Chapter 31

Winter POV

It’s my eighteenth birthday next week, which falls neatly into my plan. I doubt Damien even remembers,
he’s not celebrated any of my birthdays before and it’s not like Johnathon’s going to know. All I have to
do is hold on until then. Because then I can shift, I’ll finally have my wolf and that is the most important
aspect of my plan.

I’m leaving this place. I have no ties to my home, except for Damien and I don’t want to be a burden to
him. In my condition, unable to talk to him, I’m not much of a sister, or someone he can talk to. I also
know that he’s planning

omeon

on getting a job to look after us both and while I would do the same, who would hire

and while I would do the same, who would hire someone who was mute? I’m not

stupid, it was easy enough to see the expression on the doctor and Damien’s face. My vocal chords
have been

damaged beyond repair, it was only going to be more painful to have hope.

I can’t bear to go downstairs, see Damien because if I spend too much time with him in the next few
days, then!

might change my mind. I’m in so much agony by my decision, that my chest hurts and it feels tight,
tears welling up in the corner of my eyes. Would I hurt my brother for doing this? Or would he be



relieved to no longer have me, a burden, to contend with? As for Johnathon? He confused me. It’s like
he couldn’t bear to be too far from me, or maybe

it was guilt for rejecting me? I’d felt the mate bond sever, even if I hadn’t really made a big deal of it. So
he should be moving on with his life, just like I want to move on from mine. I refuse to feel bad about it.
He’ll find another mate, hell Jessica desperately wanted him and she always gets what she wants
eventually. I’d be surprised if he refused her

advances a second time.

I can’t stay up here forever though, Damien’s already suspicious and so I force myself to come out of
my room

and go downstairs where I can hear Damien on the phone, presumably to some friend of his. I’m about
to walk forward and let him know I’m there when I hear his conversation and realize he’s talking about
me. But to who?

“Yes sir, I really appreciate you taking the time to call. So you’re of the opinion that she won’t ever be
able to talk

again” Damien sounds frustrated but I jolt, realizing he’s talking to the doctor.

“What am I going to do? I can’t be with her every hour of the day” Damien says exasperated and I
flinch. He sounds so defeated, so broken as his voice cracks.

“Surely there’s something you can do? Winter needs to be able to talk, I don’t think you understand. I
can’t

protect her if she can’t tell me anything or scream out.”



Tinch closer, seeing tears flowing down my brothers cheeks. I’m absolutely heartbroken. This is what
I’ve turned

my brother into. His concern is touching but he’s so afraid for me. Am I that much of a weakling that he
feels this

way? That he needs to protect me while I’m at school?

“No surgery will correct it” he whispers and he hangs his head. I so badly want to move forward and
comfort

him, but I’m frantically blinking my own tears back. I was right that I was never going to speak again
then. Somehow

it still hurts even though I was prepared for it. Damien hangs up the phone and rests his head against
the wall. I wait

a minute and then make a huge noise as I walk into the kitchen, Damien springing back and hastily
wiping tears from

his face.

“Winter” he says thickly as I pretend not to notice “I was just about to organize dinner. What do you
want to

order?” he asks and I shrug. I don’t really care, it makes no difference to me. To his credit though he
tries.

“Pizza again” | shake my head adamently. I’ve never been a real fan of it.

“Chinese?”



Another shake of my head. Guess I care after all.

“Indian” | nod excitedly. It’s been forever since we had Indian and I loved spicy food. He gives me a
small smile

and then sits at the dining table, motioning for me to sit as well, looking extremely pale and biting his
lip.

“Winter” he begins “I have to tell you something and it’s not good news.”

I already know what he’s going to tell me but I don’t interrupt, waiting for him to speak and watching as
he

wrestles with his conscience.

Finally he clears his throat and looks away, unable to meet my eyes.

“The doctor called while you were still upstairs” he whispers “and I’m really sorry but he say’s there’s no
chance

of your vocal chords repairing themselves, they were too shredded in the attack.”

I know this but my body slumps anyway, He reaches over and takes my hand and I let him, not used to
this

contact from him so often. I love him and it’s killing me that he’s feeling so wretched over it. Even when
he beat me,

with father, I loved him as a big brother. It might seem weak of me but i’d always hoped one day he’d
realize I wasn’t



Un

responsible for mother’s death and treat me like a little sister. Now my wish had come true and I was
planning on abandoning him. God I sucked as a person.

“We’ll get through this” he was saying, squeezing my hand and I nod, my eyes shiny with tears. He
sucks in a

breath.

“I swear we’ll look into another opinion, maybe another doctor can fix it” he suggests and I give him a
small

smile. Whatever made him feel better.

No doctor is fixing this. I’m not broken I think to myself. There were plenty of people who were mute
that led

perfectly happy lives. I could do the same. I don’t need to be fixed. I hear my stomach growl and pat it
as my brother

gives a sniffle and a smile.

“I guess I better order that Indian” he laughs teasing me and my heart fills with joy to hear him laughing
again

instead of looking so morose.

He gets on the phone and I lean back in the chair and listen, content to look out the window. One more
week, I



think to myself. I could hide from Damien I think or I could spend as much time with him as I could
before I left. Even

though it stings I decide the latter. I want to get to know my big brother but I wouldn’t change my mind
about

leaving. I was doing what’s best for both of us and getting away from Johnathon’s overbearing attitude
as well. I

would be severing the mate bond permanently and possibly becoming a rogue but it was my life and
my choice. I

need freedom, and I wasn’t going to get it here.


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