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Chapter 31 : Reflections in the Mirror
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2025-04-02 22:33:14
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Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 32 : Heat
Tessa POVI closed my eyes, lying back against the pillows, letting the silence of the room swallow me. My mind kept racing, the images of the fight, the training, and the roughness of his touch when he picked me up spinning in my head. The heat between us had been undeniable.And now, it was a fire that I couldnât put out.I wasnât sure what came next. But as the darkness started pulling me under again, I knew one thing for sure. I wasnât going to break. Not if I had anything to say about it.The question was: Would I become stronger, or would I keep falling into his trap, one fight at a time?Every time I closed my eyes, I felt him - his hands, his heat, the ghost of his voice murmuring in my ear.I shifted against the sheets, my body aching, but it wasnât just from the bruises left during training. It was something deeper, something I didnât want to name.Dorian had touched me. Held me. And I had burned for it. I shouldnât have. I should have hated it. Hated him.But when I closed
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-02Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 33 : Shadows and Bonds
Tessaâs POV The morning air was crisp, biting at my skin as I stepped onto the training grounds. The scent of damp earth and pine filled my lungs, the soft hush of the forest surrounding the clearing. It had been nearly two weeks since my first training session with Dorian, and the bruises had become a constant companion. But something else had settled beneath my skin, too - something fiercer.I was getting stronger.At first, it had been brutal. Every morning before dawn, Iâd wake up aching, my muscles sore from the relentless pace Dorian pushed me through. There were days when I felt like I would break, when the voices of doubt whispered that I wasnât built for this. That I would never be strong enough.But I had learned to ignore them.Because with every punch, every block, every fall that I forced myself to rise from, I felt it - power humming beneath my skin, waiting to be unleashed. Sable had always known it was there. She had never doubted me, even when I had doubted myself."
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-04-04Save 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 didnât 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 hadnât 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
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-06Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 2 : The Party & The Alphaâs 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 didnât 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 wasnât just tall - he loomed, a force of nature wrapped in flesh.Midnight-dark hair, slightly tousled, as if he couldnât 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 wasnât fear. It was somet
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-07Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 3 : A Dance With Danger
Tessa POVI couldnât 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 shouldnât have looked at him. I shouldnât 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 yetâĶ I felt marked.Branded by the memory of golden eyes that had seen through me.âTessa.âThe sharpness of my name pulled me back, Callumâs 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
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 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.Callumâs grip on my wrist was the opposite - crushing. Possessive in the worst way.He hadnât 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
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-11Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 5: The Alphaâs 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 wouldâve 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
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-12Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 6 : The First Escape
Tessa POV A heavy silence hung in the air.I didnât breathe. No one did.Alpha Dorianâs voice still rang my her ears, cold and commanding: "Youâll hand her over."Callum stepped forward, his hand tightening like a vice around my arm.The air in the room shifted, thick with tension, as he turned to face Dorian fully. His posture was stiff, but his eyes sparked with fury - and fear."You forget yourself," Callum said, his voice sharp with the edge of desperation. "Youâre a guest here. A visiting Alpha - not my Alpha. This is not your territory."The silence cracked. Gasps from the gathered pack members, a few barely concealed murmurs.My heart dropped into my stomach.Callum raised his chin, defiant. "By werewolf law, she is my wife. My mate. You have no right to interfere in our bond."Dorian didnât move. He didnât blink.But the pressure in the room intensified, a storm gathering behind golden eyes. His power radiated outward like a silent detonation, sending shivers down spines. Wolv
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-13
āļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 33 : Shadows and Bonds
Tessaâs POV The morning air was crisp, biting at my skin as I stepped onto the training grounds. The scent of damp earth and pine filled my lungs, the soft hush of the forest surrounding the clearing. It had been nearly two weeks since my first training session with Dorian, and the bruises had become a constant companion. But something else had settled beneath my skin, too - something fiercer.I was getting stronger.At first, it had been brutal. Every morning before dawn, Iâd wake up aching, my muscles sore from the relentless pace Dorian pushed me through. There were days when I felt like I would break, when the voices of doubt whispered that I wasnât built for this. That I would never be strong enough.But I had learned to ignore them.Because with every punch, every block, every fall that I forced myself to rise from, I felt it - power humming beneath my skin, waiting to be unleashed. Sable had always known it was there. She had never doubted me, even when I had doubted myself."
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 32 : Heat
Tessa POVI closed my eyes, lying back against the pillows, letting the silence of the room swallow me. My mind kept racing, the images of the fight, the training, and the roughness of his touch when he picked me up spinning in my head. The heat between us had been undeniable.And now, it was a fire that I couldnât put out.I wasnât sure what came next. But as the darkness started pulling me under again, I knew one thing for sure. I wasnât going to break. Not if I had anything to say about it.The question was: Would I become stronger, or would I keep falling into his trap, one fight at a time?Every time I closed my eyes, I felt him - his hands, his heat, the ghost of his voice murmuring in my ear.I shifted against the sheets, my body aching, but it wasnât just from the bruises left during training. It was something deeper, something I didnât want to name.Dorian had touched me. Held me. And I had burned for it. I shouldnât have. I should have hated it. Hated him.But when I closed
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 31 : Reflections in the Mirror
Tessa POV The warm water ran over my skin, washing away the sweat and dirt from training, but it didnât quite cleanse the ache deep inside. My muscles screamed in protest, every bruise a reminder of the punishment Iâd endured. The sting from my ribs flared as I reached up to rinse my hair, and I hissed, biting my lip to hold back the pain.The water was comforting, but it didnât ease the storm raging in my mind.When I stepped out of the shower, the chill of the air hit me, and I wrapped a towel around my body before walking to the mirror. The reflection staring back at me wasnât what I wanted to see.It was the face of someone broken, someone who had barely held her ground against an opponent far stronger, far more ruthless than anything Iâd known.The bruises were already forming, darkening as the hours passed. One across my cheek. Another on my collarbone. My ribs were sore to the touch, my arms stiff from the constant strain of blocking strikes I couldnât always deflect.The warr
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 30 : Breaking Point
Dorianâs 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 Iâd 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
Tessaâs 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 didnât 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 Iâd 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."Heâs not breaking us", I told my wolf. "Heâs making us stronger."Sableâs 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
Tessaâs POVThe morning air was cold, but the heat between us burned hotter.Dorian moved like a predator - fluid, controlled, utterly lethal. Even when he wasnât 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 wasnât 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.âDistracted?âMy breath hitched. I forced my expression
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 27 : Standing on My Own
Tessaâs POVI woke to the scent of herbs and antiseptic, my body aching like Iâd 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."Youâre 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 Callumâs 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.Dorianâs sister.I hadnât spoken to her much, but Iâd seen her watching me from the edges of the packâs 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 Whatâs Mine
Dorianâs 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 doesnât trust easily, and you left her with doubts.""She doesnât need me hovering over her like sheâs fragile", I countered. "She needs space to think."Kael didnât 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 wasnât 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 wasnât 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 shouldnât have let this happen.""She needed it", I reminded him. "She needs to prove to herself that sheâs 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 didnât know how.I leaned back in my chair, keeping my voice even. âI know you think this is another cage. That Iâm no different than him.âHer jaw tightened, but she didnât deny it.Good. She was honest, even in her silence.I let the words settle before continuing. âBut youâre wrong.âTessa let out a slow breath, eyes narrowing slightly. âThen prove it.âA challenge.My wolf bared his teeth in approval. I studied her for a long moment before speak
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