Chapter 2

~Tessa~

A bright flash of lightning and the pitter-patter of rain against her window woke Tessa from her restless sleep. She rolled to her side and checked the time on her phone. “Looks like I win again,” she muttered, waking long before her alarm once again, but the date caught her eye. 

“I can’t believe it’s been seven years. Now I know why my dreams were haunted by memories,” she sighed, missing her family, but she wouldn’t dwell on it. Nothing would have been accomplished if she kept herself trapped by despair, and ignoring her emotions has worked in her favor so far. 

Instead, Tessa threw the covers off her body and sat on the edge of her bed with her arms stretched above her head and her toes buried in the thick plush carpet. When her fingers failed to untangle the knots in her hair, she sighed in frustration and met her gaze in the mirror.

"An Alpha must be strong," she whispered and stood, walking into her bathroom. 

Her wolf gave a reassuring growl, feeling Tessa's anguish through their bond. It was moments like these Tessa loved having a wolf. She always knew how Tessa was really feeling, no matter how hard she tried to hide it on the outside.                   

After stepping into the shower, the hot water began releasing the tension trapped in Tessa’s body. It was just what she needed and as the steam rose, her mind drifted to the past once more, taking her back to her 18th birthday. The night she became an Alpha.  

***

“This is way too much,” Tessa gawked, seeing her Grandmother spared no expense in hosting the most extravagant Blood Oath Ceremony she’d ever seen. 

Crystal chandeliers hung throughout the packhouse, casting a mystical amber glow over the aerial acrobats entertaining the guests. An abundance of servers with every hors d'oeuvre and cocktail imaginable roamed the halls ensuring nobody had an empty glass or plate. 

“At least we won’t go hungry,” her wolf said, salivating over the aromas wafting through the packhouse, but Tessa was watching the hungry eyes of the unmated male wolves around her. 

Her body was adorned in a backless red silk gown that fell to the floor. The thin fabric hugged every curve and her hair was meticulously styled over one shoulder, exposing her bare, unmarked neck. 

“I feel like the last piece of dessert up for grabs instead of a new Alpha,” Tessa grumbled to her wolf, cringing when her Grandmother began praying beside her for the Moon Goddess to bring Tessa a mate that night.  

“Please don’t,” Tessa begged the Goddess, even though a rejection on her first night as Alpha would prove she was meant to be taken seriously. Her wolf agreed, too obsessed with thinking about their next meal.

The ceremony went by in a blur and as the night went on, Tessa couldn't deny her bold style worked to her advantage. Every unmated Alpha was instantly at her beck and call during the reception, ready to do anything she asked.

"Pathetic," she thought, growing tired of their advances. They all knew she wasn't their mate. None of them had an alluring scent like all mated wolves claimed to notice in their mate’s presence and she wasn't about to let any male, even her mate, dominate her that night or any other night. 

In the end, the party wasn't a total waste of time. Tessa felt a glimmer of hope when the mated Alphas showed her respect because of her family's legacy. New alliances were formed with packs her father could never persuade and new business deals were made that would financially benefit Blue Ridge for years to come. John was speechless when he saw the line of Alphas waiting in front of her office to finalize contracts that night. 

“Wow, and I didn’t even need a man at my side,” Tessa growled, enjoying the way John gaped like a fish at her words. She never forgot his comment during his conversation with her Grandmother the night she first shifted and it felt good to strike him speechless for once.

***

Stepping out of her steamy piece of heaven, Tessa wasted no time in wrapping herself in a towel and sent her Beta a mind link to get the day started. 

"Good Morning Cadence. Let’s meet in my office in thirty minutes," she ordered, toweling herself off before slipping into some lingerie.

"Of course, Alpha," came the quick reply from Cadence as Tessa walked into her closet.

"Nothing but efficiency from our Beta," she thought with pride.

Cadence was the epitome of motivation and work ethic. Her loyalty and determination caught Tessa's attention before she even graduated at the top of her class, earning the Beta position. But, that was as far as their relationship would go. 

Close relationships were a sign of weakness that put others in danger, so keeping distance between herself and the pack was the only way Tessa could guarantee she'd have no chinks in her armor that could be exploited. 

Just the thought of having friends who were obsessed with shopping, gossip, and the never-ending daydream of finding a mate made her cringe. Tessa was relieved her possessive mate hadn't found her yet and she was grateful for being born an Alpha. The excuse of being “too busy with pack business” always worked when her Grandmother tried to send her on a wild mate hunt. Tessa gagged at the thought of it. Thankfully, the Moon Goddess blessed her with a female Beta who had as much dedication to the pack as she did.

"Zander, come to my office too. We can go over the nightly report from the border patrol," she ordered through the link. 

"See ya in a few, Tess," he answered, his tone made Tessa picture him sending off a fake salute. 

Zander was her eyes and ears around the pack and one of the few wolves that could easily get through Tessa's tough demeanor, but being her cousin gave him a slight advantage. She was relieved he never showed his playful side to anyone but she and Cadence. The pack would think he had a few screws loose. Zander's looks alone struck fear into those around him. His strong features, tall masculine build, dark hair, and striking blue eyes caused even some Alphas to look away from intimidation.

Laughing to herself, Tessa styled her hair in effortless waves down her back then pulled up her sheer stockings before sliding her black knee-length pencil skirt over her hips. She completed her look with a lavender silk blouse and black blazer. After a once-over in the mirror, she slipped on her favorite red bottom heels and stepped out into the hall. 

Tessa's aura emanated power as she walked through the halls of her packhouse, only stopping to accept condolences from those she passed on her way to the office. When she opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see Cadence waiting for her.

As usual, her chocolate brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and she wore a pristine suit with black flats. Her green eyes glowed, eager to get down to business as she stood from the couch. 

"Good morning, Alpha. I spoke to the night patrol before arriving and everything went smoothly. No signs of Rogues," she explained, giving Tessa a kind smile.

Tessa nodded while motioning for Cadence to sit back down, "That’s great. Thank you. We’re just waiting for Zander. He’ll be here any minute," Tessa replied as she began sorting through files on her desk while they waited.

Moments later, Zander sauntered in wearing his casual gym attire. His hair was slicked back by a light sweat and his shirt was slightly drenched. "I didn’t give you enough time to work up your glam for this meeting," Tessa teased, looking over his outfit. 

Her cousin's eyes narrowed with a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Apologies, Alpha," he bellowed, bowing deeply with his hand low in front of his body. "I’ve been drilling the warriors for the Warrior exam and this morning was a tough one," he stated proudly and walked over to Cadence, making himself comfortable beside her. 

Tessa laughed to herself as she watched Cadence's nose scrunch in distaste, meanwhile Zander smiled at her with a wink before pulling her closer to his side. Tessa wasn't sure what the Moon Goddess was thinking when she destined them as mates.

"Okay, let's get started," Tessa spoke, pulling out a couple of files from the stack. "As we know, the Alpha and Beta of White Sand are due to visit from Arizona by the end of the week," she stated while opening the first folder.

Tessa presented the Beta's photo first, displaying a young man with tanned skin and hazel eyes. His brown hair was styled with short sides and a long top, which added to his youthful appearance.

"Alan Monroe has been the Beta of White Sand since his older brother took power six years ago. Alan was only seventeen. As the record states, he is highly skilled in combat training, much like you, Zander," she said, clearing her throat before continuing.

"We need to find out why they are leaving their territory and coming to Maine. This is where you come in Cadence. Show him around and gain his trust so we can find out the truth. I want to know if they're withholding any vital information," Tessa ordered but rolled her eyes when she heard a low growl from Zander.

She turned to him and met his darkened gaze with a blank expression. "Zander, please. If it makes you feel any better, you can stay close as long as you stay out of her way. If your jealousy is going to be a distraction, I'll come up with other ways to occupy your time," Tessa said, trying to mask her annoyance. 

Cadence placed her hand on his shoulder with a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to worry about love," she whispered gently, kissing his cheek. 

Zander instantly relaxed, releasing a sigh of defeat before crossing one arm over his chest. "I will not be a distraction, Alpha. I swear," he promised, bowing his head in respect and Tessa let it go, knowing he was always true to his word. 

"Very well. Now I need to review Alpha Monroe's folder and I'll brief both of you once I'm done,” she said, walking to the double doors. "Cadence, I need you to go over to the southern border and ensure they're prepared for White Sand's arrival," she finished, opening the door for her Beta.

"Of course, Alpha," Cadence agreed, moving past Zander with a narrowed glare. It seemed they were going to be talking about his grievances later.

Once Cadence left the room, Tessa turned toward Zander. "I want all the Warriors to step up their training every day, and that includes the Elites too," she ordered, walking over to the window to peer down at the training fields. She could see her warriors sparring with the younger pack members and a brief smile grew on her face before her serious expression returned. 

"I will not have this Alpha looking down on us. They will know we are not to be taken lightly," she growled, resting her hand on the cool glass.

"We won't let you down, Tessa. You can count on us." Zander swore, then retreated, leaving her alone in her office.

Tessa turned back to her desk, running her finger over the photo of her family. "And you can count on me," she promised.