When Jenny and I step out of the house to join Nara at the border, Sabrina runs to us. "Cassie, we caught a group of rogues. Come with me," she says.

I turn to Jenny. "Find Nara and bring her with you."

"Nara is already there," Sabrina tells us.

We go to an underground holding cell where the rogues are detained. Near the entrance to the structure, I see Leon and my heart skips a beat – not in the usual way though. In fact, I feel sick to my stomach looking at him now.

He has his arm around Irene and she has her head over his shoulder, hugging him tightly.

I get angry, and I mean angry. This is not like the jealousy I've felt so far. This is much more than that.

The past few weeks I've been thinking about nothing but Leon. The keychain he gave me never left my side. Even now, I have it in my pocket.

I kept recalling every moment of our embrace from last time and kept smiling to myself like an idiot.

My feelings for him grew. I wanted to see him, to touch him, to tell him to his face that I love him. I wanted to shout at him asking him to choose me over Irene. Against all odds, I hoped he would become mine. All because of a few seconds of his warmth I felt that day. How could I be this stupid? 

But am I the one to blame for all this? No. 

I kept my distance. I kept it. But he is the one who closed it. He is the one who came to me. He is the one who talked to me as if he liked me.

He disturbed my heart even though he won't choose me.

I feel betrayed.

Seething inside, I pass them both and the others into the detainment area. The cells are filled with werewolves. Some old, some young; all of them weak.

Nara looks at me and Jenny from near one of the cells. She immediately says, "They are not cursed. They are just normal rogues."

I hear footsteps behind me, followed by Leon's voice. "They didn't come to attack us. They came here looking for refuge. A lot of rogues from their group have disappeared and they are scared."

I don't reply him, or turn around. I continue to look forward with an angry face at Nara.

Nara looks confused as to why I am glaring at her but she doesn't say anything.

"Cassandra?" Leon says after he discerns my lack of response.

I snort and turn to him. "Cassandra? That would be Ms. Winston to you, Alpha," I tell him through my teeth.

His expression changes from uncertainty to anger but he doesn't say anything other than, "Ms. Winston, as I said, these rogues are not the ones we are looking for."

"But they are still rogues," I tell him, the last word coming out bitterly. I'm not angry with just Leon anymore but the whole race of werewolves. If werewolves didn't exist I wouldn't have ended up with a mate that doesn't want me.

I continue, "Why aren't they restrained?"

"There's no need for that," Leon says calmly, but his face betrays his voice. I can see he's getting angrier by the second.

"But they are still rogues. Still werewolves," I tell him before turning to Nara. I angrily yell at her, "Why are you standing so close to the cell? Move away from them."

She does so quickly. The rogues shrink back in their cells.

I turn back to face him. "My witches and I are not here to run your errands, Alpha. Call us only when you've something useful. Don't waste our time."

With my anger far from resolved I storm out of the holding area and back to the guesthouse.

Just as I reach the middle of the living room, I hear him coming.

"What was that?" he says. All the calmness in his voice from before is gone.

"What was what?" I ask, turning to face him.

"I'm the Alpha of this pack, Cassandra. You don't talk to me like that," he says.

"Didn't I remind you how to address me, Alpha?"

"I'll call you whatever I want to call you. Don't forget you're standing on my land."

"I'm not standing on your land because I want to. My coven sent me here to help you with a mess that you and your men are incapable of handling on your own."

He dangerously takes a step closer. "Watch what you say, Cassandra. Just because you're my mate I won't tolerate you disrespecting me or my pack."

I give him a bitter laugh. "Your mate?! Who the fuck is your mate? If you're looking for your mate, go back to where you came from. She is standing there!" I shout while pointing at the door and fighting back my anger and tears at the same time. "Don't you dare ever come near me!" I tell him before starting to walk away.

But he grabs me by my arm, turns me around and crashes his lips on mine.

In my moment of daze at the intimacy, he pushes me against the wall and deepens his kiss while his free hand moves along the length of my body.

This is what I wanted for a long time. To be this close to him. To feel his desire. To feel him.

But the held back tears come rushing down. I love him so much that I'm beginning to hate him now.

He breaks his kiss and says to me, "You think I don't want this? You think I would want someone else when you are my mate? You've no idea what I'm feeling now, or in how much pain I am. But I can't just turn my back on my people, Cassandra. I have a responsibility as their Alpha!"

I take a deep breath and does something that every witch is forbidden to do unless it's a matter of life or death – I use my spell against an Alpha werewolf, against him. I push him away from me. Leon stumbles but doesn't fall.

"You're right," I tell him. "It's either them or me. You won't have both."