~Dainin~ Dainin's mind raced with strategies of how he'd get Tessa away from her brother's body if things went south. She was already trying to free herself from his arms. He understood she wanted to help Milo in any way she could and was feeling helpless, but as Ingrid said, all they can do is wait. "Leah, what are you doing," Dainin asked through their pack link, cautiously watching the she-wolf approach Milo's pale lifeless body, but he was answered with silence. He also noticed Zander was struggling to hold Cadence back. Her darkened eyes were locked on Tessa, and it was clear she didn't like the way Dainin was handling her Alpha, even if it was for her own benefit. "Milo," Leah whispered, reaching the altar with her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "You won't do this to us, to your sister! You need to wake up, now," she yelled beside him. "You can't come back and tease us with the hope we may have a life together," Leah cried, throwing her body over his chest. Dainin felt

~Dainin~ Dainin’s anticipation only grew the longer they waited for Alan and Leah to arrive. “We shouldn’t be surprised he’s running late, and I’m sure Leah is the only reason he’s even on his way,” Dainin’s wolf sighed in disappointment. “His heart is in the right place. Alan may be a goof, but he despised our father’s carelessness as much as I did and worked hard to prove he deserved to be the Beta,” Dainin defended his brother, earning silence from his wolf. Even with all of Alan's quirks, Dainin knew he'd protect the pack with his life. He proved that on the day of the attack. The sudden thought of his father brought Dainin back to the days Tessa was recovering in the hospital. Alan had stopped by to visit her and it was the first time Dainin was alone with him since the night he went missing. He finally had a chance to tell him about their parent’s murder. “As sad as this is, we tried everything we could to protect them, Dain. Dad made his choice, and like always, his pride go

~Tessa~ Tessa’s frustration motivated her to find a way to convince everyone that she and Dainin were only joining their packs out of love. She knew the Werewolf Council would feel their plans didn't threaten the Alliance, but the thought of these few Alphas fearing such a thing enraged her. “Then they have the nerve to want my pack members transferred? They're probably intimidated because a male would be in power now too. Bastards,” Tessa growled under her breath while sifting through each file she had on the cowards. It didn’t take her long to notice the pattern. Each Alpha involved had been a suitor she refused to mate with. She was glad she followed her instincts and stayed away from them because they were not pursuing her with pure intentions. If their fathers hadn’t been family friends, Tessa would never have agreed to continue an alliance with them in the first place. There had been countless occasions where Blue Ridge was forced to bail them out of financial turmoil. Tessa

~Tessa~ Tessa felt restless as she watched heavy snowflakes descend from the sky. Thick grey clouds blocked out the sun, creating untimely darkness during the late morning which deepened the chill in the air. The scenery only disturbed the once beautiful atmosphere of winter, and the harsh wind caused the fur around Tessa's hood to dance against her skin, tickling her cheeks. She brushed it away and turned to Dainin, who stood tall beside her in his plain hoodie and jeans, his stoic features overshadowed by the overcast. When Tessa first laid eyes on his attire in their bedroom, Dainin raised his hand to stop her from commenting. "I know what you're going to say, but I'm not here to impress these animals," he growled before stalking toward the door. He paused for a moment with his hand hovering over the doorknob and glanced back at her. “You look beautiful,” he said with a gentle smile as his eyes traveled over her fitted maroon maternity dress, pausing to admire her midsection. T

~Dainin~ All chaos ceased immediately when an ominous growl echoed throughout the ballroom. Dainin watched Eric slam into the solid chest of a monstrous beast, knocking him to the ground. When the Alpha tried to escape, a clawed hand captured his throat, lifting him into the air. Once Eric stopped resisting, the wolf-like creature stood tall on two legs. Muscles rippled beneath a thin coat of black fur as it walked to the center of the room. Eric’s body carelessly swayed in its grasp like a doll being carried by a child. “This is no child. I wasn’t expecting to see a Lycan show up here,” his wolf muttered, cautiously observing the creature. Its snout twisted into a menacing sneer full of sharp teeth and rage swirled within the fiery golden hues of its eyes. The strong aura, permeating the air, had the vast space shrinking from its presence and nobody dared to even breathe. Dainin shifted back into his human form when the Lycan became more interested in Eric than the surrounding