One Night

Chapter 167

Audrey

“Silver Star revealed! Mated to Alpha of Crescent, Edwin Brooks

“Once a nobody, now a Klein: How the Silver Star found her roots.”

“The Silver Star manifest…. Is she truly mated already, or is it a hoax?”

I grit my teeth.

Another article, another headline, all about me. The Silver Star, the long-lost daughter of Claudia Klein, the new heir to Silverbite pack. I groaned softly as I scrolled to the next one, which featured a photograph taken of me at my welcoming party that I didn’t even know was taken.

“I told you not to look at those news articles,” Edwin’s voice came from beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I quickly turned off my phone, but not before a shudder ran through me. “Sorry. I just can’t help it,” I muttered, staring out the car window at the passing scenery

Edwin sighed and reached over to take my hand. “You can help it. I know it’s tempting, but it’s only going to stress you out. You’re a celebrity now. Celebrities don’t look at news about themselves if they know what’s good for them.”

“I know. I’m just not used to this,” I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper. “People knowing my name, writing articles. about me. I don’t like it.”

Once, I wanted to be famous-I wanted my name to be known in the fashion world. But now. I was already missing my anonymity, and it had only been two weeks since the public had learned my true nature.

“It will only get worse from here,” Edwin said. “You’re not just a Klein now, but you’re also the Silver Star, my mate, and the heir to Silverbite, Other Alphas might try to get to you, to see if they can convince you to break up with me and be with them instead.”

1 let out a tiny scoff. “As if I’d ever do that.”

Edwin’s jaw clenched slightly. “I know you wouldn’t, but they don’t know that,” he explained. “You’re a valuable asset now, Audrey, Alphas will be vying for your attention for one purpose and one purpose only.”

“To bring their packs into a golden age,” I said, pursing my lips. “It feels ridiculous. I might have some new powers, but I feel the same. It hardly feels like I could bring myself into a golden age, let alone an entire pack.”

“Give it time. Only one of your powers-mind reading-has manifested so far.”

“Will we train for healing and shifting?” I asked.

“Eventually, if that’s what you want,” Edwin replied, rubbing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “But for now, we’re enjoying Christmas break. Just you and me.” Before I could stop him, he reached over and grabbed my phone and stuffed it into his own pocket, out of reach. “With no internet.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that, instantly feeling some of the tension leave my body. I turned my gaze back to the window, watching as the pine trees grew taller and the snow thicker as we headed toward Edwin’s estate. The car was packed with bags for a two-week stay. We wouldn’t return to Grayspring until the day before the spring semester began.

“I can’t wait to see what it’s like…”

Edwin smiled. “We’re close now. Just a few more minutes

at, sep

Chapter 167

True to his word, it wasn’t long before we were pulling up to the estate. My jaw dropped as I took in the sight. The mansion was a beautiful Tudor-style building, nestled into the snowy forest and surrounded by tall pine trees. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

“Edwin, it’s… it’s beautiful,” I breathed.

He grinned, clearly pleased by my reaction. “Wait until you see the inside.”

Edwin gave me a tour of the mansion, and I was amazed at the size of it. There were so many rooms, each more beautiful than the last. We passed through a cozy library, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and even a home movie theater.

While the architecture itself was historic-looking, all of the furnishings were modern and cozy with the occasional vintage accent. My favorite was the sitting room, which had an enormous sectional, a big plush rug, a fireplace, and an expensive- looking antique chess table by the window.

“The gardens are lovely in the summertime,” Edwin said as we looked out a large window overlooking a snow-covered expanse. “We’ll have to come back when everything’s in bloom.

“We?” I wiggled my eyebrows.

Edwin turned to me, his expression soft. “Of course. We could live here together once you graduate, if you want. This is just as much your house as it is mine now. Same goes for the apartment and the summer cottage.”

I felt my cheeks heat up at the thought. “I can’t imagine being the lady of this mansion,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. To think that I had come from a shoddy old room with holes in the walls to this. it was almost too good to be true.

Edwin put his arm around me and tugged me close, his lips finding mine in a deep, passionate kiss. When we finally broke apart, both a little breathless, he murmured, “Not just the lady. My Luna.”

My wolf yipped excitedly in response to that.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying our winter wonderland. We went for a walk through the nearby woods, marveling at the sight of the little icicles glistening on the tree branches.

The housekeeper of the place, a kind older man named Hadley, made us lunch-perfectly golden grilled cheeses with homemade tomato soup-which we ate by the fireplace.

We played chess in the sitting room and pulled piles upon piles of books out of the library to read. We curled up by the fireplace, sipping hot cocoa and reading beneath a large plush blanket.

It was heaven.

We spent the rest of the afternoon reading together by the fire, occasionally sharing passages that we found interesting or funny. As the sky outside began to darken, Hadley prepared little chicken pot pies that smelled so good my mouth watered; 1 had gobbled up three of them, still wanting more, when Edwin suddenly suggested that we bundle up and head outside because it had snowed even more while we were eating.

I pulled on a thick pair of socks and a sweater, wrapping a scarf around my face and tugging mittens on. Edwin still wore that red scarf I’d given him, his nose quickly going red from the cold as we began walking through the garden paths. He explained that normally, the gardens would be bursting with flowers, but they were just mounds of snow now.

Grinning, I grabbed a handful while his back was turned, formed it into a ball, and flung it at the back of his head. Edwin tensed as the snowball shattered down his neck, soaking his hair, I stifled a giggle with my mitten.

“You’re going to regret that, Miss