Once Upon A Winter's Date Novels & Stories

Before I could say another word, the line disconnected, leaving behind nothing but the hollow beeping tone. The cold grew sharper and sharper, carving straight into my bones. Gritting my teeth, I pulled the blanket tighter around myself. Suddenly, my phone lit up with a notification. I turned my head slightly and saw that Morgan had just updated his social media. In the photo, he wore nothing but a thin short-sleeved shirt with a popsicle hanging from his mouth. 'So lucky Ms. Sheffield brought me a generator, or I would have frozen tonight too.' I stared at the picture for a long time.

Three months after the White Lady's departure Winter had settled over the territory, blanketing the forest in white. The pack house glowed with warm light, smoke curling from its chimneys. Inside, the wolves celebrated the solstice—a festival of lights, of family, of hope. Clara stood by the window, watching the snow fall. Alistair came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You've been quiet all evening," he said. "Just thinking." "About?"

“I support it.” Heads turned. Sebastian met Ava’s gaze briefly. Something like closure passed between them. The board followed. They always did. *** Christmas night returned quietly. Julian’s townhouse glowed with warm light. Snow fell thick and slow outside, muffling the city into something almost tender. Ava stood by the window, wine in hand, watching flakes drift down like they had nowhere better to be. Julian came up behind her, arms sliding around her waist, chin resting against her shoulder.

**Zara/Reika** The memory came with a bell, it's ring deafening my ears as the fog in my head cleared up slowly. The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, so much snow that they reached my knees when I wadded through them. Hanging from the trees were colourful lanterns which were painted with different types of wolves. I remember this. It was many years ago. On the day of the winter solstice. The day I met Kaid as a kid.

For a moment I was convinced it was Kirana, only to realize the scent that filled the air right now was even more intoxicating. Then it hit me the scent belonged to Winter. My eyes scanned the room, searching for the source. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I was trying to find something to wear." Winter stepped into the room, fussing with the hem of a snug top. She froze when our eyes locked. My gaze slid from her face to the way the fabric hugged her chest, the low cut showing the curve of her full breasts. Heat flared through me. I flicked a finger toward Loran to signal him to leave, and he gave a faint nod before moving away.

"Want everything." "Then let's plan for everything." She pulled the papers closer. "New Year's Day. We tell my father together. We're prepared for anger, for hurt, for rejection. But we're also united. We don't apologize for loving each other. We just ask him to try to understand." "And if he can't?" "Then we move forward anyway. Together." Nelson stared at the calendar, and January first circled in red. Their deadline. Their declaration of independence.

“What are you doing?” “What did I do?” Winter asked, putting on her most innocent expression. Wendy huffed and turned away, pretending to rejoin the conversation with the others. But out of the corner of her eye, she kept track of the drinks in front of Winter. She hadn’t forgotten what happened last time. That night, Winter had gotten drunk and wrapped herself around a lamppost, loudly declaring her love for it. Wendy had been the one who couldn’t stand watching any longer. She had marched over and dragged Winter off the pole.

"Only you could manage to sleep in a place this cold." "I'm used to it," I said as I picked up the quilt from the floor and set it on the bed Zayne was on. "If you're cold, use this too. I'll come get you when breakfast is ready." I didn't wait for his response as I simply left. The sky was lighting up, and I had to gather enough firewood for today. Otherwise, Grandma's wooden cane would hit my back like a whip again. I had a difficult time pushing through the thick snow. The flashlight swept over the snow that was taller than my feet and then lit up something dark by a tree.

Kaiya I wake to the sound of the song I sang to the mates the day they exited the catacombs. Deborah stands next to me, a confused frown on her face. “They’re all dead,” she says. “They’re supposed to be,” I say without thinking. I have no idea where that little nugget of knowledge came from, but I know it to be true. I groan softly and sit up, looking around me. There's no light coming in from outside, but I can feel the full moon. A white sheet of snow cuts the outside world off from view.

The chilly December air enveloped Anna as she stood on the balcony, gazing up at the twinkling stars that adorned the night sky. It was 22nd December, just a few days away from Christmas day. Memories of past Christmases flooded her mind, and her heart ached with the absence of her beloved parents. This would be her first Christmas without them, and the void left behind was deeply felt.