Chapter 1

~Tessa~

The sun's rays forced their way through the darkness of night, awakening birds from their slumber. Their ethereal songs danced with the wind, starting a day where anything was possible. But nature was oblivious to the tragedy of the past and the lively birds never seemed to notice the young she-wolf crying alone in her room.

“An Alpha must be strong,” Tessa repeated under her breath, hoping the mantra would erase all of her sadness and self-doubt. “It’s almost been a year. Your family might be gone, but your pack needs you,” she reasoned, wiping the tears away. The reflection of her swollen, red eyes made her sick, but a familiar voice pulled her from her trance.

“Tessa Hayes, you’re late for training. John is already outside and it’s rude to keep him waiting on you,” her grandmother shouted, sounding very impatient.

“I’m coming,” Tessa called out, masking her emotions before racing out of her room and down the stairs. “I’d be lost without you, Gran,” she smiled, giving her a quick kiss goodbye before rushing out the door.

 

“What happened? Were you having a bad hair day or something,” John scoffed, glaring at his watch.

“At least I have hair,” Tessa thought, biting her tongue to stop herself from speaking her mind. She accepted his malice for being late, but his demeaning comments and attitude infuriated her.

“Ignore it for now. Despising John is nothing new, but Dad trusted him enough to watch over his family so he must be good for something,” she thought, taking calming breaths as she followed him to the main office of the packhouse.

John was still her Beta and with her father gone, he was the only person left to train her in managing pack protocol and politics.

After hours of reviewing contracts, and listening to conference calls, Tessa peered at the clock and saw it was finally time for combat training. She rushed out of the stuffy office to the open fields where her Uncle Tyler waited for her.

“Keep your guard up or you’ll find yourself running laps around the border until morning,” he growled after Tessa took a right hook to the jaw. The force sent her falling to the ground.

After pounding the dirt, Tessa wiped the blood from her lip with a smile and charged ahead. “Today is the last time I’ll be knocked to the ground,” she thought, using her new determination to take down her Uncle.

A few years passed and Tessa’s grandmother was giving her an earful over dinner. “What do you mean you graduated early? There are only a few months left of school. Instead of rushing through life you should be enjoying your youth, not locking yourself away in an office or throwing fists with warriors in the mud. How will you make friends your own age now?” 

“Gran, I’m not interested in spending time with girls my own age. The only wolves I need are my Beta and Gamma. I have more important things to worry about than the latest fashion trends or who kissed who behind the bleachers,” Tessa gagged, refusing to meet her grandmother’s worried eyes. “This was the best decision for everyone.”

Her grandmother didn’t see how Tessa’s strong aura intimidated her classmates. They began avoiding her like the plague, but their behavior didn’t bother Tessa one bit. Instead, it proved she was on the right path to achieve her Alpha dream. The next step was developing a strong defense which started at the bottom.

“Listen up, if we all work hard, Blue Ridge can be the strongest pack in the region. Our reputation will be our first line of defense, but we’ll need the skills to back it up. Are you ready,” she challenged the children who watched her with wide eyes.

Tessa expected to find fear staring back at her, but their expressions burned with excitement. The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation, and she swore her younger brother was among the group. Feeling his presence meant more to her than anything.

Her classes quickly caught her pack’s attention and soon both men and women of all ages joined her for training. All determined to learn how to fight and uphold their future Alpha’s expectations.

By the time her 17th birthday grew near, Tessa’s own training paid off. She broke every record held during the Warrior exam and was undefeated in her human form. Not a single pack member dared to dispute her claim as Alpha. The sheer pride, loyalty, and respect she felt rolling off her warriors buried the girl who used to cry alone in her room until she became a distant memory.

One night while Tessa laid in bed, she heard a clear conversation coming from the kitchen between John and her grandmother. “Do you think she can handle all of this alone,” her grandmother whispered, but it sounded like she was beside Tessa in the bedroom.

“Who knows. I think we’d better pray she finds her mate soon. A strong male figure is what this pack needs,” John mumbled, and Tessa became enraged.

She reached for her doorknob, ready to rush downstairs and curse him out when she crushed the metal knob in her hand like a piece of paper. “What the hell,” she thought, examining her palm when she caught a glimpse of her reflection.

Her dark hazel eyes glowed like embers and her muscles were more defined. “Am I taller,” she wondered, but a sudden urge to be outside sent Tessa rushing out the door.

A gorgeous full moon hung low in the sky, cascading a soft glow over the landscape. The air thrummed with a comforting sense of warmth and peace and Tessa found she couldn’t resist reveling in the sensation, until a bone snapped in her shoulder and searing pain overtook her body.

Tessa swallowed her agonizing screams. “An Alpha must be strong,” she repeated in her mind like a prayer. 

She felt her grandmother and John rush to her side. Both shouting words of encouragement and comfort, but Tessa couldn’t make them out over the sound of her bones breaking and blood rushing in her ears like a storm. Her vision blurred as she fell forward to the ground, shifting for the first time.

When she finally opened her eyes, Tessa saw the world in a new light. Her body was sore as she stood tall, digging her claws into the dirt, but she felt a pleasant connection with the earth and the need to run calling her name.

Before taking off for the woods, Tessa felt a presence at her side and found John looking over her form. He seemed surprised by her enormous towering frame. “Do you think I still need a male now, John,” she growled to herself.

“You truly are an Alpha,” he whispered, stepping back to bow his head in respect. Tessa huffed her approval, then walked off into the woods where she picked up the pace.

After a few blissful hours of running, Tessa relaxed by the lake near her home. Her reflection was breathtaking with her eyes glowing brightly in the moonlight. The feeling of peace returned to her body when she laid down and closed her eyes to finish making the sacred connection with her wolf.

“Deep breaths, in and out,” Tessa coached herself, trying to relax. It didn’t take long for her to hear a low growl resonate within the back of her mind.

With a final breath, her wolf’s sultry voice filled her thoughts. “We are finally one.”

Tessa released a powerful howl to the Moon Goddess as thanks for this blessing. The peaceful forest erupted with a joyous response from her pack and her mind-link was flooded with congratulations. Her wolf was the final step in becoming the Alpha she was meant to be.