Winter's Promise

by G. Bailey

  What Winter did was crazy, powerful and a sign of who she really is. I glance down at her as she watches me for a response; she is so lovely. I know she doesn’t even realise it, but she is something else to look at. Every time she walks into a room, she demands attention with her beauty and strength. No matter what happens from today, she will always be known as a powerful woman. The prophecy is still bugging me, there’s a lot in it that makes little sense. Winter is dressed like a queen today, thanks to her friend’s help. She has a long white dress, which tightens in the middle and flares out at her sexy hips. Her long, dark brown hair is straight with just the top part up in some plaits.

  When I saw her being covered in fire by Taliana, my fucking mind exploded. I tried to flash to her but Taliana had cast a watertight ward around the arena and she had two witches keeping it up. I knocked them both out with Jaxson’s help and then blasted the ward, but I only got through once Winter had killed Taliana. She must have gotten the immune to fire power from me. It’s actually a power I have, most witches do. Winter hasn’t said much about killing two witches today, she just told me she was okay. I hope the guilt doesn’t get to her, but if it does, I'll be at her side because I love her.

  "Yes, very weird. I know what my mother warned me about now. The power boost from the crown is strange and a little overwhelming. We need to get you a crown now," I say and she looks away.

  "I have one but I can't, not yet Atti," she says. I get how nervous she is. Putting on this crown is accepting my destiny, what I’m meant to be. I never really thought I’d have to take the throne for many years, my mother’s death was not expected. I look around at the familiar faces of the council, the ones who stood at my mother’s side for years. It hurts that she isn’t at my side to guide me, I’m fucking clueless, but I’m going to do my best for her memory. For Winter.

  "In time," I whisper and lift her hand. Her sparkling blue eyes lock with mine as I kiss the back of her hand.

  "My King and Queen. I wish to thank you for my place on the high council."

  The words come from the first male on the witch council in hundreds of years. One of the queen’s friends had been a council member, so there was a space when Winter killed her and I think we need this change.

  "It was the right choice," I say and he lowers his head.

  "In fact, I want to show My Queen the castle, so goodbye," I say and hold onto Winter's arm as I move us before they say anything. Winter and I have been stuck in meeting after meeting following the fight. The city was out of control, with some of the dark witches not wanting me on the throne. They are currently locked up until they calm down. Taliana’s parents were devastated, which I understand, but I did not condone their decision to try to burn the castle down. Thank god, I was close enough to pull water from the waterfall in the garden and flood that part of the castle. No one was hurt but I had to lock her parents up. The council believes that they will calm down when things settle down. What we didn’t know is how the city has been attacked by demons in the last few weeks. Only groups of ten or so, but they are killing and walking through wards like they aren’t there. Thirty witches have been killed in the last two weeks. We have some serious problems and I’ve called the witch guard to come here in the morning. The witch guard is a hundred witches who protect our city, and I want to know how they let the demons in. Not one of the witches who died was in the guard. It shouldn’t be that way.

  "This is my room, well the one I stay in when I have to be here," I say as we appear in the lounge of the rooms I have. It overlooks the whole city from where we stand; it’s similar to the rooms my mother had. They’re gone; Taliana destroyed them all. I wish she was alive so I could fucking kill her again for that.

  "Wow, what a view," Winter says, moving away from me and stands close to the window. She turns her head to look back at me, a small smile on her sweet lips. Winter doesn’t even know what she does to me.

  "It is," I say looking only at her. She seems to realise this as she smirks at me.

  "I'm surprised you didn't show me your bedroom first," she says with a little wink.

  "That’s next," I laugh as I walk over to her and take her head into my hands and I kiss her. Winter tastes like every sweet you wanted as a child but couldn't have. I move us to my bedroom and rip her clothes off as she pulls my belt open.

  I've waited too long for this, for her, and I know she feels the same way.

  I love her so much and I want her to be mine.

  When our clothes are gone, I explore every part of her sweet little body with my lips and hands. Loving the little moans she does, and the way she wriggles when I do certain things. I kiss up her soft stomach until we are perfectly aligned.

  "I love you, Atti," she whispers as I fill her and she arches her back. Every part of me demands for my magic to mark her as mine, and I don't hold back as I move inside her, she feels too good. I pull out and roll her onto her knees before entering her again. She seems to understand, or my magic is already affecting her.

  She moans as I pick up my pace and when I know she’s close, I rest my hands on her back and push my magic into her. The magic I’ve never let out, but have always known, blasts around the room as we both scream out each other’s names in pleasure. The mating magic is designed for just one person and I have always known it, in the back of my mind. It’s meant to guide us to who we are meant to be with, mine always knew it was Winter.

  When I can finally open my eyes, Winter is lying on her stomach, her head tilted to look at me with a happy smile. I glance at her back and grin at what I see.

  Winters back is covered in marks. My mark is a tree with large roots. The tree is made of swirls that match the other guy’s marks. Winter hasn’t seen my mark as it’s on my back but it looks so much better on her. The tree takes over my whole back but it fits just right on hers.

  Jaxson’s wolf is near her lovely bottom and there are twirls that rise to join with the phoenix in the middle. The two angel wings are just below her neck. My tree is in the middle and they are all connected with swirls. The mark moves gently, like it’s alive.

  "What does it look like?" she asks me. My lips part with no words as I run my hand over the marks, feeling the slight power from each of them. We are finally all together, like it’s always meant to be.

  "Complete," I say and I lean down to kiss her. I spend the night with my queen and complete is the only word to describe it.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Winter

  "Winter, my baby girl," I hear as I open my eyes to a frozen field, there’s a large willow tree on top of the hill, its long branches blowing in the cold wind. Elissa is stood next to a woman I recognise but it’s still a big shock.

  My mother stands in front of me, in the same white dress as Elissa. Her long brown hair sways in the cold wind like Elissa's black hair does. When they are next to each other, I can see the similarities. They look so alike, but my mother’s gaze is filled with love and tears. I want to run to her but I can’t. My heart pounds against my chest as I meet her blue eyes, just like mine.

  "It's not safe and he’ll do what he did to me. You need to wake up and run," she pleads with me, her words desperate.

  "You’re dead?" I ask and she nods. I knew it but I had to hear it.

  "Yes, many years ago when my father called me to him. My father can call his own blood, it’s like your dream calling power but he can control you. He didn't expect his demons to want to feed on me when he sent them to take me through a portal. They did and killed me but that was a blessing because he couldn't find you. My father has to be close to you for him to have control, you have to run," she says. The wind blows snow against my cheeks and I blink the cold away as I focus on her words.

  She steps close to me.

  "How can I call the dead?" I ask.

  "Because our spirits never left you. I will never leave you my child, war is coming and your heart will break, I only wish I could hold you as it does," she says, making me worry; he
r words can’t be true. I refuse to believe them.

  I realise she can’t touch me when she hovers her impossibly pale hand over my shoulder; we are the same height, I notice when she is so close to me.

  “I dream called your friend, Lily, she is going to help me win the war,” I say, looking over every detail of her face. How she has freckles but I don’t. How her nose is slightly different from mine, but we have the same lips.

  “She is no friend; that was a grave mistake Winter. The price is too high for the promise.” She tells me and I feel sick. What have I done?

  “I don’t…” I say and my mother cuts me off.

  "You can fight him; your mates can save you.”

  “Only her mates can stop her from the destruction of all.” Elissa says as she moves next to my mother. Her bright blue eyes meet mine.

  “Remember that, remember the words," Elissa says, and the sky turns black slowly as I turn my head to watch. The cold air becomes painful to breathe in as my mother and Elissa disappear. I can’t see their faces as the cold wind pushes me over into the snow. I stand up shakily and watch as the demon king walks over the hill.

  "Thank you for accepting my call," he says and laughs.

  I wake up and jump in the bed, nearly falling off the side.

  I glance at the empty bed and I wonder where Atti is. A shake fills the castle, and the bed slides on the floor and the window blasts open near the bed. I scream and pull the sheets closer around myself.

  What’s happening?

  I didn’t expect to wake up from finally mating with Atti to this. I blush when I think of the night with Atti but the shaking castle soon snaps me back to reality.

  I need to find Atti and tell him about the dream; I need to make sure he’s alright. I get up in the dark bedroom and pull Atti’s shirt off the floor and over my head, it hits my knees with how large it is. The castle shakes again and I fall to the ground. I think a witch or several must be using their earth powers. Jaxson went back to the pack with Wyatt after the fight.

  The door is slammed open and I scramble back as the demon king walks in. He smirks down at me, a look of pure evil on his pale face. The demon king’s face is covered in blue veins but they are nothing on his glowing dark red eyes. They’re nothing like mine when they glow; no, they are scary. The demon king has a long black cloak over his clothes and the vampire crown on his head. He looks so much like Wyatt’s father, but everything is harder and lost because of the demon controlling his body.

  "Time to come with me, My Princess," he says and holds out a hand. I hold my throat as something takes over me. I can’t move and I fall to my knees as pain takes over my body in a wave.

  I suddenly I feel nothing.

  My mind screams no as my body ignores me and stands up. I walk over to the demon king and place my hand in his with a large smile spreading over my face. Why am I smiling?

  The demon king leads me over to an older witch with long black hair. The dark witch bows, and looks at the demon king with clear desire. I try to scream in my head, I try to move my body as I feel darkness slipping over my mind.

  "Time to destroy the world, my Princess," the demon king laughs. I don't refuse him as the witch takes us away and darkness turns everything black.

  Hello and thank you for reading Winter’s Promise!

  A review would be amazing and I would love you for it.

  Thank you to all my amazing fans for their support. Most of all I want to say thank you to everyone that brought this book, you guys or gals are amazing!

  A special shout out to Anna and Taylor, my awesome betas. Also a thank you to Carol and Michelle, and Gina. This book couldn’t have happened with you.

  The final book, Winter’s War (Her Guardians series book Four) will be out 14/10/17.

  There will also be a reverse harem spin off trilogy about a certain half fray. Check my Facebook page or group to find out more. The first two chapters of Winter’s War will be at the end of Escape the sea (released on Halloween)

  Come and say hello on my Facebook page, Twitter or my website listed below. I post teasers, new covers and some giveaways on my Facebook group, Bailey’s Pack.

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  Please keep reading for chapter one of USA Today bestselling author, Laura Greenwood, upcoming book. Saving Eira…

  Eira glanced sideways at her sister, glaring ever so slightly. Isolde had no idea how easy she had it. There weren't any expectations on her to continue the family tradition of making sure the frosts came and went. Damn those thirty two minutes between Eira's birth and her twin's.

  "I just don't know if it's what I want to do," Isolde said, letting out a deep sigh.

  "How will you know if you don't try, Izzy?"

  "I just have a feeling." Izzy shrugged, the look on her face infuriating Eira.

  "A vision?" she asked carefully, knowing that Izzy's visions weren't something to mess with. Well, really they should have been Eira's visions. There should never have been two of them, and no one had quite known how the powers of their ancestor, Jack Frost, would manifest in the two girls. As it turned out, Eira had all the powers but one; precognition. Izzy had that, plus a sprinkling of snow magic.

  "No, just a feeling." Eira was torn. On the one hand, she probably shouldn't be dismissing Izzy's feelings, but the older sister in her was desperate to.

  "What are your other options?" she asked, trying to stay level headed and wishing beyond anything that their mother hadn't died when they were born.

  "I don't know, work I guess." Izzy shrugged again like they weren't discussing something life changing like her time at university.

  "Stick with it. You'll regret it if you don't." Izzy opened her mouth to speak, and Eira held up her hand to stop her. "No, listen don't speak. Stick with it, but if you want to work, then find yourself something in the meantime. Maybe it'll help you decide." Izzy nodded.

  "You always know what to say."

  "It's the big sister in me," Eira said playfully.

  "You're thirty minutes older than I am," Izzy protested.

  "Thirty-two." Izzy rolled her eyes in an exaggerated way that Eira knew was just fun.

  "I'll see you later sis," Izzy said, giving Eira a swift kiss on the cheek before leaving through the door behind her.

  Sighing, Eira flopped down onto the faded brown sofa that she kept more for comfort than anything else. It was threadbare, but so comfy that she didn't want to part ways with it.

  A sharp knock broke through Eira's zoning out and she groaned, trying to push herself upright. Before she could, her front door swung inwards and a strong pair of man's legs entered her vision. She closed her eyes, not wanting to suffer through the normal effects that came from seeing Josh.

  He was her best friend, and therein lay the problem. She hadn't seen him as just a best friend in three years. Basically since the moment she turned eighteen and properly came into her powers. Every time he entered the room, Eira found that her mouth went dry and her pulse began to pound; clearly not the response she wanted to have to someone who had been with her through everything. Especially when he seemed so completely unaffected by her.

  "Eira," he said, his deep voice travelling through her.

  "Josh," she replied, not opening her eyes.

  "Was that Izzy I just saw leaving?"

  "Mmhmm."

  "What did she want this time?"

  "To leave university and do something," she muttered bitterly. She hated how flighty her sister could be at times, especially as it ended up meaning that Eira had to be even more level headed than normal. Josh chuckled.

  "Well thought out then."

  "That's Izzy for you." A nudge came against Eira's legs and she opened her eyes to find a pair of piercing green eyes looking down at her. She almost shook her head, catching herself just in time; it wouldn't do to give Josh any kind of idea how affected she was by him.

  "Budge up," he said. She scooted herself back so th
at she was just on one side of the sofa. Josh flopped down beside her, seeming to take up far more than half of the space due to his broad shoulders. She didn't think he even worked out, he was just naturally muscly, making it even trickier for her to ignore him. "What's the plan for tonight?" he asked.

  "Do we have to do anything?" She groaned. It'd had already been a long day what with her shift at the restaurant, and then dealing with Izzy.

  "Yes, you know you need to blow of steam."

  "More like you want a blow," she muttered. Josh gave her a weak smile, almost like he didn't want to admit it either way.

  "Not as much as you do, come on, let's go get you laid." Pain lanced through Eira's heart at the words. It wasn't the concept that she had any problem with, more that he was so happy for her too.

  "I guess so," she agreed reluctantly.

  "Well that's enthusiastic." If she actually looked over at him then she was sure that she'd find a raised eyebrow and an incredulous look on his face. Which she kind of got. Somewhere in her family history there was some succubus blood, and every now and again it came the forefront. It hadn't in a while, and knowing Josh, he'd probably been tracking the sex cycle. She wasn't even sure when they'd started calling it that, but it sounded better than referring to herself as a slut, so it had stuck.

  "I'm just not feeling it."

  "You're three weeks too late not to be feeling it." Eira sat up and looked directly at him, surprised to find he looked so serious. Normally Josh was the jokey kind of boy next door. He took life as it came and didn't think too deeply about anything; except her sex life it seemed. Just not in the way she wanted him to be thinking about her sex life. A flash of the two of them in bed together went through her mind, and she pushed it away. That was the kind of fantasy she should save until she was in bed alone and not when Josh was sitting next to her. Otherwise she'd end up doing something they'd both regret.