He saw her pain and vowed to become her reckoning. For years, Tessa's been nothing but a shadow in her own pack - beaten, silenced, discarded by the Beta she was forced to marry. She’s learned to survive by disappearing. By feeling nothing. By believing she’s unworthy of more. Until he shows up. An Alpha from a rival land, cloaked in danger and dominance. His golden eyes don’t just see her - they see everything she’s been forced to bury. And the moment he does, he makes a choice. "You belong to me now." He doesn’t care that she’s mated. Doesn’t care that claiming her could ignite a war. Because for him, it’s already started. And he’ll rip the world apart to free her. 🔥 A bit dark, intoxicating werewolf romance about survival, obsession, and a woman who finally learns what it means to be chosen. Perfect for fans of brutal Alphas, forbidden bonds, and slow-burning revenge. 🔥
View MoreTessa 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 floor, waiting for it to be over. Waiting for him to lose interest, to get bored of breaking me just like he always did.
And now here I was, trying to wash away the evidence before anyone else could see it. Before I had to walk into a room full of wolves who would never suspect that the Beta’s wife - the woman who should have been cherished, respected - was nothing more than his personal punching bag.
A hollow laugh bubbled in my throat. How pathetic.
My fingers curled into fists.
How long are you going to let him do this to you?
The thought slithered through my mind like a serpent, unwelcome and taunting.
Long enough, I supposed. Until there was nothing left of me.
A sharp knock at the door made me jerk upright.
"Tessa," Callum’s voice was sharp, impatient. "Get dressed. We’re leaving in ten minutes."
I inhaled slowly through my nose, forcing the tremor from my voice. "I’ll be ready."
Silence. Then footsteps retreating down the hall.
I let out the breath I’d been holding, sagging against the wall.
Then, with numb, mechanical movements, shut off the water and stepped out of the shower.
The mirror was fogged over, but I wiped at it with trembling fingers, revealing my reflection.
And there I was.
Hollowed-out eyes, dark circles smudged beneath them. A cheekbone marred by the faint outline of a fresh bruise. My lips were split, but not enough to be noticeable under makeup.
I could hide this. I always did.
But the thing I couldn’t hide - the thing that rattled me to the core - was the emptiness staring back at me.
This wasn’t who I was supposed to be. This wasn’t the life I had once dreamed of. This was ambition of my mother. Pack's new Beta wife...
The packhouse was alive with the hum of conversation, golden lights casting a warm glow over the crowded hall. Laughter echoed off the high ceilings, the scent of wine and roasted meat thick in the air.
I stood beside Callum, my hand resting lightly on his arm.
I barely heard the words passing between him and the other ranked wolves. It didn’t matter. I had learned a long time ago how to stand there, silent and smiling, nodding in the right places while my mind drifted elsewhere.
Callum was charming tonight. He always was in public.
No one would ever suspect the darkness lurking beneath his skin.
No one would believe me if I told them.
I let my gaze flicker around the room, taking in the mingling pack members, the occasional glance tossed in my way. Unmated males sizing me up like a prize too worn to be worth fighting for.
The hall was filled with golden light and the soft hum of music, a stark contrast to the cold pit in my stomach.
The air smelled of fine wine, roasted meats, and the mingling scents of wolves dressed in their best. Laughter and conversation rippled through the space, but to me, it all felt distant, muffled - like I was standing behind glass, watching a world I didn’t belong to.
I've adjusted the sleeve of my dress. Long, flowing fabric in a rich emerald green, elegant enough to satisfy Callum’s demand that I must "look presentable." But its real purpose? To hide the bruises that marred my arms, the fingerprint-shaped stains blooming across my pale skin.
I've felt his presence before he even touched me.
Callum’s hand landed on my lower back, sliding down just enough to remind me who I belonged to. His fingers pressed, firm and possessive, over the spot he had bruised the night before.
"Smile," he murmured, lips grazing the shell of my ear. To anyone watching, it would look like an intimate whisper. "Don't embarrass me."
I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and forced a smile.
I can do this. Just for tonight.
Just long enough to survive.
I drifted through the party like a ghost, nodding when necessary, offering polite laughter at the right moments. No one noticed how my hands trembled when I lifted a glass of wine to my lips. No one saw how I flinched when Callum’s grip tightened around my waist in warning.
The music swelled, and the scent of expensive perfume mixed with the scent of wolves in the air. Conversations hummed around me, though I barely processed any of them. My focus was on keeping up appearances, on making sure Callum had no reason to punish me later.
I barely even registered when someone approached us, a Beta from another pack offering a tight-lipped smile as he greeted Callum.
"Beta Callum. Good to see you."
Callum's grip on my waist loosened just slightly as he turned his attention to the other man, his expression shifting into the charming mask he wore in public. "Likewise. And how is your Alpha?"
The conversation droned on, and I let my mind drift, trying to ignore the dull ache in my ribs, the sting of the bruises hidden beneath my dress.
I exhaled slowly, willing the night to pass quickly, unaware that everything was about to change.
Tessa POV The steam from the hot springs curled around us like a living thing, weaving a veil of privacy even as the world beyond waited with bated breath.I stepped closer, drawn to him as if by some invisible thread. The heat of his body blended with the warmth rising from the water, a tantalizing contrast to the chill of the night air on my bare arms.His eyes flicked to my lips, then back to my eyes, searching - asking - daring me to meet him halfway.I swallowed hard, that delicious knot of anticipation twisting tighter. “I’m not afraid,” I said, my voice firmer this time.His hand slid from my cheek down to the nape of my neck, fingers threading into my hair. The world narrowed to just us - the scent of pine and earth, the sound of water lapping softly against stone, the pulse of his heartbeat against mine.Then he closed the distance, lips brushing mine in a slow, searing kiss that left me breathless and wanting more.I responded without hesitation, arms winding around his nec
Tessa POVThe moon hung heavy and golden above the trees as I walked beside Rylan, the night air cool against my skin despite the heat simmering beneath it all - the approaching battle, the choices we’d made, the man I was about to see.Our boots crunched over dried needles and forest loam, the steady cadence of our pace the only sound for a while. Around us, the forest pulsed with late-spring energy - branches heavy with life, the air thick with the scents of pine, moss, and something ancient and mineral on the breeze.The hot spring wasn’t far. We’d chosen it because it sat in the natural dip between Ashmoon and Nightshade land - technically still within our territory, but close enough for a meeting that would go unnoticed by curious eyes.I adjusted the leather strap of my cloak. “Do you think they’ll hold their line?”Rylan, walking slightly ahead, turned his head. The moonlight caught his profile, the scar at his jaw, the ever-watchful gleam in his eyes. “Ashmoon will fight. K
Tessa POV The war map stretched across the table was made of thick hide, the markings etched in deep black ink - routes, terrain elevations, known Council outposts, and the thin line of the border where Nightshade’s forest met Ashmoon’s rocky hills.I stood at its center, hands braced on either side. My body ached from the day’s training, but my mind was alight - crackling with focus, energy, and the steady thrum of purpose.Rylan stood to my left, arms crossed but alert, his ever-watchful gaze scanning the map. Across from me, Alpha Ashmoon radiated his usual quiet intensity, one finger tapping a slow rhythm beside a drawn river line. Kira stood just behind him, gaze sharp and unwavering, the faintest tilt to her chin betraying her approval.“This ridge here,” I pointed, circling the elevation just north of the Council’s secondary supply line, “gives us visibility and access to both their route and our eastern flank. If we station scouts here and here - ” I moved my finger slightly
The first light of dawn filtered through the tall windows of the war room, casting long shadows over the maps I’d spent the night studying. The air was cold, still, and sharp with anticipation. Outside, the compound stirred - soldiers waking, blades being honed, armor buckled into place. Two days. That’s all we had left before the war reached us.Victor and Galen flanked the war table, tension carved into their postures. Victor’s face was calm, but his eyes betrayed how deeply the weight of strategy sat on him. Galen, in contrast, looked ready to rip something apart - impatient, always, for action.“Three confirmed hits,” Victor reported. “Council supply convoys taken out last night. Rogues hit them on the mountain road - burned the wagons, scattered the guards.”A small, cold smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Good. They’re learning. Fast.”Galen let out a low laugh. “Rogues working with precision. I still can’t believe I’m seeing it.”“They’re not just rogues anymore,” I said
Tessa POVThe dawn broke cold and gray, the sky a wash of muted blues and pinks behind the jagged trees of Ashmoon’s forest. The air was sharp and biting, but I welcomed it - better than the stifling tension that had been building in my chest all night.Kira was waiting by the edge of the training ground, her arms crossed and that scar on her cheek catching the pale light. Her gaze was unreadable - equal parts challenge and curiosity.“Late?” she asked.I smirked. “Ashmoon warriors don’t sleep in? Neither do Nightshade Lunas. I’m right on time.”She didn’t smile, but a flicker of something like approval softened her eyes. “Good. Let’s begin.”The training ground was an open clearing ringed by towering pines, with worn logs for seating and targets set up at varying distances. Around us, warriors stretched, sharpened blades, and exchanged quiet, assessing glances.I wasn’t here to charm anyone. I was here to prove I belonged.Kira led me through the first exercise - hand-to-hand combat,
Dorian POVThe moon hung low and cold over the ridge, its pale light slicing through the restless night. I sat behind the heavy oak desk in my office, maps and reports strewn across the surface like a battlefield waiting to be won or lost. A low fire flickered in the hearth, barely holding back the shadows that clawed at the edges of the room.Victor, my third in command, stood near the window, his dark eyes sharp and calculating, the weight of unspoken words hanging between us like a storm cloud ready to break.The bond thrummed with sudden life - a sharp, urgent pulse. Tessa.“Deal is made. One day of training. Then Ashmoon stands with us.” The words echoed in my mind, a mixture of relief and a darker flame burning beneath.I didn’t just trust her strength - I depended on it.But this alliance came with a cost, a price marked in blood and fire.I leaned forward, fingers steepled on the desk. “Victor. Ashmoon’s in. One day to prove herself with their warriors, then we gain their l
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