All Chapters of Save Me, Claim Me: Chapter 111 - Chapter 119

Tessa POVWhen we stepped out of tent the cold bit through my coat like teeth. Ashmoon’s forests were darker than ours, thicker, like they’d swallowed light centuries ago and refused to give it back. But up ahead, flickers of flame licked the shadows. Firelight. Voices. Metal clinking on wood.Rylan walked a half-step behind me. His presence steady, silent. We’d crossed the border hours ago, and now the heart of Ashmoon’s warriors pulsed around us - lean shadows with hard eyes, hands never far from blades or the snarling wolves beside them.But they hadn’t attacked.Not yet.A clearing opened before us. Fires crackled in rings, warriors lounging beside them. Ale sloshed in iron mugs. Some cooked meat over open flame. Others just watched - curious, cautious, and not even pretending to hide their tension. Their Alpha stood at the center, tall, broad, dark hair pulled back, gaze cutting through me like a knife through silk.“Alpha of Ashmoon,” one of the guards announced.He didn’t bow.

Tessa POVThe dawn broke cold and gray, the sky a wash of muted blues and pinks behind the jagged trees of Ashmoon’s forest. The air was sharp and biting, but I welcomed it - better than the stifling tension that had been building in my chest all night.Kira was waiting by the edge of the training ground, her arms crossed and that scar on her cheek catching the pale light. Her gaze was unreadable - equal parts challenge and curiosity.“Late?” she asked.I smirked. “Ashmoon warriors don’t sleep in? Neither do Nightshade Lunas. I’m right on time.”She didn’t smile, but a flicker of something like approval softened her eyes. “Good. Let’s begin.”The training ground was an open clearing ringed by towering pines, with worn logs for seating and targets set up at varying distances. Around us, warriors stretched, sharpened blades, and exchanged quiet, assessing glances.I wasn’t here to charm anyone. I was here to prove I belonged.Kira led me through the first exercise - hand-to-hand combat,

Tessa POV The war map stretched across the table was made of thick hide, the markings etched in deep black ink - routes, terrain elevations, known Council outposts, and the thin line of the border where Nightshade’s forest met Ashmoon’s rocky hills.I stood at its center, hands braced on either side. My body ached from the day’s training, but my mind was alight - crackling with focus, energy, and the steady thrum of purpose.Rylan stood to my left, arms crossed but alert, his ever-watchful gaze scanning the map. Across from me, Alpha Ashmoon radiated his usual quiet intensity, one finger tapping a slow rhythm beside a drawn river line. Kira stood just behind him, gaze sharp and unwavering, the faintest tilt to her chin betraying her approval.“This ridge here,” I pointed, circling the elevation just north of the Council’s secondary supply line, “gives us visibility and access to both their route and our eastern flank. If we station scouts here and here - ” I moved my finger slightly

Tessa POV The steam from the hot springs curled around us like a living thing, weaving a veil of privacy even as the world beyond waited with bated breath.I stepped closer, drawn to him as if by some invisible thread. The heat of his body blended with the warmth rising from the water, a tantalizing contrast to the chill of the night air on my bare arms.His eyes flicked to my lips, then back to my eyes, searching - asking - daring me to meet him halfway.I swallowed hard, that delicious knot of anticipation twisting tighter. “I’m not afraid,” I said, my voice firmer this time.His hand slid from my cheek down to the nape of my neck, fingers threading into my hair. The world narrowed to just us - the scent of pine and earth, the sound of water lapping softly against stone, the pulse of his heartbeat against mine.Then he closed the distance, lips brushing mine in a slow, searing kiss that left me breathless and wanting more.I responded without hesitation, arms winding around his nec

Tessa POVThe late afternoon sun spilled a warm, amber light across the rugged borderlands where Ashmoon and Nightshade lands met, the trees standing tall like silent guardians of an ancient secret. The scent of pine mingled with faint smoke drifting from last night’s fires, reminders of the skirmishes that had already marked this land with blood and fire.I waited in a secluded clearing surrounded by shattered stones - the ruins of an old watchtower long abandoned but perfect for a private meeting. The jagged rocks underfoot were rough and cool, grounding me as the tight coil of tension inside me twisted ever tighter.Every breath I drew was deliberate, slow, as I tried to steady the storm swirling beneath my skin.The war was coming.I could feel it - like an electric pulse under my feet, a growl in my bones.When the snap of a twig echoed through the stillness, my head lifted, heart stuttering as I spotted him stepping through the shadows of towering pines.Dorian.He moved wit