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