Raiel's Point:

I don't know what possessed me to keep a small strip of that fabric, but the blood on it was something. I don't know, it made me feel angry but it didn't feel like normal anger. It feels like a slow and bubbling anger. I can feel its heat pressing against every part of my skin. I might say that I've never felt this before, that I've never wanted to rip off my own skin and scream at everything. Maybe it was my rut? it didn't make sense, I hadn't done anything with him so I couldn't be exhibiting those symptoms.

This was a macabre obsession with this strip of fabric and when I saw the box with the ribbons, something clicked. I sighed, picked up the box and shoved the bloodied fabric in with it. Hopefully, once my rut was over...

Luisa's Point (Raiel's Sister)

"I understand, thank you," and that was the end of the phone call. A maid that I had paid to keep an eye on Edam had just phoned and things looked like they were going belly up. Edam had apparently attempted to commit suicide, but she was corrected mid-call by the matron. The matron, a rather conservative woman, brought up some shit about how it was not healthy for omegas to be acting like this and that's when I asked her to leave.

Still, Edam acting out like this is an indicator that maybe Raiel was still in his fits. That man wouldn't know his cause from his effect even if they painted themselves neon colours and gave him a lap-dance. I dropped the phone onto my couch.

I had to make a plan. On one hand, mom would've already picked it up. She's the more intuitive part of our family. Dad wouldn't know, this arrangement was his idea. I hope Edam kept my card.

Flopping down on the couch, I stared at the ceiling. I had actually forgotten something and it came in the form of one of my flings walking into the room without his shirt. He leaned against the threshold, his pants loosely on.

"Coming back to bed?"

"Sorry, love, I have work. I'll phone you though."

He didn't argue, he was the longest of them. He left with a smile, leaving behind his jacket as a little souvenir, smartass. His leaving left the room quieter, better for thinking. I don't think Edam would be so eager as to have another person as a partner. From what I've seen, he tends to be very devoted. It makes this entire issue more complex and I can't even do anything without alerting that hothead.

Shifting to sit more comfortably, I pull my robe over my undergarments. This was going to become an issue. Sighing, I got up and sat down at my desk, taking out a small stack of paper and preparing to write a small letter. Old fashioned as it may be, it still had its purposes. You could sneak a letter into a place a little bit more easier than hiding a text from your husband, and heaven itself knows that we don't want my father to figure out about this mishap.

Edam Point.

They had hanged the room completely. They knew I wasn't going to commit suicide, but it left a residual fear. The aunty that had sat with me ushered me over to the bed where she sat me down. She went to the desk and poured a glass of water from the jug, both notably plastic at this point. In it, she put one or two drops of a tincture that she pulled from her apron.

"It'll help you calm down, not too much to knock you out but just enough so you don't go thinking bad things."

"Do you think I'll go to a therapist?"

"Can't deny the possibility, but I'm giving this to you for two reasons. One, you need your mind to be calmer, this whole ordeal has been nothing but a big explosion. Two, that whining goat of a man you call a husband has been stalking around this room. Thinks he's slick enough to not be noticed."

"He's coming in here?"

"Now that's a possibility, yes. He was down in the wash, madman."

She turned around and offered me the water. It was tart but she held the bottom of the glass so I wouldn't spew it out or choke on it. When it was done, she took it from my hands and set it down on the nightstand.

"Don't worry, I'll be here to make sure he doesn't try anything. Worst comes to worst, I'll be hiding in the closet," she chuckled, coughing into her sleeve afterwards.

"May I ask a question?"

"Of course," I responded, looking at her. Her eyes showed that there was really only one question she wanted to ask.

"What happened?"

"I overheard him - planning a meeting with another person. A lover, I think."

Her face darkened and she patted my hands quietly.

"Aye, that'll be that goat's little toy that he keeps around. I don't think it knows that you two are married, but if he does that under this roof. I'll have a better time in Hell..."

She turned around and looked at me again, squeezing my hands.

A/N: I'm honestly thinking of including more than just the two in this book but it might be a bit hard to keep track of. As you can imagine, Raiel's boytoy is going to be a point of conflict in a later chapter...