Elena's povOne week later.The air was crisp and still, a deceptive calm blanketing the atmosphere on the day of Winter's funeral. Despite the morning sun illuminating the sky, the energy surrounding me felt dampened, charged with the kind of silence that often precedes a storm. It was as though the earth itself was solemnly acknowledging the loss that had gripped our hearts in its relentless vice.For the past week, Winter's body lay in the great hall—a place that had become both a shrine and a prison to our collective mourning. The wolves had insisted on an open display of respect, a tradition meant to honour the fallen among them. I hated it. Everything about it. How she lay there rejuvenating but cold, her wild black hair styled not in the free manner she loved but instead tamed into neatness by the weight of expectations and reverence. Winter had never belonged to such institutions, and yet even in death, she served appearances she would have despised.My heart ached at the thou
I stood at the back of the hall, caught in the delicate balance between presence and absence, a living statue carved from the weariness of the weeks past. On my right, Jake's familiar warmth provided a comforting anchor. On my left, Rykor's quiet presence was a testament to solidarity. Yet, it was the empty space where Lily should be that tugged at the edges of my consciousness—a reminder of friendship's fragile, irreplaceable bonds left unfulfilled.Amidst this swirling silence, my mind briefly turned to the thought that maybe I had lost more than Winter—that perhaps Lily had slipped from my grasp as well. Banishing the thought as quickly as it materialized, I mentally grasped onto the hope that held complications at bay. But pain sat heavily in my chest, refusing to be ignored.I felt a gentle touch on my arm. I turned to find Lily standing there, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry. I know I'm late," she murmured, her voice weighted with regret. It trembled with the
Enzos povA pall of heartbreaking silence enveloped the great hall as I carefully cradled Winter's body in my arms, feeling her weight like an eternal echo etched into my soul. The world around me fell away, leaving only the overwhelming sensation of her presence—a haunting whisper in the void of my heart.Time seemed to stretch and contract in strange waves, each moment slipping into eternity as I stepped toward the exit. Every hushed breath, every mourning gaze followed me as if Winter's pack was connected through an invisible thread of shared sorrow edging on disbelief.The crackle of distant thunder punctuated the quiet, mirroring the tempest that raged within me. We emerged from the hall, and the wind caught her dark hair, lifting it gently as if the very air grieved her absence. The space between this world and the next seemed to blur, each step toward the grove heavy with the ache of farewell.The garden they had chosen for Winter appeared, a sanctuary bathed in the dappled lig
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
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
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
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
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
Winter's POVI swirled inside the dark place in my head, lost and disoriented. How long had I been here? How long had I been trapped in this endless void where nothing made sense? Time didn't mean anything anymore. It felt like years, but also like a moment. I could never tell.The only thing I remembered clearly was the grave. Digging my way out of it. The suffocating weight of the earth, the desperation, the hunger to live. I remembered the thirst for revenge on Kenny, the anger that kept me alive. But even that seemed distant, as though it was someone else's memory.Everything else was a blur. The love for my friends—their faces flickered in and out of my mind like faded dreams. Sometimes, I saw them clearly, but other times, it was like I was stuck in the dark, unable to reach them, unable to make sense of anything. I didn't even know if I had truly died.I felt... lost. More than that—forgotten. The world felt so far away like I was being swallowed by the darkness. I could feel m
Enzo's POVWe moved upstairs, all of us, with a sense of urgency pressing against our chests. The atmosphere felt thick, heavy with uncertainty, as we filed into the room again. Winter was still there in the corner, her eyes dull, her movements slow and almost robotic. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was still trapped somewhere deep inside herself. She had to be. The way she stared at the wall—like a part of her was lost and couldn't find its way back.Lily was the first to speak, her voice sharp and laced with frustration. "We were in here before, and all that happened was her hand glowed. We still have no idea what to do or how to fix her."I stared at Winter, my chest tightening. "I think Winter was trying to tell you... It's like she's trapped in her own mind, and she can't explain what you need to do."Elena nodded, a sombre expression crossing her face. "So, we just follow her lead, then. We trust her."The words hung in the air, the weight of them almost unbearable. But w
Enzo’s POVI stood at the bottom of the stairs, unable to stop glancing back at the door to my bedroom. The sounds of the others talking voices low and filled with uncertainty, only made the silence in my chest louder. The question still haunted me—Was it really her? Winter was here, but she wasn’t... herself. She was broken, lost in a world that none of us could understand. But I couldn’t deny it. I knew it was her. Deep down, I had to believe it was.The others were still discussing what to do, trying to figure out the pieces of this puzzle we didn’t have the answers to. I could hear Lily’s voice, low and careful, talking about options, about what magic we might be able to use, but my thoughts kept circling back to the bedroom door.“I know you’re worried,” Lily said, her voice cutting through my spiralling thoughts. “But we need to figure this out. We can’t just sit here.”“I’ll be right back,” I said, cutting her off as I turned toward the stairs. The last thing I wanted was to ke
Chapter 91: The ReturnEnzo’s POVI stood at the doorway, my heart pounding as I watched Elena approach Winter. She had the same look in her eyes that everyone had had when we first saw her—hope mixed with fear. It wasn’t just the hope of seeing Winter again. It was the fear of not knowing if she was really back, of not knowing if this was even really her.But I could tell. I could see it in Elena’s face. She believed that it was really winter.Elena turned to me, her eyes wide, searching for reassurance. “This is why you came, right?” she asked, her voice trembling.I nodded, trying to fight the knot in my chest. I wanted to believe this was Winter. My heart told me it was. But my mind... my mind was still battling with the fear. This wasn’t the Winter I remembered—her eyes were distant, her voice fractured, and the way she repeated those numbers over and over... It didn’t feel like her, but I couldn’t let myself think like that.“Are you sure it’s her?” Elena’s voice cracked with do
Elena's POVI barely had time to react before Rykor was on me, his hands grabbing hold of me with terrifying speed. I tried to fight, thrashing and kicking, but it was useless. His grip was like steel, lifting me effortlessly off the ground. Before I could even process what was happening, he threw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing, and I screamed at him, my voice raw with panic."Let me go!" I yelled, kicking my legs in vain. "What the hell are you doing, Rykor?!"But he didn’t answer me. Not a word. He just kept walking, ignoring my shouts and my struggles. I was completely at his mercy, and the weight of that realisation made my heart pound even faster. What was going on? What was happening? I had a sinking feeling—a gut feeling—that this had everything to do with Lily and Enzo.When I felt the car's engine rumble to life, I knew exactly where we were going. My chest tightened in a rush of anger. Enzo’s house. This was his doing. I wasn’t going to let them drag me back int
Lily's POVI stood at the door of the room, just watching Winter. She was still sitting in the same spot, her hands moving with a kind of frantic precision as she repeated the same numbers over and over again. Her face was pale, her eyes distant. There was something haunting about the way she was trapped in this cycle, this unrelenting loop that neither time nor words could break.I wanted so badly to reach her, to pull her back to us, to make her whole again. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t sure how to fix her, how to fix what was broken inside of her. She had been through something no one should have to endure, and no one had prepared us for what she had really gone through.A soft sound behind me made me stiffen. I turned to find Jake standing there, his posture hesitant but still solid. His expression was one I couldn’t quite read, a mix of worry and curiosity."Do you think you can save her?" he asked quietly, his voice soft as it broke through the heavy silence in the room.I hesitated
Lily’s POVWe left the room, stepping into the quiet hallway, the weight of what we had just seen settling heavily in the pit of my stomach. I could still hear Winter’s voice echoing in my mind—those same numbers, over and over again. I couldn’t escape them. They circled my thoughts, making it impossible to focus on anything else.Three-zero-two-four-zero-zero.I kept doing the math in my head. How long had Winter spent clawing her way out of that grave? The numbers—those numbers—had been her constant. And now they were my constant, too, weighing down on my mind, reminding me of everything she had gone through.It didn’t make sense. It didn’t make sense that Winter had survived, that she had fought for her life, but it also didn’t make sense that she was now trapped in this state, so far from the person I knew her to be.I sank into one of the chairs in the living room, letting my hands fall into my lap, lost in my thoughts. The pain, the guilt, the confusion—it was all swirling toget
Lily's POVI could feel my heart racing as I moved closer to Winter, her broken form huddled in the corner, mumbling the same numbers over and over again. Her voice was soft, haunting, like the echo of a distant memory I could never quite reach. Every repetition of those numbers sent a chill through me, each one like a needle pricking at the raw, exposed wound of my heart."Winter," I whispered, stepping closer, my voice barely more than a breath. "It’s me."I watched her, hoping, praying that she would respond to me. But she didn’t. Her eyes remained unfocused, her hands scrabbling against the ground as she continued to chant the numbers, like a mantra she couldn’t escape.My chest tightened as I reached out, hesitant but desperate for a connection. My fingers brushed against her shoulder, a soft touch that I hoped would break through whatever wall surrounded her. The moment my skin made contact with hers, Winter stopped. Her hands fell still, and her gaze flickered up, locking onto
Enzo’s POVI stood there, feeling the tension in the air as Rykor stepped forward. His face was hard, but his eyes were filled with something I didn’t quite understand. When he spoke, his tone was surprisingly gentle."Elena doesn’t mean it," Rykor said, his voice low. "She doesn’t mean a thing of what she’s saying. She’s just hurting."Lily, who had been silent up until then, broke her silence with a sharp edge to her voice. "We all are," she said. "But that doesn’t give her the right to attack us."Rykor nodded, acknowledging her words, but there was still a look of understanding in his gaze. "I understand," he replied, as if this made everything okay.Enzo’s patience, however, was beginning to fray. "If that’s why you followed us," Enzo said, his voice growing colder, "then we don’t want to hear it."Rykor, however, didn’t back down. Instead, he stepped closer, his voice more firm now. "I like the little fairy," he said, referring to Lily. "And I know that if she was in her right m