18. Jack
Chapter eighteen
Jack
I pace my office, unable to focus on anything except her absence. The space feels colder without Violet here, though that should be impossible.
I am Winter incarnate. Cold is what I am.
No. I will not think of her.
My fingers trace over the ancient tome she found, its weathered pages holding secrets about 1816—the Year Without a Summer.
Images flash through my mind of that devastating time, when my father’s madness consumed him like frost spreading across glass. His obsession with expanding winter’s reach threatened to freeze the entire world.
I had no choice but to confront him, to wrest control of both throne and kingdom from his icy grip .
To fight him, my winter magic had burst forth wild and untamed, like a blizzard trapped in my veins. I struggled to contain it, to shape it with purpose rather than letting it rampage.
Combined with the winter my father had already spread across the realms, the weight of responsibility crushed down on my shoulders. Those first days of rule tested me as I fought to control the magic that raged inside me, desperate to keep it from taking over my mind.
Bringing proper winter back, with its delicate balance of snow and stillness, nearly broke me. But failure would have meant the deaths of millions. So I persevered, learned control, became worthy of my crown through bitter determination.
Some nights, I still hear his ravings in my dreams. The way he spoke of eternal winter, of freezing every living thing... it haunts me still.
I slam the book shut and stride to the window. Beyond the glass, snow falls heavier than usual, the flakes larger and more aggressive. Like my thoughts, refusing to be contained.
My body burns with need, remembering how Violet’s lips felt against mine, how perfectly she fit in my arms. The memory of her warmth, her softness, sends desire coursing through me. Even now, I can almost taste her, feel her pressed against me.
Fuck.
I put my palm against the window, frost spreading from my fingers across the glass. My cock hardens painfully as I imagine pushing her up against this very window, hiking up her dress, spreading her thighs.. .
This is exactly what I feared—losing control, letting emotion rule over duty. But knowing the danger doesn’t stop me from wanting her. From imagining all the ways I could take her, mark her, make her mine completely.
Mine. The word echoes in my mind, primal and possessive. The temperature in the room plummets as my control slips further.
I need to master these urges before they master me. Before I become like my father, whose unchecked passion nearly destroyed both realms.
But gods help me, all I can think about is Violet’s body against mine, her breath hot on my neck, her hands on my skin.
The sound of cracking glass jolts me back to reality. I remove my hand from the window, watching the spiderweb of fractures spread across its surface. My reflection stares back at me—eyes glowing an ethereal blue, skin taking on that darker shade that betrays my slipping control.
Get it together.
I turn away from the window and force myself to sit at my desk. The tome lies there, mocking me with its secrets. Gabriel’s explanation about the prophecy doesn’t align with what Violet found. Why would he lie? What did he know? More importantly, why did I believe him so readily?
“My Lord?” A servant’s voice carries through the door. “The eastern border reports are ready for your review.”
“Leave them.” My voice comes out rougher than intended, and frost creeps across my desk.
Focus on work. Duty. The realm .
But the reports blur before my eyes, each word morphing into thoughts of her. The way she challenged me in the library. How she refused to back down when I tried to intimidate her. The soft gasp she made when I kissed her...
“Fuck this.” I find it liberating, saying out loud one of those vulgar words that Violet loves so much. I had already caught myself using profanity in my thoughts.
What else has she changed in me? How would she keep changing things?
I stand abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. The temperature drops further as I pace. Ice crystals form in the air around me, suspended like frozen stars. Each breath comes out as white mist, even for me.
I should have never let her leave.
The thought crashes through my carefully constructed walls of duty and obligation. It’s selfish. Dangerous. Everything I’ve fought against for centuries.
But it’s true.
The prophecy warned of destruction, yet everything seems to be falling apart precisely because I pushed her away.
What if I was wrong?
A blast of magic hits me from behind, ice shards piercing my shoulders. I stumble forward, catching myself against my desk. What the hell?
“You’re even weaker than I expected.” Gabriel’s voice carries none of its usual warmth. “Sending her away really did a number on you, didn’t it?”
I spin around, frost gathering at my fingertips. “What are you doing? ”
“What I should have done centuries ago.” Gabriel’s gray eyes flash with hatred. “Father was a fool to choose you as his heir.”
The word strikes like a physical blow. “ Father? ”
“Oh yes, dear brother.” His lips curl into a sneer. “Didn’t you ever wonder why I’ve stayed by your side all these years? Why I know so much about our realm’s history?”
Ice spreads across the floor between us as my power responds to my rising anger. “You’ve been lying to me.”
“I’ve been waiting .“ Another blast of magic, this one catching me in the chest. “Waiting for you to make the same mistake Father did—rejecting your mate for the sake of duty .”
I slam into the bookshelf, ancient tomes clattering to the floor. My power feels sluggish, weakened.
Fuck. He’s right. Sending Violet away took away too much of my power. And since when did Gabriel have winter powers?
“She tried to warn me about you.” The realization burns through me like acid. “Every time she questioned something, you twisted it. Made me doubt her.”
Gabriel laughs, the sound sharp as breaking ice. “She was annoyingly persistent about digging through those old records. Such a shame you didn’t listen to her.”
My chest aches at the memory of Violet’s face when I dismissed her discoveries. She didn’t stop trying to show me the truth, even when I pushed her away.
“You know what’s truly pathetic?” Gabriel stalks closer, magic crackling around him. “She was the only one who never lied to you. Who challenged you openly instead of playing games. And you sent her away. ”
The truth of his words cuts deeper than any magic could. Violet had been honest from the start—about her feelings, her doubts, everything. While I listened to Gabriel’s honey-coated lies.
“You’re right.” I push myself up, ignoring the pain. “I was a fool.”
“Finally, something we agree on.” Gabriel raises his hand, ice magic gathering in his palm. “Too bad it’s too late to fix your mistake.”
But he’s wrong. The bond between Violet and me might be stretched thin by distance, but it isn’t broken. I can feel it now, humming beneath my skin like a forgotten song.
I never should have doubted her.
The bond pulses stronger, calling to me like a beacon. Gabriel’s magic crackles through the air, but I barely notice it now. All I can think about is Violet—her warmth, her strength, her unwavering honesty.
My brother launches another attack. Ice shards tear into my flesh, but the pain feels distant. Meaningless.
“You’re pathetic.” Gabriel’s footsteps echo across the frozen floor. “Centuries of ruling this realm, and you’re ready to throw it all away for some mortal?”
I close my eyes, letting memories of Violet wash over me. Her laugh when she called me ‘Your Frostiness.’ The fire in her eyes when she stood up to me. The softness of her lips against mine.
The truth hits me like an avalanche. All these years maintaining perfect control, protecting my kingdom—and for what? To end up alone in a frozen wasteland, manipulated by my own brother?
“Answer me!” Gabriel’s magic slams into me again .
I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. “You’re right about one thing. I am throwing it all away.”
“What?”
“The throne. The power. All of it.” A smile spreads across my face as the weight of centuries lifts from my shoulders. “Keep it.”
Gabriel’s expression twists with confusion. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve never been more serious.” I push myself to my feet, ignoring the ice piercing my skin. “This kingdom means nothing without her.”
“You’ll lose everything—your immortality, your magic...”
“Good.”
The word comes out strong and clear, surprising us both. My magic has always been a part of me, as essential as breathing. But Violet... Violet makes me feel alive in a way magic never has.
Gabriel raises his hands, frost swirling around his fingers, and hesitation flashes in his eyes. “I won’t let you leave.”
“You don’t have a choice.” I turn toward the window, toward where I can feel Violet’s presence pulling at me. “I’m done letting fear rule my life.”
Magic explodes behind me, but I don’t look back. My brother can have his throne, his power, his precious prophecies. I choose Violet.
I’m coming, little mate.
The thought flows through our bond, and for the first time, I let myself embrace it fully. The connection blazes to life, filling me with warmth despite Gabriel’s ice magic tearing at my back, pulling me towards Violet.
I smile, feeling more human than I have in centuries.