~Tessa~ As much as Tessa wanted to stay in Dainin's bed all morning, there was a lot of work waiting for her at home. Dainin entered her life like a whirlwind of change, disrupting her usual strict schedule, and Tessa could feel herself falling behind. She even skipped last night's training to find him tracking something along his border. "Let's sneak out while he's sleeping," Tessa suggested, replacing her body with a pillow after slipping from his arms. She snickered when he pulled the pillow closer, inhaling her scent in his sleep. "Our mate is adorable," her wolf sighed. They both admired the way his tanned muscles flexed across his bare back to his glorious ass beneath the sheet. A soft moan passed her lips and Tessa found herself reaching out to pull the cloth lower, needing to see the hidden treasure, but froze, inches away when Dainin moved. "Get it together," Tessa scolded herself, quickly getting dressed to leave the room before she jumped him. She never thought in a mi
~Tessa~ Tessa woke up to the sensation of rocking in a soft comforting sway. She felt secure and opened her eyes to find her mate's toned, tanned chest. His sweet citrus scent pulled her in closer. "I guess someone's awake," Dainin chuckled, placing Tessa's feet on the ground. He towered over her and his larger hands enveloped her own in a gentle grasp."Why didn't you wake me up," he asked, laying his head in the crook of her neck. Reality set in and Tessa's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Her behavior from earlier was demeaning and he was never meant to see her that way. On instinct, Tessa turned away in shame. "I can only imagine how neurotic I look right now," she thought, wanting to run, but Dainin's hand caressed her cheek, pushing the matted hair away from her face. "Tessa, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but please don't feel ashamed. I will never judge you for having emotions," he assured her, softly kissing her forehead. "You're safe with me." Tessa'
~Dainin~ Memorizing the feeling of Tessa’s touch, and the way she felt in his arms, helped Dainin gain full control of his wolf. If the Moon Goddess was watching over them, this was a cruel joke she played. “A lifetime together isn’t long enough,” he thought, breathing in her scent, knowing they'd soon be scouring every inch of this forest for those filthy Rogues that dared threaten Tessa's life. "I will admit, they were barely a threat to her. Did you see the way she took them down?” His wolf was impressed and Dainin's chest swelled with pride. The strength and skill Tessa displayed were breathtaking, but she was still his mate. Anyone who wanted to harm her would pay with their lives. "How could John do this to her? He was her father's best friend and now he wants to take over Blue Ridge by any means necessary," Dainin questioned, but his wolf was silently trying to make sense of it all himself. One thing was certain, neither of them was willing to stand by and watch their mate be
~Tessa~ Tessa woke up to the blinding rays of the mid-morning sun. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and found she was alone in her eerily quiet room. “If only I never got out of bed this morning,” Tessa thought to her wolf, who only whined in a pained response. They both wished they remained safely in bed with their mate and were none the wiser to this new brutal truth. Stretching her limbs, Tessa’s body felt refreshed, but her mental state was sluggish and drained. Her heart was screaming at her to avoid everything and just get back in bed, but Tessa knew she couldn’t hide like a coward. With a deep breath, she threw the comforter off and rose from the bed. The soft, thick fabric of her robe fell around her body, hiding her shaking frame, but she welcomed the protective layer after being emotionally stripped raw earlier that morning. Thankfully, she already felt her courage being restored with the new purpose of revenge. Taking her first steps, Tessa’s damp hair skimmed her ch
~Tessa~ The air was thick with humidity as Tessa looked over the warriors who lined the staircase of the packhouse. Their expressions reflected the anger burning within, but for now, everything needed to appear business as usual. “Everyone listen up. Greet all of our guests and escort them to their rooms immediately. While they settle in, Zander and Elijah will brief you on the extra security measures we will be taking during the meeting. If you have any questions report to them. Then gather in the ballroom for the official briefing before dinner. Understood,” she asked, meeting their eyes. “Yes Alpha,” they yelled proudly in unison. Gravel crunching in the distance signaled the brigade of cars were approaching with bright glares from the sun reflecting off their windshields. Tessa moved to the bottom of the staircase as the first SUV pulled up, eager to convince her allies to help her pack win. The greetings and small talk seemed to take forever, especially with the elders. They
~Dainin~The ballroom boomed with conversation as everyone settled in. Dainin and his pack leaders sat at their designated table in the front of the ballroom. Alan tried to lighten the mood, but Dainin couldn’t help but still feel sour about the encounter with Alpha Davis.“We shouldn’t be surprised that our mate had potential suitors,” his wolf said as he tried, but failed, to find the bright side of things. He was strangely calm about this whole situation.“I was just beginning to accept Elijah and now there’s Alpha Davis,” Dainin grumbled with his fists clenched on the table, glaring at Ronan from across the dance floor. “He’s lucky he’s been placed at a distance,” he growled to his wolf, but the sweet voice of his mate entered his mind, calming his anger.“Dainin, please stop shooting daggers across my ballroom. You, and only you, are my mate. There was never a chance it would have been any one of these Alphas. I swear,” Tessa declared, and Dainin turned his gaze to the head table,
~Dainin~Over dinner, the ballroom hummed with soft conversation amongst the tables. Many debated how John’s Rogue army traveled through their lands undetected. It was impossible for any living being, especially a large group of Rogues, to have no scent and make no sound. A few Alphas, with packs closer to the human towns, reached out to their allies asking if they’d noticed anything strange.“Let’s hope someone will have information to share soon,” Dainin’s wolf sighed. He was eager to know exactly what they were up against.Dainin watched a group of the newly appointed Alphas approach Tessa’s table with grave expressions. “I’m sure they didn’t expect their first conference to drop a war at their feet,” Dainin’s wolf pointed out.“Well, I guess this is one way to put their leadership skills to the test,” Dainin added, admiring Tessa's patience as she gave each of them her undivided attention. Many Alphas would never bother with helping another pack leader. They hoped a pack would fail
*Mature Content*~Tessa~Tessa felt the back of her legs connect with the mattress as their kiss became filled with passion. She attempted to reach for Dainin’s belt, but his hand caught her wrist in a firm hold. Nipping her lower lip between his teeth, Dainin pulled away with a growl that made Tessa’s heart beat wildly.“I’ll tell you when you can play,” he spoke low, forcing her to meet his heated gaze. When his hand released her wrist, she obediently left it at her side and closed her eyes. As a reward, Dainin palmed her ass, giving it a firm squeeze that sent her hips surging forward. “Good girl,” he praised darkly with a kiss, and goosebumps rose on her skin in response to his dominance.Through hooded eyes, Tessa watched him slowly unbutton his shirt, exposing his toned body, before dropping to his knees before her. He guided her hands over his chest to rest on his shoulders, allowing Tessa to admire every exquisite feature Dainin had. He seemed to be admiring her as well.Dainin