One Night

Chapter 197

Audrey

The journey to Edwin’s summer cottage was utterly silent as Charles drove. I stared out the window the entire time, watching the city give way to suburbs, then to rolling countryside, and finally to dense forest.

When we finally arrived, I was surprised by how different the place looked from the last time I had been here.

The lake was frozen over, an expanse of white stretching to the other end, where the other little cottages sat closed up and empty for the season. The trees lining either side of the narrow road bowed under the weight of snow, their branches criss-crossing against the pale sky.

Peter hopped out of the car, his breath visible in the cold air. We grabbed our bags and Peter muttered a few words to Charles before Charles drove off, and Peter turned back

to mc.

“Welcome to your new home away from home, little star!” he said, far too cheerfully for my liking.

I ignored him, trudging toward the cottage. Peter hurried ahead to unlock the door, ushering me inside with a flourish.

“It’s a bit chilly right now, but I’ll get a fire going,” he said, dropping his bag by the door and moving toward the gas fireplace. I watched as he turned it on, little orange flames. dancing behind the glass.

He turned to me then. “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“I’ve been here before.”

“Okay, then I’ll give you the grand welcome-back-in-case-you-forgot-where- everything-is tour.”

I rolled my eyes.

Reluctantly, I followed him as he showed me around. Despite my foul mood, I had to admit the place was cozy this time of year. The living room was laden with all kinds of plush blankets, stacks of books waiting on the shelves. The kitchen was well-equipped and stocked with enough food to last us weeks.

“And here’s where can do your online work,” Peter said, opening the door to a small

you

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Chapter 197

office that overlooked the lake. “Edwin made sure you’d have everything you need.”

I clenched my jaw at the mention of Edwin’s name but said nothing, simply sweeping my eyes over the office-the mahogany desk, the bay window with a cushio**

It was nice. But it wasn’t home.

Peter turned to me, his expression softening. “Look, I know this isn’t ideal, but I promise I’ll be here to keep you company. We’ll have lots of fun together…” He winked. roguishly. “Just you and me, little star.”

Normally, I would have blushed at his flirtatious humor, rolled my eyes, and told him off with a witty comeback.

But now, I just brushed past him, heading for my bedroom across the hall.

“Audre-”

I slammed the door in his face before he could finish.

Only once I was alone in the room did I finally let out the breath I’d been holding. I dropped my bag on the floor and allowed myself to look around.

It was cozy, like the rest of the cottage, with a large bed and rustic furniture. More plush blankets lined the bed, heavy curtains drawn against the windows.

But what caught my attention were the personal touches-a familiar tweed jacket draped over a chair, a few books on the nightstand. The scent alone told me all I needed to know.

This was Edwin’s personal room when he came to stay here.

I moved to the closet, opening it and breathing in the familiar scent. I found a soft sweater, and without thinking. I pulled it out and slipped it on. It smelled like him-a mixture of his cologne and his natural scent.

Right now, I hated him. But I also missed him dearly.

Curling up on the bed, I buried my face in the sleeves of the sweater and finally let the tears come. I cried for my mother, still lying unconscious in a hospital bed. I cried for the life I had been forced to leave behind.

And I cried for Edwin, for the promise he had broken, for the distance he had put between us.

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Chapter 197

I must have fallen into a dreamless, tear-induced slumber because the next thing I knew, I was waking up to a growling stomach. Reluctantly, I rose and made my way to the kitchen, where I found Peter sitting at the table, reading a book with a cup of coffee in front of him.

Without acknowledging him, I went to the cupboard and pulled out some bread, shoving four slices in the toaster. As I waited, I could feel Peter’s eyes on me, but I refused to meet his gaze.

When the toast popped up, I slathered it with some strawberry jam and began to eat, barely tasting it as I wolfed it down. Peter remained silent, but I knew he was watching.

Finally, as I finished my last piece of toast, Peter set aside his book and spoke. “Do you want to go outside and train?”

I glanced out the window at the snow-covered landscape. It looked beautiful and bracing, but the last thing I wanted was to do anything.

“No,” I said flatly, standing to leave.

But Peter was quicker, stepping into my path. “Well, I’m not taking no for an answer,” he said firmly. “You can’t wallow inside forever.”

“Yes, I can,” I snapped, trying to push past him.

He caught my shoulders, holding me in place. “You want to heal your mom and go. home, right? Well, shifting will help with that.”

Before I could protest further, he was steering me toward the back door. I grumbled. angrily, but didn’t put up much of a fight. Deep down, I knew he was right. If I could only shift, then perhaps I could uncover the rest of my abilities. Including healing.

The cold air hit me like a slap as we stepped onto the snow-covered dock. Peter positioned me at the end, then stood back.

“Okay, little star,” he said. “You know the drill.”

I shot him a withering glare but closed my eyes, trying to ignore the biting cold and focus inward. I felt the familiar tug of my wolf, saw her silver eyes in my mind. This time, I could even feel her fur beneath my fingers, soft and warm.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make the final connection. With a frustrated growl, I opened my eyes to find Peter’s arms around me, holding me steady. My knees. had buckled during my trance.

Chapter 197

“No. I’m going inside.”

His fingers tightened around me. “Audrey…”

“I said I’m going inside,” I growled, forcefully shoving him back and rming past him, my dark hair billowing behind me.

Peter sighed and followed close behind. “Audrey, wait,” he called. I didn’t wait. I flung the door open and stored inside, kicking my damp boots off by the door.

“I know you’re frustrated, but you need to understand why Edwin is doing this.”

“I understand plenty.”

“Clearly not, if you’re acting like a spoiled little brat over it.”

Only then did I stop in my tracks. Despite the warmth of the living room, I shivered, shoulders tensing. Peter took a step forward.

“He’s just protecting you,” he said gently.

I scoffed. “Protecting me from what?” I spat, slowly turning to look at Peter. “From your

daddy?”

Peter’s face hardened, dark hair swept by the wind. With his checks and nose rosy from the cold, he looked younger. But the lines around his mouth, the lines created from that tense smile he wore whenever things got rough, made up for it.

“Yes,” he practically whispered. “He’s protecting you from our father.”

“Edwin is the Alpha of Crescent now,” I ground out through clenched teeth. “Why does he let him bully him like that? Bully all of you?”

Peter sighed, running a hand through that dark hair and tousling it further. “Edwin may be the Alpha by title, but our father… He never likes to give up control. Not really.” He paused, jaw clenching, and stared at the flames in the gas fireplace. “Edwin is the eldest, so he was always the sole heir to Crescent. But he’s also the strongest out of all of us. And the most headstrong.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t feel that way.”

“But it’s true.” Peter took a step forward. “I’m the youngest, the least considered aside. from Eliza, who is a girl. But Axel is second eldest to Edwin, and unlike Edwin, he listens to our father. Graves his validation. He’d do anything to please him, even if that means betraying his own siblings. And if Axel became Alpha, then that would essentially mean that our father would get control of the pack, because he would do

Chapter 197

whatever our father says.”

“What about Malakai?” I asked.

“He’s a year younger than Axel,” he explained. “He and Axel have always been thick ast thieves. Axel would likely name him his Beta, which would also be disastrous.”

I looked away, gritting my teeth. My anger deflated slightly, but not enough to quell the fires in my chest.

“Listen,” Peter continued, “the last thing any of us want is for any of what I just explained to happen. And with you in the mix…” He shook his head ruefully. “Trust me, Audrey, you do not want to be imprisoned under Axel’s rule. If he doesn’t force you into a marriage as the Silver Star, then he’ll just do something else that you’ll definitely hate.”

I flinched at that. Forced into a marriage… All so Axel could have the Silver Star as his Luna.

So he could control me. Keep me on a leash. Get what he wants out of me and nothing more. Then, I would really have no choices of my own.

“I hate this,” I whispered, my voice trembling with rage. “I hate being the Silver Star.”

“Audrey-”

“I want to go back,” I growled. “I don’t want to be the Silver Star anymore. I don’t… I don’t want to be caught up in all of this. Sometimes, I just want to go back to being a human. A nobody. I want to go back to a year ago. Maybe even before that.”

Peter’s face fell, hurt flashing in his eyes. “You don’t want that, Audrey. What if you never met Edwin?” He paused, throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. “What if you never met me? Or Eliza?”

I looked at him, seeing the pain in his expression. But I was too angry, too hurt to care.

“Maybe that would have been better for all of us,” I said coldly.

Without waiting for his response, I turned and stormed back to my room-Edwin’s room. I slammed the door behind me and sank to the floor, my back against the wood, feeling more alone than ever.