CHAPTER 244

**ZION**

William sank back into the lounge, phone pressed to his ear, brows drawn tight with concentration.

Mercer’s voice came through, calm and clipped, giving him a full rundown—what had happened in the interrogation room, the questions asked, the inconsistencies noticed, and any gaps that needed covering. 

With every word, William’s jaw clenched tighter, a low tension threading through his shoulders.

Finally, he set the phone down with a soft thud, rubbing a hand over his face as if trying to erase the disbelief in his mind.

“Mercer said that FBI agent Roxy Anne claims she has emails that Winter supposedly wrote to Ethan.” 

William’s jaw flexed as he spoke, his voice low but hard, the disbelief in his tone doing nothing to mask the edge of suspicion beneath it. 

His gaze cut toward Winter, sharp and probing, like he was bracing himself for her answer.

Mom immediately placed a hand on William’s arm, steady and grounding.

“These feds love to pick up crumbs and try to build a whole case out of them,” she said firmly, her voice sharp with conviction. 

“Winter’s being framed. Obviously. She didn’t write those emails, and anyone with half a brain will know that.”

I watched her words sink in, saw the stiffness in William’s shoulders, the way his jaw worked like he was chewing on gravel. 

He didn’t answer, just sat there like the idea still gnawed at him, suspicion simmering under his skin.

“Winter,” he said, voice quieter now but edged with something I hated—doubt.

“Did you, at any point, contact Ethan Wilde? Did you… reach out to him?”

Her whole body went rigid beside me. 

My blood boils. 

The fact that he even needed convincing—that he could sit there and doubt her for a second—had my fists curling, nails biting into my palms.

For a second, she just stared at him, stunned, like she couldn’t believe the words had actually left his mouth.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I bit out, fury already clawing its way up my throat.

“You actually thought—” My voice cracked, rough with disbelief. 

“You actually thought, even for a goddamn second, that she could’ve sent that fucking email? Do you even hear yourself? Do you know the first thing about her, about who she is? She’s not some reckless kid playing games—she’s my Snowflake, and the thought that you even considered this…”

My voice dropped to a low growl, trembling with anger, 

“God, the audacity! The absolute fucking audacity to doubt her!”

“Zion—” Mom shouted, her voice warning, cutting through my rage like a knife.

"What Mom!"

I tightened my grip on Winter instinctively, pulling her closer. 

“It's un-fucking-believable. He's sitting there, doubting her, when she’s the one with a target on her back? When she’s the one who’s been stalked, terrorised, dragged through hell?”

William ran a hand over his face, jaw tightening, eyes flashing. 

“It’s just a simple question, Zion. Don’t twist my intentions. I’m not accusing her of anything. We need all the facts so we can be ready to fight back if we have to.”

“‘Simple question’?!” I barked, stepping closer, my voice sharp and dangerous. 

“You don’t need to question her. She didn’t write those fucking emails—no chance, not in a million years. Do you even hear yourself? Doubting your own daughter? She's your own flesh and blood!  You’re supposed to protect her, not sit there questioning—”

My words cut off as her small, trembling voice broke through.

'I didn’t send the email,” her voice was soft, shaking but firm. 

Winter lifted her gaze, eyes sharp and unwavering as they locked onto her father’s. 

“I didn’t send the email. I didn’t reach out to Ethan. I didn’t lure him or ask for his location. I never, never would have wanted him hurt—or killed. There....” she said, letting the words drip slowly, deliberately. 

“Satisfied now Dad? Or do you need more convincing...or prove maybe.."

William’s jaw tightened, eyes narrowing as disbelief sharpened his tone

“I’m not accusing you, Winter. I’m just… trying to make sure we have all the facts. We need to know everything, so if something goes wrong, we’re ready to fight back. That’s all. You’re twisting this into something it’s not.”

“I’m not lying to you, so there's your fact,” she said, her voice heavy with exhaustion and disbelief, as if bearing the weight of having to defend herself to her father.

I shot a sharp glare at him, and then—without a second thought—

My hand wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her into me without caring who was watching.

Her head tucked into my chest, and I held her tight. All I wanted was to take her somewhere far away, somewhere no one could reach her.

I looked down at her—her eyes glimmered with tears, and I caught her wiping one from her cheek. 

My jaw clenched, anger and frustration boiling up.

“Shit,” I muttered, voice tight.

She pressed another hand to her face, and my hands tightened around her hips. 

"I hate this. I can’t believe my own dad is questioning me… and I hate what this sick bastard is doing. Ethan is dead. Murdered. My cat—brutally mutilated. Who’s next? Why? Dammit, why? I haven’t led anyone on. I haven’t played games or—”

I silenced her with a low, hard voice, one that left no room for argument. 

“None of this is on you. Understand me, Snowflake. You did nothing to cause this. Every single thing—the threats, the violence, the death—it’s all on the sick son of a bitch out there. He’s doing this. He’s hurting people. And he’s the one who’s going to pay. Not you. Not anyone who has nothing to do with him. People like this… they’re crazy. Cold. Dangerous. But their actions? Their actions don’t define you. And I will not let you blame yourself for a second of it.”

I pressed my forehead against hers, letting the warmth of my chest ground her. 

Every instinct screamed to protect, to shield, to crush anyone who dared touch her. I could feel her trembling slightly against me, but she was safe. 

Mine.

And as long as I drew breath, no one would ever make her feel guilty or afraid again.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured, voice rough and possessive. 

“And I’m not letting go.”

“The guy who did this… do you think he’ll come after me too?” Her voice wavered, fragile beneath the weight of everything that had happened.

I tightened my arms around her, pressing her closer. 

“I won’t let that happen. Not now, not ever.”

A bitter, husky laugh escaped her lips. 

“You like to think you control the world… but you don’t.”

I smirked, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I control more than you think, Snowflake.”

Ethan had been tortured, and there was no way Winter—or anyone she loved—was going to suffer that fate. Not while I could move, fight, breathe.

She shifted against me, burying her face against my chest, holding me just as tightly.

William’s sharp intake of breath made me glance up. 

His face twisted in disgust at our closeness. 

“I need a drink,” he muttered and stalked out of the room.

Jenny’s hand briefly touched my dad’s shoulder. 

“I’ll be back in a bit,” she said quietly, before following him.

I returned my attention to my Snowflake, brushing my thumb along her cheek.

She looked up at me, lips slightly parted, worry flickering in her eyes.

“You ran into that house today thinking Ethan was inside… but what if the killer was still there? What if he’d turned on you?”

I leaned down, voice low, calm but firm. 

“I can handle myself,” I said, voice low, controlled, a dangerous edge threading through it. 

“I’ve learned quite a few fighting techniques over the years… and these muscles?”.

I flexed deliberately, letting the muscles tense and ripple under my skin, letting her see the strength I carried. 

“They’re not just for show, babe,” I said, voice low, sharp—my way of reminding her I could handle whatever came our way.

“Zion… don’t joke about that. I can’t—” 

Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard, fear sharpening her words.

“I don’t want anything happening to you. Not because of me,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, thick with tension. 

My hands cupped her face, thumbs brushing over her cheeks as I held her gaze.

“I… I couldn’t bear it if you got hurt,” she admitted, her voice trembling slightly, raw and fragile. 

“Keep talking like that, Snowflake, and I’ll start to think you actually care… worried about me… that you’d be lost without me.”
”

My lips curved into a devilish grin. 

The teasing was meant to cut through her fear, even a little.

“Of course I care. I always have. I love you… You know that.”

Fuck. 

My chest tightened, heart thudding like a drum, and I felt a rush of heat crawl through me. 

Every nerve in my body screamed, every muscle tensed, and a low, possessive growl rumbled deep in my throat.

Fuck. 

I loved it when she said those words. 

Loved the way her voice trembled slightly, the way her eyes searched mine for some sign of how much she mattered to me. 

It was intoxicating, almost painful in its intensity, and I wanted to trap the moment forever, to hear her say it again and again until the world disappeared and all that existed was her and me.

“Say that again,” I demanded softly, my hands holding her face gently, yet possessively.

“I love Zion. I’ve always loved you—even when you made me mad as hell. Even when you hurt me, even when you enraged me… I still loved you. Even through all the stupid revenge and the games you played, I still loved you—even when I’d never have admitted it back then.”

I pressed my forehead to hers, letting her words sink into me, letting the warmth and sincerity of her confession wrap around my soul. 

“God… I love you too,” I whispered, voice rough with need and relief. 

“Always have, always will.”

She let out a soft, shaky laugh, leaning into me, and I held her tighter, promising silently that no one would ever hurt her while I was near.

“I… I can’t… I just can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you. I can’t imagine walking into some crime scene, seeing the yellow tape, hearing that it was you… that you were hurt, or worse, killed. The thought… it makes my chest ache, my stomach twist. I can’t even breathe thinking about it… about losing you.”

Her voice trembled, breaking slightly as she gripped my hands. 

“I… I need you, Zion. I need you in my life. I want you here—with me.... not gone.”

Every word, every quiver in her voice, every desperate glance—she was terrified of losing me. 

And that fear… it fueled the fire in me, the possessive, protective part of me that refused to let anything touch her.

I pulled her closer, pressing my forehead to hers, letting the warmth of my body shield her. 

My hands dug into her shoulders, holding her as if I could keep the world at bay with sheer force, my voice dropping to a low, almost feral growl.

“Not even death could keep me away from you, Snowflake,” I murmured, teeth grazing her temple. 

“Shh… I’m not going anywhere, Snowflake,” I murmured, my voice low and rough, trembling with the same intensity I felt coursing through her. 

“You’re mine. Every part of you. Every thought, every breath… and I’ll be there, no matter what. Nothing in this world—or the next—will ever keep me away from you.”

Her trembling eased slightly against me, but the fear in her eyes stayed, and it only made my grip tighter, my resolve harder. 

“I’m right here. You hear me? No one’s touching you. No one. I swear it. You’re mine, and I’ll burn the world down before I let anything hurt you.

I’ve got you,” I whispered, voice hoarse, possessive, and desperate. 

“I’ve always got you.”

My hands dug into her waist possessively, heart hammering, wolf stirring beneath the surface, demanding to mark, to claim, to protect. 

Every instinct, every ounce of me, was hers—and only hers.