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Chapter 18 : A Prison or Protection?
Last Updated:
2025-03-27 23:00:49
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Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 19 : The Taste Of Defiance
The knock at my door was sharp, decisive.I tensed, my body still aching from the shift, but I forced myself upright. The two guards stationed outside hadn’t moved all morning, their presence a constant reminder that, despite the warmth of the room, I wasn’t free.The door opened before I could answer. A woman stepped inside, carrying a folded set of clothes. She was tall, strong, with dark brown hair tied back and sharp eyes that raked over me with a look I couldn’t quite decipher."Get dressed," she said, placing the clothes on the bed. "The Alpha is waiting."I hesitated. "For what?"Her expression didn’t change. "You’re to stand before the pack."A weight settled in my stomach.I didn’t get a choice in this.With a slow breath, I pushed back the blankets and reached for the clothes. They were simple but sturdy - black leggings, a long-sleeved tunic, and boots. Better than the loose, clothes I’d woken up in. My movements were stiff, my muscles sore, but I didn’t let it show.The wo
Last Updated : 2025-03-29Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 20 : A Fight Worth Losing
Tessa POVPain pulsed through my body, radiating from every point of impact, but I didn’t fall. I wouldn’t.The she-wolf in front of me was breathing hard, her lips curled in a cruel grin. Blood smeared her knuckles - my blood.“She’s already swaying.”“Pathetic.”“She won’t last much longer.”Their voices dug into my skin like claws, ripping at the fragile threads holding me together. They wanted me broken. Weak. Unworthy.I spat blood onto the stone floor and lifted my chin. “Still standing.”The murmurs in the crowd grew louder. The she-wolf’s grin widened, dark amusement flashing in her eyes. “Not for long.”She surged forward. This time, I met her head-on.I blocked her first strike, but her second slipped through, her fist slamming into my ribs. White-hot pain exploded in my side, but I didn’t retreat. I twisted, using the force of her blow to spin and drive my elbow into her ribs. A satisfying grunt left her lips as she stumbled a step back.A small victory. But not enough.She
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 21 : The Alpha’s Restraint
Dorian’s POVShe was losing. The pack saw it. I saw it. And yet, she kept standing.I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay where I was, to keep my face impassive as Tessa swayed on her feet, breathing hard. Blood smeared her lip, dark bruises already forming on her arms, her ribs. She had landed a few good hits, but the outcome of this fight had never been in question."Enough." My wolf’s voice growled through my mind, sharp and demanding. "Stop this.""Not yet."His fury lashed against me, a restless storm. He didn’t understand."She is ours. Letting them hurt her is weakness." His voice was barely restrained. "We should kill the one who dares touch her."I exhaled slowly, keeping my gaze locked on Tessa. "This is necessary.""Necessary?" He snarled. "You think watching her break will make her stronger?"Yes.Not physically. That wasn’t the point. This wasn’t about proving herself to the pack - it was about proving herself to herself.The moment I brought her here, they saw her
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 22 : The Price of Strength
Dorian’s POVTessa was too still in my arms.Too quiet.Her breathing was steady, but I could feel the weight of her exhaustion, the way her body had given out long before she wanted it to. Blood smeared her skin, dark bruises already blooming along her arms, her ribs. She was light against me, fragile in a way that made my jaw clench.I kept my stride even, controlled, as I carried her through the hall, but inside, I was anything but calm."This was a mistake." Kael’s voice was a low growl in my mind, dark and simmering with rage. "You should have stopped it. You should have protected her.""She fought." I forced the words through gritted teeth. "She proved she wasn’t weak.""And yet, here she is - broken in your arms."A snarl threatened to rise in my throat. Not at my wolf - but at myself. I wouldn’t let guilt take hold.This was necessary. She needed to fight. She needed to remember she could.But Kael wasn’t convinced."You keep telling yourself that," he sneered, "but I see what
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 23 : The Things Left Unsaid
Tessa's POVPain pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness.It was a dull, relentless ache, spreading through my body like fire licking at the edges of dry wood. Every breath sent a sharp sting through my ribs, every shift of my muscles a reminder of the fight.I swallowed against the dryness in my throat, my lashes fluttering as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The scent of herbs and clean linen filled my nose - sterile, sharp, unfamiliar.Not the main hall. Not the place where I had stood, fists clenched, heart pounding. A clinic.I was still alive. For a moment, that alone felt like a victory.I kept my eyes closed, focusing on the voices drifting through the air.“She won’t be able to move without pain for a few days.” Sera’s voice was calm, clinical, but there was an edge of something else beneath it - something sharp. “Was it worth it?”Dorian’s voice followed, deep and unreadable. “She needed this.”There was silence, and then Sera exhaled sharply. “She needed this,
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 24 : The Darkness Between Dreams
Tessa’s POVI drifted in and out of consciousness.Pain pulled at the edges of my awareness, but exhaustion weighed heavier. My body ached, my ribs protesting every shallow breath. I knew I should fight the pull of sleep, but the warmth of the blanket and the lingering scent of cedarwood lulled me deeper.Somewhere in the haze, I felt a hand brush against mine - light, tentative. Not a dream.Dorian.I wanted to say something, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. I sank further into the dark, Sable’s presence wrapping around me like a shield."Rest", she murmured. "You’ve earned it."And for once, I let myself listen.Dorian’s POV She looked so small like this.Tessa had fought like hell - more than I expected, more than I dared to hope. But now, unconscious in the clinic bed, she seemed… fragile.Kael huffed inside me, still pacing, still restless. "She shouldn’t have been in that fight."I clenched my fists. "She needed it."A snarl. "She needed us."I exhaled slowly, running a hand thr
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 25 : No More Running
Dorian's POV She was fighting me. Even now, bruised and exhausted, Tessa was still fighting.Kael paced in the back of my mind, still unsettled. "You shouldn’t have let this happen.""She needed it", I reminded him. "She needs to prove to herself that she’s more than what he made her believe."A growl. "She could have died."I pushed the thought away before it could settle.Tessa was watching me, her expression carefully guarded, but I could see it - the flicker of uncertainty, the crack in her defenses. She wanted to believe me. She just didn’t know how.I leaned back in my chair, keeping my voice even. “I know you think this is another cage. That I’m no different than him.”Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t deny it.Good. She was honest, even in her silence.I let the words settle before continuing. “But you’re wrong.”Tessa let out a slow breath, eyes narrowing slightly. “Then prove it.”A challenge.My wolf bared his teeth in approval. I studied her for a long moment before speak
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 26 : No One Touches What’s Mine
Dorian’s POVThe door clicked shut behind me, and I exhaled, rolling the tension out of my shoulders. Kael was still restless, his presence coiling in the back of my mind, watching."You should have stayed." His voice was a low snarl. "She doesn’t trust easily, and you left her with doubts.""She doesn’t need me hovering over her like she’s fragile", I countered. "She needs space to think."Kael didn’t like that answer, but he fell silent.I moved down the dimly lit hallway, my boots echoing against the wooden floors. The packhouse was quieter than usual, but I wasn’t stupid. They were talking - whispering about the broken female their Alpha had dragged into their territory.Their murmurs had been there since I carried Tessa through the main hall, her body bloodied and bruised but still defiant. A mated Beta female, discarded by her mate and brought here? It was reckless. It was unheard of.It was my decision. And I wasn’t about to explain myself.I pushed through the double doors int
Last Updated : 2025-03-30
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Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 29 : The Fight
Tessa’s POV I barely slept that night.Every time I closed my eyes, I felt him again - his hands correcting my stance, his body so close it blurred the line between dominance and something far more dangerous. The heat of his touch still burned against my skin, and the worst part?I didn’t hate it. I hated him. I hated the way he controlled everything - this pack, this training, me.And I hated that, despite every reason to resist, my body reacted to him like I belonged to him.Sable prowled in my mind, restless. "He wants to break us."I sat up in the room I’d been given, staring out the window. The moon was high, bathing the forest in silver light. Somewhere out there, Dorian was probably still training, pushing his warriors to their limits."He’s not breaking us", I told my wolf. "He’s making us stronger."Sable’s growl was low, reluctant. "Then we fight. We take everything he gives us. And we make sure he never owns us."I exhaled, gripping the sheets. "Agreed."The Next Morning
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 28 : Training
Tessa’s POVThe morning air was cold, but the heat between us burned hotter.Dorian moved like a predator - fluid, controlled, utterly lethal. Even when he wasn’t attacking, every motion was precise, effortless. He barely broke a sweat, while my skin was damp, my breath ragged from exhaustion.He was beautiful.That realization hit me at the worst moment - when he pivoted in a perfect arc, demonstrating a counterstrike I was supposed to mimic. The muscles in his arms flexed, his shirt clinging to his torso, damp with sweat. His dark hair was slightly tousled, a few strands sticking to his forehead, and his sharp jaw clenched in focus.Sable hummed in approval. "Look at him."I swallowed hard. I already was.His body wasn’t just strong - it was built for destruction, honed into something wickedly dangerous. But there was elegance in it, too, like watching a storm twist through the sky.His gaze flicked to mine, sharp and knowing.“Distracted?”My breath hitched. I forced my expression
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 27 : Standing on My Own
Tessa’s POVI woke to the scent of herbs and antiseptic, my body aching like I’d been trampled by a herd of wolves. My eyelids felt heavy, but as I forced them open, the soft glow of lamps illuminated the wooden beams of the ceiling above me.The clinic.I exhaled slowly, pushing past the hazy memories of the fight. My wolf, Sable, stirred sluggishly in the back of my mind."You’re awake", she murmured."Unfortunately". I swallowed, my throat dry.Sitting up took effort. My ribs protested, but the pain was manageable - familiar, even. I had lived through worse. I had survived Callum’s beatings, the humiliation of being cast aside like I was nothing. This? This I could handle.A soft knock sounded at the door. Before I could answer, it creaked open, and Elara stepped inside.Dorian’s sister.I hadn’t spoken to her much, but I’d seen her watching me from the edges of the pack’s gathering . She was tall and poised, her dark hair braided over one shoulder, her sharp golden eyes assessing
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 26 : No One Touches What’s Mine
Dorian’s POVThe door clicked shut behind me, and I exhaled, rolling the tension out of my shoulders. Kael was still restless, his presence coiling in the back of my mind, watching."You should have stayed." His voice was a low snarl. "She doesn’t trust easily, and you left her with doubts.""She doesn’t need me hovering over her like she’s fragile", I countered. "She needs space to think."Kael didn’t like that answer, but he fell silent.I moved down the dimly lit hallway, my boots echoing against the wooden floors. The packhouse was quieter than usual, but I wasn’t stupid. They were talking - whispering about the broken female their Alpha had dragged into their territory.Their murmurs had been there since I carried Tessa through the main hall, her body bloodied and bruised but still defiant. A mated Beta female, discarded by her mate and brought here? It was reckless. It was unheard of.It was my decision. And I wasn’t about to explain myself.I pushed through the double doors int
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 25 : No More Running
Dorian's POV She was fighting me. Even now, bruised and exhausted, Tessa was still fighting.Kael paced in the back of my mind, still unsettled. "You shouldn’t have let this happen.""She needed it", I reminded him. "She needs to prove to herself that she’s more than what he made her believe."A growl. "She could have died."I pushed the thought away before it could settle.Tessa was watching me, her expression carefully guarded, but I could see it - the flicker of uncertainty, the crack in her defenses. She wanted to believe me. She just didn’t know how.I leaned back in my chair, keeping my voice even. “I know you think this is another cage. That I’m no different than him.”Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t deny it.Good. She was honest, even in her silence.I let the words settle before continuing. “But you’re wrong.”Tessa let out a slow breath, eyes narrowing slightly. “Then prove it.”A challenge.My wolf bared his teeth in approval. I studied her for a long moment before speak
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 24 : The Darkness Between Dreams
Tessa’s POVI drifted in and out of consciousness.Pain pulled at the edges of my awareness, but exhaustion weighed heavier. My body ached, my ribs protesting every shallow breath. I knew I should fight the pull of sleep, but the warmth of the blanket and the lingering scent of cedarwood lulled me deeper.Somewhere in the haze, I felt a hand brush against mine - light, tentative. Not a dream.Dorian.I wanted to say something, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. I sank further into the dark, Sable’s presence wrapping around me like a shield."Rest", she murmured. "You’ve earned it."And for once, I let myself listen.Dorian’s POV She looked so small like this.Tessa had fought like hell - more than I expected, more than I dared to hope. But now, unconscious in the clinic bed, she seemed… fragile.Kael huffed inside me, still pacing, still restless. "She shouldn’t have been in that fight."I clenched my fists. "She needed it."A snarl. "She needed us."I exhaled slowly, running a hand thr
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 23 : The Things Left Unsaid
Tessa's POVPain pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness.It was a dull, relentless ache, spreading through my body like fire licking at the edges of dry wood. Every breath sent a sharp sting through my ribs, every shift of my muscles a reminder of the fight.I swallowed against the dryness in my throat, my lashes fluttering as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The scent of herbs and clean linen filled my nose - sterile, sharp, unfamiliar.Not the main hall. Not the place where I had stood, fists clenched, heart pounding. A clinic.I was still alive. For a moment, that alone felt like a victory.I kept my eyes closed, focusing on the voices drifting through the air.“She won’t be able to move without pain for a few days.” Sera’s voice was calm, clinical, but there was an edge of something else beneath it - something sharp. “Was it worth it?”Dorian’s voice followed, deep and unreadable. “She needed this.”There was silence, and then Sera exhaled sharply. “She needed this,
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 22 : The Price of Strength
Dorian’s POVTessa was too still in my arms.Too quiet.Her breathing was steady, but I could feel the weight of her exhaustion, the way her body had given out long before she wanted it to. Blood smeared her skin, dark bruises already blooming along her arms, her ribs. She was light against me, fragile in a way that made my jaw clench.I kept my stride even, controlled, as I carried her through the hall, but inside, I was anything but calm."This was a mistake." Kael’s voice was a low growl in my mind, dark and simmering with rage. "You should have stopped it. You should have protected her.""She fought." I forced the words through gritted teeth. "She proved she wasn’t weak.""And yet, here she is - broken in your arms."A snarl threatened to rise in my throat. Not at my wolf - but at myself. I wouldn’t let guilt take hold.This was necessary. She needed to fight. She needed to remember she could.But Kael wasn’t convinced."You keep telling yourself that," he sneered, "but I see what
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 21 : The Alpha’s Restraint
Dorian’s POVShe was losing. The pack saw it. I saw it. And yet, she kept standing.I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay where I was, to keep my face impassive as Tessa swayed on her feet, breathing hard. Blood smeared her lip, dark bruises already forming on her arms, her ribs. She had landed a few good hits, but the outcome of this fight had never been in question."Enough." My wolf’s voice growled through my mind, sharp and demanding. "Stop this.""Not yet."His fury lashed against me, a restless storm. He didn’t understand."She is ours. Letting them hurt her is weakness." His voice was barely restrained. "We should kill the one who dares touch her."I exhaled slowly, keeping my gaze locked on Tessa. "This is necessary.""Necessary?" He snarled. "You think watching her break will make her stronger?"Yes.Not physically. That wasn’t the point. This wasn’t about proving herself to the pack - it was about proving herself to herself.The moment I brought her here, they saw her
