Mate, you shouldn't deny me

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 defiantly. The courage to defy him had resurfaced within her.

Raphael's gaze turned murderous as he remarked, "You could never muster such defiance before your father, and now you dare to challenge me."

Winter stood her ground, her voice unwavering. "I was a fool not to do so," she asserted, her words laced with bitterness. "At least, I would have found release from this torment long ago." Her statement weighed heavily on Raphael's heart, but he pushed aside any sentiment it may have stirred and remained resolute in punishing her in different ways. 

Raphael's grip on Winter gradually loosened, and he reiterated his earlier promise, saying, "I have already told you that I will not allow you to die."

However, his next request left Winter shocked and repulsed. "I want you to pleasure me tonight on the bed," he declared.

Winter couldn't contain her astonishment and loathing as she exclaimed, "What?"

Raphael remained firm, repeating his demand with a commanding tone, "You heard me correctly. Pleasure me tonight."

Winter's emotions boiled over, and she didn't hesitate to deliver a resounding slap to Raphael's cheek. His response was a low growl of displeasure. 

Tears welled up in her eyes as she confronted him with fierce determination. "Say that again. Also, you are the worst of them all," she declared, her voice wavering with a mix of defiance and anguish. 

When their eyes met for the first time, when she got his first scent, she thought he would love her. But all he had to say such wrong things to her. How could he even come up with that thought? 

She despised Raphael from the bottom of her heart. 

Winter turned to make her exit from the chamber, but Raphael's strong grip on her arm prevented her from escaping.

In the next moment, Raphael's strength became even more apparent as he firmly pressed her against the wall. His face hovered near her ear, and his voice took on a low, commanding tone. 

"Mate, you should not deny me," he whispered, the intensity of his desire evident in his words. His lips remained tantalizingly close to her skin, separated by only the slightest distance. 

Winter held her ground, her gaze unwavering as she challenged Raphael's intentions. She tilted her head to meet his intense and hateful gaze, her voice resolute. 

"And what will you do if I refuse?" she demanded to know. "Will you resort to forcing yourself upon me? That's the only expectation I have from someone as weak as you," she declared, her anger coursing through her veins like a fiery torrent. She had reached her breaking point and was determined not to endure any further abuse. 

Raphael felt guilty hearing those words and he immediately let go of her. Winter felt the striking pain in her arm because of his strong hold for quite a long when she heard his command, "Leave my sight." 

Winter wasted no time and swiftly retreated from Raphael's presence, her heart pounding with fear and disgust. Despite her limited strength, she continued to run until she reached the end of a corridor.

Finally, Winter found herself in the royal garden. Exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed, she sought refuge under the shade of a tree. Resting her head against the tree's trunk, she couldn't hold back the tears that welled up in her eyes.

"Why must it always be me who suffers?" Winter whispered, her voice laden with pain and despair. She gazed up at the sky, feeling an overwhelming sense of loneliness. 

"Why, Moon Goddess? Why does it seem like everyone hates me? Why out of all the people Raphael has to despise me?" The weight of her anguish pressed heavily upon her, leaving her feeling utterly alone in her torment.

"The King isn't a bad person.". 

Winter promptly opened her eyes and saw a man in front of her.

"I'm Nathan, one of the Betas in the King's service," he introduced himself. Nathan had witnessed Winter running out of Raphael's chamber and felt compelled to follow her.

"Did you even know what he asked me? He thought of me as a prostitute. He is the worst man alive," Winter ended up saying, her frustration evident in her tone.

Nathan was taken aback by Winter's revelation. It was unlike Raphael to act in such a way; he had always shown deep respect for women. He couldn't fathom why the King had treated Winter this way.

"I apologize on the King's behalf for his actions," Nathan said sincerely. 

"However, I must tell you that he would not have spared your life. He has lived in agony for thirteen long years, seeking revenge for his suffering. With your father's death, he believes his vengeance is finally complete. I promise you, I will speak to him about this matter," he assured Winter, his intention to address the issue and seek justice for her clear in his words. 

Winter's words were filled with resignation and despair. She shook her head, declining Nathan's offer to intervene on her behalf. "There's no need to do that," she replied, her voice heavy with the weight of her emotions.

"He despises me, and that hatred is evident in his eyes and his actions. Raphael kept me alive, not out of mercy, but to prolong my suffering and torment until death finally claims me." The bleakness of her situation weighed heavily on her, leaving her feeling utterly hopeless.