Wolves of Winter's Heart

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

“Nope.”

I turned around abruptly, but even though my eyes were no longer locked with Orion, I could see the smirk on his face as clear as day. I would deal with him another time. Tonight was not the time.

“Milli, come on.” Jessa said. I shook my head and Jessa knew better than to try and convince me otherwise. “Fine.”

Jessa sighed and pulled me in the opposite direction to where we were going. I followed Jessa through the crowd, desperately trying to stay invisible. I had already been spotted by Orion and I didn't need to be seen by the others.

As promised, she stayed close, tossing me occasional encouraging glances. But even her upbeat energy couldn’t quite shake my unease.

The Thorn triplets were somewhere in this house, and the last thing I wanted was for them to notice me again. Tonight was about blending in, trying to let go of everything—Malcolm, my heartache, and all the reminders of what I’d lost.

But avoiding the triplets was proving impossible. Even without seeing them, I felt them—their presence somehow filling every corner, making the hair on the back of my neck prickle with awareness.

Jessa tugged me toward the kitchen for another drink, and I exhaled, trying to release the tension in my shoulders. I could feel the alcohol warming my veins, loosening the grip of my usual self-restraint. Maybe this was what I needed, I told myself. Just one night of being carefree. I deserved it.

“I think the party is better outside.” I said, having seen lots of people heading straight for the backyard when we arrived. Jessa nodded and grabbed my hand leading us to the room that opened up to the backyard but the moment we turned the corner, we froze.

There they were—Orion, Evan, and Flint Thorn—gathered at the far end of the room, leaning casually against the counter with an air of authority that felt almost tangible. They looked older, their faces sharper, more confident, and the casual clothes they wore did nothing to soften the intensity they projected. The crowd seemed to ebb and flow around them as if everyone was subtly making way, and even I couldn’t stop my gaze from lingering on each of them, one by one.

Orion, the tallest of the three, stood in the middle, his sharp, blue-gray eyes meeting mine with unnerving directness. The smirk on his lips was barely there, but it was enough to send a familiar pang of irritation through me. Evan was on his left, leaning forward slightly, his dark eyes intense and analytical, as if he were already dissecting every expression on my face. And Flint, on the right, caught my gaze last, his trademark grin playful yet sharp, like he was daring me to remember every awful prank he’d ever pulled.

Jessa nudged me with her elbow, her voice barely a whisper. “Just stay cool. They probably won’t even recognize you.”

But as I tried to inch backward, Flint’s eyes lit up, and he broke into a full grin, calling out, “Well, if it isn’t Millicent Aspen! Come back to haunt us, huh?”

Every eye in the room snapped to me, and I felt my face flush. People’s gazes darted between me and the Thorn brothers, a mix of curiosity and amusement on their faces. Some people probably still remembered the way the triplets had teased and tormented me back in the day, and seeing them address me so directly now had to be as much of a shock to them as it was to me.

Jessa, ever the brave one, stepped forward. “You guys were gone so long, we thought the pack might actually have another peaceful year.”

Orion chuckled, the sound low and deep, and it settled under my skin like a challenge. “Peaceful? Sounds dull.” He looked back at me, his smirk widening. “Besides, we missed our pack especially our old friend Milli.”

Friend? That was rich. The way he said it, though, made my stomach do a strange little flip, one I tried to ignore.

I straightened my shoulders, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I’ve been fine without you.”

“Were you?” Orion’s eyes never left mine, his gaze uncomfortably intense.

“Yeah,” I shot back, hating the slight quiver in my voice. “The past two years have been the best time for me.”

Flint let out a bark of laughter. “Aw, come on, Milli. What about all the fun we had together?”

I tried my best to stop myself from physically cringing. Of course my worst memories were fun for them.

“Yeah, it’s not our fault you took everything so seriously,” Evan added, his voice calm, but with a glint in his eyes that told me he was enjoying every second of this.

I narrowed my eyes, the familiar anger stirring back to life. “Terrorizing me wasn’t fun. And I haven’t forgotten all the tricks you played and rumors you started.”

Orion’s smile slipped, and for a brief moment, I saw something almost like regret in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by that infuriating confidence. “We’re different now, Milli. Training changes a person. You’d be surprised.”

I scoffed, folding my arms. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Orion shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Just then, someone bumped into me from behind, nearly knocking me off balance. Evan caught my arm, his grip warm and steady, and for a split second, our eyes met. Something in his gaze softened, but before I could read too much into it, he released me, his face slipping back into its usual cool expression.

“Be careful, Milli,” he murmured. “Wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

I pulled my arm away, my cheeks flushing. “Thanks, but I can take care of myself.”

The moment felt charged, something unspoken lingering in the air between us. I broke eye contact, glancing over at Jessa, who was watching everything with wide eyes.

“Well, if you’re done with your reunion, I think we’ll just—” I started to turn, hoping to end this uncomfortable encounter, but Flint stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

“Hold up, Milli. We just got here. Why the rush?” He leaned in, his voice dropping so only I could hear him. “Or are you just afraid of us?”

I narrowed my eyes, tilting my chin defiantly. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Good,” Flint replied, his grin widening. “Because I’d hate to think you’d forgotten how much fun we had.”

He moved aside, and I brushed past him, my heart pounding. I wasn’t sure if it was anger, fear, or something else altogether that made my pulse race, but I could still feel their eyes on me, lingering, watching, even as I pulled Jessa toward the back door and into the cool night air.

Outside, the sounds of the party dulled, and I let out a shaky breath. Jessa was grinning, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“That was… intense,” she said, fanning herself. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure you’d even talk to them.”

I ran a hand through my hair, still feeling their gazes like a ghostly touch on my skin. “It was less talking and more them showing off, as usual.”

Jessa shook her head, smiling. “Come on, Milli. They didn’t seem like they were teasing you. If anything, they seemed almost interested.”

I scoffed, but her words echoed in my mind, and I hated the tiny part of me that wondered if she was right.

“Yeah, well, they’re the last people I need interested in me,” I muttered. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that this encounter was only the beginning of something I didn’t understand yet.

***

Lying in bed, I stared up at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess.

I was exhausted. Between avoiding them and avoiding Malcolm I was exhausted. I had managed to avoid them for the rest of the evening event though I was sure I could feel someone staring at me throughout the night. I kept replaying the scene, the intensity in their eyes, the strange, electric pull I’d felt around them. Despite the years and my lingering resentment, something about the triplets had shifted. They felt different. Older, sure, but there was something else too, something I couldn’t name.

I tried to tell myself it was just lingering anger and old wounds reopening. But my mind kept drifting back to the way Evan had looked at me—as if he were seeing me for the first time.

The same way I had felt when I looked at him.

Rolling over, I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to sleep. But a part of me knew that, after tonight, there would be no going back. The Thorn triplets were back, and they’d brought a storm with them—one I wasn’t sure I could weather.