Once she left my sight and was out of hearing range, I sighed deeply and punched a wall. I felt like I was fucking up already more than I had intended. In fact, I rather this whole situation didn't feel awkward.

Except, I know the journey to forgiveness will not be an easy path. It will be a journey that will be worse than any man, beast, or daemon I have fought. Although, seeing her, the real side of her as she interacted with my animal... it brings a smile onto my face knowing I could bring her to the level of pleasure.

You mean I brought her to that point.

I roll my eyes knowing the beast piped in even though I never called to him. Most Lycans are able to shut their beast down by not allowing them to speak or interject their own thoughts onto us. I'm the exception, I don't know if there are others like me.

When I was young, I didn't have the same ability as the ones my father would describe. My beast would freely speak to me and I had no control over him. He came as he pleased and this would cause troubles for me. As a Lycan, our emotions can be outrageous if not in control. As a child with no restraint, I was getting into fights with my smart mouth beast. Or worse, I have caused accidents to other children.

It took hard work to a place where I can take control of him if I need to. The only thing I can't control is his thoughts swimming in my head. He never shuts the fuck up!

And now, I may lose control with Winter, his desire has increased for her and I'm afraid what he'll do next. I may be a cruel man but Lycans... without control, are deviant monsters ready to take what they, when they want.

I did not tell you to touch her did I?

Why so upset? Mad I made her cum and you didn't.

I ignore him the rest of the way when I reach the hut where my men reside waiting for instruction. The demons have become more aggravated as of recently: daring to enter our domain despite knowing it is protected by our ancestors spirit. The red trees with burning leaves are what protects us from the evil outside of these mountains.

Once I enter inside, all eyes are on me. It is not as if they never have looked towards me for guidance. But after the ceremony, it all feels different. As if they respect me.

At what price Midas?

Ignoring him once more, I walked towards the long table that holds the maps of our borders. X marks the areas where the most frequent demon activity is affecting our land.

"Hello Alpha Midas, you seem rested." My third in command, Julius, comments while the rest chuckle knowing the true meaning of his tone.

"What's the latest news on the demons?"

"Yes... well it seems they've been creating Burroughs underneath the trees to bypass the only entry to our land." That is new to me, never did I believe they were capable of forming a plan.

"Has any passed?"

"No, not yet anyway. However, one was close, except..." he stops mid sentence, unsure of what to say without seeming crazy.

"Yes?"

"Alpha, I think it's best if you come see for yourself." This piqued my interest, my third in command is at a loss for words to explain what's going on. Something must have certainly spooked my men if they're all uncomfortable.

Midas, something does not feel right.

What do you mean?

Let's go back to Winter.

No, we have a duty to our men. We have to see the issue and fix it.

I have never felt my Lycan feel... apprehensive about anything in our life before. He wants to take control and make us run back into the safety of our mates arms. I don't let us but continue on to seek the damages my men don't want to speak of.

*

*

We leave the hut and begin to make our way where the incident has occurred. A few miles south of our border, where most of the farmers keep the animals to graze and run around in plentiful space. Lies a scene I didn't think I would see again.

"What the hell is this?"

"That's the thing, we unsure."

A demon did enter our vicinity but it didn't make it far, it's frozen in place. Literal ice encompass this demon stoping it from entering further. The most strangest thing however, blue flowers form a circle around it. It reminded me of last night, I noticed small blue flowers around home when Winter—

Wait? Did she do this?

My Lycan asks the same question I'm wondering. There's no more beating around the bush, Winter is not a werewolf. That much is apparent but she's more than that and I think I understand why the moon and those two women visited me.

"I need to go, get rid of it. Burn it if you must but only on holy grounds. We don't want the people to panic."

"Yes sir!" A round of my men all day in unison and begin to enact the task I set forth. I start my descend towards the one person I know can answer my questions.

Walking fast as possible, I see my people waking up and begin their day. They great me with respect while others ignore me but now down nevertheless. I know some do not approve of my leadership, they still want my father around to do the job. Despite knowing full well of his cruel tactics, they prefer something familiar over the new chapter in our pack.

Once I reach where I need to be, I knock on the door of a priestess that lives here. I await for her to answer, she does not like to be rushed.

"Hello Alpha Midas." A formal introduction, seems weird for her to say. Often, she would call me all sorts of demeaning names because she could. For all intents and purposes, I never fought her or corrected her because a sneaky priestess such as herself, has the ability to ale a whole army of Lycans with a simple sickness.

"Since when did you start respecting me Liana?"

"I didn't, don't you recognize sarcasm?" She rolls her eyes and allows me to enter her domain. The hairs on my back flare up as the intensity of her place is electrifying. Meaning there are spirits that will never leave.

"I have urgent matters, it's about..."

"A demon infiltrated the pack lands." She always knew before any of us. Always the one to have the answers but never a solution to give.

"Yes, yet it didn't make its way too far because..."

"Your mate is the lost princess of King Stephan and Queen Irene of Illiyiad. Which in fact, means she has the powers to kill mankind, beast, demon, or fae: hell, she could kill a god if she so chooses." My mind blanked for a moment, accepting the fact that my mate is in fact, the lost princess.

"That was not my answer."

"I know, I thought it better to speed the process so our future Queen can take her rightful place and rule all of us." The weight of words are heavy on my shoulders, I could only imagine what Winter will feel when she learns the truth of her origin. Liana sits at her desk where she writes in a huge book; typical descriptions of herbs, spells, and whatever else this pack may needs. I can smell the wither bindings trying not to break apart as it is filled with a surplus of knowledge by Liana's mind.

"Why didn't you say anything if you knew?"

"It's not my place, she must accept her truth. But she can't if she has you fucking up her journey you bastard."

"Why the hostility Liana?"

"Midas, cut the crap, we both know you don't love her and you're holding her back. For her to be Queen, you must accept you will never be her alpha, she will forever be above you. But I know you Lycan men can never accept a woman as your leader." I can feel her anger simmering beneath that layer of condescending sarcasm. Maybe she's right, Winter cannot be who she is if I'm dragging her through the mud with me. Except, the selfish part of me wants her to stay down with me.

"You don't understand, I can't just let her go."

"You can, and you will if you know what is good for you." Her eyes glow a blazing yellow hue, the creepiness of the dense air feels like it's clogging my airway. Before I could respond back, the voice of my brother rings in my mind.

*

*

"Brother! Come to the East side of the land!" East side? That's the area where the women gather to shed the skin or scales and prep meats of the animals and seafood.

"Why? What is wrong?"

"It's winter!"

He didn't have to speak anymore, I ran out of Liana's home making my way towards my mate. What could have happened, is she hurt? Did something horrible happened? Did a demon finally made its way without dying and is attacking her?

So many thoughts run through my mind but none of the fears could have been what I saw when I reached the East side of my lands. Everyone's fear permeating off of their skins. The smell of gripping rot attacks my sense but the air feels a bone chilling cold that could freeze a man to death if he were human.

Bloody hell Midas, you have to stop her.

For once, I agree with my beast.

Winter has her hand gripped around the throat of none other than my father. The sight is shocking to the core, her small body lifting a Lycan male who is double her size, older than her by hundreds, yet her hand wrapped around his throat with blood trickling down his neck.

The women and men watch in fear not knowing how to stop my mate from damaging the man who was once their alpha. Even my father has the look of fear in his eyes, I never known him to be a man who is easily frightened.

Her body is deathly pale, and I know her skin is ice cold, but her eyes... they're overtaken. Completely black, it's as if she can't see anything else but the man she's holding in her hands. Low growls emanate from her being, deep heavy breaths, and pure hatred rolls over her onto us. She wants it known that she wants to kill this man and will gladly take pleasure from it, the little smile forming on her lips says it all.

"I will eat your fucking heart you weak, pathetic excuse of a Lycan."

The sound of her voice is not the one I remember. Such possessed ferocity with a deep baritone that pierced your soul in unimaginable pain. Everyone clutches down to their knees bending in submission for fear of crossing her path. The whole pack is trying to make themselves small so Winter doesn't loosen her wrath onto them.

You need to stop her now Midas.

The beast is right, if I don't do anything then things could escalate and we don't want that. I try to attempt to make my way towards winter but she gives a low warning growl towards me. The people have taken notice of this and I can't let them think otherwise, if they get a whiff of her being any powerful than I... they can destroy her if they truly wanted to.

A fearful pack is more dangerous than a deranged queen.

"Winter... let him go." She ignores me, heavy breathing, black eyes that are empty of any soul residing inside her, just pure hatred. I try to speak again but Winter cuts me off.

"He does not deserve to be your father. Everything you suffer is because of him, and he relishes your pain."

I wonder what my father could have said to her to trigger such a strong reaction. But my concern now is to stop her from doing any further damage. I make my way towards her slowly, my hands outstretched to her hoping she can sense my presence.

"Killing him won't fix anything, Winter. You can't kill him for any words he may spread." She inhaled deeply which means she's taking in my scent. Is this what they mean that you can calm a mate, especially one who's your soulmate?

"It is not what he says, it is what he did."

"What did he do Winter?" I coo to her hoping I can reach reason down her blackened soul. Anything to calm her from the chaos she'll unleash on my cunt of a father.

"He killed your mother, not because mates make you weak... no, he killed your mother because you're the product of Odin's seed." I stop from touching her further when I realize what she just said.

This can't be true, this motherfucker is my father. There wasn't anyone else, mother said so? She would never lie such a thing, right?

"No... she said she only loved you despite your anger towards her." My father looks me in the eye despite struggling. Even as the lack of oxygen doesn't reach his brain, he still manages to radiate the hatred he has for me. The true despise he feels for me, for my existence. I realize Winter is not lying. She has not lied to me so far so why would I not believe her. However, the thought crosses my mind, why would she defend me against him?

"I'm going to tear his heart even if it gets me killed."

Before she had time to react by crushing his windpipe, I grab her wrists forcing her to let go of his throat and wrap her in my arms.

"If you want to hurt anyone, then hurt me but don't give the pack a reason to destroy you. I can't lose you." I whisper the last part in her ears and with those simple words, she relaxes in my arms and the pure anger she had disappeared like nothing happened. She falls into my arms and passes out. I grab a hold of her and lift her tired body to take her back to our home.

"You dare not punish your whore for disrespecting me Midas!?!" I ignore him because I know I'd kill him and risk it all. There are laws we have set forth and if we don't follow them then there will be chaos. Unfortunately, Winter makes it hard to follow the rules when she acts like she's above them.

The truth is, she is, our laws does not apply to her and apparently, neither do they to me. If what she says is true, then our story can't be complete until we look into the past. A past that I'm not ready to uncover yet but have no choice.

Oh Winter, what am I going to do with you?