nearly resting on his chest. He hadn’t moved her, hadn’t dared. Instead, he simply sat there, letting the warmth of her trust soak into him like something rare. Victoria’s soft footsteps broke the stillness. She stopped short at the sight before her: Celeste curled up peacefully, and Silas, unmoving, brushing his fingers gently through Celeste’s hair as though she were something fragile. Victoria’s brows lifted, lips parting in stunned silence. “What… did you two do last night?” Silas didn’t look up. His eyes were still on Celeste, softer than she had ever seen them. “We just talked,” he said simply. Victoria tilted her head, unconvinced but oddly charm

Suitcases lay half-open across the bed, silk and jewelry spilling out like excess made visible. Blair hummed as she picked through outfits, discarding one after another onto the growing pile without a second glance. Dresses of velvet and satin, gold-threaded shawls, furs meant for occasions that didn’t call for them, it was all excess, all carefully curated for attention.Grayson sat slouched in a chair by the window, his jaw tight, hands pressed over his eyes as though they might shut out the chaos surrounding him. The irritation in his chest simmered higher with every minute.“Blair,” he muttered, dragging his palms down his face. “We’re going into the City for a council meeting, not a royal ball. You don’t need three gowns, six pairs of shoes, and half the treasury in jewelry.”Blair didn’t even look at him, holding a crimson dress against herself in the mirror, tilting her head as if already imagining the stares it would win. “You don’t understand, Grayson. Appearances matter. I a

The chamber quieted as the elders spread reports across the table. Maps, charts, and written accounts filled the polished wood, each one carrying the weight of blood spilled over the last months.One of the elder Alphas began, voice grave. “In the past six weeks, we’ve recorded seventeen rogue attacks across five territories. King Dravenhart’s revisions, rotating patrols, stronger border watches, and civilian curfews, have reduced the losses. For the last two weeks, there have been no incidents reported.”A Luna from the southern border leaned forward, relief softening her tired features. “Our healers have caught up at last. For the first time in months, we aren’t tending to dozens of wounded every week. Families are beginning to return home. It almost feels like stability again.”Another Alpha, broad and sharp-eyed, added, “If this continues, perhaps life can return to what it was. The silence feels strange, but I

Things began to feel almost normal again in the weeks following Celeste’s awakening. Victoria quit the diner, moving in with Silas and throwing herself into helping him with his work and council duties. She found it more rewarding than serving pancakes to regulars, and the change seemed to suit her.Silas kept to his habits, long days filled with paperwork, meetings, and strategy, but he never failed to check in on Celeste. He worked at easing down the walls she kept so firmly in place, careful, patient, steady.Celeste herself lingered somewhere in between. The bond she shared with Silas grew stronger with each passing day, but it frightened her. Some days she let herself lean into it, finding comfort in the sparks, the security. Other days, she pulled away, fearing the sting of heartbreak all over again. She kept to the guest room rather than his, caught between wanting to belong and needing to protect herself.Silas’s place had everything she needed: a view of the city, her best fr

The sun was still high when they pulled back into Silas’s place, its light slanting through the tall windows and spilling across the polished floors. Despite the brightness outside, the apartment felt subdued, quiet in a way that only made Victoria’s restless pacing sharper against the silence.She paused at the window, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes tracking the city below though she wasn’t really looking at it. “I hate this. Just letting her go like that.”Silas set the keys down on the counter and leaned against it, his arms folding loosely across his chest. He said nothing at first, just watching his sister, weighing his words.“She didn’t even take the pack,” Victoria pressed, spinning around to face him, the worry etched into her features. “I saw it in the back seat when we left. She walked into that forest with nothing.”Silas’s gaze dropped briefly, but there was no surprise in his expression. “Not nothing,” he said finally, his voice low, steady. “She has her w