I slid down the wall to the ground.
I had thought I had no more tears left to shed, but how wrong I was.
She had promised me. She told me she would stay with me this time. That she wouldn't leave when things got tough.
Foolish Tessa. Of course, I let her in again, even though I knew she never kept her promises. Still, I was naive enough to believe her—just as I had blindly trusted Kelvin.
Maybe I was the problem.She was my mother, my only family. She was all I had. I couldn’t give up on her, but then… What kind of mother does this to her own child?
I had been ready to go the extra mile to put food on both our tables, even if most children have their parents working to feed them. It had always been the other way around for me, but I never complained. I rose to the task, and yet… it still wasn’t enough. Nothing would ever be enough—not when it came to her.
.
Seven text messages from Bree.
Two from Madame Victoria, my employer—probably to fire me, as if I didn’t have enough on my plate.
I ignored both messages.
I just wanted to be alone right now, but of course, that too was too much to ask.
My screen lit up with a call. The phone kept ringing, over and over again.
With a sigh of frustration, I picked up the call without checking the caller ID.
“Bree, this is the wrong time…”
It wasn’t Bree calling.
“Am I speaking to Tessa Valemont?” a male voice, unfamiliar and formal, questioned.
I stared at the caller ID; it was an unsaved number.
“Yes, you are,” I answered after a moment of hesitation.
“My name is Charles Green. I’m a lawyer with Callister & Wells Law Firm. I’m calling to inform you that your name has been listed in the late Mr. Falcone Callister’s will. According to its terms, you’ve inherited three-quarters of his estate.”
I stared at my phone, dumbfounded.
“Sorry, who is Mr. Falcone?” I asked, there was silence on the other end. “Hello?”
“You don't know who he is?” the caller, Charles, questioned, and I could sense the surprise in his voice.
“No. I don’t.”
“That’s strange. But your name was mentioned in his will, and we would need to meet to settle the matter as soon as possible. I’ll send you an address…”
“There must be some mix-up. I don’t think you have the right person. I’m sorry to hear about Mr. Callister’s death, but I don’t know him.”
There was another pause.
“Can you confirm your details for me? Your mother’s name is Rachel Valemont. You currently live in apartment 14A of the Old Holt, Seattle. You’re five foot six, with curly blonde hair and brown eyes. Age: 22.
Do I have the right person?”
The mention of my mother’s name sent a sharp throb through my chest. I didn’t think she deserved to be called my mother. No—she didn’t deserve anything.
“What did you say your name was again?”
“Charles. Charles Green.”
The name didn’t ring any bells, nor did the name Callister.
Mom never spoke of any relatives, and I often wondered if we had any. My father had died right before I was born—that’s what Mom had always told me. So, who the hell was this man, Callister, and why was I part of his will?
…
Charles kept his word and sent the address where we were to meet.
I knew I should have told someone about this, maybe Bree, but I didn’t want her worrying about me any more than she already was. I also knew better than to wander off to strange locations alone, yet that was exactly what I was doing.
Call it curiosity, or maybe the fact that I had nothing left to lose.
I parked across the street from the mansion-like building. My rusty car stood out like a sore thumb. I double-checked the address to be sure I was in the right place. This was definitely it.
Now I regretted my choice of clothing. I wore a simple light blue gown that clung to my frame, and my hair was hastily thrown into a bun.
I was sure that once I got there, they'd realize there’d been a mix-up and I wasn’t the right person.
I was just about to cross the street when a sleek black car came to an abrupt stop in front of me. The back door flew open.
“Get in,” said a voice that sent chills down my spine.
Every instinct in me screamed to run—and I did.
I turned on my heel and sprinted back toward my car, heart pounding in my chest. But I didn’t make it far.
The man was out of his car in an instant. Before I could even scream, his hand clamped over my mouth.
I kicked and thrashed, trying to break free, but it was useless. He was strong. Very strong.
In one swift motion, he dragged me backward and shoved me into the back seat of his car.
I shouldn’t have come here alone. I should have told Bree.
But of course, I had to make another stupid mistake, and this time, it might cost me my life.Then I saw his face in the rearview mirror.
Stormy grey eyes.
The same grey eyes I’d seen in my dreams ever since that day at the restaurant.
It was him.
Wraith.
TESSA’S POVWraith had challenged Rex. Despite the fear rising in my chest, part of me was still filled with respect—respect for Wraith and what he had done.I’d seen him in many lights, but this part of him was… different.Logan had left with Wraith, and now I held Falcone at gunpoint.Inside, my heart swelled with pride. Wraith believed in me enough to do this. He didn’t treat me like a weakling; he made me part of his fight.“How the tables have turned,” Falcone breathed. A strained, uneven laugh escaped him. “I could have sworn it was all going according to plan—could have sworn that there was no way things could go wrong… but I guess I thought wrong.”“Stop talking.” I warned.“We might have started on the wrong footing—”I shot.I’d aimed for his head but missed and the bullet grazed his arm instead.He let out a string of curses.“Your fate is in my hands now, and so perhaps you should shut the fuck up!”Just then, Logan reappeared, surrounded by a mist of smoke, his gaze snapp
WRAITH’S POVI aimed the gun at Rex as I rose to my feet. I didn’t trust him—not with that weapon.“You didn’t mention bringing the Fortifier. I take it that’s why you requested the manufacturers’ names, you wanted the weapon for yourself.”“Would you rather I let you continue with the brawl? This way is safer, and quicker.”My eyes drifted to Falcone, drenched in sweat, his breathing labored, yet somehow still conscious.The plan had been to face Falcone together, but Rex had disappeared after the bomb went off. I had the idea he was letting us fight it out, waiting for the moment he could swoop in and take us both out and be done with it.“I don’t trust you with that weapon.” I stated.“How fast the night changes, eh?” Rex said before tossing the weapon to the ground and kicking it to the furthest part of the room. “Now you’re the one with the weapon. I told you I’d help, and I intend to. I’ll handle Falcone, go get your girl.”I lowered the gun and turned to Tessa.“Wraith,” she w
He’d branded me, like I was some animal.I had expected this; I knew just how inhumane Falcone was, and yet, the reality was even scarier.At some point, Bree had given up pounding against the door; now her silent cries were all that could be heard.“If I were you,” Falcone said, “I’d stop hoping. I see it in your eyes—you’re still clinging to an illusion. Down here, I choose whether you live or die. Your fate is in my hands, I’m the only thing you should believe in.”“You do not scare me, Falcone; none of your threats do.”“Perhaps you’ve lived so long with the wolves, you’ve forgotten your own true identity.”“I am Tessa Valemont. Mate to Beta Wraith. I know exactly who I am. But you… tell me, Falcone—who are you? You were marked as dead, stripped of your own name. Now you’re nobody.”“A human with a strong spirit. I can finally see what the Beta saw in you. This might turn out to be more fun than I anticipated.”“Go to hell.”“I’m sure there’s a section already designed for me ther
TESSA’S POVI didn’t know how much time had passed—hours? Maybe even a day?The only proof I had to tell the time gone by was my growling stomach.The metal door groaned, and a small compartment near the bottom opened. A tray of food was pushed inside before the panel slammed shut.Bree stood, fetched the tray from the door, and returned.My mouth watered from the aroma. There wasn’t much on the tray, just two plates of chicken soup and two plastic party-cups filled with water.“He never brings me food like this. It’s always bread and water—always.” Bree said. “I… don’t think we should eat this; it might be poisoned.”“I don’t think Falcone wants us dead just yet, Bree.” I reminded her, and her eyes flashed with fear. Of course she’d brushed off Falcone’s words earlier, but I knew she still thought about it.Bree was right to be cautious, the food might indeed be drugged, but staying hungry would likely give the same result. “We’ll need our strength if we are going to leave this plac
JAKE’S POVI rarely left my wing. Most of my time was spent lost in thought; the rest was spent driving around the city in search of Angelina.Wraith had told me not to make a move, that he’d handle it, but what if something had happened?And then there was the thought I kept shoving aside—the possibility that she was already dead.I caught the faint sound of footsteps and turned to see Natasha standing by my door.“I knocked, but there was no response.” She explained, before walking in. A flicker of pity passed through her eyes. I wonder what exactly she saw—perhaps it was the lifeless man I imagined I looked like.“The soldiers reported an intruder; he’ll be crossing the pack boundaries shortly.We should go find out who this person is and what they want.”“You should go. I have some things to attend to.”“Like what? Taking another drive round the fucking city? We both know you wouldn’t find her in any of those houses.” “At least it’s better than sitting in here doing nothing!”“Yo
WRAITH’S POVThe first thing I did was head straight to the address on the back of the picture. A café. The owner said some stranger had paid him a ridiculous amount to rent it for a few hours.The stranger claimed it was to impress a love interest, so he’d agreed.The café was a dead end, and so I’d returned back to the hotel to get the camera footage, and on my way out a staff member had approached me.She’d informed me of the conversation she’d had with Tessa right before she left. She’d said Tessa had looked so troubled she’d been prompted to ask, and was told she’d just received sad news—but that was all she could get out of her.Now I sat in my car, replaying the footage over and over again on my tab.I watched Tessa hurry to the private elevator, only to realize it needed a passkey. Frustrated, she’d returned to the suite, only to leave again—but this time she’d used the regular elevator, but other than that, there were no other clues to where she might be.In the footage, the