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Chapter 18 : A Prison or Protection?
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2025-03-27 23:00:49
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Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 19 : The Taste Of Defiance
The knock at my door was sharp, decisive.I tensed, my body still aching from the shift, but I forced myself upright. The two guards stationed outside hadnât moved all morning, their presence a constant reminder that, despite the warmth of the room, I wasnât free.The door opened before I could answer. A woman stepped inside, carrying a folded set of clothes. She was tall, strong, with dark brown hair tied back and sharp eyes that raked over me with a look I couldnât quite decipher."Get dressed," she said, placing the clothes on the bed. "The Alpha is waiting."I hesitated. "For what?"Her expression didnât change. "Youâre to stand before the pack."A weight settled in my stomach.I didnât get a choice in this.With a slow breath, I pushed back the blankets and reached for the clothes. They were simple but sturdy - black leggings, a long-sleeved tunic, and boots. Better than the loose, clothes Iâd woken up in. My movements were stiff, my muscles sore, but I didnât let it show.The wo
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-29Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 20 : A Fight Worth Losing
Tessa POVPain pulsed through my body, radiating from every point of impact, but I didnât fall. I wouldnât.The she-wolf in front of me was breathing hard, her lips curled in a cruel grin. Blood smeared her knuckles - my blood.âSheâs already swaying.ââPathetic.ââShe wonât last much longer.âTheir voices dug into my skin like claws, ripping at the fragile threads holding me together. They wanted me broken. Weak. Unworthy.I spat blood onto the stone floor and lifted my chin. âStill standing.âThe murmurs in the crowd grew louder. The she-wolfâs grin widened, dark amusement flashing in her eyes. âNot for long.âShe surged forward. This time, I met her head-on.I blocked her first strike, but her second slipped through, her fist slamming into my ribs. White-hot pain exploded in my side, but I didnât retreat. I twisted, using the force of her blow to spin and drive my elbow into her ribs. A satisfying grunt left her lips as she stumbled a step back.A small victory. But not enough.She
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 21 : The Alphaâs Restraint
Dorianâs POVShe was losing. The pack saw it. I saw it. And yet, she kept standing.I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay where I was, to keep my face impassive as Tessa swayed on her feet, breathing hard. Blood smeared her lip, dark bruises already forming on her arms, her ribs. She had landed a few good hits, but the outcome of this fight had never been in question."Enough." My wolfâs voice growled through my mind, sharp and demanding. "Stop this.""Not yet."His fury lashed against me, a restless storm. He didnât understand."She is ours. Letting them hurt her is weakness." His voice was barely restrained. "We should kill the one who dares touch her."I exhaled slowly, keeping my gaze locked on Tessa. "This is necessary.""Necessary?" He snarled. "You think watching her break will make her stronger?"Yes.Not physically. That wasnât the point. This wasnât about proving herself to the pack - it was about proving herself to herself.The moment I brought her here, they saw her
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 22 : The Price of Strength
Dorianâs POVTessa was too still in my arms.Too quiet.Her breathing was steady, but I could feel the weight of her exhaustion, the way her body had given out long before she wanted it to. Blood smeared her skin, dark bruises already blooming along her arms, her ribs. She was light against me, fragile in a way that made my jaw clench.I kept my stride even, controlled, as I carried her through the hall, but inside, I was anything but calm."This was a mistake." Kaelâs voice was a low growl in my mind, dark and simmering with rage. "You should have stopped it. You should have protected her.""She fought." I forced the words through gritted teeth. "She proved she wasnât weak.""And yet, here she is - broken in your arms."A snarl threatened to rise in my throat. Not at my wolf - but at myself. I wouldnât let guilt take hold.This was necessary. She needed to fight. She needed to remember she could.But Kael wasnât convinced."You keep telling yourself that," he sneered, "but I see what
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 23 : The Things Left Unsaid
Tessa's POVPain pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness.It was a dull, relentless ache, spreading through my body like fire licking at the edges of dry wood. Every breath sent a sharp sting through my ribs, every shift of my muscles a reminder of the fight.I swallowed against the dryness in my throat, my lashes fluttering as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The scent of herbs and clean linen filled my nose - sterile, sharp, unfamiliar.Not the main hall. Not the place where I had stood, fists clenched, heart pounding. A clinic.I was still alive. For a moment, that alone felt like a victory.I kept my eyes closed, focusing on the voices drifting through the air.âShe wonât be able to move without pain for a few days.â Seraâs voice was calm, clinical, but there was an edge of something else beneath it - something sharp. âWas it worth it?âDorianâs voice followed, deep and unreadable. âShe needed this.âThere was silence, and then Sera exhaled sharply. âShe needed this,
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-30Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 24 : The Darkness Between Dreams
Tessaâs POVI drifted in and out of consciousness.Pain pulled at the edges of my awareness, but exhaustion weighed heavier. My body ached, my ribs protesting every shallow breath. I knew I should fight the pull of sleep, but the warmth of the blanket and the lingering scent of cedarwood lulled me deeper.Somewhere in the haze, I felt a hand brush against mine - light, tentative. Not a dream.Dorian.I wanted to say something, but my body wouldnât cooperate. I sank further into the dark, Sableâs presence wrapping around me like a shield."Rest", she murmured. "Youâve earned it."And for once, I let myself listen.Dorianâs POV She looked so small like this.Tessa had fought like hell - more than I expected, more than I dared to hope. But now, unconscious in the clinic bed, she seemedâĶ fragile.Kael huffed inside me, still pacing, still restless. "She shouldnât have been in that fight."I clenched my fists. "She needed it."A snarl. "She needed us."I exhaled slowly, running a hand thr
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-30Save 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
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-30Save 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
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-30
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Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 73 : Threads of Power
Tessa POVI stood at the edge of the packhouse balcony, the morning air crisp against my skin. The sky above was painted in soft blues and golds, the sun rising like it had something to prove. Much like me, I thought with a faint smile. There was a strange stillness in the world today - one that hummed just beneath my skin.My reflection in the tall window panes startled me at first. I looked... different. My features were sharper, more radiant. My eyes glowed faintly, gold flecks flickering like embers in a deep forest. My hair - gods, even my hair seemed fuller, darker, shimmering with strands of silver and shadow. Power hummed through me like a current I hadnât felt before.âYou see it too,â Sable whispered, her voice a soft rumble at the back of my mind. âYou are more. This is what we were meant to be.ââI feel like Iâve changed overnight, again.â I whispered, fingertips brushing against the slight glow beneath my skin.âBecause you have. The bond unlocked something buried. Somet
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 72 : Bloodlines and Echoes
Dorian POVThe morning sun hadnât yet crested the distant ridges when I stood at the tall window of my private study, watching the mist curl through the trees like pale fingers. The room was quiet - too quiet - and my wolf didnât like it.Kael stirred beneath my skin, restless. "She's different now."I nodded to the silent room, though the reflection in the glass answered me - tall, sharp lines in a black shirt, collar open just enough to reveal the mark Tessa had left on my throat. The claiming."More than different," I murmured back. "Sheâs magnificent."Kael hummed, almost reverent. "You knew she was strong, but not this strong."He was right. I had known Tessa was special - had known it the moment I first caught her scent in the Silver Creek territory. But even then, I hadnât imaginedâĶ this.Her transformation after the Luna ceremony had been nothing short of breathtaking. Strength hummed from her in quiet pulses, radiating in the air around her like heat from the sun. Her eyes, o
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 71 : Change
Tessa POVI woke up slowly, the sunlight filtering through the curtains, bathing the room in a soft glow. The bed beneath me felt different, as if I were lying on a cloud. Everything about this morning felt different, but it wasnât until I stretched, feeling the stretch of muscles that hadnât felt quite soâĶ powerful before, that I realized something had changed. I didnât know exactly what, but there was a difference. A subtle shift that I couldnât ignore.Sable was awake the moment my eyes opened, her presence a comforting hum in the back of my mind. She was still, just watching, waiting for me to recognize what had happened. And when I did, she purred softly, a ripple of approval running through our bond.âYou feel it too, donât you?â I asked quietly, my voice still thick with the remnants of sleep."I do", Sable replied, her voice steady, yet tinged with awe. "Something has been unlocked. SomethingâĶ powerful."I pushed myself up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My feet hi
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 70 : Moonlit Reflections
Tessa POVThe sky was painted in ink and silver by the time we slipped away. Stars shimmered like scattered dust over the dark forest line, and the wind whispered secrets in a tongue only the wolves could truly understand. I leaned against the cool stone railing of the balcony outside our private quarters, a crystal glass of deep red wine held loosely in my fingers.Below, the estate grounds were hushed. The fire pits still glowed softly, casting flickering light across the stone pathways. Most of the guests had retired. The official meetings were done, and the mask of diplomacy had slipped from Dorian's face the moment the doors to our suite had closed behind us.Now, with just the two of us, the night felt like it finally belonged to something real.Dorian emerged from inside, two fingers holding the stem of his own glass, the rest of him bare from the waist up. The soft moonlight carved lines across his chest and shoulders - each scar a story I hadnât yet heard, but a few I already
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 69 : Shadows and Alliances
Dorian POVThe first strikes of sunlight cut across the floor like a blade, but Dorian was already awake.He stood by the tall windows, bare-chested, the cool morning air brushing against his skin as he sipped from a glass of dark coffee. The city beyond the trees stirred to life in the distance, unaware that history had shifted the night before.She was still asleep.He didnât turn to look at her - not yet. He could feel her presence in the room like a second heartbeat, tethered to him through the mark she wore, the bond they'd completed in body and blood. Tessa had fallen asleep curled in the sheets after the second time heâd taken her. Possessive, wild, animal. Kael had been dangerously close to the surface, and for once, Dorian had let his wolf have a say.He was different this morning. Lighter and heavier at once. More himself. Kael paced lazily in the back of his mind, still sated, still sharp.âSheâs ours now,â his wolf murmured.âSheâs always been,â Dorian replied in silence,
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 68 : One More Time
Tessa POVHis breathing was still rough against my hair, his chest rising and falling with the force of it, but his hands never stilled. One stayed tight in my hair, the other stroking over my spine, over the curve of my waist, as if memorizing me all over again.As if he hadn't just taken me. As if he hadnât already conquered me. As if he couldnât get enough.And neither could I.My fingers curled against the hard planes of his chest, feeling the wild hammer of his heart against my palm, the frantic beat still syncing with my own."Again," Sable whispered, hungry and insatiable.Kael answered with a low rumble of agreement, echoing through the bond.I tilted my head up to meet Dorianâs eyes - and found him already watching me. Devouring me.Gods, the way he looked at me - like I was the only thing left that mattered in this world. Like I was precious and dangerous and his salvation, all at once."Tessa," he rasped, voice torn and wrecked from what weâd just done. From what he still
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 67 : I Wanna Be Yours
Tessa POVThe door barely clicked shut before Dorian pinned me against it with his body, the sheer force of him stealing the breath from my lungs.His mouth crashed down onto mine, fierce and claiming, tasting of wine and war and the unbearable hunger he had kept bottled up all night.I kissed him back just as fiercely, threading my fingers into his hair, dragging him closer, baring my teeth when he growled low against my lips."Ours," Kael rumbled from inside him - but this time I heard it through the bond too, not just Dorianâs mind. It made my wolf howl in answer.Sable surged to the surface, clawing for control, and I let her come halfway - enough for my nails to sharpen, for my instincts to burn brighter, for the raw need to shred through my chest.He tore his mouth from mine only to rip the ceremonial jacket off his shoulders, leaving him in the dark shirt that clung to every hard plane of his body.I was already undoing the clasps of my dress, hands shaking with urgency. But he
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 66 : Celebration
Tessa POVThe rest of the night blurred into a symphony of congratulations, glances, whispered words, and shifting alliances.After Marcus withdrew, more guests approached - some bold, others hesitant - offering their formal words of respect, layered with hidden questions.Dorian received them all with a polished, dangerous grace. Sharp when he needed to be. Cordial, but never warm. He shook hands, set appointments, dropped promises of future meetings like baited hooks into hungry waters.I stayed at his side, my fingers brushing his, always connected. And every time a strangerâs gaze lingered too long, every time a lesser Alpha looked at me with too much interest, I felt Dorianâs subtle shift - a tightening of his hand, a slight roll of power under his skin, a silent warning that made most look away quickly."They should fear," Sable whispered, satisfied. "They will learn respect."I found myself smiling - not coldly, but with the serene confidence that came from knowing exactly who
Save Me, Claim Me   Chapter 65 : I'm Luna Now
Tessa POVThe roaring of the pack filled the great hall, a living tide of sound and power that pressed against my skin like a second heartbeat.I clung to Dorian for one long, anchoring moment - his forehead resting against mine, his strength flooding through me - before he drew back slightly and turned to face the crowd.He lifted our joined hands into the air, a silent declaration. The hall erupted again, voices raised not just in celebration but in submission, in devotion.I could feel it - a thousand threads connecting me to them now, warm and buzzing through my veins like liquid fire.Dorianâs voice cut through the noise, sharp and commanding."Let the celebrations begin."A thunder of approval answered him, and then music swelled - the first haunting notes of the traditional Lunaâs Dance.He turned back to me, a wicked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth."Shall we, my queen?"I laughed, breathless, still reeling from the storm raging inside me, but I nodded."Try to keep u
