RAFAEL'S POVA few minutes later, I left Winter's side and walked towards the main gate of the pack house. To my surprise, I spotted Jude leaning against one of the gateposts. It was the first time I'd seen him in this part of the pack since I arrived here."Hey," I said to him. "Fancy seeing you here."Jude nodded, shrugging. "Someone with keen sight needs to stand guard. And not to brag, I am one of those person. Besides, I pledged my loyalty to the Luna and the alpha when I joined this pack. I won't go back on my word.""What brings you here?" Jude inquired, his brows raised."Your luna sent me away from her bedroom," I replied, trying to make a joke, but Jude didn't find it amusing. It seemed that no matter what happened between Winter and me, Jude was rarely amused."I know you're not fond of me," I admitted. "Even though you said you'd be civil for Winter's sake, it's clear you don't like my involvement with her.""True," Jude affirmed. "And just so you know, I don't hate you. I

WINTER'S POV"Emily," I greeted, a smile lighting up my face as I entered the meeting hall. We exchanged a warm embrace before I stepped back.I noticed my mother, Denise, was also present, along with Linda, Kendall, and Jude. However, Rafael was nowhere in sight. A frown crept onto my face, my gaze fixed on Jude. I approached him and quietly inquired, "Where's Rafael?""He will be here soon. He received a message from his pack," Jude assured me."Alright," I nodded, making my way back to Emily. "Why don't we find a quieter spot to talk?""I think you should go with Emily and your mother, Winter. We'll handle the rest," Denise suggested."She's right," my mother chimed in. "As much as we need to guard the territory, if the Weavers of Shadow's strategy remains unknown, we won't be able to do anything. So, we need to discuss that first."I let out a sigh before nodding in agreement."I think a walk would be best," Emily proposed."Anything works for me," I replied with a shrug.Emily,

RAFAEL'S POVI gazed at my hands longer than I'd have liked to. My lips twisted in self-disgust as I stared at the hands that were bloody just moments ago. The hands that had torn out the innocent guard's heart and shoved it into my mouth. Grimacing, I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling.I had left Winter's side when she stepped into the bathroom, hoping to reach the meeting hall. But I never made it there. I felt a strange sensation taking over me. I tried my best to fight it, but it persisted, eventually leading me to the garden, where I encountered the injured guard.I attempted to offer him aid, but it ended in his death and my unspeakable act. My hands clenched on the bars of the cage, eyes narrowed as figures approached.I recognized one of them as Winter, her scent preceding her. As they drew near, I saw her clearly. Concern filled her eyes, the last thing I wanted her to feel for me. I shouldn't be pitied. I wasn't the victim, yet the way Winter looked at me made it seem oth

WINTER POVI groaned into the kiss, grabbing onto Rafael's shoulder and standing on the ball of my feet.Rafael twirled me around, nudging me into the bars of the cage, his lips never leaving mine."Are you sure about this?" He asked, releasing my mouth for a brief second before latching his lips on mine again before I could respond.I could only nod because that was the only thing I could do at the moment.Rafael's hand slipped into my gown, grabbing my backside and squeezing."Rafael," I moaned out his name."Should we be doing this?" Rafael asked again.Blinking back the haze from my eyes, I gazed at him. His expression was uncertain, and I wondered if he was thinking about what my mother had said."Your mom asked us not to." He said. "As much as I want you, I don't want to hurt you. Also, with what is happening, I am capable of hurting you. That is the last thing I want to do.""I kissed you, remember?" I said. "Then I should be the one worrying and not you. Besides, I want it."R

WINTER POVI tried to dart towards the other side of the room, but he blocked me, shoving me back into the wall. I gasped as my back slammed hard against it. "What do you want?" I asked him.A few minutes ago, while in the dungeon, he had been someone else until he came back to his senses. Now, he was someone else again. The fact that I had given myself to him made my stomach churn. I wondered if it was truly Rafael or another presence that I had been intimate with in the dungeon."What do I want?" He scoffed. "Seems like it's hard for you to grasp, Winter." His voice was sharp.I shook my head. "You can't have me, and you can't have Rafael either," I said. I pondered how I could reach him without hurting Rafael in the process. My mother, Denise, and Emily had a solution. I should've listened to them. But that meant letting go of Rafael."Tell me why you're tormenting his life. You have plenty of people to choose from, so why him? Was he an easy target?" I asked."Why should I answer