Winter

 

"Winter, you’re so lovely. My lovely, lovely Winter," a voice mumbles to me as I open my eyes in bed. Wyatt is laying on the bed next to me, a relaxed grin on his face which doesn't match the Wyatt I just saw earlier today. I stayed awake until one in the morning, but he didn't return. I had guessed he was staying away from me. The overwhelming smell of beer and spirits hit me as he moves closer.

"Are you drunk?" I ask him, and he nods, looking like a happy puppy with his blond hair all messy. 

"Did you see Dabriel and Jaxson?" I ask him.

"Yes, Dabriel passed out after four drinks. Angels are such lightweights. Jax and I got into a competition with these biker men,” he says and leans his head on my shoulder.

“We ended up winning and then fighting them because they’re sore losers. So much fucking fun,” Wyatt says, I just notice the slight line of blood on his cheek and the dirt in his hair.

"Are you guys alright?" I ask.

"I had to convince them that they did it to themselves, but they’re fine," he laughs.

"I asked if you were alright," I chuckle.

"I'm good, excellent. I'm a dad," he says with a smile.

"That you are," I say a little wide-eyed. I’m not sure if I like drunk Wyatt, but he is cute.

"Atti showed up, grumbled about us being irresponsible and that you need us to protect you. I mean the guy that hides my shit regularly, said I was irresponsible," he laughs.

"Yeah, totally strange," I comment, holding my hand over my mouth, so I don't laugh. 

"Totally," Wyatt mumbles and lies back on the bed, I grab his arm when he nearly rolls off.

"Oh shit, I forgot the floor was there," he says.

"Yeah, easy to forget the floor," I chuckle. A moment later he’s asleep, and I snuggle into his side before drifting off myself.

When I wake up, I'm alone in bed, and I can hear the shower. I dress quickly in jeans, a purple vest top, and a leather jacket I like. I get bored while I’m waiting for Wyatt, so I make the bed. The human who helped me clean up yesterday flashes through my mind as I look at the broken mirror on the floor.

Is there any way I can help them escape?

Wyatt comes out the bathroom, fully dressed in black trousers and a white shirt. The buttons are undone at the top, and he smiles at me until he sees where I’m looking. The cracks in the wall are huge, and the broken mirror, with Talen's blood on the floor, was difficult to miss.

“Who?” Wyatt asks tensely.

“Talen. Drake and Leigha helped me deal with him. He was just trying to scare me.” I say carefully.

“I’m going to kill him,” Wyatt starts for the door, and I stop him by grabbing his arms.

“No, just leave it. He got what he deserved from Drake. I doubt he’ll try that again. I made Leigha my defender, and he hated that. I don’t think he will come after me again,” I say looking into his dark-black eyes as they glow. They slowly return to the black colour with bits of silver in them.

“Leigha would be a good defender for you, I suspected that was what she was doing training you,”

“So, you’re not going to attempt to murder Talen,”

“It wouldn’t be an attempt, but for now I will let him live,” Wyatt quietly says as he kisses my forehead. I don’t miss the ‘for now’ part in his sentence.

“Okay,” I reply.

"Let's get some food from the kitchen, and then I want to take you somewhere," he says, and I nod.

"Hangover food?" I ask following him to the door.

"Vampires don't get hangovers, and it's harder to get drunk. I think I drank around four bottles of Jack Daniels last night and a lot of beer," he says as he shuts the door behind me.

"I like wine, myself," I say.

"I have a private collection of wines in the kitchen. Each bottle is priceless and extremely old. I can show you if you want. I may even let you try one for a kiss," he teases me. I remember the mini-demons and how we need some expensive alcohol. Maybe they will listen if I bring some costly, old wine. Wyatt is going to kill me. 

I paint a sweet, innocent smile on my face as I answer,

"I would love to see them."

Wyatt just grins at me and holds my hand as we walk through the many corridors. We pass seven vampires on the way, and each one bows low as we pass. I have to hold back the urge to tell them off and make them stop doing that.

Wyatt takes me into the surprisingly small kitchen, with dozens of cabinets, several cookers, and a lot of humans running around. Each one of them stops as we walk in.

"Carry on," Wyatt tells them, and they do, but slowly, as they watch us.

Wyatt offers me a stool at one of the empty work tops and goes off to talk to one of the people. The woman moves aside, clearly in fear as he asks, "Can I help myself?"

"Ye...yes," she says, and Wyatt nods. I shoot the girl, around my age, a small smile, and she drops her head to look at the ground as she waits.

Wyatt brings over a plate of bacon, eggs, and hash browns. We eat in what would be a comfortable silence if it wasn't for the people in the room stopping to stare at us now and then. It's like they haven't ever seen Wyatt or me eat before today. 

Wyatt surprises me by taking my empty plate and washing them up before we leave. We take a lot more corridors until we get to the stables.

"I should get to training soon," I say. I missed yesterday as well.

"I sent a note to Leigha, she will understand. Nonetheless, Leigha has to get ready at some point for the ball," he says.

"Not long until we can go home. I’m not a fan of dancing and dressing up, but I’m excited because I know we can leave after," I stop in my tracks as Wyatt opens the stable doors. Wyatt doesn't have time to answer as he chats with the two men in the room. They rush off to get Wyatt’s horse, while I worry. I don't want any more rides in the snow, but I don't tell Wyatt that as his huge, white horse is brought out. Wyatt places me on the horse and takes the seat behind me. Every part of my back is touching him as he wraps an arm around me and takes the reins with the other.

“What’s your horse’s name? I didn’t ask before.”

“Star,” he tells me.

“Simple, I like it,” I say, and he kisses the top of my head.

"I'm glad I don't get cold that much anymore," I shiver a little as a cold wind hit my face. My leather jacket is doing little to stop the breeze.

"Not much further," he tells me.

We travel into the forest and take a left down a worn path. At the end is a cave entrance, two women statues are outside. I lean back to look at them when I realise that they are both familiar. They both look like Elissa.

The one looks just like my dreams with long hair circling her, and the other statue looks a little like her, but she has shorter hair and a slightly different facial expression. I’ve never seen her with short hair.

"I wanted to show you this," Wyatt says.

"It's Elissa," I reply, and Wyatt hums as a response. We get off the horse, well I fall off with Wyatt’s help, but it's not as bad as before.

Wyatt ties the horse up before we both walk in. Inside is an altar of some kind, filled with lit candles and incense fills the air.

"There are a few of these places, people come here to worship the goddess. My father allows it to exist because my mother loved this place," he tells me. I didn’t think people believed in her anymore.

"It feels tranquil," I tell him.

"It is," he says looking at the candles. They’re all different, and there are twenty of them, in a circle.

"Wyatt, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Freddy straight away. I should have," I say.

Wyatt takes my face in his large hands and rests his forehead against mine.

"I am sorry, not you. I was just shocked and possibly jealous of Jaxson’s part in my son’s life. I spoke with Jaxson, and considering we both love you, I want this to work between all of us," he tells me. 

"I love you, too," I whisper and he kisses me. The passion overrides anything else as we wrestle with each other. Clothes disappear as we tear them away, desperate for each other. When we both are finally naked, and Wyatt settles himself over me, he doesn't wait or pause as he pushes himself inside me. I moan loudly as he holds my hip with his one hand and pulls my neck towards his mouth. Wyatt stops to look back at me, still inside me.

"There's no going back after this, you will be mine," he warns me.

"There was never any going back from the day I met you. I've always been yours, Wyatt," I whisper, and his eyes turn silver before he kisses my neck. Wyatt sinks his teeth into my neck as he starts thrusting away inside me. The pleasure is overwhelming, and we both lose ourselves. Wyatt pulls back to kiss my lips as he picks up more speed. I lean up and bite into his neck. Something changes the minute I taste his blood because the pleasure increases; every sip tastes like Wyatt, and I'm filled in every sense with him. My body explodes in pleasure, as Wyatt finishes with me, our moans filling the cavern. 

"Winter, the future is uncertain, but I will keep you safe," Wyatt says passionately as he looks down at me.

"Together, we will keep us all together, and we will be safe," I say.

"Together," Wyatt whispers, a shared promise as he fills me again and makes love to me until the stars fill the skies.