Winter Woods Novels & Stories

A soft voice, just barely audible, floated between my conscious and unconscious state. ‘Winter. Winter, don’t worry. I’ll always be here for you. Stay strong, Winter. Stay strong…’

Soon, old scandals resurfaced, banks withdrew loans, partners abandoned ship, and reporters besieged the mansion. Kirk updated me. "Richard blames it all on Olive, saying she colluded with outsiders to drain the company. Liam and Neal have cut ties with the Winters and are being hunted by Richard's enemies." I paused on a page—an equity certificate for a biotech company my mother owned. In my past life, Richard had obsessed over it but couldn't unlock its technological secrets. I closed the file. "Time to let him know what it feels like to lose everything." Three days later, the Winters Group declared bankruptcy.

It is a trading company. Today I have the Winter. co and several affiliated companies all over the country. Several properties and factories, hotels, and stores. And the best part is no one can find out it’s me who owns them. The companies are owned by Kian and Alex Winter, but because they are minors I am their Guardian, but there is no trace of me when anyone looking into the company. I am simply an employee from the outside. My most trusted employees and my lawyers know of course how it is.

"Calista, I missed you so much. Come inside. I made all your favorite dishes." At the dining table, I saw a familiar face: my former fiance, Rowan Mercer. When he saw me, he stood politely. "It’s been a long time. Welcome home." After we shook hands, we all sat down to eat together. After dinner, my father explained that Rowan was now an executive at Aurelion Dynamics, which was one of Virel Consortium’s subsidiaries. He praised his dedication and said he had great potential, even suggesting that I work with him. The next day, I became president of Aurelion Dynamics. Rowan gave me a detailed briefing on the company’s operations.

*Winter* The air was thick with dread, a palpable tension that clung to me like an unwelcome shroud. Each strained breath felt heavier than the last, weighed down by the ominous atmosphere surrounding the Whispering Reef. Walking side by side with Aaron, I couldn't shake the prickling sensation on the back of my neck. Was it just the chill of the winter air, or was there something far more sinister lurking just out of sight? The trees loomed tall and twisted, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers against the bruised sky, casting everything in an unsettling shade of gray.

Winter always made her think of the lives that passed on, but also of new beginnings yet to come. The icy winds howled through the passes, seeking any gaps to invade the dens of the werewolves. Frost formed intricate patterns on the windows as the fires crackled inside, providing what warmth they could against the bitter cold. Townsfolk gossiped by their hearths, recounting stories of winters past when blizzards raged for weeks on end, isolating entire villages under mountains of snow.

1: Into the Frost The winds howled louder the farther north we traveled. Trees thinned until only skeletal birches remained, their white bark like bones scraped raw against the sky. Snow fell in whispered curses, flurries that never ceased, clinging to our cloaks and lashes. The Hollowed Peaks lived up to their name carved by ages and forgotten battles, haunted by memories no one spoke aloud.

The berries of trees will help them to survive from the bone-chilling winter. Arthur looked at the scenery in distaste. He hated such weather. The burning woods in the fireplace heated his office, providing his otherwise numb limbs some warmth. The winter has struck earlier this year. Almost thirty sunrises before. The regular activities of the tribe have slowed due to the sudden arrival of harsh weather, forcing them to collect necessary resources overlooking the usual exercises. Arthur brings the tip of the oriental pipe close to his lips and takes a long drag before releasing the nauseating smoke.

he says, then looks around, "Can we talk--in private?" The other Alphas have left but there are enough people lingering in the packhouse to make it a bad place for a private conversation. I nod and we leave, walking down the slope towards the pine forests. The air is crisp with early winter's bite. This is why the packs are so worried. In recent years, Winter has become a time when we watch the stores dwindle too quickly. Any delay in the Spring is potentially life-threatening. Didi is right that we need to rethink our resources. He's just not right in how we go about it.

Victoria’s wolf, dusky brown and nimble, moved beside Calix’s steel-colored form, all muscle and silence. They gathered their packs in their jaws and braved the snow. At first, the wind stung. The snow whipped into their fur, cold and blinding, coating their lashes and muzzles. But they pressed on. The forest loomed ahead, tall pines and ancient oaks, their snow-laden branches arching over the path like guardians. As they entered the woods, the storm dulled. The trees muffled the wind, and though the snow still fell, it wasn’t blinding. It became… beautiful. A world of white and grey, quiet and vast.