“What the hell are you wearing?” Alex asks as she walks over to me when everyone walks away other than my mates. She pulls me into a tight hug and I just don’t move except to hold her back. It feels like a long time since I hugged my best friend.

“Other than looking like a weird, goth princess, are you okay?” she whispers to me, the words only meant for me to hear.

“I’m good, just it was like sleeping and having no control. I don’t remember much, and it’s best I don’t,” I tell her quietly, and she lets go. Memories of thousands of dead, demon soldiers, the smell of death, and the demon king’s glowing, red eyes will haunt me for years. I have trouble pushing them out of my mind as I try to focus on my best friend. Alex looks amazing as usual, with her red hair down and wearing some kind of leather leggings that stick to her and a baggy white top that hangs off of one shoulder.

“I have something I need to talk to you about,” she tells me, and I frown wondering what when I see Harris and Katy running into the room, followed by Anna holding baby Marie in her arms. Marie looks so much older, which I know babies grow quick, but it’s still a sight to see. It’s Anna’s haunted eyes that hold my attention as I watch them come closer.

“Winter!” Katy shouts and hugs me. “What on earth are you wearing? I want to say you look good but err . . .,” Katy says as she lets go.

“I know, right? It’s awful, that dress should have burnt in the eighteen hundreds and never made it this far,” Alex says, both of them eying my awful dress up. Hey, it’s not like I disagree with them.

“Win, shit I was worried about you,” Harris says, and he wraps his giant arms around me.

“I’m good,” I say as he moves away.

He nods, “I let you down, My Queen, and–”

“Don’t start that stuff, or I will start feeling guilty, too,” Leigha’s sharp voice comes from behind me, and I turn to see her push her way through my mates, and she gives me a small smile.

“Back from the demon den, then?”

“Did you miss me, army brat?”

“In training I did,” she smirks, and Harris walks over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head. Her red cheeks and small smile she gives him is enough proof to me that she loves him. And, the fact that no one seems shocked by their actions.

“I heard what happened with Esta. What she did,” Anna says softly next to me, and I turn to look at her. Despite her soft tone, her eyes have anger in them. Anna’s pale complexion matches her blonde hair, which is up in a bun, and the casual clothes she has on. Marie has a Babygro on and the wavy, blonde hair is all I can see as Anna holds Marie on her shoulder.

“Esta,” Anna says her name in anger, and the silence in response to her words is enough to know everyone has spoken about it. Someone has told her, and in a way, I’m glad it’s not me that has to.

“She told me she killed Fergus, just before she died,” I reply, and she nods, knowing this.

“And, you gave her forgiveness,” Anna says, her tone filled with judgement.

“I had little choice. I gave her my forgiveness, not yours, not the pack’s, and not Jaxson’s. I showed kindness in front of thousands of witches that watched me as I took their throne. The one I took from a cruel witch, and they needed to see I’m different. I couldn’t be cruel to someone who died for me, not in their last moment. What she did, was because of her love for Jaxson and her need to be with him. In the end, I felt sorry for her,” I tell Anna, and there’s silence as we stare at each other.

“You’re my queen, my friend, but she took my mate. I do understand your decision, and it’s your kindness that led you to that choice. I hate her for what she did, that she was at the birth of Fergus’s child, and that she pretended to be my friend. I hate her and hope she rots in hell for her crimes. I wish she was still alive, so I could kill her, myself,” Anna spits out, and her eyes start glowing, and only stops as Marie cries a little. She hushes Marie gently and pats her back.

“Do you hate me?” I ask quietly, and she looks down at her baby and back to me.

“No. I understand. Winter . . . win this war for us, for Marie, and honour Fergus’ memory that way,” she says firmly and waits for my nod before she walks away. Leigha pats my shoulder as she passes with Harris and Katy following her. I wait until they all walk away before I look up at Jaxson who walks to my side.

“I understand what you did, Winter. You’re a better person than me, I would have told her to rot in hell before killing the bitch, myself. But, she was still pack, and you acted like a shifter queen who lost a pack mate, no matter the circumstances,” Jaxson tells me, his voice dripping with anger as I look up at him.

“Thank you.” I nod, and he pulls me into his arms.

“Queen Winter, King Jaxson, King Wyatt, and King Atticus.” He paused for a moment, looking at Alex. “I don’t know who you are,” Lucifer says, walking over to us and bowing low.

Alex and I share a look, there are way too many attractive men in this room, and I know she is thinking the same thing.

“Just Alex. I don’t need all that fuss, hot stuff,” Alex says, and I laugh a little as Lucifer gives her a strange look.

“Hot stuff? Am I on fire?” he asks and pats down his black shirt making Alex laugh.

“No, it’s a human saying.”

“A very strange one, indeed,” Lucifer says and looks at me, “Queen Winter–” he starts to say, and I interrupt him.

“Lucifer, you supported my mate when little others did and showed me memories I will remember forever as they are all I have of my parents, so we are friends. Just Winter please, I’m your friend first,” I say, and he nods with a small smile.

“I wish to look into your mind, Queen Winter, I can see your past these last few days and then convince the angels that Zadkiel is working with our enemy. I doubt the council truly knows, and I want to give the angels, my people, the best chance I can,” Lucifer says and holds out a hand as Dabriel comes into the room with another angel I’ve never seen. He nods at me as he continues speaking to the angel as they walk over. I slide my hand into Lucifer’s and watch as he glows with his black symbols. I expect him to show me, but he doesn’t, I watch as his black eyes disappear back to normal, purple ones. I’m glad he doesn’t show me when I think about it, I don’t need any more memories to have nightmares about.

“I could see the meal with Zadkiel and Govan, and little bits of the army he has,” Lucifer says, reminding me of the brief image I have of Paris and the dead army he has inside it. It’s like a ticking time bomb, waiting to destroy the world. They could so easily. A memory flitters though my mind of the demon king shouting that the humans keep dying as the demons try to take over them. That thousands are dying all the time, and thousands of humans keep hiding from him in the city.

“We should go to the angels, all of us. A united front,” I say, and there’s silence as Dabriel walks over to me.

“No fucking way,” Jaxson snaps out.

“You may be my mate, but you don’t control me. Don’t speak to me like that, Jax,” I snap back, and he growls lightly.

“I lost you, I fucking lost you, and you expect me to let you go anywhere near him again?” Jaxson says, and my anger disappears when I realise his reaction is pure fear of losing me again, nothing more.

“Jax, I’m here now, and what happened before, won’t happen again. He chose a time when we were celebrating winning the crown and mating to Atti because we were all distracted. Nothing is going to distract us again,” I say and look over at Wyatt and Atti as they step closer.

“I’m not taking you out of this castle, Winter. The demon king could take control of you again, and we can’t risk him using you to get here. The winter solstice is in two weeks, Winter. He is coming, then, and we have no way of preventing him from taking over your mind,” Dabriel says gently, making me turn to look at him as he slides a comforting hand down my arm.

“How about we go, and I stay next to Atti the whole time? He can pull me away the second anything happens, but it’s unlikely the demon king will be there. I know it’s a risk, but I feel like I need to be there,” I try to reason.

“Atti?” I ask when no one responds, and he looks down at me as he moves in front of me. Atti places his hand on my cheek, and I rest my head into it.

“You don’t leave my side?” he asks almost in a whisper, fear coating his eyes, and I nod.

“Fine, we will go tonight,” he says.

“Someone needs to go and get my mum. The wolves protecting her won’t be enough if the demon king finds her. He must be furious I’m gone. I need her here,” I tell them all.

“I will send a witch, Leigha, and Drake to get her. Between them, they will be able to safely get her here,” Atti says and kisses my cheek before walking off.