Launching Keeping Winter

Y’all, my 14-part series is here! It’s complete. It’s published, and now, I don’t quite know what to do with myself… I’ve got some selected chapters for you below as well. I can’t share half because this beast is 143 chapters long! Keeping Winter is one hell of a finale. We traverse the country with Winter, revisit her men, and watch her transform into the chief. There’s the same sexy vibes, but there’s also a bit more violence. Not everyone survives. To celebrate the completion of my Wooing the Alpha series, stay with me because the selected chapters from book fourteen are below for you to read!

Read the First Selected Chapters Below!

CHAPTER THREE

Fear hammered through Winter’s heart and lungs as she shot out of bed. Clanging chimes came from the room beside hers. Her father. Something was wrong with her father.

Winter ran to her father’s side. He bowed stiff for a few seconds before he started convulsing. The whole room shook. She cleared the things around the bed and kept him on the mattress as best as she could. He was stiff again with another seizure before Newt burst into the room.

He helped roll Amarok on his side, which seemed to help ease his hard movements.

“I’ve got him.”

“I’m not leaving.”

Newt nodded, and they supported her father as he went through another attack. Slowly, Amarok settled, Winter brushed the sweat and hair from his brow and frowned. How could he hide how bad it really was?

“Let me check him over. Go grab him his tonic and tea. He’ll need it.”

Winter nodded and sprinted from the room to make tea and add his medicine. Her hands started trembling, and her knees followed. Goddess, she was having a panic attack. Breath punching her in the chest, she bent to alleviate the pressure.

Strong hands circled her shoulders and straightened her out.

“Winter.” Newt looked her over once before he pressed her against him and wrapped her up tight.

Tears shattered her, and she broke down.

“He’s still alive. Still breathing. He’s got a little while left in him. It’s okay.” The mantra repeated in her hair as she sobbed.

Her nails dug into his back, and all she could do was hold on.

Once her world slowly remade itself, it took everything she had to step free of his arms. “When you return to town, please send your mother here to see me.”

“That’s against the rules.” Newt reached out toward her but dropped his hand. This was against the rules, too, even though her father was dying.

“Fuck the rules. I will be chief. Do what I say.” Winter needed to talk to Zara. Needed her professional and womanly help.

“Yes, ma’am.”

That made Winter bristle, but she shut it down and nodded. “Thank you. And thank you for taking care of my father.”

“Always.”

CHAPTER TEN

Thunder finally peeled Winter away from the feast and the inquiries. She remained that mythical creature the whole time. She’d been so mysterious, even as Amarok’s daughter, even as such an iconic warrior, even as the woman he spent an entire cycle with. 

He winked at his father as they slipped between two buildings, and Thunder led her to the rear of the campus. The most beautiful of all buildings was lit up with spotlights against the darkening sky.

As she looked up at it, quiet settled around them, and the tension slipped away.

Her newly appointed guard trailed behind, but she seemed to sense how he sought privacy for the two of them. When Thunder unlocked the library, she nodded to him and circled the building. She’d be guarding them from outside. Not that she needed much here. No one harbored ill will toward Winter.

He locked them in anyway and hit the lights to Winter’s complete awe. Her gasp echoed under the high ceiling. Those eyes grew so wide that he swore she lost forty years as she took in the foyer of the library.

Thunder led her through the nearest stacks; her free hand trailed along the spines, and she leaned in to smell them on occasion. He wished he could read her mind. They weaved, and he let her lead until they made it to the fourth floor. Out the windows across the top of the building, they could see the university, the village, and the trees beyond; the light sprinkled from the sky, aflame with color, showcasing the best view of home.

He pressed against her as she leaned into the railing, and he dipped his nose to her throat. She smelled less of mint and more of pine. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful.”

“The biggest in our little corner of the world. We value knowledge and make paper. It’s hard for us to separate the two. We have everything that’s been written by one of us, and a lot that no one but the author and the librarians have ever seen. Tomorrow, they’ll take you into the archives.”

“Tomorrow?”

“I promised not to breach the sanctity of the place unescorted.”

Her rough laughter filled the space, and she turned between his arms, those green-hazel eyes more brilliant than he remembered. 

“I haven’t gotten to properly convey my condolences, Winter. How are you holding up?” Thumbs drawing over her cheekbones, her jaw, he massaged her ears.

A sigh stuttered out of her, sudden tears in her lashes as she gently shook her head. “I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

Thunder kissed her forehead, rubbing the nape of her neck. Her grip tightened around his back. He wished he could harbor a piece of her grief for her if it meant she’d be spared the extra pain.

“Distract me.”

When he tilted her head back, her mouth parted, so he gave in to his impulses and kissed her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The people seemed skeptical of Winter until they saw her in action and heard what she had to offer them. The Island was a high-value target for attack. Many came to meet her afterward, and North struggled to school his features as she talked to them all, asking them about themselves, what they did, what they loved about the Island, and what they needed.

Best of all, Winter gave them all the time they needed with her.

Well, maybe the best of all was that she remained utterly herself, serious and blunt, but her bedside manner had improved. Her means of expressing herself with words rather than simple gestures and snarky comments surprised him.

Though she still flung those at North.

Her gaze darted to him, taking a quick tour of his body before returning to her task. It set him aflame.

After, North carted her away from the dwindling crowd. “Run off with me?” 

She dipped into his body, touch dancing down his side. “What’s with the bag?”

He shrugged as to not ruin the surprise—he had robes and lunch inside for the private picnic spot behind the mills. One where her new bodyguard wouldn’t follow, or if she did, she’d stay hidden as a wolf. North liked how she didn’t ask any more questions.

Winter changed into her brilliant white and gray wolf, and he followed, picking up the bag in his muzzle and bounding off toward the field he had in mind.

When he stopped to set up, Winter rolled around in the flowers and showed her belly to the sun. She finally changed, lazily slipped into the robe, and lounged on the blanket he laid out. Before North could offer her the food, Winter tackled him into the ground and moved the fabric from between them. After, however, she allowed him a bit of romance, rubbing her back in the sun while they nibbled on the cold lunch and dropping kisses along her bare spine.

“Did you want to see the mills? They’re just over the crest there.”

A sweet, soft groan sank her further into him. “I do, but in a minute.”

That hope he’d been caging inside himself threatened the restrictions he’d created as her skin burned along his.

Eventually, she relented, and they found a lookout across from the large mills. Churning water swallowed most of the sound, so North merely held her to his chest and enjoyed the way she ate up the view. Mist created rainbows in the cold, wet air, and the water sparkled in the mid-afternoon sun.

North breathed in the scent of her hair when she nestled closer, tightening his arms around her. The rosemary and pine of her washed over every bit of the Island, every bit of his home.

He wanted to ask her about the other alphas, about the rest of her year, but found that he couldn’t bring himself to voice the question in as many ways as he phrased it. 

How did your year go? 

Did the others treat you well? 

Do they all love you like I do? 

Could you love any of them? 

They all made him sound jealous, and he was, so he refrained, giving in to merely holding onto her right now.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

This was a side of Winter Torrent had missed seeing when he spent his cycle with her. She loved adventure, and it should have been obvious. The way she let her hair fly when he tested the speed of his airboat had him falling in love with her all over again. Winter would make his life complete, and he wanted to be the same for her.

She grabbed his hand when they hit a bump, and her squeal echoed between the water and canopy of trees. Winter was life in all its glory.

When they stopped by the alligator pit, she allowed him to help her off the boat, and he wrapped her up in a long, intense kiss until she whimpered.

“You’re addictive. If I wouldn’t get hanged for treason, I’d kidnap you right now and keep you to myself.” Torrent pressed his thumb over her lips, and her teeth amplified his want to stash her away.

Propelled on her toes, her nose brushed his, and she grinned. “Weren’t you going to show me something?”

Grip convulsing, Torrent slowly released her and nodded to the edge of the water where Godzilla and Lambchop crept onto the land. Her body stiffened, and wide eyes peered back at him.

“No worries. We’re not going to wrestle with them, but I’ve got their chow, which means you can feed and pet them if you’d like.”

Her enthusiasm brightened the swamps a little more, but instead of kissing her again, he spun her around and led her to the gathering alligators. Torrent opened the cooler of fish, grabbed one and tossed it to Poppins. She snapped it up, and the rest of them purred for their own snack.

“Go on. Toss to keep your fingers clear.”

Winter did so and giddily dispersed the fish as evenly as she could manage. Some of them were feistier at her smell than others, but once they were full, he brought her closer to pet their snouts and behind their eyes. Lambchop let Winter lay across her back and pat her sides.

It made Torrent shake his head. She was his shrewdest of them, the hardest to wrangle when she felt like giving him some drama. And there Winter was, cuddling and cooing at the beast.

They had little time left, so he coaxed her off the reptile. 

Winter was complete radiance. 

Kissing her burned through Torrent. “Forgive me, I want one more taste of you.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Jarl did go back for a third box, laughing with the Johnsons while they talked about flavors and caloric needs and her tiny size. Bubba made a bet that she burned it all off beating up the men. She agreed. They laughed some more.

Now, Echo planned to deliver on a promise. They returned to the ranch, and he brought her out to the bull’s pen. His brothers cleaned him up and pampered him for Jarl’s visit.

When he introduced her to Baby, which is what happens when you let the youngest name such a big animal, she crooned at him immediately. Baby nuzzled his nose under her hand.

That was interesting.

“Can I get in there with him?” Her round green eyes sparkled with so much hope.

“That was the plan. You said you’d never ridden one.”

Her pumping energy bounced her over the fence before anyone could stop her. Baby leaned his body against her as soon as he could, and Jarl was wrapped around him in no time, petting the poor sap under his jaw and chin and behind his ears.

Well, he’d never seen that happen before.

“He doesn’t much like the harness,” she said, working her fingers under it to scratch him.

“No, but he’s used to it. You need it to ride him, or you’ll fly straight off.”

Jarl patted Baby’s sides. “You’re going to give me one hell of a ride, aren’t you?”

That sent a hard breath through Echo, images of bending her over flashed through his vision. His brothers, who lingered for the show, examined her with a renewed sense of her sexuality.

They had no idea.

Echo helped secure her on Baby’s back and talked her through what to expect. 

Opening the gate created an abnormal pause before they shot through it. Jarl squealed as Baby bucked and jostled her around. She rode him long and well, and when she fell off his back, Baby slunk to her and rolled her over with his nose.

Up and around him again, she unsnapped his harness and loved on him for a good twenty minutes before wrangling him for his lunch. Her grin radiated pure happiness when she hopped back toward Echo.

Touch tracing up the backs of her arms, he resisted pulling her to him. “Ready for dinner and drinks with the family?”

“Yes. Although I wouldn’t mind spending days with that beast.”

“You did say that you can handle big things.”

“Indeed, I can. But you are already well aware of that fact. Please, give me a bottle of your finest—or strongest—I might need it when my emotions catch up with me.” Mania did swim behind her gaze. The rollercoaster of the last year certainly took its toll on her.

“You can talk to me about it if you want.”

Jarl patted his chest, leaving warmth in its wake. “After. First, more fun.”

His family set out a beautiful table; the low lights made it cozy. Not that the fourteen other people that lived there didn’t already make it feel as much. Echo pulled a bottle of whiskey he’d saved from her farewell gift and presented it to Jarl before bringing her into the chaos. “Is it bad manners to offer you something you’ve given me?”

“Not as long as we share it.” Jarl took a long sip of the uncapped bottle.

Echo looked forward to tasting it on her later.

She blended with his family well, telling stories about her father and grandfather, eating her fill, matching their drinks. He came from a long line of soldiers, and she did, too. It made him sad that they weren’t in love. Jarl was made of magic. Almost literally. She’d become so much more since he saw her last time.

Echo was happy to serve her.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

They were on their way to Basil, and the anticipation of this ride killed her. She thought of Basil so often. The way he looked at her. The way they connected immediately. The way they entangled so completely that it was impossible for her to not fall into him. To compare the others to him.

Even Newt.

Minx homed in on Winter’s changing mood. “Winter? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. Everything. “Nothing.”

“You are strong, but it is okay to be overwhelmed with your task. If I can make it easier, I would gladly.” Her full lips thinned with concern. It was genuine.

“Thank you.” After a deep breath, she let herself confide the smallest confession. “The next visit will be one of the hardest.”

Minx’s amber eyes widened momentarily, and she reached forward to press Winter’s hand in comradery.

A small smile kept Winter from fully breaking down into a mix of anxiety and excitement and dread. The time she got with him would be so short, and she wanted to wallow in him for a while. Wanted so much more.

By the time they arrived in the southern plains, she’d stirred herself half into a tizzy, wringing her hands and tucking her hair back. She left it loose for him. To give him a reason to touch her. When the carriage stopped and she stepped out, Basil waited for her in front of the long drive alone, so she turned back and gestured for Minx to stay put.

“Give me a minute?”

She nodded, those amber eyes going round again.

“Thanks.” Winter climbed the rest of the way out and walked toward Basil. “It’s only you?”

His big blue eyes took her in with a sweep, the joy in them so warm, she almost tripped. “Yes. My sister convinced my father that I should welcome you privately.”

Winter’s feet sped up, and before she knew it, she’d practically thrown herself into his arms. Basil caught her easily, crushing her to him and lifting her off her feet. Gingerbread and dark molasses filled her senses, and she pulled his mouth to hers for the sweetest kiss. 

Losing herself in him for a minute, she swam in the spark and relief that came with the press of his lips and the strength of his arms around her, trapping her in his embrace. When her senses finally returned, she whispered against his mouth. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, sweetheart.” A cheeky grin sprouted over his face, and she couldn’t help but mirror it.

A squeal echoed from a window in the house, and Winter worked to suppress the heat in her cheeks. “I should probably act like the chief and make some introductions instead of acting like a silly, love-sick teen, huh?”

“My sister might have that plenty covered for you. The silly teen part, anyway. I could do with having you love-sick for me.” That twinkle when he looked at her—that look—made her chest tighten. Worse when he tucked her hair behind her ear.

She stole another kiss before pulling away more completely, but he kept his grip on her hand. “Come meet my people.”

Introductions were easy, but they all seemed shocked by Winter and her reaction to Basil. They probably couldn’t see what she did, especially after Torrent and Reyes these last two visits. But Basil was full alpha in the best ways. Smart and sweet and deadly.

Wanting him tightened her grip on his hand. 

Pebble waggled her brows and peered around the drive. “One hell of a welcome. Where’s mine?” 

Minx smacked her in the arm, but Heather and Kieko giggled.

“I have brothers and a sister, inside. I’m sure they can help you out if you’re keen on snagging a young one.”

Pebble made another face. “You know I don’t. Sage is half my age, and the rest are younger than he is. No thank you.”

The shrug she gave Winter at her surprise prompted Pebble to explain her family transplant from the Jarl clan to the Bathilde clan through mating a generation back and laughed about it not being long enough to white wash her.

“We better go in before Rosemary has a fit waiting.”

She nearly had a fit when they walked inside, jumping on Winter with another squeal. Was this what it’d felt like for Basil when she’d launched into him? The girl was long and lean like her brother, and she smelled of clove and orange. Did everyone in this family have an appetizing scent so strong that she could practically taste it?

“You must be Winter. Oh, my, Gods are you gorgeous. I really hope I fill out that way one day, but I doubt it with my genetics.” Her eyes rolled to Basil.

“You must be Rosemary.”

“Rosie.” She beamed, her dark blonde hair a nice complement to her milky skin and pale blue eyes. “We’ll be sisters after all.”

Basil turned her and nudged her along. “Go show our guests to their rooms.”

Her pout was immediate, but it didn’t last long. “Fine. This way ladies.”

Suddenly, Rosie transformed into a young lady instead of Basil’s little sister, and Winter remembered their upbringing. One she’d never have survived.

Shit, she was lucky to have survived her own.

Basil tugged Winter the other way, and butterflies caught their wings between her ribs. Down the hall and to the right, she followed him into a room. His from the strength of his gingerbread aroma.

The door closed behind them, and he wrapped her up in his arms again.

Yes, she wanted so much more of this.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

Winter was an excellent teacher. The advanced students improved when she went through the moves building off the basics she’d shown them before. Able to walk through them quickly, she strode around the soldiers as they practiced. Without fear, she slid under someone’s poor form to strike them with restraint before correcting them.

She’d thump them again if their form didn’t improve until they got it right, but she always smiled at them before she moved on.

Everyone got a private moment with her.

“Practice allows you to be fast. Speed allows you to be deadly. If I am not proof enough, brute strength can only fare so well against a quick, sharp blade. Not that brawn can’t get the better of you. It simply means staying out of your opponent’s grasp. No matter how big or small you are, it all comes back to form. Perform the moves accurately, and you reduce the chance of being beat.”

She showcased what she meant, starting slow and building up speed until she became a blur of limbs and blades. Midnight loved watching her. The rest of her students seemed to feel the same way. 

Winter put the basics together in one final demonstration without breaking a sweat. The activity made her shine. Beautiful.

“Don’t underestimate the basic moves. Your body will go back to them when your brain overloads, when your emotions trip you up, when you’re exhausted. Rely on them. Practice. Practice so your muscles don’t forget when you do. They’re the most likely to save your life. And they’re a lot deadlier than that fancy shit people like to do to show off.”

Things she’d told him when they’d trained together. He’d implemented them and reaped the rewards. She was good at this. Like her father was.

“Midnight. Want to show them your favorite?”

Heart beating faster, he strutted forward with a nod and performed one of the tricks the ladies’ always liked. Winter slapped him in the gut mid-move, but he landed solidly. 

“And he’s been disemboweled.” She grinned at him, and he grinned back. “Questions?”

They had about a million, and Winter took every one of them. At least until her stomach growled so loudly that the rest of them heard. Everyone dispersed with laughter as Midnight finally escorted her home—to his family home—with his sisters.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

Marsh had more fervor than she remembered; he seemed more keen on holding onto her—or at least more tightly. He sat beside her on the bed, setting a tray with coffee and muffins and meats and berries on the bedside table.

The sun highlighted his cheekbones and darkened his eyes under those long lashes. His shirt hung open, and he wore boxers. Much different than he’d been before. Winter liked the growth in him. Glad that she’d gotten the chance to crack him open.

She reached for his skin the moment it was close enough, and his cheeks bathed in pink. “Good morning.”

A wide smile he seemed to save for her made him all the more beautiful. Marsh wiped her hair from her face. “Good morning, Winter.”

Sitting up drew his attention to her body, but he caught her mouth when she dangled it close. He cupped her breast as he opened her mouth, but he didn’t take full advantage. Instead, he gave her nipple a tease and retreated, pouring her coffee and sharing the small breakfast.

Once done, he watched her explore his space. The apartment took up the complete floor, offering so many sweeping windows to showcase the beauty of the Cove, its township and the water curving out across the horizon.

So much of his place was filled with history, artifacts, tools, paintings, gems, and trinkets. He collected so much. Most of his walls, though, were lined with shelves and shelves of books.

He’d obviously led a lonely life, or at least one without much romance, but his home breathed authentic period romantic tragedy. Something about Marsh screamed Jane Austen, which granted, she’d not been a fan of when she read them, but when she watched a few versions of Pride & Prejudice with him, she liked the mental battles and how Lizzie was strong but wrong about Darcy. Winter had been wrong about each of the men in some way. She wasn’t afraid to admit that, and she liked how they challenged her perceptions in different ways.

But honestly, it made things all the more muddled.

Marsh settled behind her, arm circling her waist as his mouth dropped kisses on the back of her neck. “Come for a walk with me. I have a special one planned for today since we have the time.”

A basket sat on the counter with a thermos, and it made Winter laugh with delight. She turned in his arms to sink into him more completely. “Let me guess, with a special treat or two?”

“Or three or four.” Marsh’s finger threaded into her hair; his heart beat wildly under her cheek.

“We’d best get dressed because I love treats and I love surprises.”

The crinkle of his dark eyes said that he knew. It’s why he’d planned it. Excitement wiggled her against him. Mirrored delight and anticipation shone back at her when she slipped out of his grasp.

He’d set out another dress for her…no, a jumper where the legs’ seams flowed together. The fit was flawless, better than the one she wore at home. Blood red, deep and dark, brought more pink out in her skin and hair. It brightened the green of her eyes, and it cut to show off a thin plunge down her torso. Like a second skin, it moved with her well.

Marsh appeared, dressed in his suit and tie as per usual, and he lit up seeing her. He enjoyed dressing her, and he was good at it.

Their walk was quiet but nice, the streets busy. When they made it to the beach of the Cove, he changed beside her. Confident and strong and calm. His alpha was far clearer when he neared the water. What might he have done with that?

“What is it?” He stood after laying out the blanket, thermos in hand.

Winter shook her head. “Just picturing you as a pirate.”

Marsh laughed, such a sweet sound. He poured the coffee, already mixed with milk and sugar, and she stepped up to him to tip the cup toward her for a sip before letting him have the rest.

Once the cup was empty, he let it fall to the blanket, and he lured her into a kiss that truly wowed her, zapping her down to her toes.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE

The day would be full of celebrating, magic, drinking, dancing, food, and his family. Mihaela hovered, her soured features saying she’d heard the noises he drew out of Winter. The taste of her magic hit him harder than that damned stick she’d clobbered him with. Comet fought off the effects, working to keep an appropriate distance. A cool one.

She didn’t need to know how she’d affected him.

It got harder when she interacted with his clan. His family.

Even with the guard at her back, Winter opened herself to others in a way she resisted opening to him. They came to talk to her, and she listened.

Fuck, Comet had to admit how wrong he was about her, but would she really make the changes she promised with this open discussion? Would she implement the new trade agreements and help them?

She blinked over her shoulder at him during a small pause.

He’d fucked this up.

Nothing he could do about it now.

The best Comet managed was to load a tray of food to hand off to her before her assistant did. It was hard to collect food from a party like this when you were an outsider. Well, from his part of the clan. The rest offered up plenty of food, but they underestimated her appetite.

Winter’s smile was a reward in itself, and he laughed softly at how deeply Mihaela scowled. Jealousy on his ex was enticing. Thankfully, he had another day with Winter. 

He’d pay for it either way.

In the meantime, he enjoyed the way Winter ate the food he’d offered and connected with his family. When they’d relented her, she cornered him at the edge of the feast, watching them on one of the rock formations nearby.

Seriousness narrowed her features at him, and he savored it. “Are you willing to put your talents to better use? For your family and your clan? For our country? For you…?”

For us.

Comet’s heart hammered in response. She didn’t mean what his body wanted her to mean.

“Yes,” he said, honestly. It’s why he’d gone through this whole escapade.

“You will have to keep better company.” Winter’s brow raised pointedly.

“Mihaela.”

“I don’t mean you have to give her up. Just make her better company.”

Comet laughed, hard. “Is that your way of saying I have potential?”

“Probably.”

CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

The debate delighted Winter as much as Ash had hoped. It was the best way for her to get to know the clan in the quickest time. But now, she got to meet some of them. How would she fair with their brutal honesty?

Winter sized up the people who stood before her easily and hardly blinked as the first comment came.

“You’re awfully small for the chief.” Johannes, a big man, boasted, nearly shouting with his mirth.

“And you’re awfully foolish if you believe that means anything.”

That made him laugh just as loudly. “You’d be right, but as much as we’ve heard about you and your legendary skills, I’ll reserve my judgment until tomorrow, when I see them in action.”

“If you truly wanted to see them in action, you’d be dead before you knew what happened. What you’ll witness is the watered-down version.” Winter’s eyes twinkled, but Ash wasn’t sure how much of that was humor and how much was frustration.

“I’ll take a raincheck on the death and dismemberment.”

“I understand. Stick with your wine making. The fig, cherry, and currant palette was delightful.”

And Winter held her own. How could he have ever doubted her? 

Each person or small group threw blunt questions at her, and she answered and countered with ease. Then, his two sisters and brother ended the train of people. Wren, his eldest sister, swept her gaze over Winter with an appreciative swoop.

Winter didn’t reciprocate. She waited. Patiently. So good with her silence and the magic dripping off of her.

“And here, we thought our brother exaggerated.” Wren’s attention cut to Ash, pinpointing his lack of restraint as his hand ratted out his feelings for Winter.

“He doesn’t seem like one to exaggerate.” Winter’s eyes beamed at him.

“No. He’s not. But you seemed too good to be true. I look forward to seeing you in action, as many before me have mentioned.” 

His younger brother, Cedar, waggled his brows at Ash, and it made his own touch trail up her spine. He wanted to claim her, to call her his, to scream it at the tops of his lungs. Ash never reacted this way.

“And like I told everyone else, hope that you never truly see me in action.”

You’d be dead before you knew it.

Ash laughed, but he could tell Wren liked her already. So did his brother. And all for the same reason. Lark smiled sweetly at him, though, her own silent means of approval.

He leaned in to whisper in Winter’s ear again. “She might mean an entirely different kind of action, but now’s the time for me to steal you away again.”

CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE

They passed by home on the way to Lake Anakee, and Remus’s mining town nestled between the body of water and the mountains. The anxiety of meeting his children had Winter bouncing her foot so hard that Minx lifted a brow at her.

“I’d stop if I could. He’s got kids.”

She nodded, blinking. 

Yes, you heard me right. Kids. Kids my age or a little younger.

Winter stepped out of her carriage to the entire town gathered around a stage. Remus and his family stood behind it to greet her. They all smiled with varying emotions. He was excited, although a more mature excitement than his eldest son.

She’d seen eager warriors and knights grin like that at her father.

Remus stepped forward as her people went to work. She was the face, and they didn’t let her unload her own carriage. Winter relented, but only while they met her alphas. Because when they were near, it was hard not to go straight to them.

He hovered, as if curious how she might react to a kiss. In front of his kids, it seemed odd, a bit more of a promise than she preferred, but she ran her hand up his chest and leaned nearer.

“Really?”

Laughing, he pressed her palm more firmly against him before lifting it to his mouth. “My children have been talking about you nonstop since I came home changed, as they say. The entire clan couldn’t wait to see you in person.”

“You guys gave me a mythos.”

Remus shrugged unapologetically. “I don’t think we had all that much to do with it.”

“Mmm hmm.” Winter took a deep breath. “Introduce me to your family.”

His grin made him look so young, the sun hid his gray hair amongst the blonde. His kids had baby faces compared to him, and frankly, most of her alphas. It made her feel old.

Romano bowed with his fist over his heart when Remus said his name and his soon-to-be mate mimicked him, eyes wide and bright. Timber and his mate both stepped forward to shake her hand, also bowing in their own ways, and giant, almost-knowing, grins plastered on their faces. Thistle curtsied for her, and her big eyes unfocused on Winter’s face in a familiar way—an artist tracing lines and colors and light. Smoke was by far the most stunned, his mouth hung open when Winter acknowledged him, and his hand shot out when she said hello. He was quite young. Younger than she ever was.

“I’ve heard a great deal about all of you. I hope to learn more while I’m here.” Winter hated how adult she sounded. Elevated. His children made her nerves spike. “But I expect you to greet me on stage, Romano, when I ask for challengers.”

“You bet. I mean, yes, sir. Chief. Ma’am.” Pink highlighted his cheeks.

“Winter is fine.”

Romano nodded and squeezed his female’s hand—Ink. She matched him well physically, tall and lean.

“I can’t wait to see you toss Romano around,” said Smoke, gaze glowing even brighter.

Winter’s husky laugh escaped her, and Remus smiled, touching the small of her back out of habit. She elbowed him. “Well, let’s not leave everyone hanging. Shall we?”

A sea of people swarmed the grounds around the front of the stage, they’d grown quiet when the carriage disappeared behind the other side, but now that Winter rose to the wood-plank floor, the cheers thundered, threatening to knock her back a step.

CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN

Fox enjoyed seeing Winter chatting with his dad. Something about it made him happy. Now, though, it was time to feed her, hunger showing its obvious signs. Once he mentioned food, she lit up.

Oh, he liked that even more.

“Am I going to have to wait for you to cook?”

He gave her a hand up. “Don’t ruin the surprise.”

Red swathed her cheeks, and she let it go. They rode back to his house—his parent’s house—in the old van, and Winter stayed huddled against him in the middle seat. Fox enjoyed the heat of her, breathing in the salt of the ocean as it mingled with pine and rosemary.

Why didn’t they make more females like Winter Jarl?

She turned like she read his mind, blinking up at him. 

He squeezed her knee.

No, he didn’t suppose she’d be chief if they made any others like her.

They drove up the drive into his backyard, and the gang easily shuffled inside while Winter took it in the sprawl of land and the glimpse of town before she followed him inside. The way she noted the pictures on the wall and the knickknacks littering the open spaces made him less embarrassed of his childhood home.

Butter and garlic, baking flour and sizzling meat, it all called to her the moment the scents reached them. The pure joy in her features was the exact reaction he’d been aiming for.

Mom stood behind the stove with Heather. Glad they worked well together since he wasn’t there to do the cooking. He’d prepared everything and set out a timetable for them though so that nothing would burn or go cold too fast.

Winter squeezed his grip, then she morphed into the chief and introduced herself to his mother. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Heather snorted and shook her head.

“Hey, I can butter toast and chop.” Winter’s indignant tone was as playful as the way she planted her fists on her hips.

“You can do more than that,” Fox said into her hair.

She beamed at him.

“Kieko’s already set the table, and we’re near done, mam. Why don’t you grab a beer and settle in?”

Her stomach growled so loudly that everyone in the room stopped before falling into laughter.

Pebble reached across the counter and threw a few bits of food at her. “And take a roll or two before you behead someone, ma’am.”

The roll vanished in two bites before her hand slipped into the crook of his arm. “Show me the house.”

“Good idea.”

The slow tour had so many questions running through him. What did she think of their modest home? The clutter, the lived-in feel of it that was nothing like her mansion. She’d not lived there for many years, but that didn’t mean she’d ever lived like this.

Her silence only made him more mesmerized by her.

Once they returned to the finished meal, everyone descended upon it with gusto, segueing to stories and jokes. Winter laughed at his but frowned at his friends’ before she pinned them all with her sweeping gaze and told them that they weren’t funny. It made Fox laugh even harder.

Slowly, people dropped off from eating, and each one of them seemed to be as caught by Winter’s ability to pack it away as he was.

“Shit. Where is all of that food going?”

“And my mom thought I would eat her out of house and home.”

Her attention and lifted brow silenced the slow innuendos ready to surface. Fox saw them coming, about meat, her mouth, and swallowing. 

Pure chief mode.

CHAPTER ONE-HUNDRED-FOUR

Balto, Claw, and Raven, his siblings, set up the stage and roped their friends into putting on a play that depicted the world’s creation myth. They were dramatic and happy and full of life. Full of everything Cobalt couldn’t feel anymore.

The show was a hot mess, but it seemed fun for Winter and her new posse. Pebble babbled through it, which only made Winter laugh harder. Oh, he enjoyed how she laughed. The full brunt of her magic made her joy a bit contagious.

Cobalt liked how she held his hand. Constant contact made his innards flutter.

Then, she smirked at him, and a real smile pulled at his lips.

How did she do that?

Nothing he’d ever tried made him a modicum of happy, yet she pulled these strands of it out of him. 

“Your family?” Those knowing eyes sparkled, wilderness contained in a beautiful physical form.

“Yes.”

“I see the resemblance.”

That pulled a silent laugh out of him before the fleeting joy was snatched away. 

“Introduce me.”

“Right now? They’ll be drunk from the performance.”

Pebble gave him a flask. “Now the lot of you can be drunk to balance the playing field. Best they do all the talking anyway.”

Winter shrugged and took a deep swig from the metal canister.

Cobalt took her backstage to meet his brother and sisters. They fluttered and flustered over Winter, and she worked hard not to frown at them. It made Cobalt grin to himself.

“I liked your dramatization of how our home was created.” Her mountain, her ancestors, her people, her magic. “It was…dramatic.”

“We took a little leeway to get the song and dance number to work.” Raven pulled her hair to the side to unknot the woven flowers; it mimicked how Winter wore her hair. The chief was a hard female to imitate.

“Mmm. It seems your clan values free expression.”

Cobalt focused on the way her fingers felt between his as his siblings gushed, and Winter asked questions about the clan. It didn’t take her long to squeeze his grip and shoot him a look to help her escape.

“We should navigate the fair. Many families want their time with the chief.”

At the reminder of her position, Raven, Claw, and Balto tittered, and he shooed them off to go have their fun somewhere else, likely including impersonations of Winter.

“Thank you.”

Pebble laughed behind her. “No wonder you look so glum. I’d shoot my baby toe off to get some peace and quiet with that around all the time.”

They’d been fun when Cobalt was a pup, but he’d been young when he lost his joy in pretty much everything. Magic continued to soothe him, and that was the closet he got to happiness for so long. Until Winter made it seem closer to his grasp than he’d ever imagined.

Her shoulder bumped his as they walked, reassuring as he led her to a booth with a hoop and a ball. Winter paid for a game even though the young man offered her the three shots for free. An easy win got her a simple prize, but it didn’t bother her one bit. And she repeated the same questions, almost, that she’d asked Cobalt’s siblings.

Winter continued the same way, winning a prize for each game and asking the people what they thought, what they liked, what they didn’t, and what they needed. A few games were trickier, so she played as she talked and won bigger prizes. Each of them, she gave away to a nearby pup, except for a small token a little boy picked out for her at a bag toss game—a carved, wooden wolf.

“As blunt with the kids as you are with the adults, but the yayhoos seem to take to ya better for it.” Pebble winked at him as if knowing her own comments caused a similar reaction.

“That’s because they’re blunt, too.” Winter pointed to a booth with bows and arrows, her aura glistening with some darker emotion. It sent a shock up his arm, her magic churning across his own.

A little girl stood with a bow and arrow, unable to pull the string far enough to hit the target. She puffed the dark hair off her forehead before she stomped her foot and aimed again. Winter tapped her elbow before the girl let it loose.

“Elbow up. It will create more tension.”

The girl followed direction without turning away from the board, and the arrow hit the wood, albeit, low. She pumped a fist in the air with a happy grunt, and Winter knelt down next to her.

“Want to try again?”

“That was my last arrow.” When the girl turned to see the chief beside her, she startled. “Chief Winter.”

That stole Winter’s husky laugh from her, a delightful one. “Did you want to learn?”

“Yes.”

CHAPTER ONE-HUNDRED-FIFTEEN

Fuck, when did Winter become the center of his universe?

Sexy and sincere and somehow, emotional, Winter yanked open his jeans, breached his bare skin, and took him into her hand.

She was going to brand every inch of his world with her. What a welcome feeling.

Half-undressing her, Newt took her on his workbench, hard and intense and more quickly than he’d have preferred, but they didn’t have a lot of time to disappear into each other.

After prolonging their intimacy as much as he could, Newt released Winter and shut down his forge. She found Pebble, who braided Winter’s hair in the front of his shop. 

She transformed into the chief again, strong and calm and neutral, even when her gaze blazed at him. Time to brave her people—the clan she grew up with—as their new leader. Winter showed no signs of fear.

He led her out to their town square, where they set up a platform for her lesson.

“I know that my father has taught many lessons on how to fight when trouble comes to our homes.” A small, heartbroken smile flashed across her face. “Believe me, I know, but what I propose is that those who cannot fight know what’s best to do when faced with threats. Before I dispense my thoughts, I have opened myself up to challenges from my people if they would like to test my skills or worth as chief. You may know more of my career than many others do, more of my family and training, but you do not know me because I have not let you. So, please. Come challenge me by sword, by hand, or by word, and I will gladly meet you.”

Newt quashed the same gasp that traveled through the crowd.

Silence beat on before a young soldier stepped up and brandished the practice sword. Winter dispatched him quickly and helped him up to shake his hand and introduce herself. He bowed and rejoined the crowd.

More came to fight her, some to quietly ask her a few questions and nod or smile or laugh, few were serious, and she responded to each with equal care.

Once everyone who’d wanted their turn had one, she taught them what she knew about running, hiding, keeping still and quiet, about which routes held the best escapes and the pitfalls of their mountain. She offered distractions and basic fighting maneuvers when options ran thin, using Newt as an example.

When had she gotten so good at this?

Finished, she left them with an open invitation to Amarok’s funeral at dawn. “We will honor my father and lay him to rest as he deserves for the sacrifices he made for us. You will honor me by celebrating him as the great chief he was.”

Winter bowed and faced him with the sorrow she’d been suppressing for too long, so he tucked her hand in his elbow and escorted her down to her entourage. Kieko hugged her, and the crowd dissipated, a few stragglers came to speak with her, and he took the group out to dinner at the local pub.

Packed into a big booth, Newt didn’t let go of her, arm around her back or hand pressed into her knee, brushing hair from her face or kissing her palm. Her sadness crept in, and it was the first time in a long time that he saw her grief as something other than fury.

He wanted to have her alone to give her the safety of breaking completely—the way she hadn’t been able to since she left. More than anything, he wanted to be sad with her because Amarok was like a father to him, too.

CHAPTER ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-THREE

It took a full week before Winter narrowed her choices down to two, and she struggled for the last five days with her final decision right up to the hour before the first arrived at her home.

Newt walked in her door, smiling and wrapping her up in his arms. His nose sinking into her hair had her arms circling his back and taking in his comforting honeysuckle. The longer he held her, the more she read his confidence in her choice. But how could he be?

“No matter what, you’ll always be my entire world.” His hand slid to the back of her neck, and he kissed her.

Winter’s head swam, but he released her, winked, and stalked into the kitchen to help Heather with dinner. She couldn’t get her heart to slow down.

Pebble stepped in with a beer and a wink.

“Thanks.” The beer tasted of rosemary, agave, and oats, and it brought her calm to know she’d have her friends here, too, not just competitors. Winter took a deep breath and paced her living room, drinking her beer slowly to draw out her return to the kitchen, but she couldn’t keep herself from gravitating there naturally.

The plates and platters filled with food that stayed good at room temperature or was the first of a larger batch, like the fried onion rings, thick and golden, crunchy and scalding. It kept her from second-guessing herself and giving anything away until everyone arrived.

Newt’s humorous gaze homed in on her from across the counter.

Winter forced herself to breathe.

He dropped a cup of buffalo sauce in front of her, and she begrudgingly dipped the next onion ring into it. Newt knew her too well.

Another knock sounded at the front door, and Winter went to answer it.

Cinnamon wafted through the entrance, and Fox grinned before gathering her up in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet and dangling her. “Aye, how’s my dainty little princess?”

He planted a kiss on the top of her head and set her down again.

Winter pinched him in the back before he released her. “How’s the weather up there, giant?”

Fox shrugged. “I can’t complain. You figure everything out?”

“Yes.”

“You have good judgment.”

“Mmm hmm, they’re already cooking, so if you want to get your hands in any of it, you’d better hurry up.”

His wide, startled eyes cracked Winter up as did his swift moves to bump his cousin out of the way.

“Aye, watch your big hips and don’t ruin my sauce by letting it burn. Stir it often, or I’ll stab you with my paring knife.” Heather mimed stabbing him before she set to peeling pears.

Winter couldn’t hold back her laugh, enjoying the way her family had grown this last year. A fresh set of rolls made their way to a plate, and Pebble sliced some butter into one for her. Her guard knew her well, too.

Another beer found its way to her grip, and Winter did another spin around the kitchen and living room. Thunder’s playful knock brought her back again for another hug.

“Bambi, looking strong.” He tapped his temple, those cerulean eyes reading her emotional wellbeing in a glance. 

Winter rolled her eyes.

“A bone is strongest when it’s healing.” Thunder peered into the kitchen and the other two alphas, hesitating on her best friend. Thunder nodded when he caught her gaze again.

Then, he was off to introduce himself and sample the food.

The chilled breeze provided relief, so Winter lingered in the open door. The sun would set soon, and dinner would begin with the alphas that showed tonight. Some of them had a longer trip and wouldn’t make it until morning, like Basil, Reyes, Cobalt, and North. Maybe that was better—not to have too many of them here for that long before she announced her decision.

As much as she was sure of her choice, she didn’t look forward to hurting the others.

Her house would be so full by tomorrow with the entourages following suit from their stay in the Valley to help celebrate her mating and true ascension to chieftain.

Winter shook out the nerves and walked a few circles before Comet arrived, misty eyes hiding under his flop of waves.

“Hey, mami.”

“Don’t make me gut you, it will ruin the ceremony.”

Comet laughed, lighting up with magic. “I brought a few traders with me. They wanted to shake hands and exchange names.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

Comet paused, looking her over without being creepy for once. “I misjudged you.”

“Yeah, you did.”

His smile said it was as much of an apology for his dickish behavior as she would get. “And I want to prove your perception of me wrong.”

“So do it.”

Pheromones swept through the drive, and Comet stiffened, glancing behind him to see Torrent walking up the road. 

Comet gave a shallow bow to her before he went inside.

She wanted to expose her neck to Torrent and press herself into him when he approached, but Winter kept her composure, sans the mirth she teased him with.

He caressed her cheek before bracing the back of her neck and pulling her into him. Torrent’s breath feathered through her hair, and his growl vibrated against her chest when Winter wrapped her arms slowly around him.

Instincts wanted so much more; the play of their physical reactions to each other had her nails sinking into his muscles and a grunt shooting across her scalp.

His large hand smoothed down her spine and his other massaged her neck. It was a hello and a goodbye. Winter hated its necessity.

With a final squeeze, he stepped back and looked at her for a long time before going inside.

Winter took a deep breath and waited for the next alpha, pacing small circles around the drive. How many more would make it tonight? Minx probably knew. Why couldn’t Winter keep track of these things?

Sea currents greeted her before Marsh appeared, dressed in a dark coat and slacks, as poised as ever. She leaned up to kiss his cheek, and his embrace was more solid than she expected. Marsh pulled back and held out a slim, square box for her.

“Another present?” Winter teased, her fingers brushing the cuff of his sleeves before taking what he offered her. Inside opened with a snap and sparkles.

A crown of diamonds and rubies twisted with white gold leaves, and the beauty of it sent a deep pang through her.

Marsh lifted it from its place to set it in her hair, tucking locks before tracing the line of her jaw. “You’re magnificent.”

Winter beamed, heat flashing up her throat.

He blushed, too.

“Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure.” How honestly he meant it had Winter sliding into him for a solid embrace. His fingers nimbly tracked the metal of her new crown across her scalp. “‘Love is the anterior to life, posterior to death, initial of creation, and the exponent of breath.’”

“Emily Dickinson?”

Marsh’s soft laugh warmed her before he pulled away. “As sad as she was, she had brilliant control over her words.”

Winter nodded, at a loss for her own.

“You have changed me forever, and I will leave here with no regrets.” His thumb brushed her mouth before he stepped away with his sad smile and went inside to wait with the others.

After another few laps of her drive, Pebble came out to put a halt to her pacing. “I worry with you out here by yourself, ma’am.”

“Safer than inside right now.” Through the window, Winter watched the males interact with each other, laughing together. How could they be so lighthearted, given what they were here for?

Granted, she was the one who had to make the tough announcement. Had to make the heartbreaking decisions.

“You may have a point. Still, I’d rather wait here until you’re not alone again.”

Winter softened her sharp edges. “You just can’t stand the testosterone in there any more than I can at the moment.”

“Yeah. That could be it. Your bestie is a bit much to handle with the rest of them. It’s like he owns the place.”

“He’s lived here as long as I have.”

“And it shows. He’s bossy.”

A bark of laughter shot out of Winter. “Yeah. He can be that.”

“Yet, he bends over backward for you.”

Winter sighed and resumed her circles. She’d already made her choice, and the longer this took, the more she wondered about it. It was not a feeling she particularly enjoyed.

Eucalyptus wafted up to them, and Pebble winked, slinking back inside as Ash glided to her. Those bright green eyes reflected the setting sun, and his hair turned a rosy blonde. His gaze settled on Winter’s new crown before the pain leaked into Ash’s features.

After slow, agonizing steps, he stopped in front of her and traced the tips of his fingers over her face. Ash took his time touching her, and it drove Winter mad, making her wish she could simply pull him down for the kiss they both wanted.

How was she meant to behave around them after she was mated? Would it still be like this?

The gap between them closed, and Ash kissed her forehead, hand tangling with her hair. Her arms automatically embraced him back.

 Ash’s chest heaved, and he clung to her a little tighter. “Why does this have to be so hard?”

“Because you love me.” And she loved him, too, she loved so many of them. This wasn’t fair.

“Fuck, Winter, I do.” His mouth formed the words against her ear. “I do love you.”

Winter brushed his bearded cheek, chin, mustache before finding his lips, wanting to feel them, to kiss them. He rewarded her fingers with what she wanted.

With a heavy sigh, Ash pulled away, first at arm’s length so that she could see his raw pain. Then, he schooled his features and stepped toward the house, ready for her to break his heart along with so many others.

Winter paced around the drive again, five loops before Minx came out and watched her from the porch.

“We’re not expecting any more of them tonight, ma’am.” Her slender arms folded around her favored portfolio—lilac to complement her complexion.

“Right. Down to business then?”

Her soft shoulder shrug disarmed her a tad. “You could try to have fun, as foreign as that seems to be for you.”

“What? No ma’am when you’re mouthy?”

Minx smiled and gestured inside. “You don’t have to defend yourself against the people here. Not tonight.”

Winter groaned. “Fine. Fine. Fun is not my forte.”

Minx swatted her on her way by. “It is. You simply enjoy things the rest of us don’t find particularly fun.”

That had Winter laughing as she re-entered the mansion, only to let it die when everyone’s attention turned to her from the dining room table. A cold sweat like she hadn’t known since puberty sprouted under her arms and down her spine.

Great. She always did so well in awkward situations.

With a deep breath, she took her seat at the table—the head, her father’s seat. Her eyes closed to tuck away the grief for later. Now was not the time.

Food steamed around them, and Winter let herself go to enjoy the meal. “Don’t look at me like I’m going to say grace. You each know me better than that. Someone pass the poppers.”

Fox laughed first and the loudest and lifted the platter to pass it down to her; laughter filtered through them all in varying degrees. It broke a bit of the tension. Thank Asketill.

The men and her ladies were interspersed amongst each other, so sharing food and talk went a little easier.

Once dinner got passed around and food piled high on her plate, stories started, and soon, Newt had everyone’s attention because he was telling one of hers. Winter rubbed her face with her palm, dragging it down her mouth and chin as she planted it there to shake her head and listen. There was no stopping him.

“Winter was so jumpy, ready to fly into the oncoming horde of bears and bobcats, and once their factions collided with ours, she screamed her way through the entire battle.”

“To channel my rage.” Winter sipped her beer.

“To hide your fear.”

She offered a one-shoulder shrug. “At least I didn’t hop around, hooting like a schoolboy after.”

Newt leaned back and opened his arms. “I’d actually defeated my opponent, consistently. It was a first for me.”

“You usually sparred with Winter, didn’t you?” Fox’s knowledge glittered at her.

“Yes.”

Everyone died laughing. 

“I grew up opposite her on a training mat.”

“Don’t disillusion them, we only used mats until we were seven.”

The group laughed again, and her best friend grinned.

Others started sharing their own stories of Winter, commentary on her from their clans: how she promised the people that they didn’t want to see her in action because they’d be dead, how she avoided every single joint and bowl and blunt offered to her, how several clans adored the way she appreciated their food and efforts and thoughts, how much more open she was than they’d expected of her. Fox told of how she almost broke a surfboard on the waves. Thunder offered one about deflecting the constant borage of pick-up lines from his brothers. Ash countered with the full-on assault of his sister’s advances.

Winter fought the heat filling her cheeks and throat, but the blush burned anyway. People might tell her that she’s beautiful when they wanted to sleep with her, but it was another thing to have them recounted for a group. It had her taking swigs from her bottle of tequila, which made everyone laugh.

Dinner was over, but drinks made their way to the table with desserts, and Winter couldn’t pass up the delicacies Heather and Fox put together. That family could bake.

The stories veered away from her, and she was glad, keeping her mouth full so she didn’t have to contribute so much. Once everyone moved into the living room with the couch and tv, pool table and darts, Winter slipped away nearly unnoticed. Newt winked at her from across the pool table before she made it completely. It didn’t stop her.

She needed some quiet, even though she’d hated it these last few weeks.

Once she made it to her room, Winter stripped free of her clothes and settled into a bath, but after a half hour, she couldn’t sit still, so she paced her room in her new favorite tee and undies, wishing she could find rest.

But really, how likely would that be tonight when she had to face thirteen men in the morning to break half of their hearts?

She’d probably do better with a run.

A soft knock on the door made her jump.

“Winter.” Newt’s voice slipped through the cracks, low and rumbling.

She opened the door a little, ready to rip him a new one for being there when he shouldn’t be, but the dark look in his features stalled her. “What’s happened?”

Newt put a finger to his lips, backed her inside, and closed the door quietly. “The silent alarm went off. Someone is sneaking onto the property. Get dressed.”

CHAPTER ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FIVE

Basil’s grip tightened as the carriage lurched again. They took the mountains slowly, and he wanted to be beside Winter so badly. If only his father hadn’t insisted on coming. He’d not made a very good impression, but Basil shouldn’t have expected him to. Now, he’d tightened his reins on their clan and him, like ensuring his son mated Winter would mean he could go on abusing his power over her people.

How little he knew her.

Winter had been right. Others underestimated her. A lot.

Even when she’d proved him wrong and displayed her cunning and strength, Thyme seethed and plotted and planned.

No, Basil didn’t like his father being here with him. It twisted his gut.

But so did the thought of seeing Winter again. Of being so close to her. Of the possibility of truly being her mate.

When the dark took over the trees and hills, they should have stopped, but the carriage crept on. A strange feeling coiled around him. Basil patted his empty scabbard out of habit and felt naked.

Tension drenched him as the musty scent of vampires breached the window.

Again, he reached for his sword and found it missing.

“Don’t bother. They won’t hurt anyone if they don’t have to. Think of the girl.”

“The girl…” Basil ground out between his back molars.

“Your whore chief who seems to favor you so much. I can only imagine how you painted me as a monster with the way she reacted to me in my own home. In front of your sister.”

Heat fumed, and the edge of an impending fight sharpened him. “You were disrespectful first.”

“Yes, yes. Make her excuses. A mere slip of the tongue. Don’t.” Thyme held the edge of a silver blade into Basil’s thigh—his femoral artery. “If I die, so do you, and that is not an empty threat. Noir made it so.”

Fuck. If anyone could do it, Noir could. Her black magic made her rich among the quiet underground of their clan. Which meant, his father had him in a corner, and that never turned out well for whoever put him there. He’d kill himself if it meant keeping Winter safe and defeating his father.

The old wolf underestimated how many times Basil had faced death. He was no longer afraid of it. 

“And no, it doesn’t work the other way, so don’t play the hero and martyr yourself.”

Swallowing back the last of his anger, Basil fell into the empty assassin he’d never been able to fully shed, the searing heat bursting into the same numb that he’d sunk into when Thyme had trained him, gorged him, beaten him, and berated him with disappointments amongst his ever-growing expectations.

Deep dark spread outside his window, but he recognized the landscape. The river’s bend and pressure in his ears said they were close to the mansion, to Winter’s home.

Basil missed his weapons—the sword, the daggers, and small knives he strapped in as spares. The habit was hard to kill. Not that he couldn’t easily disarm his father, but at least six vampires flanked the carriage, and without his sword, he wouldn’t last long.

They stopped abruptly, lifting the blade off Basil’s thigh for long enough that Basil sent it flying across the cabin with his palm. It clattered under the opposite seat.

Thyme slammed the back of his fist into Basil’s face. Pain erupted behind his eyes and nose, dribbling blood into his mouth. A vampire yanked him from the carriage as his father swore.

“Fucking brat. No wonder that whore favors you. You’re two of a kind.”

An explosion rumbled across the mountain behind the house, and ice lanced through Basil’s numb. Winter.

Hands grabbed him before he’d realized he’d moved—toward her.

“Bind him. He’s fool enough to start a fight when one isn’t needed.”

He didn’t know Winter.

Basil resisted while they tied his hands behind his back and marched him to Winter’s front drive. Smoke and dust wafted around the circular stretch of gravel and dirt—a pile of rubble cut across the west side of the house.

Half of the alphas were already there, but he didn’t know which. It didn’t matter, the boobytrap left her alone with her friend, Newt. At least that was one small favor. He would fight and make the same sacrifices to keep Winter safe.

The vampires pushed Basil to his knees before her, and he bowed his head as she raised her weapons.

Thyme stepped beside him with a crunch. “Why, hello, Chief Jarl. It may not be so smart to engage in violence just yet.”

“You.” She seethed, teeth clenched, muscles twitching with the want to cut through her enemy. Most may not see the differences in her, but Winter wasn’t practicing or showing off now. 

“Yes. Me. I’ve come to offer you a deal—a transaction of sorts.”

Newt growled behind her, whispering in her ear: a code of their own.

“I’ve enchanted my son so that if you kill me, he will die, too.”

A hitch shook her body before her gaze shifted more solidly to meet Basil’s. He loved her so much, exactly the way she was. Exactly like this.

“Do it,” Basil said.

Her flaring nostrils argued with him, and that made his heart flutter.

“I’d have killed myself if it worked that way, but it doesn’t. Do it.” This time, he looked at Newt, and the beta’s nod gave him more peace. 

Winter’s chest heaved, emotion drowning her eyes as they glittered at him. “I love you, Baz.”

Relief. Finally. Sweet relief briefly closed his eyes and made him smile against the blood in his mouth. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

​Thirteen Clans. Thirteen Males. One prize.

Winter Jarl is the most notorious female warrior of her species. Her father is chief, and he’s dying, so he’s cashed in on a promise she made long ago: he’s setting her up with an alpha from each of the thirteen clans before she takes over his position.

Sentenced to a year of isolation, she will spend twenty-eight-days alone with each man. By the end of it, Winter must choose one to stand beside her. 

The challenge? She must be in love to produce an heir. 

Cycle Fourteen: Keeping Winter

Winter rejoices in having her father home, but it’s too little too late. The country has a new chief before Winter’s ready.

With little time to grieve, Winter is saddled with a new crew as she journeys to each clan and returns to her alphas one last time.

Her broken heart only breaks further as Winter fights to choose who will be her mate. Unfortunately, it’s not her only fight before this is all over.

Jump into this intense paranormal erotica now and see who you want to win Winter’s heart.