Winning Over the Alpha

Chapter 17

~Tessa~

Tessa woke up to the sensation of rocking in a soft comforting sway. She felt secure and opened her eyes to find her mate's toned, tanned chest. His sweet citrus scent pulled her in closer. "I guess someone's awake," Dainin chuckled, placing Tessa's feet on the ground. He towered over her and his larger hands enveloped her own in a gentle grasp."Why didn't you wake me up," he asked, laying his head in the crook of her neck.

Reality set in and Tessa's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Her behavior from earlier was demeaning and he was never meant to see her that way. On instinct, Tessa turned away in shame. "I can only imagine how neurotic I look right now," she thought, wanting to run, but Dainin's hand caressed her cheek, pushing the matted hair away from her face.

"Tessa, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but please don't feel ashamed. I will never judge you for having emotions," he assured her, softly kissing her forehead. "You're safe with me." Tessa's eyes were locked on the ground, but she reluctantly met his gaze.

"My feelings aren't important right now," she scolded herself, forcing her body out of Dainin's embrace to sit on a fallen tree. As a neighboring Alpha, Dainin needed to know everything before they reached the packhouse, and this was the perfect time to gather her thoughts.

"Dainin," she paused, pushing down the nausea building in her throat. "John betrayed me. He betrayed Blue Ridge and is planning an uprising," she choked out the news as if it were suffocating her.

Dainin didn't speak, but Tessa knew he heard her by his dark expression. "I wish that was the worst of it, but there's more," she admitted, her fists clenched in her lap.

"What did he do," he growled through gritted teeth, fighting to control his wolf, but reached over to give Tessa's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Looking out into the empty forest, Tessa's mind pictured John watching them with a menacing smile."Not only has he teamed up with Rogues to overthrow me, but somehow he was involved with the attack on your pack in Arizona," she paused, collecting her thoughts. "I'm not sure why John would have anything to do with your pack, but I have a feeling he wasn't acting alone."

Dainin shook his head in confusion and his eyes clouded over. "He must be talking to his wolf," Tessa's wolf chimed in after remaining silent for so long. John's betrayal was the last thing either of them expected.

"I should have caught on sooner. He had been traveling a lot during the last couple of months and always requested to go alone. That should have been a red flag," she scolded herself, disgusted with her lapse in judgment.

"We can't blame ourselves for this. John was trusted, without a doubt, by everyone in the pack. They would have thought we were crazy if we questioned his loyalty," her wolf assured her, but her words didn't ease her guilt.

"Well, our trust practically brought an army of Rogues to our doorstep and none of us noticed," she growled, ashamed of herself, but the feeling of Dainin's hand on her thigh brought her out of her thoughts.

"I'm so sorry, Tess," he spoke quietly, his thumb mindlessly running over the thin fabric of her leggings. The sparks from their bond warmed her body and his soft gentle voice gave her goosebumps, easing the pain in her heart.

"I should be apologizing to you. I was concerned about White Sand being a threat to us, but my negligence put you and your pack in danger," she growled, bringing her hand up to caress his cheek. Her thumb grazed over the short hairs of his five o'clock shadow, but she noticed his expression held worry.

"What is it," she questioned, but Dainin pulled away, running his hand frustratingly through his hair. Tessa was surprised and confused when he stood, turning away from her with his body tense.

"I should have told you the moment you found me in the woods last night," Dainin muttered, facing her once more with his fists clenched at his sides.

"After our training session yesterday, I saw someone watching me from the edge of the forest," he paused, gauging her reaction. Tessa only nodded for him to continue.

"I couldn't pick up their scent or make out who they were from where I was standing, but I should have alerted you instead of keeping it to myself," he said, and when his eyes met hers, she saw they were full of regret.

"If I told you there was a possible Rogue sighting you would have never been out alone this morning. If something had happened to you, I would never forgive myself," he growled. His body began to shake and Tessa noticed Dainin's breathing was heavier and his eyes dark with his wolf shining through.

Tessa stood quickly, forcing her arms around his waist as her head rested on his heaving chest. "Shhhh, I'm here and I'm okay. I won't travel alone again. I promise," she swore, placing soft kisses upon his chest as her hands drew small calming circles.

Dainin pulled her impossibly closer, breathing in her scent as if it would be the last time. Hearing this information made it clear to Tessa that for their relationship to work they needed to learn how to confide in one another. It would be difficult, but she was hopeful.