TESSA
"You must have slept with other men. There's no way this baby is mine!"
The claim was immediately followed by a loud crash that made me flinch as Alpha Frederick slammed a flower vase onto the floor. My entire body shook with fear, but I forced myself to meet the eyes of the man who now looked at me with hatred and disgust.
With a quivering voice, I spoke.
"N-no. Y-you are m-my first. I never s-slept with any m-men after y-you Alpha."
Didn't he still remember the pain and bleeding I experienced that night the first time he entered my body? And the way he even promised me that everything would be okay?
How could he just forget it? And then he thinks I cheated on him with someone else? Doesn't he see that he's the only man I ever truly loved?
“Stop it, Tessa. Don't you dare try to fool me. I was drunk that night I didn't know what I was doing." He exhaled deeply as he ran his fingers through his tousled dark hair.
His eyes were now red with anger, a deep frown creased his forehead as he looked at me, and his gaze was entirely devoid of the warmth and love that was once there when we were making love that night.
I shook my head because I knew what he just said was not true.
He was sober when we did it. It was the night after his birthday party when he pulled me into his room and carried me to his bed. He even mentioned how beautiful I look and how my scent is driving him crazy to the point where he can't resist it.All of those memories are still vivid in my mind.
"I'm the Alpha of Ashwood Pack now, so know your place. You could never make me believe that the baby you're carrying is mine."With that, Alpha Frederick threw the pregnancy test I handed him back in my direction.
The tiny white object landed right at my feet. No words can describe the pain I felt as I picked up my pregnancy test and held it tightly in my hand. Why is he turned so cold and heartless towards me?
How could his demeanor change overnight?
“Go find the father of your baby on your own and don't ever come to me again. Get out of here now.”
Just as Alpha Frederick was about to turn his back and leave the room, I quickly stopped him. "H-how c-could you do t-this to me? I'm y-your m-mate!"
My voice cracked and came out softer than I meant, but at least it got him to stop. He turned around, his intense gaze cutting right through me. In a flash, Alpha Frederick stood right in front of me. Then his hand clamped around my slender neck, so tight as if he were trying to break it.
"What the fuck did you just say? I dare you to say it again!"
His grip left me struggling to find my words.
But even if I were to die right now in the hands of the man I love with my whole heart, I won't take back what I've said. Because that's the truth. We are destined, mate. The bond appeared just after he cum inside me that night.
Even though I never had my first shift and hadn't connected with my wolf yet, I could feel how strong our bond was.
"I-am y-your d-destined m-mate." Finally, I managed to get the sentence out.
Alpha Frederick shook his head vigorously. My neck went from sore to numb, but all that pain was nothing compared to the ache in my chest when I saw how he denied our sacred bond.
"No! You're fucking tricking me! I should've listened to your sister Bridget when she warned me that you're trying to take advantage of my kindness!" He seethed "I shouldn't have been so nice to you but kicked you out of my pack as soon as I realized you had feelings for me!"
A tear slipped down my cheek.
So he was already aware that I had feelings for him? And he still chooses to treat me this way?
"You're not my mate, Tessa. An Alpha like me can't possibly have a mate who is wolfless and stuttering like you."
I heard insults like that almost every day, from my own family and everyone else in the pack. But hearing it right from his own mouth, the pain feels doubled.
Suddenly, the door swung open and a few people burst in. I couldn't turn my head to see who they were. Just then I heard Odette, my sister's friend, shouting.
"Frederick what are you doing?! Let her go! You're going to kill her!"
And like a wildfire doused with the ocean, the anger in Alpha Frederick's eyes faded as soon as he heard Odette's voice. He finally let go of my neck. I collapsed onto the floor, gripping my chest as I desperately struggled to catch my breath.
"Oh, what happened to you, darling? Why are you so mad?" Odette asked him in a soft voice.
I lift my eyes and see her hand resting on his cheek, while the other is placed on his chest. Alpha Frederick didn't push her touch away at all. Instead, he grasped her delicate hand and held it firmly.
"This girl trying to trick me by claiming that she's my mate. She thinks I'm going to believe her." Alpha Frederick responded to her, but his hateful glare was fixed on me.
"What? Is that true, Tessa?" Bridget gasped in shock.
I glanced back and saw her standing next to Atlas, my brother. They both stare at me, their faces a mix of shock and fury.Atlas walked over and in a heartbeat, he was towering above me.
He yanked me by the hair, forcing me to get to my feet. "Is that true, bitch? You're claiming you are Alpha Frederick's mate?"
I just let out a hiss of pain while trying to get him to let go of his grip. My scalp felt like it was on fire. But Atlas yanked his hand, tugging a few strands of my hair out. Making me cry in agony.
"Answer me! Are you saying that? Are you trying to kill our family’s reputation?" Atlas hissed in my ear.
"Atlas, you must let her go first if you want her to answer," Bridget said to him.
Although slowly, Atlas finally released his grip on my hair. I took a few moments to process the shock and pain I was feeling. As I glanced up, everything looked hazy through my tears.
Yet the sight of how Alpha Frederick wrapped his arm around Odette's tiny waist, waiting for me to say something, was crystal clear. Bridget and Atlas looked at me like I was nothing more than a piece of trash rather than their little sister.
Taking a deep breath, I spoke.
"I-im n-not lying. W-we a-are mate. T-the b-bond formed a-after-"
But before I could finish my sentence, Alpha Frederick's booming voice cut me off.
"Guards!"
A second later, two of his pack members, tall and burly men stormed into the room. They bowed respectfully to Alpha Frederick.
With a gesture in my direction, he gave a command that shattered my heart into pieces.
"Drag her to the dungeon!"
FREDERICKI couldn’t tear my eyes away from Velmara who was fully immersed in the ritual. The witch’s eyes remained shut throughout the process, one hand gripping Tessa’s and the other pressed firmly against the mark on her skin.The pressure in my chest is growing heavier by the minute. A part of me wanted to step in, to do something, but Velmara had been clear that any interference could sabotage the entire ritual. I didn't have any other option but to stay still and wait.A deep frown etched itself across her brow.Then, without warning, her eyes snapped open and she was thrown backward as if struck by an invisible force. She landed several feet away, her eyes were wide with horror as she stared at Tessa’s motionless form.“What happened?” I rushed to her side, dropping to my knees, my hand gripping her trembling shoulder. “Velmara, what did you see? Is Tessa alright?”She didn’t answer at first, still locked in shock.But based on the fear in her eyes, something had gone wrong.
GABRIELHearing that, anger clawed at every inch of me. What the hell had Frederick been thinking doing something like that to his own Luna? I’d known him for years and until now, everything he did had always made some kind of sense. But this? This was fucking ridiculous.“What happened between you two?” I asked, my voice tight with disbelief. “It just doesn’t make sense. I mean, the whole pack knows how much he loves you."Odette looked at me, and the hurt in her eyes stopped me cold. Regret hit me instantly. I hadn’t meant to make her feel like her pain wasn’t valid. It was just so hard to wrap my head around the idea that Frederick could do that to her.“So you don’t believe me, Gabe?” She asked softly.“Of course I believe you,” I said quickly, the words tumbling out as I caught the faint tremble in her hand as she brushed her face.“Yes, he loved me deeply once,” She said quietly, “But lately he’s changed. The man who used to look at me like I was his entire world is just gone.
GABRIELShit. So she knew I’d been following her? It was too late to slip away now, Odette had already looked back. Just for a second but that glance told me everything, she saw me standing there. A flush of heat rushed to my face and I shifted back. I had only been in wolf form for a short while, so thankfully, my trousers remained on.For a moment, all I could do was stand there unsure of what to do next.I wanted to approach her and say something, but then I realized Odette wasn’t wearing anything.I kept my gaze firmly on the ground, and from the corner of my eye, I saw her move quickly toward a nearby tree. I waited until I heard the soft rustle of fabric. When I looked up, she stepped out with a loose dress now draped over her body.“Hey,” She said, taking a step toward me, a small smile curving her lips.I had braced myself for anger when she caught me following her. So when Odette met me with a soft smile instead, a wave of relief and something dangerously close to excitement
GABRIELI changed direction and headed straight for the Alonso mansion, slamming my foot down on the gas pedal as the car surged forward.“They’re not going anywhere,” Atlas grunted.“Is Odette losing her mind? Why would she hurt members of the pack?” Bridget’s voice drifted through the tense air, echoing the same question that had begun to claw at my thoughts.What could have possibly happened to make Odette act this way? If word of this reached Frederick, I know he wouldn’t take it lightly.What she did last time had already placed her on shaky ground and I truly hoped she wasn’t doing something even more reckless now. But after hearing this, I feel Odette really didn't care about her reputation anymore. Something was very wrong and I worried she was about to cross a line she would regret later.The car screeched to a halt and we jumped out. Moving quickly, I stepped through the grand entrance and went for Frederick’s study the moment I caught her scent coming from there.I could he
GABRIEL“By the time Frederick gets back and sees we’ve kept the pack from falling apart, he's going to kiss the floor we walk on.” Bridget chuckled, pulling off her glasses and stacking papers. “That’s only if he doesn’t dig up some details we missed. How’s the cash flow looking?”“Stable like usual.” She clipped the files together, slid them into a folder, and filed them away.Then she sighed and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. I noticed the dark circles under her eyes.“You always do everything so perfectly. Seriously, how do you not lose your mind staring at numbers all day? I’d rather wrestle a rogue than sort through even one budget report.” I asked as we exited her room and headed down the headquarters' corridor. She glanced sideways at me, “I think it’s a hobby."“Yeah. A very rare hobby."“When I realized there was another way to serve the pack without always being on the front lines I jumped at it,” I nodded. Bridget can fight just fine, but blood was her b
ODETTEFrederick’s decision to move me out of the mansion had truly turned my life into hell. I couldn’t return to my parents’ home, it would be too humiliating, I couldn’t bear the thought of my reputation being stained. So, instead, I chose to stay in one of the vacant packhouses, tucked among the rest of the pack members.At first, they were stunned to have their Luna living in such proximity. But that awe didn’t last cause word spreads so quickly in the pack. The she-wolves began to gossip, saying Frederick no longer wanted me, that my time in the prime had passed, and I was on the verge of being cast aside.At first, I just ignore them. But they were pushing boundaries and if I didn’t put a stop to it soon, they’d go too far. How dare they think they could sneer at me behind my back?My head throbbed thinking about it so this morning, I let my wolf run wild through the open fields. Hours passed and when I finally felt calm enough, I decided it was time to return to the packhouse