Semua Bab The Beta and The Lost Heiress: Bab 21 - Bab 30

“What Mrs. Diana Falcone meant,” Charles Green, the lawyer, said quickly, “Is that there’s a term in the will. It states that the funds will be released sixty days after the reading — a standard protocol to allow time for any potential claims or challenges. So for now, the beneficiary, Tessa Valemont, cannot access the assets until that period is over.”“We all know where your loyalty lies, Charles. How do I know you didn’t forge this ‘term’?” Wraith asked.“My loyalty is to my job and that alone. There are signed copies as proof,” he said, clearly offended by the accusation.“Then what exactly is the purpose of this meeting?” Wraith asked.“We were hoping to have a talk with the girl,” Diana said.Wraith leaned back into his chair, allowing her to go on.The woman turned her attention to me. Up until now, I might as well have been invisible.“After much thought, we’ve put together a deal—one that would be to your favor and ours too.” She continued, flashing me a million-dollar smile.

Wraith joined us in the car, and we sped off.For the next twenty minutes, there was complete silence—until I finally had enough.“Aren’t you going to say something?” I asked, but Wraith remained silent.“What he said… was it true? Did you know we were mates years ago?”“Yes. I did.”That’s not the answer I wanted.“What do you want from me, Wraith? You want me to trust you, but how can I when you keep me in the dark? I can’t just trust you blindly.”“I’m not asking for your trust. Just believe I’ll keep you safe—that’s all you need to know.”“No. That’s not all I need to know. I know what the Callisters want—I know why they’re after me. But with you… I don’t even know you. I don’t know what you want from me. The only thing I know is what they told me.”A moment of tense silence passed between us.“You believe them?” he asked, jaw clenched. “You really think I want you in the pack just for the wealth?”“You’ve yet to give me a better explanation. I don’t even know what to believe.”“T

(— continuation —)My thoughts drifted to the Callisters—the people who had tried to kill me. I wouldn’t put it past them to engage in such sinister dealings.“The Callisters… do they do that? Steal people and sell them like they’re nothing but property?”“What do you think?” Wraith asked. “Human trafficking isn’t exactly frowned upon in my world. In fact, for many packs, it’s their main source of income.”“How can human trafficking be okay?” I snapped. “These are people with feelings, families, siblings—how can it be acceptable to just take them away?”“It’s not. But it’s been this way for centuries. Acts like that aren’t easily stopped.”In the warehouse, George had referred to me as nothing but a ‘breeder’. A haunting realization settled over me.“Is that what I am?” I asked. “Am I here just to bear your pups and then watch them be taken away from me?”It was all starting to make sense. Wraith had warned me to stay away from unmated males because, since I wasn’t yet marked, they wo

TESSAI was dreaming. I knew that, and yet it felt so real.Broken glass littered the floor—shards of the bottle scattered across the room. A man lay sprawled across my bedroom carpet, blood matted his hair.My mother stood frozen, staring at the unmoving body—eyes wide, hands trembling.“Tessa,” she calls. “Tessa, wake up!” Her voice was desperate now.And just like that, the nightmare dissolved, pulling me back to reality. The first strange thing I noticed was Wraith, dressed in a grey shirt and matching sweatpants, sitting on my bed. His hands held me gently, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he looked worried.Then I felt the tears sliding down my cheeks—I couldn’t even remember why I was crying.“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice soft. I blinked, wondering if this was just another dream.“What are you doing here?” I whispered. He didn’t reply right away.“You were screaming, Tessa. I thought you were being attacked or something, but when I came here, you were alone—you we

WRAITH’S POVI was in the meeting room with Jake, Rex, Angelina and a few other pack officials. Rex was speaking on the approaching full moon, but I might as well have been absent.My thoughts were on her. Tessa.She was still in the healing room… because of me.The thing about the marking process was that it stirred up a feral desire between both mates. But Tessa was human. It didn’t work the same way for her.I lost control. While she was in pain, all I could think about was ripping off her clothes and burying myself in her.From across the room, Angelina’s glare bore into me. She was mad—rightfully so. The moment the meeting was over, I headed for the exit, not wanting to spend a second longer here than I had to.I made my way to my office. I didn’t like being around people. I should have gotten used to it by now, being the Beta, but I hadn’t.My moment was cut short when someone walked in. Natasha. She shut the door behind her—with a little more force than necessary.“You left