I want to start by saying I'm truly sorry for the short chapters. It seems there are now "ideal word count limits" to adhere to.
I deeply regret the prolonged silence, but I've been grappling with severe health issues lately, and I'm still in the throes of recovery. I couldn't bear to leave this book neglected for too long, so I pushed through to the end so you all could move on.
I do hope to return with a new story soon, and hope you will all be there, but for now, I must concede and focus on recuperating.
The silence weighs heavy on me, and I truly hope you enjoyed the story and its conclusion. This marks the final instalment in the DSOF series. Perhaps one day, I'll pen Eleanor's tale, but I'm hesitant to make any promises I may not be able to fulfil. Please bear with me, dear readers and co-writers, and know that I cherish each and every one of you dearly. I will miss you all immensely. I love you all.❤️❤️❤️🙏🏾🙏🏾🤗🤗
~Winter~There is always a turning point in everyone's life, a defining moment when you know your life will never be the same again. It is either for good or worse, but a change will definitely occur, and you have no power over it.That was when I stood at the altar with my fated mate, Alpha Brandon Knight of Hayland.I wished I could snap my fingers and freeze the moment, but I had no such power; my only option was to live through it. My legs remained frozen on the spot. I should run, a voice in my head kept telling me to bolt.Kira, my wolf, had receded, this was for me alone. My moment, my fucking moment.It was the bluemoon evening, and everything had gone wrong.I should have figured it out; the signs were there. Denial is a vital coping mechanism, and I had adopted it all through, ignoring the signs and pushing on. The recent late nights, control, reluctance, missed calls, and unexplained absences. It was there, but I just kept going."What you don't know won't hurt you, Win
~Winter~ I should have walked and not waited through the whole thing, but my feet won't budge an my heart wont let me. Some people laughed, and some people gasped, but tears just streamed down my cheeks and his cheeks. If this was hard for him to do, then why was he doing it? "I have waited for my fated, and I must say, I was disappointed when I found you. I tried to love you. I tried to make excuses for you in my head, but I just couldn't. The day I knew I couldn't go ahead with this was when I could not introduce you to my foreign friends. Your sense of fashion is terrible, you have no taste, not an ounce of sophistication, and you do not seem like you care to learn. Hayland needs a Luna that would build it and help it survive these trying times. You aren’t that person, Winter. I wanted you to be so badly, but you aren’t that person," He said and released my hands. "I must say, only a foolish alpha in my position would settle down with you. If I were a peasant or a commoner, wit
~Winter~ I felt a hollowness when I woke up. An emptiness that I would do anything to fill up. The break wasn’t complete either, Brandon and I were still faintly connected, and I did not know why, but it worsened my emptiness. Remembering the incident made me cry. I cried all night into the morning. I scratched his mark on my inner thigh until the skin was marred and sore. I hated myself for falling and letting him do this to me. I hated myself for daring to believe. Fate never gave me anything good. Why did I think this would be different? Summer and I grew up in an orphanage. We were dumped at the orphanage with only our last names, and they referred to us as thus until we decided to give ourselves names when we turned four. I chose Winter because it was my favourite season, and she chose Summer for the same reason. Summer was a darling by giving me space. The children did not come to check on me in the morning, and I knew it was Summer’s doing. I was glad, but I knew
~Winter~ I heard slow footsteps heading in my direction and composed myself. Brandon walked in, and I did not bother to greet him. He did not deserve my respect. I felt the pull he felt it too, it was in his eyes, but I refused to acknowledge it. He seemed partially drunk in his wedding suit. He had dark circles and looked like shit. His buttons were opened, and his shirt rough. It was clear he hadn't slept at all. He should be happy after the show he gave the crowd yesterday. He should pat himself on the back. Brandon’s eyes were misty and sad. He was broken. He moved close to me, to touch me, but I stepped away from him. "Winter," he said almost in a whisper, emotions pouring out of him, but I was numb, his blue eyes misty, remorse filling his eyes as if he had a wake-up call but realised it was too late. I didn't let his emotions get to me. I was the one that was humiliated and shattered, not him. I was the one marked and ruined for life. I was the trash that had been discar
~Winter~ It's been a month since the Bluemoon incident, and I still haven't been able to get over what happened. It's Brandon’s damn scent and that residual bond causing an emptiness in my soul. I can't move past it, and the helplessness of it is infuriating. Summer believes I will be okay; I think so, too, but the stares and gossip aren't helping matters at all. Now, a month has passed, and I can't say I have healed completely; in fact, I still cry about it. Every time I go out, someone is pointing and gossiping. People look at me with pity. Brandon has tried to reach out several times, but I shut him out. It is best this way. The earlier he accepts he ended things and it is over, the better. I have yet to hear from Lesley, but I know I will. At the rate Brandon is going with his pleas, she will come for me. Even Brandon's mother has reached out a couple of times to check on me. Who was I kidding? It wasn't every day a fated got dumped at the altar. I couldn't believe
~Winter~ Summer and I remained at the window, drinking and staring at the moon. I wondered what the moon had in store for us next. Would we ever get a break? Will my heart mend? I couldn't tell, and I hated being in the dark. "Right now, I need time to be still to plan our migration," I finally spoke, and Summer was silent. It would have been easier just to leave if the children weren’t involved, but we owed a duty to keep them. Walking away wasn’t an option if we wouldn't be doing it together. That is when an idea clicked in my head. I could not tell if it was the alcohol or something spontaneous, but the idea was vivid, and I was willing to share it. "Are you squirmish about crime?" I asked Summer, and she looked at me wide-eyed as if I were crazy. I knew I needed to calm her down, which I did. "Please just answer," I said, and she relaxed. "No, tell me, Sparkle, I am listening," She said, and I nodded. "I say we rob a jewellery store, sell the loot, head to Greenville and
~Winter~ Another two months passed, and Summer and I never discussed the planned robbery. It was as if it was a forbidden project, and we shouldn't discuss it. Although Brandon had stopped sending the food support, we could still feed ourselves. Regardless of the calmness of the situation, Summer and I had it at the back of our minds that we would have to leave Hayland eventually. Brandon had stopped troubling me too, but I knew it was Lesley's doing, not his heart's desire. I was still healing, and the ordeal with the orphanage had kept me occupied. We baked more than usual, and the people patronised us often to support the orphanage. If baking could secure our roof, I wouldn't be so apprehensive. Returning from a bread delivery, I noticed Brandon's car parked at the orphanage's gate. A lump formed in my chest, and it felt like something was squeezing my heart. My pulse quickened, and a sense of nervousness enveloped me. The apprehension only intensified. Despite the false
~Winter~ I did not give two fucks about Lesley's weak attempt at public display of affection. I knew Brandon didn't love her because even though she interlaced her hand with his, his eyes were fixed on me. I could see regret and pain evident in Brandon's eyes. He was in pain, and he wasn't hiding it. I wondered how bad the threat to Hayland was that he opted to ruin himself like this. I could see he wasn't a happy man, but there was nothing that could be done about it. Lesley smiled at me, and I fought the urge to laugh at her. Knowing she was just a money bag to Brandon made me want to laugh. "Well, this place is an eyesore. We must tear it down and build something better to rent out at a better price to outsiders when they come. If you can afford the rent, you can move back in, but I want you out in six weeks," She said and stood up. "What!" I exclaimed and looked at Brandon. By then, Lesley was leaving. I could see clearly that she was the Alpha, not Brandon. "Six week