I ran through the night finally reaching the city we had left behind, I went back to the hotel picking up Lilies scent and following it until i came to a large warehouse. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a soft glow over the empty streets. I hesitated at the entrance of the warehouse, my instincts telling me that danger lurked inside.As I cautiously made my way in, the darkness enveloped me like a shroud. My wolf senses were on high alert, every sound amplified in the silence. I could hear the faint echo of my own footsteps against the concrete floor.I followed Lillie's scent deeper into the warehouse, searching for any sign of her. But she was nowhere to be found. Panic started to claw its way up my throat as I realised she might be in trouble.And then I caught another scent – one that sent a shiver down my spine. It was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. It was a mix of earthiness and musk, tinged with something dangerous.I crept further into the darkness, my hea
Slowly opening my eyes, I took in my surroundings. I had been here before, but I couldn't quite place where. Panic set in as I realised I was in Enzo's bedroom. How did I end up here? My heart raced as I jumped up from the bed and saw him sitting in a chair in the corner.Enzo stood up slowly, his hands held out in front of him. "Winter, please calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."I backed away, my mind racing with questions. "How did I get here?" I demanded, my voice shaky.Enzo's expression softened as he took a step towards me. "I felt that you were in trouble, Winter. I found you in a warehouse that was on fire."Confusion washed over me as he spoke. "How did you feel that I was in trouble?"He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Because you're my mate, Winter."My eyes widened in disbelief. "You're lying," I whispered. "If we were mates, I would be able to feel you too."Just then, Elena entered the room and spoke up. "He's telling the truth, Winter." She paused befo
Sitting alone in Enzo's room, still trying to understand everything they had just told me, I didn't want to believe that Lillie could be behind any of this. She was my friend; we had known each other for just about our whole lives. The betrayal stung deep, twisting my thoughts into an indistinguishable mess of anger, confusion, and sadness.A soft knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Elena standing there, her expression a mixture of concern and sadness."If you're ready to come out, we would really like to start talking about our plan," she said softly, her eyes searching mine for any sign of readiness or resolve.I nodded my head, my body feeling heavy as I pushed myself up from the bed. My legs felt like lead as I walked towards the door and out into the living room where Enzo and Jake were waiting. As I stepped into the room, my eyes met Enzo's for a brief moment. Worry was etched deeply in his gaze, a concern that tugged at my heartstrings, yet I fe
As I turned away from Enzo and Elena, I could feel their heavy and concerned eyes on me. Each step I took toward the door seemed to echo. I made my way to the car, my mind a tangled web of thoughts.The ride back to the bed and breakfast was a tense silence, broken only by the hum of the engine and the occasional shifting of gears. Enzo drove, his jaw set rigid and his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Elena sat in the back, next to me, her worried gaze flicking between Enzo and me as if she was trying to work out how to fix our relationship that had never started.When we finally reached the bed and breakfast, I didn't wait for anyone. I pushed open the door and practically ran inside. Once inside, I leaned against the wall, my breathing heavy and erratic. The old wooden floor creaked beneath me, the familiar scent of lavender and old books doing little to calm my racing heart.I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Okay, Winter, get it together," I muttered under my breath. I p
Elena grinned and linked her arm with mine as we walked out of the dressing room. The music throbbed through the walls, the bass sending a pulse through my chest, matching the unruly beat of my heart. We made our way into the dimly lit heart of the club, the air heavy with a mix of sweat, perfume and alcohol. The crowd seemed to merge into a single living entity, writhing under the neon lights.As Elena and I approached the main floor, I spotted Enzo and Jake seated at the bar, their faces illuminated by the soft blue glow. I could already feel Enzo's gaze on me, so I tried my best to ignore it.As the hours passed, my attention was drawn to a man who entered the club. Something about him—a silhouette in the entrance, backlit by the doorway's neon frame—seemed hauntingly familiar. The feeling crept into the edges of my mind, like a word on the tip of my tongue. I tried to place him, but his face remained shrouded in the shadows of my memory.Before I could think too much about it, the
As we left the club and drove back to the bed and breakfast, I couldn't shake off the lingering sense of dread. I had almost been kidnapped, and now the man who claimed to know my parents was lurking somewhere in the shadows. Where was Lily? I needed her sarcastic quips right now to mask the terror creeping into my bones. We finally pulled into the gravel driveway of the cozy bed and breakfast. The golden light spilling from the windows did little to calm my nerves. I put on a brave face, even though every bone in my body wanted to collapse."I don't understand why we just can't stay here," I muttered as we walked up the creaky wooden steps to our room. The comforting smell of old books and lavender filled the air, but it did little to soothe me.Elena followed close behind, her eyes flicking worriedly between Enzo and me. "Winter, you need to rest," she insisted, her voice soft but firm. "A good night's sleep will do you wonders."I shook my head, the events of the night playing on
Winter's POVThe room was suffocating, the walls closing in as the shadows of the evening deepened. Elena's words lingered in my mind like ghosts that would not be put to rest. Her departure felt like a stab in the heart, leaving an aching void in its wake. I couldn't stay any longer. I had to find Lily. Moving to the small desk by the window, I grabbed a pen and a notepad. My mind raced as I scribbled a hurried note to Elena:**Elena,****I'm sorry, but I can't sit here and do nothing. I’m sorry that I'm doing it this way, but I can't ask you to come with me because I know you and know that even though you don’t want to, you will come. I can't give up on Lily. I need to find her and understand what's really happening. Please take care of yourself, and I hope you're right about the boys. I promise I'll come back.****Winter**My hands shook as I tore the note from the pad Tears threatened to fall as I laid the note on my pillow. I hastily packed a small bag—clothes, phone, water, mon
Elena’s POVEnzo, Jake, and I stood on the back patio of the bed and breakfast. The tension between us was clear, and the air felt thick with unspoken doubts. I turned from Enzo’s steely gaze to Jake's comforting, albeit worried, eyes. We all knew Winter needed her space, but my nerves were frayed with worry."Winter just needs a minute to think," I repeated, my voice trembling slightly as I explained to the two men. Enzo's jaw clenched and unclenched, the muscles in his neck taut with suppressed frustration.A heavy silence hung over us for minutes that felt like hours. Finally, Enzo broke it, his voice low and decisive. "I'm going to talk to her," he announced, pushing himself up from the porch railing.My heart sank as I watched him stride toward the house with purpose. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Jake looked at me with a raised eyebrow, his expression mirroring my own concerns."Give her a bit more time," I whispered, almost to myself, as Enzo disappeared in
Elena's POV I looked out over the lifeless bodies, each fallen from a silent reminder of the impending threat that loomed larger than we had realised. The air was thick with tension, every breath a struggle against the grief swirling around us.Lily's voice was a mix of anger and desperation as she pleaded, "We can't just let him go alone! We need to help Enzo!" Her words trembled on the edge of an emotional maelstrom, as if sheer will could bind us together against the darkness threatening to tear us apart.Her plea tugged at something deep inside me, a flicker of the bright, hopeful soul I once was. Yet that light had dimmed, thinned by the endless shadows of loss. Winter’s absence had carved a hollow space within me, a chasm I couldn't bridge, even for friends like Lily.My silence must have felt like an abandonment to Lily, and I could feel her frustration pressing into the air between us. "Elena, you can't just walk away," she shouted, her voice splintering through the sombre at
Moonlight filtered through the broken windows of the old warehouse, casting fractured patterns on the dusty floor. I returned to the last place I'd caught Kenny's scent—a point where all the dark threads of my life seemed to converge. Oddly, I wasn't alone on this journey; a strange new scent lingered here as well, something neither human nor wolf—something entirely alien.I stood in the middle of the empty expanse, tension singing through my veins. The warehouse was silent, filled with the phantom echoes of past atrocities, a place where fear had its own scent. I was certain Kenny had been here, that his relentless chase for power left fragments in places even he could not erase.But there was more lurking than just Kenny's touch—another presence that defied definition. The scent was unsettling, steadily gnawing at the edges of my instincts. Whatever it was, it held embedded markings of magic far older and stronger than I imagined.Suddenly, the grinding sound of the warehouse door r
Enzo pov as i walked away i heard someone coming after me, i didnt slow my pace i couldnt process the chaos unfolding around me. Instead, I pushed onward, driven by the realization that there was more at stake than just Winter's memory. The trees blurred past me, their branches clawing at my thoughts like the doubts that had taken root since Winter's death."Enzo, wait!" a voice called from behind, urgent and pleading.I stopped, my mind knowing the voice even before I turned. Sariah appeared before me, breathless and desperate in the orange glow of the setting sun. Her presence held an air of determination that matched the turmoil in my heart."Sariah now's not the time," I began, willing my voice to be stronger than the uncertainty gnawing at me. The ache of Winter's loss hung around my neck like a yoke, growing heavier at every reminder of her absence."No, you need to hear this." Sariah's voice was firm, cutting through my defences with an edge of certainty I couldn't easily dism
The air held its breath as the tension in the clearing coiled tighter. I turned slowly, my heart hammering against the shroud of uncertainty that had settled around us. There, emerging from the tree line, was Sariah. "I said," she repeated, her voice a quiet command that transcended the chaos, "this is not the work of a witch."Winter's father, his face etched with suspicion and despair, glared at her. "What do you know of this, witch?" he spat, brandishing the word like a curse, his grief turning him into a wary adversary."No witch would ever be stupid enough to use a spell on the dead. The things it causes are something that we as witches wish to forget." Sariah's voice was steady, exuding calm as she stepped forward, placing herself between Lily and the simmering storm of accusation. Her presence was like a cool breeze, offering clarity amidst the turmoil. "This grave wasn't dug up. Someone, or something, has dug their way out. Are you sure it was Winter that you buried here?"My
Enzo's POVThe moon hung low, its silver glow weaving through the trees as Jake and I returned to the sacred grounds of Winter's pack. The journey had been both a welcome distraction and a solemn reminder of the purpose that stirred my resolve. The soft rustle of leaves underfoot was the only sound accompanying our silent pilgrimage, the night a silent witness to our unsaid resolve.A fog of anticipation enveloped me as we approached the clearing, the towering shadows of the trees mirroring the uncertainty cloaked around us. The pack's territory stood like an ancient guardian, whispering tales embedded within its secrets—tales I feared to unravel yet could not ignore.I caught sight of Lily first, a solitary silhouette against the fading twilight, her expression hidden in shadow and suspicion. Her eyes flicked towards mine, revealing a depth of worry that gnawed at the edges of my focus. Whatever brought us back here held an ominous significance, one that demanded unearthing. Jake wal
Enzo's povThe cityscape blurred past me as I drove, my thoughts tangled in the web Jake's call had spun. What could possibly be important enough to warrant this abrupt meeting? The tyres hugged the turns as I sped towards my club, the streets a buzzing reminder of everything that went on around me, oblivious to the tumult within. Hatred mixed with anticipation, a volatile cocktail that fueled my pursuit of revenge. Each tick of the clock was a swing of the pendulum, time measured by heartbeats filled with simmering rage.The club stood as a lonely monument when I arrived, its façade a ghost of vibrancy it once held. A month or maybe even more had passed since it had seen any life, and the dust that shrouded the windows seemed to weigh heavy, like the grief that lingered in my soul. The once inviting place now felt abandoned—a hollow echo of happier times when Winter's laughter danced in the air, a melody of life that was all too final.My heart lurched at the sight of the front door
Enzos povTwo weeks laterThe house creaked with the weight of silence as I entered, the faint aroma of aged wood mingling with the remnants of smoke on my clothes—a testament to another wasted hunt. The dimness of my refuge offered little comfort now, every shadow a reminder of the darkness lurking within me. I couldn't even bring myself to go into my bedroom because every time I did, all I saw was winter.I threw my keys onto the table, their clatter punctuating the stillness. The primal satisfaction of ending those who followed Kenny clung to me, yet a scalding emptiness pervaded beneath the surface. I was hollow—a predator driven by instincts that provided little satisfaction beyond the fleeting.Striding to the sink, I ran the tap, watching the water swirl and disappear, mirroring my thoughts. My reflection—a stranger with wild eyes and a face marked by untold grief—glared back. Winter's absence was a festering wound, a reminder of my failure to protect her.The shrill ring of my
Elenas povThe evening sun cast long shadows across the clearing as we made our way through the forest, the path more familiar than the lines on my own hand. Each step brought me closer to the sanctuary that had borne witness to countless secrets, whispered hopes, and forbidden friendships. I could feel the presence of those beside me—Lily's nervous energy, Jake's steady warmth, and Rykor's silent strength—as we walked, the world around us both oppressive and comforting in its natural chaos.The memory of Winter's funeral clung like a shroud, a heavy veil we wore even as we tried to celebrate her true self. The gathering earlier had not encapsulated the wild essence of Winter nor the choices that defined her. The fact that she was gone felt both surreal and undeniable, each breath imbued with the pain of her absence.We stopped at the edge of the clearing, the dim light of dusk painting the world in shades of memory. Rykor moved to construct a fire, and each piece of kindling was plac
Enzo's povI hadn't slept much since Winter died. Every time I dared to close my eyes, I saw her pain-filled face. The image of her eyes as she drove the knife into her stomach played over and over in my head like a cruel movie. Her sacrifice to save us from Kenny's dark grip only made me more hungry for revenge.Finding Kenny wouldn't be easy. He was on the run, as slippery as a shadow. But he was just a man, and men make mistakes. I needed to find the clue that would lead me to him and tear apart his lies.Going back to where we last saw him, I entered the tunnels under Elders Wall. They were dark, twisting around me like a snake, ready to squeeze out any hope I had left. These tunnels had a bad reputation for tricking tired minds, but I stayed focused. My need for revenge was stronger than any trick they could play on me.The air was damp and chilled as I stepped into the chamber where Winter's life had ended. Her blood still stained the stone floor, a red reminder of the love and