Winter's eyes opened gradually, and she found shackles around her hands. It confused her, and she looked around herself only to find out she was locked in a prison.
Winter felt the pain in her head because of the wound she got on the last day. The screams of people rang in her head like a bell. When she lifted her hands, the sound of shackles fell into the prison guards outside the prison.
"She has woken up."
Winter heard the masculine voice and heard the prison gates open up. She knew something terrible had happened and someone had imprisoned her. Before Winter could understand, she was pulled up by those prison guards.
"Walk!" One of them commanded her.
Winter gulped and silently followed his command. She got out of the prison and was taken to a dungeon where her father was kept.
The closer she was to the dungeon, the more she got the scent of her mate. Her feet halted at the dungeon's entrance as her eyes landed on her mate, the man with emrald green eyes.
Winter's eyes landed on her father, who was chained up in shackles. He was brutally beaten. The blood had covered his entire face and hands. His clothes were completely stained with blood.
"Father!" Winter rushed to her father, forgetting the pain she would get from those shackles. She fell to her knees and began crying to see her father. He was unconscious and was on his knees.
"Why did you do this?" Winter met the gaze of the man, who was her mate.
"Lower your eyes before the new king, you fool!" A slap landed on her face. Her lips got cut and blood came out of them. "Keep your eyes down before Raphael Kingston!" The woman, named Cecilia, shouted at her.
Winter wiped the blood from her lips and lifted her head again to look at Raphael.
"Everyone leave this dungeon!" Raphael finally spoke in his deep, intimidating voice. His eyes remained fixated on Winter.
Cecilia, the prison guards, and one other man present in the dungeon left upon Raphael's order.
Raphael bent down and his face came closer to her view.
"Your father ended my clan brutally. It is the time when your father must die. If you have anything to say to him for the last time, you can," Raphael said with an expressionless face.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she got to know her father would die. For more than thirteen years, her father only physically abused her. She should not be feeling empathy, but as a daughter, she could not either leave that soft part toward her father.
"Did you kill everyone?" Winter asked.
"You should call me Master. I am the King now," Raphael said.
"Answer me. Did you kill everyone in my clan?" Winter queried.
"Yes, everyone is dead! Your father is the next one to die," Raphael stated.
"And what about me?" Winter asked.
Raphael turned quiet. He kept staring into her eyes for some time and then rose to his feet. Pulling the sword out of the scabbard, he told Winter, "Your pathetic father tortured my parents to death, and took the lives of my clan's people!"
He stepped forward and pulled Ezkiel up by fisting his hair in his palm. Ezkiel gradually opened his eyes and whined in pain.
"W-who are you?" Ezkiel managed to ask and saw his daughter, Winter. Hearing her father's voice, Winter quickly stood up and began crying.
"Father, why did you do it?" She complained.
"So, your eighteenth birthday became the reason for my doom as well!" Ezkiel remarked. Winter was stunned to hear that while Raphael got confused. He let go of his hair and took a step back.
"Father," she murmured and furrowed her brows together.
"Shut your filthy mouth! Don't call me father. Your ill fate brought me to my knees today," Ezkiel screamed at his daughter with his remaining strength.
Raphael decided to intervene. His wolf shouted at him to defend Winter. Because his wolf already knew Winter was his mate. He strangled Ezkiel's neck. Ezkiel tried to free from Raphael's grip, but his attempts were futile.
"You slaughtered Kingston clan thirteen years ago. You tortured my parents to death. It is the time when you should leave this body and my revenge will be over with that!" Raphael pronounced while boring his gaze into Ezkiel's eyes.
The next second, the sword shoved inside Ezkiel's abdomen and the blood purred out of his mouth. A horrific expression loomed over Winter's face and she screamed in fear. Her knees fell weak and she fell to the floor.
Raphael took out the sword from Ezkiel's abdomen. His body fell back and the blood covered the entire floor. Winter covered her mouth with her hands to see her father's lifeless body.
"Stop crying like a fool for this pathetic man! He does not deserve to be called a father," Raphael said and left the dungeon.
As he stepped out of the dungeon, he ordered his beta, Hector, to throw the body away.
"Did you kill Ezkiel and his daughter?" Cecilia asked.
"I killed Ezkiel," Raphael stated.
"What about Ezkiel's daughter? Did you kill her too?" Cecilia questioned him. However, Raphael did not answer her, and he walked ahead. He finally completed his revenge, so he wanted to visit the graveyard of his parents to pay tribute to them.
Cecilia followed Raphael and asked him if she should kill Winter.
"Don't touch her. If you do, I will punish you," Raphael said in a fury.
"Why? Our initial plan is to kill all of them," Cecilia stated.
Raphael stopped in his steps and turned swiftly to Cecilia. "Don't you understand words?" He gritted his teeth at her. "You can go and rest in your room," he advised her.
Cecilia lowered her eyes and did not utter another word before him. She silently left while Raphael resumed his walk to the graveyard of his parents, which was situated in the forest where once Kingston clan lived.
Winter's eyes were swollen, her head aching relentlessly. Since the last night, not a single drop of water had passed her lips, and her torment was only amplified by the curses her father had hurled at her, even in his final moments. It was a harrowing ordeal.Her focus was abruptly captured by a subtle glow infiltrating the dungeon. Straining her eyes, she discerned the silhouette of a man drawing near, holding a lamp whose radiance, once intensified, stung her eyes. She instinctively closed them, attempting to acclimate to the sudden light.With a creaking sound, the lock on the iron gate of the dungeon was opened, and a figure stepped inside. It was Raphael Kingston."Why am I alive?" Winter managed to ask, mustering whatever strength she had left."Because you need to remember the atrocities your father committed against me, my parents, and my clan!" Raphael's voice boomed with anger.Winter felt the weight of blame on her shoulders, a burden she had carried for so long. "Everyone
Winter awoke on the second day to find herself ensconced in a luxurious chamber, cocooned beneath a velvety blanket. The surroundings were eerily familiar, for as a princess, she was accustomed to such opulent chambers. A sense of unreality washed over her as if this were but a dream."You've awakened after two days," a voice she knew all too well chimed in. Winter's senses caught the unmistakable scent of her mate, and he materialized before her eyes. It dawned on her that she was not in the afterlife, and a fleeting memory resurfaced: her last recollection of fainting in the dungeon.Winter jolted when Raphael's warm hand touched her forehead and she yanked his hand away, making him chuckle. "Is this the way your way to answer the person who showed kindness to you?" he playfully quipped. "Why didn't you just let me die?" Winter questioned, her eyes locked onto his with a glare that held a hint of accusation. "Killing me would have brought an end to your revenge, allowing you to f
Winter struggled to break free from Raphael's hold, but his strength was overpowering. She implored him to release her, but he remained silent, his intense green eyes fixed on her. It was evident that his emotions were causing a shift in the color of his eyes, from their normal emerald green to various shades of red, a clear indicator of his anger.Finally, Raphael broke the silence, his voice laced with authority. "You are an omega," he declared, "yet your healing abilities are remarkably weak."Unfazed and no longer gripped by fear, Winter spoke up defiantly, "Let me go, Raphael." She had reached a point where she was no longer willing to cower in the face of his power. After the harrowing experiences she had endured, she felt that even if she provoked Raphael's anger, the worst he could do was end her life.Raphael corrected Winter with a stern command. "Call me Master," he insisted.But Winter refused to comply, her newfound strength emboldening her. "Never," she replied defiantl
Nathan, despite Winter's refusal, went to the King's chamber to have a conversation with him. He had known Raphael since a very young age and had been a close friend to him. Raphael was seated on the sofa chair with his eyes closed. "Why are you here at this hour, Nathan?" he asked, keeping his eyes still closed. "Did you try to use force on Winter?" Nathan straightforwardly asked him. Raphael pried his eyes open and tilted his head up to look at Nathan, who was at the door. "Answer me," Nathan pressed him. "Ezkiel wiped out our clan, not his innocent daughter. You know this well. Our families were innocent, yet they were tortured to death. Don't be like Ezkiel," he confronted Raphael. "Winter has to bear the pain that our families our clan underwent," Raphael stated. "Be a man, Raphael. You literally asked for sexual favors from her. Is this the way you'll take your revenge?" Nathan reprimanded him. "I'm guilty about that," Raphael admitted while keeping his eyes fixated
Raphael's fury boiled over as he clutched Cecilia's throat in a vice-like grip. "How dare you defy my orders?" he thundered. Cecilia struggled to break free, her futile attempts causing her vision to blur and her body to writhe in agony. Finally, Raphael released his hold, and she collapsed onto the marble floor, gasping for precious air. "I-I did as I pleased," Cecilia managed to assert despite her weakened state. Raphael's voice carried a grave warning as he said, "You are forbidden from touching her. Consider this your last warning." Cecilia's eyes blazed with anger, the color shifting in response to the sudden flare of emotion. "Why? Her father slaughtered my family," she retorted fiercely. "You promised me that night that you would eliminate everyone connected to Ezkiel." "I will torture her slowly. She should remember what her father did to us," Raphael stated while furrowing his brows together, unsure whether he would be able to do that or not. Cecilia nodded at him and fo
"You won't kill me, Raphael. You know the answer well," Winter pronounced with a confident tone. He furrowed his brows together and settled the teacup on the saucer. "Because you think you are my mate, so you are in an illusion that I will show mercy on you. If I had considered you my mate even for a moment, I would have kept you above my eyes. Now, speak respectfully to me, or else I'll have to teach you a lesson on mannerism," Raphael elaborated to her. Winter was hurt to hear his words. But she couldn't even keep high hopes. She felt her feet hurting since her body was still weak. "Come here," Raphael said. Winter stepped up when he asked her to sit. She gazed at him for a few seconds before pulling out the chair and sat on it. With that, she felt better. "Since you were a princess, you must know how to read and write. Help me in my writing work daily. I am not used to writing decrees, orders, etc." Raphael said. "Shouldn't His Majesty be asking someone more prestigious
"Why does Raphael want to see me?" Winter inquired, puzzled, as Nathan escorted her to the main region of the palace.Nathan shook his head. "His Majesty didn't share the details with me," he replied, then noticed Winter's hands. He couldn't help but remark, "It must have been tough for you, washing all those utensils."Winter nodded and her expression grew somber. "It was indeed difficult. However, performing such chores helps me momentarily forget what has happened to me, how I've lost even the good people around me," she explained, her words laden with the weight of sorrow and loss."My father was indeed cruel, so I feel what happened with him was right," Winter said after a brief pause. Nathan glanced at her. He liked the fact that she was still strong in such a situation. She was standing her ground and had become fearless. "It's unfair that those who have no fault have to pay too sometimes," he affirmed. "Did my father kill your parents too? My apology will never end that pain
"Your cheeks flushing red," Raphael said and he smirked. He asked her to turn to the other side since the medicine needed to be applied to the other arm too. Winter complied with him and turned her back to him. "You got kind of a unique surprise on your 18th birthday," Raphael proclaimed. His fingers gently rubbed over her bruise. "Are you mocking me?" Winter inquired him. "Do you also think I'm a jinx?" Her tone was laced with fury and frustration. "You got a present on your birthday," Raphael ignored her questions and shifted his fingers to the third bruise on her forearm. Winter quickly moved away and stood up on her feet. "Nathan said you kept me alive because, in your eyes, I was innocent. Is that true? Why do you treat me in a way that gives me more pain?" she asked him. "I was being gentle to you," Raphael proclaimed. "No. Your words make me hurt," Winter asserted. "I don't want to be near you. Don't call me when you have no work for me," she opined. "You cannot step out
Winter was missing and no one knew where she went and Raphael couldn't remember anything about what might have transpired in the last two days. But Raphael had a feeling that they had not mated yet, so what happened?"Are you sure she was here?" Raphael asked as he tried to sense Winter's scent but due to over-exhaustion after his rut, he was too weak to use his powers."Come on, Raphael, I just got her piece of clothing and Hector confirmed it himself" Nathan proclaimed as he waved the piece of cloth he had in his hand. Raphael closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled deeply. He felt his mind was about to explode due to anger but he decided to deal with Hector later. His first priority was to find Winter. Hector could sense Raphael's anger but he knew it was not the time and said, "Nathan and I have looked almost everywhere. Now, can you please try to remember where she could have gone? Because there is no way she would escape this place."Raphael glared at Hector and thought that
Two days later, Hector and Nathan came to the summer palace to check on Raphael. It was supposed to be the day on which his rut would be over. However, as soon as they stepped into the chamber, they were shocked to see the sight. The entire chamber's condition was upside down. They witnessed such a sight for the first time. Raphael had undergone a rut many times, but such kind of destruction he never did. "Wait! Whose clothes are these?" Nathan looked at the torn pieces of dress on the floor left to the fireplace. Hector immediately recognized them since that was the dress that Winter had worn the day he dropped her in the summer palace. Nathan then realized he hadn't seen Winter for two days in the main palace. He was so busy in the kingdom's work in Raphael's absence that he didn't bother to find her whereabouts. "Is it of Winter?" Nathan asked and glanced at Hector. "I think so. Where is Raphael? We need to find him first," Hector asserted and he rushed out of the chamber. Nat
Raphael smirked to see Winter, he licked his lips and with a lightning speed he approached her. Winter's breath hitched when Raphael held her close, his eyes looked deep blood red. He inhaled her scent, his lips brushing the smooth, delicate skin of her neck. Winter's breath hitched under his firm grip and whispered, "Raphael." Even her voice was something that heightened his primal urges. He was ready to mate with Winter, forgetting everything he felt for her. "Your scent drives me crazy every time you come close to me. You have no idea how I control myself and today I'm going to claim every inch of your body," Raphael said as he suckled on her neck. His hand moved down to her hip and then the thigh when Winter asked him to stop. "Don't do this. What's wrong with you? You hate me," Winter stated. She was still unable to understand what Raphael was undergoing. His lips on her neck felt weird to him. It seemed he was hungry for her. But why? Winter attempted to push him away, but
Winter was a bit surprised by Hector's sudden request. Even though she missed Raphael’s presence around her, she was happy that she had not had to face his cold face and harsh words. However, Hector wanted her to go to the summer palace and serve Raphael.“My Lord, Is this an order of His Majesty?” Winter questioned.“Of course, it is the King's order. Now, let's not waste time anymore. His Majesty has a lot of things to handle,” Hector pronounced. Winter didn’t notice the mischievous grin across Hector's lips."I would like to pack my things," Winter politely requested. "Do it quickly," Hector asserted. She bowed to Hector and went to the servant’s quarter. While packing two pair of clothes and other valuables, she wondered why Raphael suddenly wanted to see her. She made the knot on the cloth bag and went back to Hector.Hector couldn’t help but feel excited about his plan. He thought that since the King disliked Winter so much, he should plan a sweet reunion for Raphael with he
Hector gritted his teeth in anger when Raphael suddenly asked him to leave. It was Raphael, who asked him to find out about the rumors in the palace. And when he gathered the information, Raphael asked him to leave. Hector entered the main palace and headed to the royal garden to calm himself down. The place with greenery, where he would always find solace from his work. “Why is Raphael like this!? Damn him!” Hector cursed and punched the tree in front of him. Because of his werewolf strength, the tree got shaken from stem to the top and the leaves fell off its branches. “Easy, Hector. You are committing a sin by cursing the king!” Nathan appeared out of nowhere. Hector jumped in fright at his sudden appearance, “What the hell? Why are you here?” he asked in a fury. “I have been here for the last two hours.” Nathan told Hector, “But you were the one who arrived here abruptly and started cursing at our almighty king. You are even angry at me for no reason.”Hector rolled his eyes
Winter was seated on the patio of the garden, looking at the seasonal flowers, which had bloomed after many days of watering. Her eyes were misty after she heard how the maids and servants were gossiping about how she sold her body to Raphael to keep herself alive. Winter looked at her forearms and saw the deep scar, which had not disappeared despite a long time. It was a scar that appeared after her father beat her until she turned unconscious. Even as the princess, her life was worse than a slave. But right now, she was a maid and was being treated a lot better. Though, sometimes she would feel that Raphael's mistreatment toward her was unjustifiable but at least, unlike her father, Raphael would show his caring side toward her. "Where's the King?" Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted with Hector's question and she tilted her head to check on. Promptly, she stood up from her plac and bowed to him. "His Majesty didn't tell me. He left in anger," Winter informed him. "Hmm." He
Winter finished cleaning and doing the other chores she was tasked with before Raphael arrived from the court. She glanced at him with her doe eyes, holding the duster tightly in her hands while he glared and looked angry. 'Did I do something again?' Winter thought and lowered her eyes. She thought to leave and slowly walked toward him. "If His Majesty needs something, he shall ring the bell," she said and bowed slightly before pivoting on her belle shoes. "Stop!" Raphael said and she again turned to look at him. "I won't be in the palace for a few days," Raphael informed Winter. But he didn't tell her his rut was approaching and he needed to stay away from her, miles away, especially when she was his mate. "Hmm. Is it for work?" Winter queried. "Yes," Raphael lied since that was the plausible response in his eyes. Winter was happy that she would not have to see him for a few days. As she raised her head to look at him, his lips were the first part of him that she noticed. She r
Raphael entered the courtroom, and the anticipation in the air was palpable. The nobles gathered for the king's arrival, and stood up with heads low as he entered. Raphael walked to his throne with a unique air of authority, a demeanor that set him apart. Seated on the throne, he gestured for the nobles to take their seats."The court shall start," Raphael pronounced, focusing his attention on Nathan, seated to his right."Your Majesty, the subjects in the territory bestowed to me are happy with the Kingdom's name change," Nathan reported, then turned to Hector to address concerns in his territory.Nathan was known for his diligence and intelligence when it came to his official duties. Even in the face of unrest, he could swiftly quell disturbances.Hector stood, bowing respectfully to the king. "Your Majesty, we have been planning to change the Kingdom’s name since the start, and everything was fine but for a few days…" Hector began and paused briefly, pulling out a letter from the C
The next morning Raphael after getting ready returned to his chamber, feeling burdened with worries. He knew that with Hector, Cecilia, and Nathan around, things would be taken care of. However, his immediate concern was his upcoming rut. In the past, he managed to suppress his desires as he had no mate. But lately, being near Winter made it hard for him to control himself even on regular days. Now, with his rut approaching, he feared his overwhelming desire for Winter, which was overpowering his mind. Last night, after having a conversation with Nathan and Hector, he contemplated whether he began liking Winter. But that was not possible. He would never love his enemy's daughter. He was confident that it was lust in him that made him attracted toward Winter all the time. Entering his bedchamber, Raphael found Winter changing the flowers in a pot. "Why are you here?" he asked in bewilderment. He remembered he didn't summon her there. "Your Majesty!" Winter bowed her head, greeted h