One Night

Chapter 182

Audrey

The drive back to Edwin’s mansion was silent, the from the disastrous dinner still hanging heavily in the air of the car. I huddled under the blanket Edwin had thrown over me, my teeth chattering despite the car’s heater blasting at full

force.

In the backseat. Peter and Eliza sat quietly, their presence a strange comfort in the aftermath of the evening’s events.

As soon as we arrived, Edwin ushered me inside without a word to his siblings, his strong arms cradling me tightly against his chest. He carried me to the living room, settling me on the couch in front of the fireplace before kneeling to examine my feet

“They’re like ice,” he muttered, his warm hands enveloping my frigid toes. “I’ll get you some warm socks.”

When he returned a few minutes later with thick, woolen socks and a steaming mug of tea, his expression was troubled. He sat beside me, pulling my feet into his lap to massage some warmth back into them.

“Audrey,” he began, his voice soft but firm, “I want you to know that you don’t ever need to follow anyone’s orders- especially not my father’s. There’s no shame in not being able to shift yet. It’s only been a couple of months since you learned you were a werewolf, let alone the Silver Star”

I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t even sure if I had the strength just yet.

Peter, who had been leaning against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets, chose that moment to speak up. “Look. I hate to say it, but Father might be right about one thing. Audrey should be able to shift.”

Edwin’s head snapped up, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “Peter-”

But Peter held up a hand, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Hear me out, Edwin. I saw firsthand how desperate Coldclaw was to get her. They sent four rogues after her in the woods.” His eyes flashed as if he were reliving those moments when he had come to my rescue. I loathed to imagine what might have happened if no one had come.

“She’s learning to fight,” Edwin said. “It’ll be enough.”

Peter scoffed. “No. It won’t. Edwin, no matter how hard she learns to fight, a small girl like her would be powerless in her human form against werewolves. And Coldclaw will likely send more rogues next time.”

Edwin’s jaw clenched, and he opened his mouth-likely to tell Peter off-but I cut in before he could.

“He’s right,” I said quietly. “I want to learn how to shift properly. I don’t want to be… pathetic and weak.”

“You are not pathetic or weak,” Edwin insisted, his eyes flashing yellow for a moment. He took a deep breath, visibly calming himself. “But if you want to learn, then I won’t stop you. I just don’t want you pushing yourself too hard or feeling pressured.”

Suddenly, the tense moment was broken by Eliza sweeping into the room with a bottle of expensive-looking liquor in her hand. Judging from the low groan that Edwin let out, I assumed the stole it from the top shelf of his liquor cabinet.

“It’s still New Year’s Eve,” she said, producing four shot glasses and kneeling in front of the coffee table. “And I think we need a drink after that disaster.”

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Edwin didn’t

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Chapter 182

Eliza poured generous portions of the clear liquid into each glass and passed them around. Without hesitation, I grabbed one and downed it in one swift motion. The liquor burned its way down my throat, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake.

“Another,” I said, holding out my glass.

Edwin’s eyes widened in surprise, while Peter grinned, clearly impressed.

Eliza obliged, refilling my glass with a wink. “I like her, Eddie. She can hold her liquor.

Edwin was the last to take his shot, eyeing the glass warily for a moment before finally throwing it back. Peter clapped him on the back with a laugh. “There you go, brother. Loosen up a bit.”

As the night wore on and the bottle grew steadily emptier, the atmosphere in the room lightened. Soon, the alcohol made my head pleasantly fuzzy, and the events of earlier began to feel further away. Someone produced a deck of cards and we played a game of Blackjack. Edwin silently dealing the cards for all of us.

Eventually, ten o’clock rolled around and the game had been abandoned in exchange for quietly listening to the fire and music playing quietly on the radio. Edwin had himself wrapped around me on the sofa, and soon his breathing began to slow.

I glanced over to see that he had begun to doze off. Eliza, sitting on the other end of the couch, had nodded off as well.

But I was still buzzing, not quite ready for sleep.

Peter, too, was still awake, his easy demeanor having returned as he lounged in an armchair by the fire. I found myself studying his profile in the flickering firelight, noticing once again the lines of tension around his eyes and mouth.

He looked so much like Edwin when he was like this. Sharper features, but the same quiet, brooding look in his eyes. While Edwin had learned to hide his fear of their father behind a cold sort of strength, like a snow-capped mountain, Peter had learned to hide it behind that mask of flippant, abrasive humor I had seen that first day we’d met-not at all unlike the dancing flames in the fireplace.

It made me wonder how old he had been when he’d learned. How old they had both been.

As I watched him, I couldn’t help but recall the memory I had seen of the chess incident, of Peter letting Edwin take the fall and the subsequent beating.

The anger I felt at that injustice warred with this new side of Peter that I was seeing tonight.

Suddenly. Peter’s eyes met mine. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he said with a wink. He leaned back in his chair, lazily draping one arm over the back and stretching his long legs out in front of him. Posing.

I felt heat rush to my cheeks and quickly looked away. “I wasn’t. I wasn’t looking like that.”

Peter chuckled. “The color of your checks says otherwise, little star.”

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “You’re impossible.”

Peter stood, languidly stretching those long limbs. “Maybe so. But I’m also pretty good at impossible things” He paused, seeming to consider something. “You know, I could give you some tips about shifting, if you want.”

I blinked in surprise.

“I’ve never told anyone this before,” he continued, “but I had trouble shifting at first, too. I hid it well, so no one found out,

but it’s true. I can help you.

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Chapter 182

“1..” I didn’t know what to say. I thought back to the advice he had given me earlier. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to put my feet

back in the cold snow.

As if reading my mind, Peter grinned, some of his usual co**ess returning. “I promise I won’t make you take your shoes off this time. Come on. Follow me. I could use a little fresh air anyway.”

1 hesitated for a moment, glancing at Edwin’s sleeping form, then out the window. Peter was already heading toward the front door, so, biting my lip, I grabbed my coat and followed him outside.

The night air was crisp and cold, but not as biting as it had been earlier. Snow crunched under our feet as we made our way to a clear patch of ground on the front lawn. Peter turned to face me, holding out his hands.

“Take my hands.”

“Peter, I’m not

“I’m just going to help keep you steady,” he cut me off. “Once you go into a trance, you might lose your balance if you’ve never done it before.”

After a moment of hesitation, I placed my hands in his, flinching slightly at the unexpected warmth of his skin against mine. Peter winked, his grip tightening slightly. “Relax, little star. I’m just here to help.”

I swallowed hard, remaining silent.

“Close your eyes and feel the earth beneath your feet,” he said softly. “Imagine roots growing from your soles, anchoring you to the ground. Feel the energy of the earth flowing up through those roots, into your body.”

As I followed his instructions, I began to feel a shift in my awareness. The world around me seemed to fade away, leaving only the sensation of my connection to the earth.

But even then, there was only frustrating darkness, just like before.

“I don’t see anything”

“Breathe, little star. Just breathe..

In through my nose, out through my mouth. In, out…

It started as a flicker first, something that made me furrow my brow in confusion.

But then, in my mind’s eye, I saw a pair of silver eyes looking at me from the darkness, and I felt my woll’s presence stronger than ever before.

“Audrey…” She whispered. I couldn’t see her face, the color of her fur, but I could see those silver eyes.

“I can see you,” I replied.

I was so lost in the trance that I barely registered the sound of the back door opening, or Edwin’s voice cutting through the night air.

“What are you doing with my mate?”

My eyes snapped open, the trance breaking abruptly. It was only then that I realized Peter had put his arms fully around me during my trance, and I was leaning my cheek against his chest.

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