Rafael’s POV


    I went with Roman back to the airport to see him off. As he lost the challenge, he was mostly ostracized now, so it felt necessary to be friendly, to maintain good rtions between our packs. I also just wanted to speak with him privately.


    He was the one I had supported to be with Amber. Now, that was impossible.


    Even so, I appreciated his efforts, and, as we stepped out of the vehicle, walking across the tarmac to his ne, I told him so.


    <b>“</b>If things could have been different, Roman, I would have liked to have you as my brother–inw, Roman.”


    “Yeah,” Roman said, his voice sloping downwards at the end. “I thought I had her this time, but… That was foolish of me. It was always Julian for her, and it probably always will be.”


    I didn’t like that attitude and frowned. “You don’t know that.”


    “I do, better than anyone else,” Roman said. “This isn’t the first time she’s picked him over me. It’s past time for me to bow out of this fight.”


    Spotting my annoyed expression, he turned to look at me. “The bond between Julian and Amber is strong, Rafael. I genuinely don’t see any way of breaking it.”


    “I refuse to believe that,” I said. “I want the best for my new sister, and Julian is not that. I don’t know the full story, but I know he’s not good enough for her. After all he’s done, I don’t know how she can even put up with him at all.”


    “For better or worse, they love each other,” Roman said. “Whether they themselves realize that, I can’t say. But it’s burned deep within them.” He paused a moment, considering. “Maybe you can break them up somehow before they realize that. But it will be difficult.”


    “I’ll find a way,” I said. “I have to. I’m absolutely certain that Julian would only make Amber miserable. And then there is the child to consider.”


    “Alice.”


    “She might end up as the pack heir,” I said, thinking about more long–term possibilities. “She needs better role models in her life than those that would keep their mates hidden and unhappy.”


    Roman nodded. I could tell that he agreed with me, but the topic must have been difficult for him to talk


    about.


    “I hope you are right about that,” he said. “<b>If </b>you’ll excuse me… None of this concerns me anymore.”


    I couldn’t argue with that, so I stepped back and allowed Roman to move forward.


    “Thank you, Roman, for your efforts,” I said, before he could get too far.


    He looked back at me from the stair to the ne. “I wish you well, Rafael. And good luck.”


    As Roman boarded his ne, I turned around and started walking back to the car. Just before I reached it, my phone started to ring. Curious, I pulled the cell from my pocket and checked the screen. My cousin Gwen’s name was written on the screen.


    Sighing, I answered the call. I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before my family found out about Amber. Gwen was the most bold gossip in the family, so it wasn’t a great surprise that even if other’s suspected, she was the first one to reach out.


    “Gwen. How nice to hear from you.”


    “Rafael, what is this I hear about a new potential rtion?”


    Straight to the point then. I supposed I could appreciate her straightforward nature.


    I didn’t really want to give out this kind of information before it could be confirmed. We were still waiting for results from the blood test, and it seemed pointless to worry Gwen and the rest of the family before we


    knew all the facts for sure.


    Still, if she was calling me like this, she already knew more than I had wanted her to. Without my


    influence, her imagination would likely run wild. I needed to get a hand on this before it could blow out of


    proportion.