Novels by Renee Walts

~Tessa~ The King’s arrogance unearthed childhood memories Tessa had long forgotten. “I really think you should stay home with your mom this time. Remember how bored you were at the last meeting,” her father contested Tessa’s pleas, but she was stubborn and soon found herself passing through the polished gates. “I’ll never admit Dad was right,” Tessa complained, mindlessly following the deep burgundy carpet that lined the marble halls. The air was stale with age and the decor seemed to be plucked from the movies where sweaty men wore powdered wigs and sipped wine all day. The portraits of deceased royals covering the walls matched the men flooding her imagination. The staff were dreadfully pretentious as well. They typically ignored Tessa’s presence, but that all changed when she caught a boy eavesdropping at the door of the Great Hall. “Hey, you better not be spying on them,” Tessa exclaimed, tackling him to the ground. Her outburst caught everyone’s attention and she quickly fo

~Dainin~ All chaos ceased immediately when an ominous growl echoed throughout the ballroom. Dainin watched Eric slam into the solid chest of a monstrous beast, knocking him to the ground. When the Alpha tried to escape, a clawed hand captured his throat, lifting him into the air. Once Eric stopped resisting, the wolf-like creature stood tall on two legs. Muscles rippled beneath a thin coat of black fur as it walked to the center of the room. Eric’s body carelessly swayed in its grasp like a doll being carried by a child. “This is no child. I wasn’t expecting to see a Lycan show up here,” his wolf muttered, cautiously observing the creature. Its snout twisted into a menacing sneer full of sharp teeth and rage swirled within the fiery golden hues of its eyes. The strong aura, permeating the air, had the vast space shrinking from its presence and nobody dared to even breathe. Dainin shifted back into his human form when the Lycan became more interested in Eric than the surrounding

*WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC AND SENSITIVE CONTENT WHICH MAY BE TRIGGERING TO SOME READERS. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED* ~Dainin~ When Dainin and Tessa followed the last Alpha into the ballroom, Dainin motioned for the guards to close the doors behind them. Everyone remained silent as they passed. Blue light emanated from the projector as it shone on the large silk screen positioned in front of the stage. The room felt thick with rage rolling off the surrounding packs, but Dainin was amused. Each traitor, including the prideful Eric, stood frozen in the center of the dance floor with their eyes wide with shock and locked on the screen. Dainin waited a moment to let the reality of their situation sink in until Eric broke the silence. “What is the meaning of this? Who are these people,” he shouted in outrage. His eyes angrily scanned the room, daring someone to explain. Dainin loved watching Eric lose his composure, but a figure caught his attention out of the corner of

~Tessa~ Tessa felt restless as she watched heavy snowflakes descend from the sky. Thick grey clouds blocked out the sun, creating untimely darkness during the late morning which deepened the chill in the air. The scenery only disturbed the once beautiful atmosphere of winter, and the harsh wind caused the fur around Tessa's hood to dance against her skin, tickling her cheeks. She brushed it away and turned to Dainin, who stood tall beside her in his plain hoodie and jeans, his stoic features overshadowed by the overcast. When Tessa first laid eyes on his attire in their bedroom, Dainin raised his hand to stop her from commenting. "I know what you're going to say, but I'm not here to impress these animals," he growled before stalking toward the door. He paused for a moment with his hand hovering over the doorknob and glanced back at her. “You look beautiful,” he said with a gentle smile as his eyes traveled over her fitted maroon maternity dress, pausing to admire her midsection. T

~Tessa~ Tessa entered the gym knowing Dainin would be working out his frustration. Once she reached the bottom step, she slowed her pace and began to look around for her mate. The gym was vast with a tense atmosphere and no other pack members in sight. "I'm not surprised. Nobody wants to be in the way of an angry Alpha," her wolf snickered. The large room was dimly lit, allowing Tessa to use the darkness to her advantage as she followed the only sound permeating through the air. She hid behind a pillar, peering around the edge, and her mouth watered at the sight before her. She watched, with bated breath, as Dainin sent punch after punch against the heavy bag. His muscles rippled with each swift strike and Tessa’s legs grew weak. She found herself using the pillar for support, forcing her eyes closed to take control of her breathing, but the spellbinding vision of her mate plagued her mind. “Get used to it,” her wolf teased, looking forward to an eternity of drooling over the man

~Tessa~ Tessa’s frustration motivated her to find a way to convince everyone that she and Dainin were only joining their packs out of love. She knew the Werewolf Council would feel their plans didn't threaten the Alliance, but the thought of these few Alphas fearing such a thing enraged her. “Then they have the nerve to want my pack members transferred? They're probably intimidated because a male would be in power now too. Bastards,” Tessa growled under her breath while sifting through each file she had on the cowards. It didn’t take her long to notice the pattern. Each Alpha involved had been a suitor she refused to mate with. She was glad she followed her instincts and stayed away from them because they were not pursuing her with pure intentions. If their fathers hadn’t been family friends, Tessa would never have agreed to continue an alliance with them in the first place. There had been countless occasions where Blue Ridge was forced to bail them out of financial turmoil. Tessa