Tamara's POV The moment my eyes fell on the vial, I felt my stomach drop. The small, dark vial, held up for everyone to see, seemed to glow with a spotlight on my worst nightmare. I couldn’t speak. How the hell did they get it? How did they know?I swallowed hard, my voice caught somewhere between my chest and my throat. “I... I don’t know what that is. I mean, I... it’s not mine,” I managed to stammer, forcing my words out, hoping that somehow they’d sound convincing even though I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.I couldn’t look at Dante. I knew if I did, I’d see the questions in his eyes, the suspicion, the confusion. And I wasn’t ready to explain this—especially not here, in front of everyone, with Lord Jarek smirking as though he had just unraveled the secrets of the universe.But before I could say anything more, Dante’s voice echoed through the hall, startling everyone into silence. “Enough!” he roared, his voice as hard as steel, filled with fury. “We are here to inves
Tamara's POV Dante’s hand was like iron around my wrist as he dragged me out of the courtroom, his fury radiating off him in waves and everyone around us backed away immediately. I barely had time to process what had just happened before Reuben stormed after us, his face twisted with anger. “You have no right to disrupt the court like that, Dante!” Reuben’s voice echoed through the empty hallway. “What the hell are you doing?” Dante spun on his heel, his grip on my wrist loosening but his fury growing. “What am I doing? What the fuck are you doing, Reuben? That wasn’t a court hearing—it was an illegal setup against my fiancée!” Reuben’s eyes narrowed. “That’s just ridiculous. We were simply following protocol. Tamara has questions to answer. You can’t just storm in and stop the process.” “Questions based on fabricated evidence!” Dante’s voice was a growl now, sharp enough to make me flinch. “Lord Jarek couldn’t even explain how he got that vial, and you expect me to belie
Tamara’s POV For the first time since I’d met Dante, this waacthe first time i saw something crack in his armor. This was the first time that he showed he could feel really shitty too. As we sat in the car, his posture stiff, his face grim, there was a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes that struck me harder than any harsh word or glare he’d ever thrown my way. It was raw, unguarded, and it made my chest tighten. He looked like a young boy in so much pain. Dante had always been so strong, so unshakable. Seeing him like this, like the weight of the world had finally pressed too hard on his shoulders, made my heart ache. The drive to the hotel was quiet, the air heavy with unspoken words. I didn’t push him. I just held his hand, tracing my thumb over his knuckles. When we finally arrived, Dante got out without a word, his shoulders tense, his jaw clenched. As soon as we entered the room, I turned to him. “Come on,” I said softly, taking his hand and leading him toward the bath
Tamara's POV I sat across from Dante, the low flicker of the fireplace casting shadows across his face. His jaw was tight, his eyes distant, as if he were somewhere else entirely. I could feel the weight of what he was about to say before he even opened his mouth.“I want to know everything,” I said, my voice steady. “From the beginning. How did my mother even have any connection with the North?”Dante’s gaze flicked to me, then down to his hands resting on his knees. He hesitated, and I could tell he was choosing his words carefully.“Tamara,” he started, his voice low and cautious, “what I’m about to tell you... some of it might not be fact. A lot of it is based on what I was told or things I pieced together later. There’s no way to confirm everything.”I frowned, leaning forward. “i know You’re trying to protect me again,” I said, my tone more frustrated than I intended. “But I don’t need that, Dante. I need the truth, no matter how ugly it is. I can handle it.”He studied me for
Tamara’s POVI woke up early the next day. Dante was still fast asleep beside me, his arm draped protectively over my waist. His breathing was steady, peaceful, and I smiled to myself as I carefully slipped out of bed. For everything he’d done for me—his patience, his care—I wanted to show him that I could be there for him too.I tiptoed to the kitchen in our suite, determined to make breakfast. It definitely wasn’t my strongest skill, but I was set on doing something special. Pancakes, eggs, and a pot of fresh coffee later, I carefully arranged everything on a tray and carried it back to the bedroom.“Morning,” I said softly, nudging Dante’s shoulder with my free hand. He stirred, his lashes fluttering open, and when his gaze landed on me, his lips curved into a sleepy smile.“What’s this?” he asked, his voice still rough from sleep.“Breakfast,” I said, setting the tray on the bed beside him. “Like you did for me before, remember?”Dante pushed himself up, his eyes crinkling with am
Tamara’s POVI stared at Dante, completely speechless. The space around me felt smaller somehow, the air heavy with the weight of his words. He knew. All this time, he knew the vial was mine, knew I had secrets, and yet he never said a word.“I—” I started, but my voice faltered. “You knew?”Dante nodded, his expression calm but serious. “I’ve known for a while, Tamara.”My stomach churned. “I... I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I shouldn’t have kept secrets from you. You didn’t deserve that.” I looked down at my hands, guilt pooling in my chest. “But having secrets doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Dante. It doesn’t mean I’m not loyal to you, I swear by the goddess that your the love of my life and I would never ever do anything to hurt you or your mother.” I pleaded with tears beginning to form in my eyes.Dante surprised me by reaching out and tilting my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. His dark eyes were steady, unwavering. “Oh sweetheart, I know that,” h
Tamara's POVThe silence was unbearable. Dante hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken. His hand was still wrapped around mine, but his grip was so still, so tense, it felt as if he were frozen in place. My heart thudded against my ribs, and every second that ticked by only made the knot in my stomach tighten.“Dante,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Please, say something. Anything.”His dark eyes snapped to mine, intense and unreadable. “What do you mean, ‘when you died’?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with a quiet demand.I sucked in a shaky breath, my mind racing. How could I possibly explain this? My fingers trembled in his, and I pulled my hand away to clasp them in my lap, as if holding onto myself would steady my nerves. “This is… this is my second life,” I finally said, the words tasting foreign on my tongue even after all this time.His brows furrowed, and I could see the questions forming in his eyes. “your Second life?”I nodded, swallowing hard. “Yes, I died, Dante. In my past
Tamara’s POV I stared at Dante in shock, his words replaying in my head like a broken record. "It’s my fault that you and your baby were killed." “What are you talking about?” I finally asked, my voice trembling. “How could it be your fault? Dante, we only met once in our past lives. And that was… on the battlefield.” His head snapped toward me, his eyes wide in shock. “We were at war?” I hesitated, biting my lip. I hadn’t meant to say that much. “Yes,” I admitted softly. “But it wasn’t what you think. Jack told me you were attacking our pack. He convinced me that if I didn’t act first, you’d destroy us.” I lowered my gaze. “So, I sent my people to fight you.” Dante’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as realization dawned. “Jack lied to you,” he said, his voice full of bitter certainty. “He played us both.” I nodded, my throat tightening. “I only found out too late. By then…” My voice cracked, and I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. “By then, everyone I loved was already g
Tamara's pov Lady Regina gestured toward a chair by the window. “Please, sit.”I obeyed, perching on the edge of the seat while she remained standing, her gaze unwavering. “Do you swear by the goddess,” she began, her voice calm but firm, “that you truly love my son? That you’re not using him for power or personal gain?”My mouth fell open slightly in shock. “What?” I asked, stunned. “Lady Regina, we’ve had this discussion before. I thought I already made myself clear.”“Lies are easily said, Tamara,” she replied, her tone carrying a weight that made my stomach twist.“I’m not lying,” I said firmly, meeting her gaze. “I love Dante with all my heart. I would never—”She held up a hand, cutting me off. “Let me explain,” she said. Her tone wasn’t angry, but there was an undeniable edge of authority that silenced me immediately.“I didn’t support this marriage,” she began, pacing slowly across the room. “When Dante first told me he wanted to marry you, I advised against it. I didn’t know
Tamara’s POV I pulled my suitcase onto the bed, the sharp zip of the compartments opening echoing through the room. Packing to go home should have been easy—straightforward even—but my mind was elsewhere. My fingers hovered over a soft blouse I’d worn the day Dante proposed to me. A rush of warmth filled me at the memory, but it was quickly replaced by a pang of sadness. Negaria was beautiful, a place of both pain and joy, and leaving it behind felt...strange. Still, I tried to focus on folding my clothes, one piece at a time, until I noticed something odd. “Where’s Sophie?” I muttered to myself, realizing I hadn’t seen her all morning. I stepped out of my room and found Violet in the lounge, sipping tea as she flipped through her phone. “Hey,” I said, sitting down next to her. “Have you seen Sophie? I wanted to check if she needed help packing.” Violet looked up, her expression softening. “Oh, right. I forgot to tell you.” She set her cup down and shifted closer. “Sophie left
Tamara’s POV By the time Dante and I made it back to the hotel, the sun had set, and the warm, romantic glow of the city lights greeted us. As we stepped into the suite, Violet was sprawled on the couch, flipping through a magazine. The moment she saw us, her eyes narrowed in amusement. “Well, well,” she drawled, sitting up and smirking. “Look who’s finally back from their innocent picnic. You guys were gone for hours.” I tried to keep a straight face, but the heat creeping up my neck betrayed me. I could still feel Dante’s hand on the small of my back as he guided me inside, his possessive touch sending tiny shivers down my spine. But Violet, being the sharp observer she was, didn’t miss the ruffled state of my hair or the slightly wrinkled clothes I was trying—and failing—to smooth out. “What exactly happened out there, Tamara?” she teased, her voice full of mock innocence. “Because it sure doesn’t look like you spent the day just eating sandwiches and enjoying the view.” Dant
Tamara’s POV For a long moment, I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened with unshed tears, and the depth of Dante’s guilt washed over me, mingling with the love he had carried for years. It was overwhelming—almost too much to bear. “Dante,” I finally whispered, my voice trembling as I reached for his hand. He flinched at first, like he thought I might pull away, but I held on tightly. “It’s not your fault,” I said, my voice firm despite the lump in my throat. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened. Jack is the one who manipulated and hurt me—not you. You tried to protect me.” His jaw tensed as he avoided my gaze. “I didn’t protect you. I failed you, Tamara. I—” “No,” I cut him off, shifting closer to him on the picnic mat. My fingers cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at me. His beautiful, stormy eyes were filled with anguish, but beneath it all, I saw love. “You didn’t fail me, Dante. The goddess gave me a second chance—us a second chance. That’s what matters now. We’re h
Tamara's POV "All this may have been avoided if you let him take his position." i said but Dante sighed.“I considered it,” he admitted, his voice filled with regret. “I thought maybe it would ease the tension. But it didn’t take long to realize Jack didn’t want to lead for the good of the pack. He wanted power. Pure and simple. He didn't care about what the people wanted, all he wanted was to dominate and take revenge for the death of his family. he wasn’t fit to be Alpha, Tamara. I couldn’t let him take over. So, I refused.” I nodded slowly, understanding his reasoning even as my heart ached for the burden he’d carried. “And that’s when Jack turned on you.” Dante’s eyes darkened, his expression hard. “Yes. We used to be close, but wanting power changed him. He rallied people against me, spreading lies, manipulating anyone he could. He used every weak link in the pack against me. When that didn't work, he sent assassins to kill me, I dealt with them, one by one ocourse, but Jack
Tamara’s POV"B-but if you didn't kill them, then who did?" I stammered out in shock even though I knew that there was no way for Dante to have that answer.Dante shook his head sadly. "i don't know that but I can swear on my mother that it could never have been me, I could never hurt you like that, not after what you mean to me. But my guess is that Jack must have been the one to do it, he probably killed them so that you would be pained enough to kill me.""And it worked.' I realized with tears in my eyes. I sat frozen in for a moment, just staring at Dante as his words sank in. My mind was spinning, as every revelation felt like they were pulling me further into a whirlwind of disbelief, shock and confusion. I had killed Dante when he was innocent, when his only crime was caring for me.I wanted revenge for Jack and Kate murdering I and my child, but I was now finding out that I was also a murderer.It felt as if the ground beneath me had shifted, leaving me unsteady, unsure of
Dante's POV She nodded, her small chin lifting in defiance. “Yes. My father sent those warriors to end you. But I snuck out and followed them. He wouldn’t let me join the war, so I decided to secretly follow them and prove to my father that I'm strong by helping them kill you.” Her words sent a jolt tof shock hrough me. “You followed them? You’re a child. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” it should have been funny that I was literally bleeding out but I was still taking time to scold a stubborn fucking child She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. “I'm not a child, I'm almost a teenager... well in a few years, but I wanted to help them fight and kill some bad guys. But… then I saw you, you're not very old but they hurt you too, I felt bad. I didn’t want you to die.” Before I could respond, she stepped closer, her eyes scanning my wound. “You’re bleeding.” “I’m fine,” I lied, though the blood soaking my side said otherwise. She ignored me, tearing her
Dante's POV I trailed off, the memory of that day flashing vividly in my mind. It was a memory I’d buried deep, but now it resurfaced with a vengeance.“What happened?” Tamara asked softly, her voice trembling. The memory of that day came flooding back as if it had happened only yesterday. I could still feel the exhaustion in my body, the faint ache in my muscles after pushing myself far beyond my limits. I had been lying in my bed, a rare luxury after leading the watch for 72 hours straight. it wasn't by choice though The army doctor had all but dragged me off duty, insisting I rest. “You’re no good to us dead, Dante. You must take a fucking rest or ill declare you unfit for battle and you'll be discharged,” he’d said sternly, and though I hated leaving my men, I knew he was right. I’d barely made it to my cot before sleep pulled me under. But it wasn’t a peaceful sleep. I startled awake to the shrill ringing of alarm bells, a sound that snapped me out of my slumber
Dante’s POVI watched Tamara, her shock and confusion was practically flashing across her face, and I knew there was no easy way to explain what I was about to tell her. Still, she deserved the truth—everything.“You remember when I told you I was closely working with my brother before and during the war?” I began carefully, keeping my voice steady.Tamara nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing as if she were trying to piece together a puzzle. “Yes, I remember. You said you were helping him, or something like that.”“it wasn't just plain paper work though,” I explained, “I wasn’t just some advisor, Tamara. I was his general.”Her eyebrows shot up, her lips parting in surprise. “General? But… weren’t you—”“Young?” I finished for her, a small, humorless smile tugging at my lips. “I was. Too young, some would say. But I was also good—better than anyone else my brother could trust. I was always an excellent fighter, and strategy came naturally to me. Even when I was still a teenager, I could