Chapter 2 Shadows and Choices
Wynter: POV
The old astronomy tower had been abandoned for years, but it was the only place on campus where I could breathe. I pressed my back against the cold stone wall, sliding down until I sat with my knees drawn up, the anonymous letter clutched in trembling fingers while my cheek still throbbed where Anne had struck me.
I have proof of what Silvermoon did to your father.
The words blurred as fresh tears welled up. Two years ago, my father's body had been found on the northern border of Silvermoon Territory, his throat torn out. Lord Aldric Sterling had personally overseen the investigation—and then the case had been quietly closed within a month, sealed away like my father's life had meant nothing.
And now his son was my fated mate.
My wolf stirred, a low whine of confusion and longing that made my chest ache. She didn't understand why we'd run, didn't comprehend the poisonous history that made this bond an abomination. All she knew was the intoxicating scent of winter pine and the overwhelming rightness of Chase Sterling's presence.
I crumpled the letter in my fist. Why would that person send me a letter to lure me to that party?
Footsteps on the tower stairs made me tense, but it wasn't winter pine that hit me—it was cedar and vanilla, familiar and safe. Rosalie appeared in the doorway, slightly out of breath, her eyes scanning the darkness until she found me.
"There you are," she said, dropping to her knees beside me. Her fingers traced the air just above my bruised cheek, her expression shifting from concern to fury. "I'm going to kill her."
"No, you're not," I said, catching her hand. "You're going to stay exactly where you are and let me handle this my own way."
She made a frustrated noise but settled beside me, our shoulders pressed together. "I can't believe Connor just stood there. You know what? Forget him. He's not worth it."
But you loved him, I wanted to say, and you threw that away for me, but the words stuck in my throat. I'd cost her so much already just by existing in her orbit.
I thought back to that first week of school, when even my assigned roommate had requested an immediate transfer. I'd spent three days alone until I heard crying from Rosalie's room next door—she was failing Shifting Control and on the verge of being sent home.
I'd stayed up with her until dawn, talking her through the breathing exercises my father had taught me, and by the end of that week, she'd passed her exam.
Two days later, she'd moved into my room, claiming her old roommate snored too loudly.
"I don't deserve you," I said quietly.
"Don't you dare," she said fiercely, gripping my shoulders. "You saved my life that first week. You're my best friend. My only real friend. I'll be damned if I'm going to abandon you now."
We sat there for maybe half an hour, time feeling strange and slippery as the party music gradually faded in the distance. Eventually, she glanced at her phone and grimaced. "We should probably head back before curfew."
I nodded, pushing myself up—and that's when I felt it. Not the mate bond this time, but footsteps approaching the base of the tower. My wolf perked up, suddenly alert, and I turned just in time to see two figures emerge from the tree line below.
Even in the darkness, I recognized them: Chase Sterling, his posture rigid, and Anne Kaine running to catch up with him, her hand reaching possessively for his arm.
Chase's head snapped up, his eyes finding mine through the broken window with unerring accuracy. For a heartbeat, we just stared at each other, and I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands flexed like he wanted to reach for something he couldn't have. The bond flared between us, painful and insistent, and my wolf surged forward with desperate hope.
Anne followed his gaze, her expression twisting when she saw me. Her grip on his arm tightened, possessive and demanding, and something in his expression shifted. Closed off. He let her pull him away, but not before one last look—a look that held so much conflict, so much trapped desperation, that it made my chest physically ache.
My wolf howled as they disappeared from view, a sound of pure anguish that echoed through my bones. She didn't understand why we weren't following, didn't understand why we were letting our mate walk away with another female.
"Wyn?" Rosalie's voice was gentle. "You okay?"
"No," I said honestly. "But I will be."
I had to be. Because the alternative—accepting this bond, letting myself fall for the son of my father's murderer—was unthinkable.
Even if my wolf was screaming that I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life.
---
The next morning arrived too soon, dragging me from restless dreams. Rosalie had already left for early training, whispering that she'd cover for me and tell the instructor I needed rest after last night. I'd mumbled my thanks and pulled the blanket over my head, but sleep wouldn't come back. My mind kept replaying that moment—Chase's eyes finding mine through the broken window, the conflict written across his face, Anne's possessive grip on his arm.
By the time I finally dragged myself out of bed and got ready for class, early training was nearly over. The hallways were still mostly empty as I made my way toward the academic building. I'd barely made it into the main corridor when I heard the clicking of expensive heels on tile. Anne Kaine appeared around the corner with Natalie Pierce and Vivian Kaine flanking her, and I felt my wolf stir with warning. They must have just finished training and changed—their uniforms were pristine, not a hair out of place.
"Well, well," Anne said, her voice carrying down the corridor. "If it isn't Silvermoon's newest scandal. Tell me, Wynter—how does it feel to be the future Alpha's dirty little secret?"
I kept my expression carefully blank, kept walking even as they moved to block my path. "Excuse me," I said quietly, trying to step around them, but Natalie shifted to block me while Vivian cut off my other escape route.
"Where are your manners?" Natalie said with false sweetness, reaching out to grab my arm hard enough to bruise. "Anne asked you a question."
"Let go of me." I kept my voice level despite my hammering heart.
Anne stepped closer, close enough that I could smell her expensive perfume. "You need to understand something. Chase Sterling is mine. He has been since we were children. The Sterling family has always considered me his future bride, and I don't care what the Moon Goddess thinks—you will never be his Luna."
"I don't want—" I started, but Natalie's grip tightened and Anne's smile sharpened.
"I don't care what you want," she cut me off. "What I care about is making sure you understand your place." She nodded to Natalie, who shoved me hard into the wall, my shoulder connecting with stone. Then Vivian was pinning my other arm while Anne stepped close. "This is a warning, Wynter. Stay away from Chase, stay away from anything that belongs to Silvermoon, or next time you'll end up in a body bag—just like your father."
The words hit like a physical blow, stealing the air from my lungs. Just like your father. My vision blurred with sudden rage, my wolf howling for blood, and before I could think, I was moving.
"Don't you dare—" I snarled, wrenching my arm free from Vivian's grip and shoving Anne back with enough force to make her stumble. "Don't you dare talk about my father—"
But Natalie was faster, her hand fisting in my hair and yanking hard enough to make my eyes water. Pain exploded across my scalp as she dragged me backward, and I felt strands tear free as I struggled against her grip.
"You little bitch—" Natalie hissed, but I twisted in her hold, my claws starting to emerge even as Vivian grabbed my other arm again, both of them working to restrain me while Anne watched with cold satisfaction.
"Let me go!" I thrashed against them, my wolf demanding I fight, demanding I make them pay, but they were stronger, better trained, and within seconds they had me pressed against the wall again, Natalie's grip in my hair keeping my head forced back at a painful angle.
Anne stepped close again, her smile sharp and triumphant. "There it is," she said softly. "The real you. Savage. Uncontrolled. Exactly the kind of creature who doesn't belong anywhere near an Alpha like Chase." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Remember this moment, Wynter. Remember how easily we can hurt you. Because next time you even look at him, it won't just be your hair we're pulling."
Natalie released me with a final, vicious yank that sent me stumbling, and I caught myself against the wall, my scalp throbbing and my hands shaking with suppressed rage.
Anne smoothed down her uniform as if nothing had happened. "Knowing your place is more important than anything else," she said, her voice carrying just enough to reach the few students who'd stopped to watch. "I suggest you learn that quickly."