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Chapter 27 : Standing on My Own
Last Updated:
2025-03-30 07:01:57
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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
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Save 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
Last Updated : 2025-03-31Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 30 : Breaking Point
Dorian’s POVShe hit the ground hard.Too hard.A growl built in my throat as I watched her crumble, her body slack, her breathing ragged. My wolf, Kael, lunged against the walls of my mind, snarling."You pushed her too far."I ignored him, moving before I could think better of it. The warrior I’d assigned as her opponent took a cautious step back, shoulders tense as if he expected me to tear into him. Smart. I was close.Too close.I crouched beside her, pressing my fingers to her pulse. Strong but erratic. Her skin was slick with sweat, her chest rising and falling in uneven gasps. She looked fragile like this, a stark contrast to the fighter who had thrown herself at an opponent twice her size minutes ago.I gritted my teeth.I knew what she was made of. Knew that weakness had been beaten into her, that Silver Creek had tried to bury her fire.But I also knew that fire still burned. She just needed to see it, to believe it.She stirred, a soft sound escaping her lips. My breath hi
Last Updated : 2025-04-01Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 1 : Blood in the Water
Tessa POV The water ran red.It trickled down my arms in thin, winding streams, spiraling along the curve of my wrists before vanishing into the drain. Steam curled around me, thick and suffocating, but I didn’t move. The scalding spray beat against my skin, raising angry welts where bruises had already begun to bloom.I braced my hands against the cold tiles, sucking in a sharp breath as pain flared through my ribs. He hadn’t held back tonight.I pressed my forehead against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut as memories of the last hour clawed at me.The way his fingers had dug into my arms, his breath reeking of whiskey as he hissed insults into my ear. The sharp crack of his palm across my cheek, the way I had crumpled to the floor without resistance. I never fought back anymore. Not when I knew it would only make it worse."You should be grateful I even keep you," Callum had sneered, looming over me. "A weak little thing like you would be nothing without me."I had stared at the flo
Last Updated : 2025-03-06Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 2 : The Party & The Alpha’s Arrival
Tessa POV It was sudden. A ripple in the air, thick with dominance. A pressure settling over the room, forcing conversations to stall and heads to turn toward the entrance.A presence entered. I didn’t need to look to know he was there. I felt him first.And when I did turn - when my gaze finally locked onto the man standing in the doorway - my world tilted.The Alpha.He was a shadow against the warm candlelight, broad shoulders and a chiseled form wrapped in an elegant black shirt that fit him like sin. He wasn’t just tall - he loomed, a force of nature wrapped in flesh.Midnight-dark hair, slightly tousled, as if he couldn’t be bothered to tame it. Sharp features, aristocratic yet rugged, like a warrior forged through war.But it was his eyes that stole the breath from my lungs. Molten gold, gleaming like a predator catching scent of his prey.And right now? He was looking at me.Heat crept up my spine, an unfamiliar sensation curling low in my stomach. It wasn’t fear. It was somet
Last Updated : 2025-03-07Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 3 : A Dance With Danger
Tessa POVI couldn’t breathe. Not because the room was too crowded, not because of the heavy perfume hanging in the air.It was him. Dorian.Even after he disappeared into the crowd, the weight of his gaze lingered. Something shifted inside me the moment ours eyes met. A crack in the fragile world I had built around myself.I shouldn’t have looked at him. I shouldn’t have let myself feel anything.But now? Now I was trembling.I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stand tall. It was just a moment. A glance. A fleeting interaction with an Alpha who held no significance in mylife. And yet… I felt marked.Branded by the memory of golden eyes that had seen through me.“Tessa.”The sharpness of my name pulled me back, Callum’s voice laced with irritation.Iturned just as he stepped in front of me, his fingers curling around my wrist. Not enough to bruise - yet. But the message was clear. Mine."Are you deaf?" he hissed, his voice low enough that no one else could hear. His thumb dug into
Last Updated : 2025-03-09Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 4 : The Breaking Point
Tessa POV I barely felt the cold night air as we stepped outside, my pulse still pounding from the dance.Dorian's touch still lingered on my skin, phantom heat seared into my memory. I could still feel him. The way he had held me - not like I was fragile, not like I was an object - but like I was someone he had already decided was his.A shudder ran through me. Not fear. Not entirely.Callum’s grip on my wrist was the opposite - crushing. Possessive in the worst way.He hadn’t spoken since dragging me away from the dance floor. But his silence was a promise.I glanced up at him, at the rigid line of his jaw, at the fury barely contained beneath his polished mask. He was waiting.Not here. Not in front of witnesses. But once we were alone.. I swallowed hard, dread curling in my stomach.The guests behind us were still laughing, still dancing. The music carried through the crisp night air, mocking me with its lightness. A perfect night for everyone but me.My steps slowed. Maybe if I l
Last Updated : 2025-03-11Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 5: The Alpha’s Ultimatum
Tessa POV The morning light was cruel.It filtered through the blinds like thin blades of gold, slicing across my skin, revealing every bruise he left behind. I moved slowly, my body stiff, aching from the night before - each movement a quiet reminder of how much I stopped feeling like a woman, like a person, and more like a thing to be hidden, controlled, used.The mirror was a liar.I stared at my reflection, dabbing concealer over the bluish bloom of a bruise just beneath my cheekbone. Another layer to hide the thin cut across my jaw. The one on my ribs - just beneath the edge of my dress - would remain unseen. I made sure of it. I always did.The room smelled like my lavender foundation and iron.I winced as I pulled my dress up over my shoulder. The deep burgundy fabric clung to me like a second skin - elegant, tailored, something any she-wolf would’ve been proud to wear to a formal meeting with an Alpha.But on me, it felt like armor. Thin, fragile, and barely covering the battl
Last Updated : 2025-03-12
Latest chapter
Save Me, Claim Me Chapter 30 : Breaking Point
Dorian’s POVShe hit the ground hard.Too hard.A growl built in my throat as I watched her crumble, her body slack, her breathing ragged. My wolf, Kael, lunged against the walls of my mind, snarling."You pushed her too far."I ignored him, moving before I could think better of it. The warrior I’d assigned as her opponent took a cautious step back, shoulders tense as if he expected me to tear into him. Smart. I was close.Too close.I crouched beside her, pressing my fingers to her pulse. Strong but erratic. Her skin was slick with sweat, her chest rising and falling in uneven gasps. She looked fragile like this, a stark contrast to the fighter who had thrown herself at an opponent twice her size minutes ago.I gritted my teeth.I knew what she was made of. Knew that weakness had been beaten into her, that Silver Creek had tried to bury her fire.But I also knew that fire still burned. She just needed to see it, to believe it.She stirred, a soft sound escaping her lips. My breath hi
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
