"What are you doing here?" I must be hallucinating, there is no possibility the fucking moon goddess is here speaking to me.

"Don't be foolish boy, you've ruined everything. You forced your way in fucking with Winter's fate."

"What the hell could you possibly be talking about? You're the fucking god who chooses the mates for these wolves!" this experience feels so out of the ordinary that I've been living through, I question my sanity if this is real or if I am imagining it.

"Don't you dare insult me with these lies. I would never choose a union such as you with her!" the goddess stares at me with deep black eyes with red pupils that glow against the stark contrast of the moon. I never expected it to chill me to the bones, so far, she has been the second woman to make me feel terrified in my life.

"If you were not the one to give Winter to me as a mate. Then who else would such authority over you to make that choice, huh?" None of this makes any sense. I just can't figure out what the hell is going on.

Suddenly, the air shifted into a dense fog, it felt as if the air was being forced out of the land. I could barely breathe by it's density, feeling an extreme weight against my chest. I look towards my right seeing two flows lightening the lake and the trees.

As the air shifted, two women come walking towards us with soft smiles and sad gaze towards the goddess in front of me.

"What do you want?"

One of them steps up, but I don't hear them. They whisper to Selene, in a quick moment, her mood changes from anger to realization. She still looks at me with hatred, she even walks furiously towards me. And for once I felt weak, I walk backwards stumbling on my own feet.

She could kill me right now, Winter would be free of me. Free of this life I will give her, except, if I'm gone, the males will be after her and use her as the whores who are forced to breed with no mate. Just breed soldiers, I don't know if I can leave Winter without certainty Roland will take care of her.

I look up towards the goddess and she raises her hand ready to strike me. I close my eyes expecting for her to take my life, instead, something heavy is thrown to the ground by my feet. When I open my eyes, it was a white dagger. Confused and uncertain, I look up to Selene questioning her why she would do this.

"This dagger is for Winter. I do not care what lie you tell her. But give this to her. When her time comes, she will know what to do with this." After that, Selene walks towards the other two women, each steps left a trail of ice. I can still feel her anger radiating from her body to here.

Before they leave, one of the women step aside Selene to walk towards me. I stood up picking up the dagger, why would Winter need this. Is it to kill me? Did Selene want Winter to choose her freedom, to fight for it? The strange woman stands in front of me with kind, soft eyes. She holds my cheeks, caressing me with such warmth despite her frigid fingers.

"Please, be patient, if you truly want her. You must earn her. I chose you two together." Shocked by how peaceful she sounds, nothing at all like Selene ferocity.

"I think I have gone too far gone for me to have that side of Winter." I don't know if I will ever have the woman Winter was before I came into her life. She may never be who she was, nor do I think she wants to with me in her life.

"There's a chance, it's small but you must fight for her. Not with dominance, not with violence, but with kindness and compassion." I sigh deeply, those two things are what gets you killed in this world. I can't expose myself in a way that will harm me or this pack.

"I think it's too late. I can never show those actions, not in this world or lifetime."

"She is not war, she is not a man who will kill you, and she is not your father. But she will hurt you if she must, her words will strike your soul and make you regret your birth and I fear for you Midas."

"I don't know how."

"I know he is controlling you, but you must fight this darkness that haunts you or you will become your own worst enemy." With that said, the woman walks away before even telling me who she is. Selene waits for her with the other woman on her left. As the woman goes to the right, I stop her before they vanish completely.

"Wait! What is your name?" I yell out, but I only receive a small smile with her eyes closed. All three women disappear before my eyes and I'm left alone near the Sakura tree and lake.

*

*

The air returns to normal and everything around me no longer feels cold. With the dagger now at my hand, I look towards the rim of my pack. Everything is so peaceful, did no one witness what I just went through? If I speak up, I will be called a crazed man who is no longer to fit to lead.

Without further thought, I walk back to my home. The house is calm, the streets are quiet and everyone is asleep with a few men on patrol. Once inside, the air is no longer cold either but it is still cool. Walking back up, I'm hesitant to come back inside. She may not want to be near me, but I muster whatever courage I have left and enter without a second thought.

Winter is asleep, she's relaxed, dressed in some simple gown. I debate whether I should stay or not, but then I remember her words.

"Be kind and compassionate..."

This may not fix everything between us, but it will be a start of something. I speak to my Lycan in my mind, deep in my conscious he lays on his belly waiting for me.

"Take over when you're with her. She needs you more so than me." With this understanding, my Lycan takes control while I sit in the back and watch everything. Allowing him to mend things between Winter and I.

I look towards the mirror of myself, my eyes glowing golden as my Lycan is in control. Taking off my garments, I'm left in my loincloth. As we walk towards our bed, we slide in to lay next to her on her left.

She doesn't move much but her simple short breaths is enough for my Lycan to relax. The air around her mouth is more apparent than my own, as if she's outside in the cold. Is this what it's like to be her? To never be warm or feel warmth.

Once inside, he begins to enrapture her with our arms. Pulling her body next to us, I can't help it when I feel her against me. I wince from the harsh cold but the shape of her body still stirs these arousals within me. My Lycan, although in control, agrees it can't be helped the way she feels next to us. But he steadies our breaths and forces us to not think that way, only sleep.

As time goes on, I notice Winter's breaths aren't as thick as before. It becomes normal just as anyone's else's. Her body no longer feels like I'm outside, inside a nice cooling freshness begins to form as she lays next to me.

She even cuddles further into our body, turning around and putting her head under my chin. Is this what she meant? I can't help the excitement I feel but my Lycan reminds me our journey has only begun, the road will be long but I won't give up.

Not on us, and not on her.