Rays of sunshine lit the tent, softly awakening Winter. She smiled as she felt how Arsen's thoughts flooded through her mind. She could feel how happy he was. She smiled as she felt how he studied her. He softly brushed over her belly.

"Last night was everything I expected and so much more." He whispered.

Winter blushed crimson as she thought back of all the ways they had pleasured each other. They were silent for a moment just looking at each other.

"I hope we'll have lots of pups."

Arsen whispered as he continued to stroke her belly. An unsettling feeling formed in Winter's belly.

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"Nothing."

Arsen smiled but she could feel that he was holding something back. His fingers danced over her body, over towards the scar he had left from biting her. The wound was already healed and a moon shaped scar was the only thing left to remember that night.

Winter felt heavenly as his fingers traced the shape, curiously she looked at his shape and carefully did the same.

"You marked me?" he asked amused.

"My wolf pushed me." She said.

"Now we truly are equal." He smiled.

"You are not mad?" Winter asked.

"Why would I be mad?"

"For a second I feared that you may"

Arsen stopped her.

"Everyone can know that I am yours and that you are mine. We are equal in everything." He softly kissed her lips.

"Something is bothering you, I can feel it." He said.

Winter swallowed she needed to tell him about the king. She gathered her courage and as she was about to tell Arsen what was wrong, something came in on the mind link. Arsen sighed.

"I am going to check in, take the day off you deserve it."

And before Winter could protest Arsen was gone.

Winter stepped out the tent, letting the freshness of the morning hit her. She looked out over the field that was covered in fresh fallen snow. The sun reflected beautifully on it. It was way too beautiful for the horrible day it was about to become.

Winter sighed.

"Finally"

A voice interrupted her day dreaming.

"Have you showered yet?"

Luke asked as Winter looked in his direction.

"Let me answer that, no you haven't. You reek of him." Luke smirked.

"Where is he? Have you talked to him?" L

uke searched Winter's eyes, she just shook her head in denial.

"I tried, but then he had something urgent." She replied.

"What's more urgent than you?" Luke asked with raised eyebrows.

Winter rolled her eyes at him.

"We need to get back and think of a plan." Luke started.

"Don't you think I know that?" Winter asked.

"Listen to me, everything is going to be okay. We are not letting anything happen to you." He tried to reassure her.

"It's not what I am worry about."

"Arsen" Luke filled the blanks.

Winter nodded her head.

"I am scared that one way or another I will lose him tonight." She whispered.

"You won't." Luke replied.

"With the merger he has commanded all wolves to leave you alone today, that helps." He added.

"He did what?" Winter fumed.

"Easy, he did it for you."

"He has no right, it's my pack as well." She replied.

"He knows that, he just wanted you not to worry for once and besides today out of all days, I think it's a blessing in disguise."

Winter was silent for a moment and thought about Luke's words.

"Maybe you are right." She whispered.

"I am. Now let's go. You need to take a shower. Blade is assembling a crew then we need to come up with a plan. We are running out of time, we are leaving in two hours."

Winter stepped out of her shower wrapped in a towel. As she walked in her room she smirked.

"Blade" she smiled.

"Do you have a death wish?" she asked.

"Arsen is busy" he grinned.

"If he smells you in here, your death."

"I hope the next time I see him that's the least of my problems."

Winter looked at him.

"I have a bad feeling, Winter." Blade started.

"Yeah, me too." She replied.

"You are the alpha, you should reassure me that everything will be alright." He replied with a smirk.

"We both know that that's not me." She smirked.

Winter grabbed some black jeans and a turtleneck from her closet.

"You are not wearing that." Blade smirked.

Winter looked with a raised eyebrow at him.

"Make him think with his dick not his head." He smirked.

A soft smile formed on Winter's lips.

"Are you going to watch how I change?" she asked.

Blade turned around as she grabbed her clothes.

"Better?" she asked.

Blade looked back, he immediately swallowed.

"Arsen better not see you like that. Or me with you for that matter." He answered.

Winter was wearing a grey pencil skirt with a high split, revealing part of her thigh. A white bandeau crop top that showed her tattoo beautifully. A leather jacket hung loosely over her shoulders while she stood on black heels looking challenging at Blade.

Blade stepped forward and examined her mark.

"It shows perfectly." Winter smiled.

"Straighten your hair, then you look sterner." He said after thinking for a second.

"And then it will be perfect, hell I find it hard to concentrate right now." He smirked.

As Blade escorted Winter in the room where Luke and the others were discussing what to do the room went silent. They all looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Ready?" Luke asked.

"You definitely look ready." He smirked.

"Stop thinking with your dick, Luke." Blade smirked.

"See it's working." He said too her.

Winter and the others talked about what needed to happen, the risk and the possible outcomes.

"We need to leave."

Luke said stern and they all made way over towards the black SUV's.

"You need to shut part of the link down." Luke looked at her.

"I know." Winter replied.

"Are you sure?" Luke asked her as they entered the cars.

They drove away from the compound.

"Will he feel it when I leave our grounds?" Winter suddenly asked.

Flint looked at her.

"Yes, he will." He replied.

"We don't have a lot of time."

Winter whispered as she looked outside, her fingers nervously rubbing over her mating mark.