**ASHER’S POV**
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, but I barely noticed. My focus was on Trinity. She slept curled against me, warm and steady under arm; I forgot the storm beyond these walls. I couldn’t. Reality was starting to claw its way in. Her parents had gone to the werewolf council and pressed charges after the horrors her brother inflicted. They claim she should answer for his death. The thought made my blood boil. I wanted to tear someone apart and drag him before the council. But I couldn’t–not yet. Not while Trinity wasn’t safe and pack unprepared. Controlling the damage was the tricky part.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. My father had called me at sunrise. The conversation had been terse, strained, full of clipped words and careful tones.
“Asher.” He had mind linked, voice low, serious. “The council is insisting they speak to her themselves. They want her here. You need to be ready.”
“I’ll handle it.” I had said, a lie as smooth as the edge of a blade. “I’ve got it under control.”
But the truth was, I didn’t. Not yet. I wanted to shield her, keep her in this room, wrapped in my arms, pretending the world was safe. I wanted to delay the council, delay the exposure, delay the confrontation. I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing her face twisted with fear, answering questions I didn’t want her to answer.
She stirred, eyelids fluttering as consciousness crept back. I shifted slightly, brushing a strand of damp hair from her face, careful not to wake her abruptly. She mumbled, half–asleep, and nuzzled closer to me.
“Morning.” She whispered, voice still rough from sleep.
“Morning.” I replied softly, trying to keep my tone even. Calm. I didn’t want her to feel the tension coiling in my chest.
She yawned, stretching against me, and I felt a pang of guilt. She deserved peace, to wake up without her brother’s sins pressing down, without the council’s shadow looming. And yet, it crept closer no matter how hard I tried to hold it back.
“Did you sleep okay?” I asked, keeping my voice light, though the question felt hollow.
“Better than I have in a while,” she said. “With you… I feel safe.”
That should have made me smile, but instead it made my chest tighten. Safe. That was my job. To keep her safe. Soon, the council would arrive. The fragile cocoon we had wrapped
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ourselves in would be ripped apart, replaced by rules and scrutiny. I wasn’t sure we could
survive.
I watched her sit up, rubbing the last of her sleep from her eyes. She was beautiful, radiant even after everything she had endured. The thought of exposing her to the council made my stomach twist. I needed to contain this.
“Trinny,” I said carefully. “There’s… something I need to talk to you about.”
Her brow furrowed. “What is it?”
I hesitated. I wanted to lie, to pretend the world outside didn’t exist. But shielding her too long could backfire. She deserved honesty, even if measured carefully.
“Your parents… I told you they went to the council,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “They’ve pressed charges.”
Her face paled, her muscles tensed–claws flexing slightly. She didn’t speak. I let the silence
stretch.
“They’re taking it seriously,” I continued. “The council… they want to come. They want to
speak with you.”
Her eyes widened, fear and anxiety swirling. I gripped her hand tightly.
“Trinny… I don’t want you to panic. I’m telling you because you need to know. But I want to handle it first, to prepare you before it comes to the pack.”
Her lips pressed together, and I could feel the tremor in her fingers. She nodded, just slightly, her trust in me clear even as her fear threatened to spill over.
“You’ll… keep it contained?” she asked softly.
“I’ll do everything I can.” I said, voice firm. “No one will get to you until I say so. I’ll deal with the council. I’ll keep them from overwhelming you. I promise.”
She leaned against me, head resting on my shoulder. The contact was grounding for both of us, a silent affirmation that despite the chaos looming over us, we had each other.
“I don’t want to go through that again.” She whispered, and I could feel the trembling in her voice. The memory of her ordeal–of her brother’s betrayal, the terror, the helplessness–hung over us like a storm cloud threatening to burst.
“You won’t.” I murmured, holding her tighter. “Not if I can stop it. I’ll make sure of it.”
The rest of the morning passed in a tense, fragile calm. I kept my eyes on the horizon,
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listening for the council’s patrol, tracking shifts in the wind that would tell me if anyone had arrived near the pack’s borders. Every second felt like a victory, but I knew it was temporary. The council was relentless. Once they were here, there would be no turning back.
I caught my father on the line again, his voice steady but edged with tension. “Asher… they won’t wait. The council has already begun discussing transport arrangements. They want to speak with her directly. They want the truth from her mouth.”
“I know.” I said through gritted teeth. “I’ll contain it. Don’t… don’t escalate it yet. Not until I’ve had a chance to prepare the pack. You know how they are–they’ll want to bring every enforcer they have. She’s not ready for that. I’m not ready for that.”
There was a pause, and then my father’s voice softened slightly. “You’re right. Just… do what you can to protect her. This isn’t just about the council. It’s about her. And I trust you’ll do everything in your power to keep her safe.”
“I will.” I said, my voice low but resolute.
After the call, I turned back to Trinity. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands folded in her lap, watching me carefully. I could see the tension in her posture, the way her shoulders were hunched, as if bracing herself for a storm she couldn’t yet see.
“Trinny.” I said, kneeling in front of her and taking both her hands in mine. “I’m not going to let them overwhelm you. Not today. Not ever. I need you to trust me–just a little longer.”
She nodded, and I could see the fragile thread of hope in her eyes. The trust she placed in me was both humbling and terrifying. I had to live up to it, be the shield she needed, even if it meant walking through hell.
The hours dragged. I moved through the pack’s territory like a shadow, alert and watchful. Every sound, every rustle, every distant howl set my nerves on edge. I knew the council was coming, that at any moment they could arrive and demand answers. But I wasn’t going to let that happen until I was ready.
By mid–afternoon, I had a plan: call a private council liaison, negotiate a delay, buy us time. Trinity needed to face them on her own terms, in her own space, without the pack feeling the tremors of her trauma. She deserved that–deserved to speak without fear of judgment or
scrutiny.
When I returned to the room, Trinity lay on the bed, arms wrapped around a pillow. She looked small, fragile, but still tethered to me, still relying on me to hold the world at bay. I knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and felt a surge of determination unlike anything I’d known.
“I’ve got this.” I said softly, voice steady, low, primal. “No one’s touching you, no one’s
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questioning you, no one’s storming in until I say it’s okay. You understand?”
She nodded, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I understand.” She whispered.
And for now, that had to be enough.
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I stayed with her, held her, listening for the council’s arrival. My mind raced with contingency plans. I’d been trained for conflict, strategy and political pressure, but this was different. This wasn’t just a meeting; this was Trinity, my mate, the one I would die for. I wouldn’t let anyone make her afraid again.
As the sun dipped, long shadows crossed the pack lands. The council drew nearer, but I refused to let them break our bubble – not tonight, not until ready.
Watching Trinity rest, still resilient, I vowed to hold the storm at bay and fight whatever came.
Because she was mine. She was my mate. And nothing–not even the full weight of the werewolf council–would take her from me.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
SUMMARY (~1000 Words in English)
