Winning Over the Alpha

Chapter 12

~Dainin~

On the patio, Dainin was greeted by a short woman who engulfed him in a hug. "Finally," she exclaimed as she pushed herself away, to get a better look at him. "It's about time you found her. Goddess knows this child wasn't much help," she scolded, glaring at Tessa.

"She was worth the wait, Miss," Dainin admitted, smiling down at the elderly woman. She simply laughed as a blush crept up her cheeks.

"Oh please, call me Lori. I'm Tessa's Grandmother," she smiled, and her eyes were lit with affection. It was just like looking into Tessa's golden hues.

Lori took Dainin's wrist and led him to a table with an abundant spread of pastries. "This all looks delicious. Thank you for putting in so much effort for my sake," he thanked her, earning him a fit of giggles.

"Please, don't encourage her. She has a huge ego already," Tessa whispered. Dainin tried to contain his chuckle but failed when Lori shot Tessa another playful glare and slapped her arm.

"Let the boy say what he wants. Compliments are what keep me so young," she said, laughing to herself.

"I like this woman," Dainin's wolf snickered at her spunk.

Lori released her grip on his wrist when they reached the table. Surprisingly, there were two men present who stood as he approached. "Hello, I'm Alpha Dainin Monroe," he introduced, extending his hand to the closest man, who looked to be in his forties. Dainin didn't miss the intimidating scar running down his right cheek.

"I'm Tyler, Zander's father, and Tessa's Uncle. Welcome to Maine," he smiled kindly before returning to his seat.

The next man did not attempt to introduce himself and Tessa seemed to share Dainin's confusion. "This is John. He was my father's Beta and one of the people who helped train me after his passing," Tessa stated, her tone full of contempt.

For Tessa's sake, Dainin chose to ignore the older male's disrespectful manner. "You and her father did a great job. Tessa is one of the best Alphas I've ever met," Dainin said truthfully, getting a curt nod from John in response while Tyler sported a proud grin.

The rest of their luncheon was pleasant, but Dainin could tell Tessa was not happy with John's behavior. Besides that, he could already tell Lori accepted him by the number of embarrassing stories she shared when Tessa was young. It was only a matter of time before Lori pulled out the baby photos.

Dainin heard Tessa sigh in relief when Tyler changed the subject, clearly noticing she was becoming uncomfortable and embarrassed. Seeing her out of the Alpha role for a change was refreshing.

                                                                                              ***

After helping Lori clean up in the kitchen, Dainin noticed Tessa was having a heated conversation outside with John. He wanted to eavesdrop, but Lori was still deep in conversation, oblivious to what was happening on the patio. She finally noticed something was going on when John shifted into his grey wolf and ran into the woods.

Dainin searched for Tessa, finding her approaching the house with a cold and blank expression. "Let's not pressure her to talk about it. She'll open up to us in her own time," his wolf suggested. It took everything Dainin had to keep his mouth shut, but he knew his main priority was to make sure Tessa was okay.

Tessa stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her and her regretful expression made his heart sink. "That doesn't look good," Dainin thought to his wolf, who whimpered with worry. He was unable to pull his eyes away from hers when Lori broke the silence.