~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
~Tessa~The sun's rays forced their way through the darkness of night, awakening birds from their slumber. Their ethereal songs danced with the wind, starting a day where anything was possible. But nature was oblivious to the tragedy of the past and the lively birds never seemed to notice the young she-wolf crying alone in her room. “An Alpha must be strong,” Tessa repeated under her breath, hoping the mantra would erase all of her sadness and self-doubt. “It’s almost been a year. Your family might be gone, but your pack needs you,” she reasoned, wiping the tears away. The reflection of her swollen, red eyes made her sick, but a familiar voice pulled her from her trance. “Tessa Hayes, you’re late for training. John is already outside and it’s rude to keep him waiting on you,” her grandmother shouted, sounding very impatient. “I’m coming,” Tessa called out, masking her emotions before racing out of her room and down the stairs. “I’d be lost without you, Gran,” she smiled, giving her
~Tessa~ A bright flash of lightning and the pitter-patter of rain against her window woke Tessa from her restless sleep. She rolled to her side and checked the time on her phone. “Looks like I win again,” she muttered, waking long before her alarm once again, but the date caught her eye. “I can’t believe it’s been seven years. Now I know why my dreams were haunted by memories,” she sighed, missing her family, but she wouldn’t dwell on it. Nothing would have been accomplished if she kept herself trapped by despair, and ignoring her emotions has worked in her favor so far. Instead, Tessa threw the covers off her body and sat on the edge of her bed with her arms stretched above her head and her toes buried in the thick plush carpet. When her fingers failed to untangle the knots in her hair, she sighed in frustration and met her gaze in the mirror. "An Alpha must be strong," she whispered and stood, walking into her bathroom. Her wolf gave a reassuring growl, feeling Tessa's anguis
~Tessa~ *Mature Content* Tessa sighed as she sifted through the reports. She found it odd that there was no history from his childhood, but based on the sheets in her hands, nothing in Alpha Monroe's file that warranted their suspicion. He seemed to be a respected Alpha who ran a reputable business and didn’t even have a speeding ticket on his record. The next folder on her desk, labeled photos, piqued Tessa’s interest. "Let's take a look at this "perfect” Alpha. He's probably some sissy raised with a silver spoon in his mouth," her wolf teased. Tessa chuckled and leaned back in her chair while unraveling the string around the folder. “What would this perfect man look like,” she smirked, but there was a knock at the door before she pulled out the first photo. "Come in," she announced to her visitor, placing the folder on top of her desk as the door opened. "Oh, what brings you here Elijah," she asked, stretching her arms above her head. "I brought you something to eat since you
~Dainin~ "This is going to take some getting used to," Dainin thought, enjoying the tranquil ride through the thick, luscious green forest. After the chaotic week his pack endured, Dainin felt hopeful their situation would only improve, but then Alan told him how they were being treated at the border of Blue Ridge. Dread began digging a pit in his stomach, souring his mood with each passing mile. “If they’re expecting us to kiss ass just to win this guy over, it’s not happening,” he growled, wishing they could have stayed in Arizona where there was no one to answer to. "Enough! That’s what got us here in the first place," snapped his wolf. "This needs to work out for the pack's sake," he justified. After much hesitation, Dainin reluctantly nodded his head in agreement. "At least there’s plenty of space between our future pack land and theirs. Hopefully, we'll never have to deal with them once this is over," he hoped, but immediately felt a foreboding chill snake down his spine. “
~Dainin~“Look at this place,” Alan admired as they drove through the small town within Blue Ridge. Their pack land was beautiful and well-kept with a packhouse, resembling a five-star hotel, plenty of private housing, and even their own working farm. The landscape was vibrant and Dainin wondered how his pack would adjust to moving from the desert to a lush forest. “They’ll love it. We’ll all be able to run and live freely here,” his wolf assured him, and he was right. The chance of being discovered by humans was slim this far in the forest and Blue Ridge proved there was potential to live comfortably. Dainin and his warriors turned up a long-hidden driveway behind the large black wolf who was escorting them. At the end was a three-story French colonial surrounded by beautifully maintained property and a breathtaking garden in the center of the rounded driveway. While they exited their vehicles the wolf shifted back into a man and waited for them at the door. “Dainin, this is the Ga
~Dainin~ Dainin paced the conference room, growing impatient the longer he waited for the Alpha to arrive. His mate's scent overwhelmed his senses from the moment he stepped into the packhouse and he needed to see her. "Are you in a rush to be ignored again? Don't forget why we're here," his wolf growled. "Well, the sooner we get this settled, the sooner we can get answers from her," Dainin snapped, pointing out the obvious. "You don't think I want to find her as desperately as you do? I'm choosing to focus on the pack's needs first," his wolf exclaimed, and Dainin took his seat before his fist flew through the nearest wall. He wasn't trying to be selfish, but he needed to know the relationship between his mate and the Alpha. He wouldn't accept losing her after they just found each other. He just needed to catch her eye. "You definitely caught someone's attention," his wolf stated gravely and Dainin turned to see the Beta staring him down. She wore the same judgmental expression
~Tessa~ Tessa left the conference room fuming. Dainin was already proving to be like all the other weak Alphas and Betas who have tried to tame her over the years. He wanted a submissive Luna. Someone who'd sit around all day quietly raising pups and be ready to please him when ordered, but that would never be her. "You'd think the Moon Goddess would have paired us with someone less shallow," Tessa sighed, stopping to watch the Warriors train outside from the large picture window. Deep down, she felt disappointed. "Well, I don't think a 20-minute meeting is enough time to decide. We can only find out if we give him a chance," her wolf whispered. "Since when have you gone soft? Are you ready to roll over for him already," Tessa snapped. Her wolf whimpered in response to her hostile tone. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault," Tessa apologized with a frustrated sigh. She knew her wolf was only trying to help. Groaning in defeat, Tessa turned away from the window to press her back again
~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
~Tessa~ Later that day, Tessa found herself reviewing all the plans her Grandmother left piled on her desk. "I have a feeling she's been working on this long before today,” her wolf sighed, earning a chuckle from Tessa as they sifted through the stack of papers. "Gran and her parties," she muttered to herself, seeing everything from rentals, decoration plans, and finally the thick guest list. “I think she went a little overboard this time,” Tessa’s wolf whined at the sight of the stack of pages, but for once, Tessa was excited to look it over. She had made it her mission to become familiar with her pack members since the battle. Now that she could put a face to the names on the list, Tessa felt a sense of kinship. Pack occasions were no longer just about business. They became a gathering of a family she never thought she’d have again, and now it was about to double in size. Her gaze froze when her eyes fell on Milo’s name, and it brought her back to earlier in the afternoon when
~Dainin~ Dainin’s anticipation only grew the longer they waited for Alan and Leah to arrive. “We shouldn’t be surprised he’s running late, and I’m sure Leah is the only reason he’s even on his way,” Dainin’s wolf sighed in disappointment. “His heart is in the right place. Alan may be a goof, but he despised our father’s carelessness as much as I did and worked hard to prove he deserved to be the Beta,” Dainin defended his brother, earning silence from his wolf. Even with all of Alan's quirks, Dainin knew he'd protect the pack with his life. He proved that on the day of the attack. The sudden thought of his father brought Dainin back to the days Tessa was recovering in the hospital. Alan had stopped by to visit her and it was the first time Dainin was alone with him since the night he went missing. He finally had a chance to tell him about their parent’s murder. “As sad as this is, we tried everything we could to protect them, Dain. Dad made his choice, and like always, his pride go
~Tessa~ The first snow of the season fell overnight, covering the usual luscious green landscape in a glistening blanket of white. Tessa smiled while admiring the beauty outside. Winter always made her feel refreshed. It reminded her that a new year was fast approaching, and everything could start with a clean slate. She was looking forward to leaving her murky past behind her for a fresh start. "Positive changes are coming our way," she thought as her hand mindlessly caressed her now prominent stomach. A creak from the bed behind her caught her attention followed by Dainin’s deep voice filling the room. “Everything okay, love,” he asked, causing Tessa’s breath to hitch in her throat. She turned to find her glorious mate propped on his elbow, scanning her body with his dark eyes. A blush immediately flooded her cheeks because, although she was wearing her nightgown and robe, she may as well have been naked under his hungry gaze. Tessa cleared her throat to try and compose herself