CHAPTER 395: FIND HIM

Nicholas~

I couldn’t believe it—there she was, Winter, my mate, wrapped in my arms on that desolate beach. The salty wind whipped around us, carrying the crash of waves that mirrored the storm still raging in my heart. Her blonde hair tangled in the breeze, damp from the earlier rain, and her body trembled against mine, not just from the cold but from the shock of it all. I held her tighter, my earlier worries forgotten in this moment of raw vulnerability, my hybrid strength channeling into something protective, fierce. Gods, I’d been such a fool, running away like a coward when she needed me most. But now, with the moon sliver spilling pale light on her tear-streaked face, all I felt was overwhelming joy. I’d found her. She was here, alive, and in my arms.

"Winter," I breathed, my voice breaking as I pulled back just enough to meet her gaze—those blue, secret-filled eyes that had haunted every thought in my head since the fight this morning. The gravity of what I’d done sat heavily on my chest. "I’m so sorry," I said, my words trembling. "I swear I’ll do better. I’ll be the mate you deserve—the one you can count on. No more running, no more panic attacks. I was stupid, and I know that now. But I promise, it won’t happen again."

I kept my tone careful, my words deliberately vague. My eyes darted toward Uncle Zane and Aunt Natalie, standing a few feet away on the sand. Their silhouettes were carved against the backdrop of the cliffs, wind tugging at their clothes, faces unreadable in the fading light. Katrina lingered close by, her reddish-blonde hair stuck to her damp cheeks, blue eyes still rimmed red from crying earlier.

I couldn’t risk saying more—not here, not with them listening. The truth was a blade waiting to fall. If they ever found out what flowed through Winter’s veins... the demonic blood she’d fought so hard to hide... I didn’t even want to imagine it. My family had spent years eradicating demons who crossed their paths after the Kalmia massacre. What would they do if they realized one of them now stood beside me—if they knew she was mine?

A chill crawled up my spine, but I forced it down. Right now, none of that mattered. The only thing that did was her—Winter, trembling and silent in my arms, looking at me as if she wanted to believe every word. And I prayed she would.

*******

Winter blinked up at me, her expression a whirlwind of shock and disbelief. She stood frozen for a heartbeat, her arms finally tightening around my waist as if testing if I was real. Shadows coiled faintly at her feet, instinctive, like dark vines ready to defend her. "Nick... you’re here? Apologizing?" Her voice was soft, laced with that quiet guardedness she always carried, but now it trembled with raw hurt. She pulled back slightly, searching my face, her hands gripping my soaked shirt. "You... you don’t feel disgusted by me anymore? You don’t see me as a monster?"

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I closed my eyes for a moment, the sadness washing over me in waves, heavier than the ocean behind us. How had my cowardly behavior twisted her like this? Made her doubt herself so deeply? My wolf whined in my mind, urging me to fix it, to protect our mate. I opened my eyes, meeting her gaze with all the intensity I could muster—my hair falling into my face, dripping from the rain. "No, Winter. Gods, no. I don’t feel any of those things. Not disgusted, not seeing you as a monster. Never that." I swallowed hard, choosing my words carefully. "I was shocked at first, yeah. Scared. But not because of you—but because of what people have told me about... about it all." I almost slipped, almost said "your kind," but I caught myself, glancing again at Zane and Natalie. They were watching, Zane’s massive frame tense like a coiled spring, Natalie’s celestial aura faintly glowing in the night. Instead, I pulled her back into my chest, burying my face in her hair. It smelled like salt and mud, also, something uniquely her. "I’m so sorry," I murmured against her ear, my voice thick with all the feelings I couldn’t voice. "So damn sorry. Please forgive me. I love you."

She melted into the hug then, her sobs quiet but shaking her whole body. The wind howled around us, the waves pounding the shore like an angry heartbeat, but in that moment, it felt like the world had narrowed to just us. I stroked her back, whispering more apologies, promises that I’d stand by her no matter what. My hybrid heart raced—vampire senses mixing with werewolf warmth—thrilled that she was letting me hold her, that she hadn’t pushed me away.

But then, Katrina’s voice interrupted the intimacy like a wake up call, her impulsive nature flaring up. She stepped closer, her celestial magic sparking faintly in the air around her, little stars flickering against the darkness. "Okay, you two, I’m really glad you’ve found each other again. Seriously, it’s... touching." Her tone was laced with sarcasm, but underneath it, I could hear the genuine relief mixed with her pain. She crossed her arms, rain still dripping from her reddish-blonde strands, her blue eyes flashing with that fierce independence she wore like armor. "But my heart is still bleeding here, guys. Like, literally feels like it’s been ripped out. We have to find Vincent. As soon as possible. Before I lose it completely."

Winter stiffened in my arms at the mention of her brother, pulling back with a guilty expression that twisted my insides. Her eyes widened, shadows that were wrapped around us retreating as realization dawned. "Vincent... he left because of me, didn’t he? Right after I ran." She turned to me, her voice urgent, pleading. "Nick, how did you even find me? I thought I was well hidden, alone..."

I brushed a strand of her hair from her face, my thumb lingering on her cheek. "Aunt Natalie used her goddess powers to track you down. She’s... she’s incredible like that." I nodded toward Natalie, who stood there with that maternal glow, her nightgown still soaked but her posture radiating strength.

Winter’s gaze shifted to them, her quiet demeanor cracking with gratitude. She stepped out of my embrace but kept her hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. "Aunt Natalie... Uncle Zane... thank you. Softly, from the bottom of my heart. I didn’t expect... any of this." Her voice was so small, only but a whisper, always on guard, but the sincerity shone through. Zane grunted in response, his Lycan eyes softening just a fraction, while Natalie offered a warm smile, her celestial light pulsing gently.

But then Winter’s expression crumpled, tears welling up again as she turned back to us all, her plea desperate. "Please... you have to help me look for my brother. Knowing Vincent, he’s probably somewhere lost in grief, wondering where I went. I... I acted so selfishly, running away alone like that." She choked on the words, her free hand clenching into a fist. "We’ve never been apart, not ever since we were children. This is the first time—for both of us. He must be so lonely out there, hurting without me."

My heart ached for her, seeing the fear in her eyes—the same fear that had driven her to this beach. I pulled her close again, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. "Hey, hey, don’t blame yourself, Winter. You were hurting so much. We all mess up when the pain’s that raw. It’s not on you." I kissed the top of her head, my voice low and comforting, Leo rumbling in agreement inside me. The beach felt charged now, the air thick with emotion, the cliffs looming like silent witnesses to our drama.

Natalie nodded, stepping forward with that steady grace of hers, her voice calm but commanding. "Okay, everyone. Let’s focus. I’ll find him." She closed her eyes, centering herself as her celestial magic hummed to life—a warm, golden glow spreading from her core, illuminating the sand around us like scattered stars. The wind seemed to still for a moment, the waves’ roar fading as if the ocean itself held its breath. We all watched, tension crackling in the air: Zane’s fists clenched at his sides, Katrina biting her lip impatiently, Winter clutching my hand so hard it hurt—but in a good way, a grounding way.

Minutes stretched like hours. Natalie’s brow furrowed, her glow intensifying, then flickering uncertainly. She reached out with her senses, I could feel it—the pull of her power probing across realms, through shadows and voids. But then, her eyes snapped open, wide with surprise. "I... I can’t find him. No matter how hard I try."

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap, shocking us all into silence. Katrina gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "What? Mom, that’s impossible, you have to! Try again!"

Zane growled low in his throat. "Nat, what’s going on? You’ve tracked worse than this."

Winter’s grip on me tightened, her voice a whisper of dread. "Vincent... where are you?"

I felt a chill run down my spine, not from the wind, but from the unknown. The beach suddenly felt too exposed, the night too dark. What could block Aunt Natalie’s powers? My mind raced, but I kept my cocky facade in check, pulling Winter closer. "We’ll figure it out. I promise. Don’t loss hope."