Hunter's silent for a moment, then says lowly, "That was reckless in there. You're messing with things you don't understand."

I bristle at the implication I'm some naive girl. "I'm just trying to make a living as a single mom now. Retail sure wasn't cutting it."

He shakes his head, all serious. "This is bigger than one deal, Raven. Get tangled up with packs--with Dylan Archer of all people--you could get hurt without realizing."

"Why do you care?" I shoot back, getting heated.

When Hunter fixes me with that icy stare, I get goosebumps.

"You need to come back to the villa, for your own safety," Hunter pleads.

I give a derisive laugh. "Yeah right, go back to the man who dumped me without a second thought? After we made love? What kind of sick fuck are you, anyway? I knew you were cold but that...”

Hunter winces like my words are a blow. "Raven, it's not what you think..." he tries to explain. "You just have to trust me!"

I glare at him in disbelief. "Trust you? After you threw our entire life away without explanation?" I'm unable to contain my outrage.

"It's complicated!" he snaps in frustration. "There are things you don't understand…”

"Well then explain them to me!" I implore angrily. "Help me understand why you destroyed everything we built in a single blow!"

But Hunter just shakes his head, jaw clenched, no response.

"Exactly, you have no excuses. Just empty promises that mean nothing now. I won't come back to you just to be hurt again."

Hunter's anger grows, his desperation shifting to bitterness. "So throwing yourself at Dylan is the better option?" he questions me.

His words set me off like a powder keg. I shove him away hard before I even think.

"Seriously, who the hell do you think you are?" I snap. "You wanted me locked up in that house like some pretty bird in a cage. But oh, now you've got issues with me living my own life?"

I give a caustic laugh. "Especially when I've heard you're already moving on...with Lisha." I spit out her name derisively.

His mouth drops open but no words come out. Good, he's finally listening.

"I'm done being told what to do. How to act, who to talk to, where to go. From now on I make my own choices, and you're gonna stay the hell out of my way. Are we clear?"

In a rage, I yank off my wedding ring and toss it violently at his feet. "I’m done begging for love from a man who only thinks about himself! Fuck you and the Blackthornes!"

Hunter watches coldly as the ring bounces across the floor. "Then go crawling back to Whitewood. I'm sure your family will welcome you with open arms."

His mocking tone cuts deep, targeting my deepest scars - the betrayal and abandonment I felt in Whitewood. He knows I vowed never to return. Rage surges. How dare he use my pain against me?

The echoing crack of my palm across his cheek surprises us both. We stand stunned for a moment as my hand throbs from the impact.

Hunter

I stand alone, probing Raven's slap mark, tormented. My jealousy is unfounded - I'm the one who pushed her away, to protect her from impending pack wars. But the thought of her with another sparked viciousness in me nonetheless.

She still owns my heart, though she believes otherwise now. My only focus is keeping them safe, not any selfish ambitions.

After our tense bathroom confrontation, I call Josh, my trusted beta.

"Raven was just here. I need men on her trail discreetly, round the clock protection. Find where she's staying and report back to me."

Raven leaving was never part of the plan. She and Willow were supposed to remain in the protected villa, away from those who'd target our family.

Perhaps linking up with Lisha of the Nobleblood pack wasn't wise, but we both have our reasons. This political match between the Blackthornes and the second most influential pack in Havenfall may draw heat off Raven.

But it will only ever be a political alliance, a facade for the public. My heart belongs to one woman only, and always will. Raven is my true love, my real mate - Lisha is merely an illusion.

I move through the crowded hall, shoving past dancing drunk bodies to reach the section where I left her. And there she is, looking like an angel in white. An image, nothing more.

As I approach, Lisha turns to me with a smiling mask that doesn't reach her eyes. She embraces me tightly, no doubt smelling Raven's scent still on me. Her grip tightens in warning for just a moment.

"Ready to go?" I ask casually, as if nothing happened.

Lisha nods eagerly, clinging to my side as we walk out together.

I know I must keep up the charade with Lisha, maintain pretenses. But I also resolve to have Raven and Willow guarded, no matter what defiance Raven shows. I'll locate them myself if I have to tear this city apart.

In truth, I'm glad fortune allowed me to cross paths with Raven tonight, even briefly. The encounter only strengthened my resolve to keep her safe, protected, no matter the distance she tries to put between us now.

I focus on this singular motivation, eclipsing all else - finding my family and protecting them, whatever it takes. If anyone tries to harm them, they'll face the wrath of the devil himself.