ZARA POV Anticipation hung in the air as the mating ceremony approached—an annual ritual where mates embraced each other, marking the beginning of a lifelong bond. It was a joyous occasion where couples accepted, marked, and pledged to marry. However, I harbored a secret—a burden I carried alone. I was carrying Ryder Blackmane's child, a consequence of the night he had forcibly taken my virginity without consent. His actions were a painful memory etched into my soul, yet he refused to acknowledge the wrongs he had committed. After that fateful night, he callously instructed me to pick up my shawl and leave, leaving my body battered and my clothes in tatters. Tears streamed down my face as I collected the pieces of my dignity, wrapped them around me, and retreated to my cabin. In the following weeks, my mother, Lady Winter, sensed my inner turmoil. "My dear, you have been absent-minded lately. What is wrong?" she inquired, concern etched across her face. I sat by the fireplace, my
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