TESSANow I could see it, the anger blazing clear and sharp in Frederick’s eyes.I hated saying those things about myself too. But after what Zade did, I felt so dirty. When I looked at the marks he’d left on my body I felt this sick urge to carve the skin out.If only it were that simple. If only the mark would vanish if I cut deep enough.“We’ll find a way to get rid of it,” Frederick said, “I’ll find a way. I swear to you, Tessa. I’ll make sure there’s not a single trace of him left on you.”Before I knew it, he was holding both my hands in his.“I believe we’ll be able to do it.” The words slipped out of me.It felt, just for a moment, like I could lay this burden down. Like I could leave it all in Frederick’s hands and trust he’d find a way. He always did. He’d never failed to protect the people closest to him.To me, he’d always seemed… perfect. Maybe that was one of the reasons my feelings for him had grown so wild back then.“You always find a way to amaze me, don’t you?” His
TESSAHis words were meant to be comforting, but somehow, hearing them only made the repulsed feeling churn deeper in my gut. I pushed myself up and stumbled toward the bathroom. My hand stinging where the IV ripped free but I couldn’t bring myself to care.I slammed the door shut behind me. It wasn’t long before I heard Gabe pounding on the other side.“Tessa! Tessa, open the door! What’s going on?” His voice was laced with panic.“Everything’s fine,” I managed to croak out. At least, that seemed to calm him. The banging stopped.I face the mirror. With trembling fingers, I swept aside my long hair, exposing the pale skin of my neck to the harsh bathroom light. There it was. Two small marks stared back at me. My fingertips hovered over them, brushing lightly as if touch might erase the truth.A knot of pain and fury twisted in my chest. It burned hotter the longer I stared at the marks.That night Zade had been impossibly strong. No matter how desperately I fought back, in my human
TESSAGabe’s form was so much taller and broader than mine that when he hugged me, it felt like he might crush me.“Hey, hey, careful! I’m going to crushed if you don’t let go,” I said with a soft chuckle.His eyes snapped open as he looked down at me. “Sorry. I-I can’t control it.”He pulled back, finally releasing me from his arms. His smile was warm. So warm that I felt my chest fill with the same comforting heat. The relief on his face at seeing me awake was unmistakable and knowing my life and my consciousness meant that much to someone moved me more than I could say.“You didn’t expect me to be awake already, did you?” “I really didn’t,” He admitted. “But thanks to Selene, you did. I was so scared, Tessa. After seeing you in Frederick’s arms that night in the woods… I was terrified something even worse might happen.” His voice trembled with the memory.“Frederick?” I asked softly.“I’ve never seen him like that, so frail and Broken. He was carrying you so tightly as if he didn
TESSA“Even yesterday when you found out about the attack before any of us did, you could have just ignored it. But you didn’t,” Bridget went on, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it. Softer than I even thought possible for her.“I only did what felt right. I couldn’t stand by and watch innocent guests get hurt.” I said, my voice steady. “But how?” She asked, her eyes searching mine. “Where do you even find the strength to stay kind when everyone around you treats you so poorly?”For a moment, neither of us spoke.We held each other’s gaze in the quiet. Her eyes fixed on mine as if she might find the answer hidden somewhere within me.Then I said,“So you think that just because you all treated me poorly, the whole world must have been cruel to me too? No. The truth is, I found my real family after I escaped this pack. And I learned something important; someone born in a burning house might believe the entire world is on fire, until they finally choose to step outside. This world
TESSA“When exactly will she open her eyes?”“I can’t say for certain, Miss. Physically, her condition is starting to stabilize. But when the healer looked deeper, they found her spirit is still-”“You’d better make sure she wakes up soon. You remember what Alpha Frederick will do to you if you fail, don't you?"“I-I remember. I’ll do everything I can.” The conversations ended with the woman’s trembling voice.Those voices, I’ve heard them before. At first, they drifted around me like distant whispers but now they’re closer, so close they might be standing right over me. I don’t know where I am. I’ve lost all sense of time. All I know is that I was caught somewhere between the darkness and the light as if waiting for a door to open.But I knew days had slipped by while I lingered in this strange, surreal realm. There was a sun here and a moon too. Even at that one night, the moon descended to and took the shape of the most ethereal woman I had ever seen.She was wrapped in a mist, he
GABRIELI chose to wait on the bench just outside the room just in case something happened and Frederick needed me, I’d be close enough to help.I sighed, letting my eyes drift shut, and pressed my fingers into the tense muscle of my arm. A low groan slipped out before I could stop it. Now that the chaos had settled, the weight of exhaustion hit me all at once. My body felt stiff, aching.I leaned my head back against the wall behind me. My eyes felt so heavy I was certain I could fall asleep right here on this hard bench if not for the faint sound of footsteps drawing closer.Reluctantly, I forced my eyes open. Odette was standing there, her eyes fixed on me.For a moment, neither of us moved. Our gazes locked, a silence lingering between us. Then, as if stung by the realization of how I must look, I straightened up. It felt wrong to let her see me like this.“Where is he?” Odette's eyes flicked to the closed door of Tessa’s room. “Atlas told me Frederick is here. Is he inside? I