CHAPTER 223

**WINTER**

A loud knock rattled the door, followed by Claire’s unmistakable voice.

"Breakfast! Don’t make me come in there!"

My heart launched itself straight into my throat.

Oh God.

Zion.

My bed.

Naked.

Also—me.

Very, very naked.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I turned to him, wide-eyed.

“You have to hide!”

Zion blinked, slow and smug, completely unbothered.

One arm was folded behind his head, the other casually resting on my waist.

“Hide?” he murmured, voice rough and low from sleep.

"Why? There’s nothing to hide.”

Then his eyes dropped down to the tent under the sheet.

“Except maybe my very obvious morning wood.”

My face exploded in flames.

.

"Zion!" I hissed, mortified.

“Please, just go to the bathroom before she breaks down the door and sees—that!” I hissed, panic rising.

He smirked, eyes dark with mischief.

“You sure about that? ’Cause if we ignore her long enough, maybe she’ll start thinking we’re... busy.”

I stared at him in horror. “Zion!”

He rolled over leisurely, his bare chest brushing against mine as he nuzzled the crook of my neck with wicked intent.

“Mmm. Or we could give her something to really be suspicious about,” he murmured, lips ghosting over my collarbone.

“Make a few noises. Shake the bed a little…”

“Stop!” I squeaked, slapping his shoulder as heat exploded in my cheeks.

“You are the worst.”

“Am I?” he drawled, eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Because last night, I distinctly remember you saying—”

“Zion.”

Another knock.

"I swear to God if you don’t open this door in ten seconds—"

“Please…” I give him my best puppy dog eyes, practically begging.

Zion paused, eyes narrowing like I just flipped some hidden switch in his brain.

A slow, wicked grin spreads across his face.

“Oh no,” he says, voice low and amused.

“Don’t look at me like that, Snowflake. You know exactly what those eyes do to me... and after last night, my self-control’s running on empty. So if you flash those eyes one more time, I swear I’ll forget all about hiding—drag you under the covers and have my way with you.”

He leans in impossibly close, his gaze darkening with a teasing, dangerous promise.

“Is that what you want? Because if you're gonna beg, at least beg for the right thing.”

My jaw drops.

“Zion!”

“Alright, alright,” he said, sighing like he was making the ultimate sacrifice.

He rolled out of bed, completely bare.

No rush.

No shame.

Just pure, male satisfaction written all over his face.

He paused at the edge of the bed, leaning down one last time, brushing his lips against my cheek.

“You look cute when you panic, Snowflake.”

“I hate you,” I muttered, tugging the sheets up to my chin.

He grinned wider. “No, you don’t.”

I threw a pillow at him. "Go!"

He sighed.

“Fine. But for the record, I think this would be way more fun if I stayed.”

I glared.

He grinned.

Then, with an infuriating wink and the cockiest walk known to man, he sauntered toward the bathroom.

“Try not to miss me too much,” he added over his shoulder as he disappeared behind the door.

I groaned and flopped backward just as Claire’s voice rang out again:

“You’ve got five seconds before I pick the lock!”

Shit!

“Y-Yeah!” I called out, voice cracking as I frantically shoved on my clothes.

“I’m just— uh-changing!”

Zion’s voice floated from the bathroom, amused.

“Technically not a lie.”

I groaned and scrambled out of bed like my life depended on it, rushing to the dresser and yanking it open.

My hands fumbled as I grabbed the first pair of pyjamas I could find and yanked the top over my head in a frenzy.

The knock came again.

"Coming!" I called, forcing my voice up an octave to sound as normal as possible.

I took a breath, plastered on the most innocent expression I could manage, and opened the door slowly.

Claire raised an eyebrow the moment she saw me.

"You look... flushed."

"What? No. I’m fine. Just hot. I mean—warm. I mean—it’s warm in here, isn’t it? Haha."

She squinted at me.

"Uh-huh."

Behind me, the bathroom door stayed blessedly shut. I subtly shifted, planting myself in front of it like a human shield—arms awkwardly crossed, trying to look casual and failing spectacularly.

"Anyway! Breakfast! I’ll be down in a sec!"

I said quickly, trying to push the door closed again with a smile that probably looked like I was having a nervous breakdown.

Claire turned to go, but then—because the universe clearly hated me—she paused.

She glanced back over her shoulder, lips curving into a wicked smirk as she leaned slightly, trying to peek past me.

“Oh, and Zion…”

Claire cooed in her sweetest, most infuriating voice, just loud enough for every word to sail straight through the bathroom door like a heat-seeking missile.

“You can come out now. No point hiding after the... soundtrack of moans you two blessed the entire house with last night. Honestly, I think the walls are still blushing.”

I audibly choked.

Claire wasn’t done.

She leaned in a little, smirking like the devil herself.

"Sounded like he gave you a full workout.”

My jaw hit the floor. “Claire!”

A chorus of laughter erupted from down the hall. Claire sent me a finger-gun and strolled off like she hadn’t just ruined my will to live.

I think I died.

Just flatlined on the spot.

I slammed the door and pressed my forehead to it, praying for a meteor to hit the house.

The bathroom door opened—and Zion’s laugh rumbled—low, smug, and way too pleased.

“Told you we weren’t quiet, Snowflake.”

I groaned and smacked my forehead against the door.

God, please let me spontaneously combust.

“Remind me to thank Claire later,” he called out, voice full of teasing sin.

“She’s got great taste in live entertainment.”

“Zion. Shut. Up.”

........

The second I stepped into the kitchen, I regretted it.

Ro looked up first.

His grin was instant—wide, knowing, and downright wicked.

Clark elbowed Harry, who nearly dropped his spoon from laughing.

The only person not looking at me like I’d become breakfast entertainment was Ariel, who sat at the end of the table, scrolling through her phone, eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Ro said, dragging out the nickname with a smirk.

“Or should I say Good Moaning beauty?”

My mouth dropped open.

“Ro!”

Clark fake-coughed into his cup.

“Next time, try a sock on the door—my innocent ears are scarred. And I'm pretty sure the chandelier rattled, just saying.”

Harry leaned in with a wink.

“You’ve got lungs, Winter. Respect.”

I wanted the earth to swallow me.

Right there. Just—crack open and bury me beneath the tiles.

Behind me, footsteps padded in.

I didn’t even have to turn to know who it was. I could feel his presence like gravity.

Zion walked in like he hadn’t just ruined my entire reputation—damp hair, grey sweatpants, shirtless, like sin made human—and not a single ounce of shame on him.

“Morning,” he said casually, grabbing a mug.

The boys practically howled.

“Dude,” Ro shook his head.

“At least pretend to look guilty.”

Zion sipped his coffee.

“Why?” he asked blandly.

“Best night of my fucking life.”

I choked.

Audibly choked.

He walked around the table, placed his mug down, and then—with zero warning—pulled me into his lap.

“Zion!” I hissed, trying to pull away.

“Everyone’s watching.”

But his hands didn’t loosen—they claimed me like I was already his, fierce and demanding.

“I don’t give a fuck who’s watching,” he snarled, his voice low, rough, like a warning.

His lips grazed my ear, hot and heavy with hunger.

“Last night? You destroyed me. I’m hooked—can’t get enough of you. You didn’t just make me proud, Snowflake… you tore me apart and built me back better. I’m desperate to touch you, taste you, claim you—every damn second. You’re mine, and I’ll show the world if I have to.”

His grip only tightened, possessive and fierce, as if daring me to resist.

“Besides, everyone here heard exactly what happened last night—the way you moaned my name loud and clear.” He smirked, voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

“No use pretending otherwise, Snowflake.”

My brain short-circuited.

And just like clockwork—

“Not quiet at all,” Clark added loudly, smirking as he shovelled eggs onto his plate.

“Pretty sure the walls still have PTSD.”

“Oh, they do,” Ro chimed in with mock horror.

“I was ready to call an police. Thought someone was being murdered.”

Harry dramatically mimicked fanning himself.

“You sure she’s not part opera singer? Some of those high notes—damn.”

Claire grinned around her orange juice.

“Yeah, if you guys were aiming for subtlety, you failed. Spectacularly.”

I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

“I hate all of you.”

“You love us,” Claire sang.

“I will end you,” I muttered.

The boys erupted in a fresh round of laughter while I slapped a hand over my face.

I groaned into my hands. “I should’ve stayed in bed.”

Zion, completely unfazed, leaned in behind me, his voice wicked.

“Mmm… I like the sound of that, Snowflake. Next time, let’s not get out at all. Just you and me, naked, no distractions, no interruptions… I want to see how long you can last when I don’t let you up. How loud can you get? How much do you want me?”

He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear.

“Because trust me, I’m not done with you yet—not by a long shot.”

I was combusting.

His fingers brushed the small of my back under the table—barely there, but it felt like a spark lit down my spine.

I died.

I absolutely died.

Across the table, Clark choked on his coffee.

“Jesus Christ, man. Breakfast,” he coughed.

I shot Zion a warning glare, whispering harshly,

“You’re enjoying this way too much.”

He just smiled innocently and took a sip of orange juice like he didn’t just verbally undress me at the breakfast table.

The boys hooted again.

And Zion?

Zion just looked proud of himself.

Like he’d won the damn Olympics.

Before I could even recover, he tilted my chin and kissed me—right there in front of everyone. Slow. Possessive. Like he knew exactly what he was doing.

I let out a strangled noise somewhere between a whimper and a death threat.

Claire grinned, leaning over to drop a piece of toast on my plate.

“Ok, enough, you two. Eat up, Winter. You’re gonna need the energy.”

Just as I was about to fire back something equally unhinged, my phone buzzed on the table.

Ping.

I was still half-hiding in Zion’s lap when my phone buzzed with a sharp ping.

I groaned, lifting it off the table without looking—fully prepared to glare at Zion if it was some smug follow-up text.

“If that’s you sending me inappropriate—”

But I stopped.

The teasing died in my throat.

It wasn’t from Zion.

My heart slowed.

A new message.

*Unknown Number:*

*You've been a bad girl, sweetheart. Letting your friends in on our little secret? Naughty. I left you a surprise outside your gates. Come see what disobedience costs.*

The world tilted.

My breath caught, stomach flipping with a sick, creeping chill. The buzzing laughter around the table suddenly felt a thousand miles away.

I have a little something for you waiting outside your gates.

A chill crawled down my spine. The noise of breakfast faded around me like someone had hit mute on the world.

“What’s wrong?” Zion’s voice was immediately at my ear—low, protective.

I blinked, not realising how tight my grip had gotten on the phone.

“Winter?” Claire asked, frowning now.

I glanced at them… then back at the message.

The screen dimmed, the words still burned behind my eyes.

What the hell was waiting for me?

And what the hell did they mean by “*surprise* ”?