Winning Over the Alpha

Chapter 19

~Tessa~

Tessa woke up to the blinding rays of the mid-morning sun. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and found she was alone in her eerily quiet room. "If only I never got out of bed this morning," Tessa thought to her wolf, who only whined in a pained response. They both wished they remained safely in bed with their mate and were none the wiser to this new brutal truth.

Stretching her limbs, Tessa's body felt refreshed, but her mental state was sluggish and drained. Her heart was screaming at her to avoid everything and just get back in bed, but Tessa knew she couldn't hide like a coward. With a deep breath, she threw the comforter off and rose from the bed.

The soft, thick fabric of her robe fell around her body, hiding her shaking frame, but she welcomed the protective layer after being emotionally stripped raw earlier that morning. Thankfully, she already felt her courage being restored with the new purpose of revenge.

Taking her first steps, Tessa's damp hair skimmed her cheek, reminding her of the sweet way Dainin cared for her before she fell asleep. His large rough hands carefully washed the grime away until her skin was spotless. She had never been treated so delicately before and pulled her robe tighter to inhale the lingering remnants of Dainin's scent.

She yearned to be securely wrapped in his arms again, listening to his endless promises. "You're safe with me." His words from the woods warmed her chilled body. As a protector, the concept of wanting to be protected was new to her, but now wasn't the time to surrender.

Tessa picked up the picture of her family, sending them a silent apology. "We will avenge you properly," she seethed. Their murderer lived a life of luxury for too long, manipulating and betraying all who trusted him. It disgusted her.

"He and his followers will die in the end. An eye for an eye," her wolf growled, making goosebumps rise all over Tessa's body at the sound of her tone. They both agreed John would know the meaning of pain by the time they were done with him.

With a fresh sense of determination, Tessa walked to the bathroom, splashing cold water over her face to soothe the burning sensation in her eyes. "Aren't we a ray of sunshine," she grimaced at the sight of her horrid reflection, then began applying her makeup to hide the dark circles around her eyes.

It was obvious she had been crying, but the other Alphas needed to see her strength, not her weakness when they arrived today.

As Tessa dried her hair, the bathroom door swung open with a gust of air rushing behind her. The room became filled with her mate's scent, adding an instant sense of calm around her. She smiled shyly, meeting Dainin's wide eyes in the mirror, and noticed his heavy breathing began to slow with a sigh of relief.

Dainin moved behind her, holding her eye contact through the reflection, but Tessa was confused by the sly smirk on his face. Looking around, she noticed the hair dryer was still wildly blowing her hair around and they both broke out in laughter as she turned it off to place it on the counter.

"I'm relieved to see you're up and smiling," he muttered softly, leaving a kiss against her neck. With his large hands resting on her hips, Dainin turned her body around and engulfed her in a warm hug. Tessa didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist. She wanted this moment to never end.

"How could I sulk in bed all day after you took such great care of me," she teased, feeling Dainin bury his face further into the crook of her neck.

Pulling herself out of his embrace, Tessa gently placed her palm against his rough cheek and looked into his eyes. "In all seriousness, thank you. I needed that," she admitted, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I needed you," she whispered as her hand moved up behind Dainin's neck.

She pulled him close, placing a gentle kiss against his lips, intending to keep it innocent, but his touch lit a fire within her, morphing the light kiss into one of passion. Dainin's hands traveled down her back finding their way to her ass where he hoisted her up onto the counter.

His hips filled the space between her legs and she groaned at the feeling of his erection pressed against her thigh. Their passion grew when Dainin moved his hand inside the front of her robe, skimming up her stomach to her bare breast. He released a low growl as his hand caressed her supple skin causing her nipples to peak beneath the weighted fabric.

Tessa's hand dove into the front of Dainin's shorts, eager to reach his member, until Zander's invaded her mind. "Alpha, our guests just crossed the border and will be at the packhouse in 10 minutes."

"Why didn't we block everyone out," her wolf growled at the interruption. Tessa rolled her eyes, giving Dainin a single stroke before pulling her hand away.

She could see confusion cross his face and she sighed in defeat, resting her forehead against his shoulder. "Zander said the Alphas will be here soon, so we need to get ready," Tessa stated breathlessly and attempted to move away.

Before she could move off the counter, Dainin grabbed a handful of hair at the base of her neck and pulled her head to the side, exposing her mark. Tessa cried out in pleasure when he suddenly sank his fangs into her skin, sending a wave of heat throughout her body.

After a moment, Dainin licked the wound closed and Tessa shivered at the sensation. "Just so they all know you're mine," he growled lowly in her ear, placing a kiss on her fresh mark. If any other male tried this stunt of dominance, they would have met her fist then the floor, but Dainin's finesse and confidence always left her speechless and wanting more.

Tessa bit her bottom lip as she watched him walk out of the bathroom. "Can't we just cancel the meeting," her wolf asked, anxiously wanting to finish what they started.

"Don't worry. I'll make time for him later," Tessa promised, following Dainin. She ran to her closet but paused to sneak a glance at her mate as he buttoned his black shirt. Her eyes trailed down his body, finding his jeans hanging dangerously low and unbuttoned at his hips.

A blush rushed to her cheeks at the lewd thoughts entering her mind and she quickly closed the door to stop herself from jumping him. When she heard Dainin's playful laughter echo through her room, she mentally slapped herself for being so weak around him.

"You wait," she sent through their link, but that only made him laugh louder. It was music to her ears.

"I'm looking forward to it," he responded cheekily.

Tessa rolled her eyes and quickly dressed in a soft peach sleeveless blouse with white skinny jeans and nude heels. She reapplied her clear gloss and wore her hair in a top knot with her soft waves falling down her back.

"Alpha, they'll be approaching the packhouse shortly," Zander updated her.

"I'll be right down. Thank you," Tessa replied, looking herself over one last time in the full-length mirror.

"Are you ready for this," she asked her wolf, willing her Alpha confidence to the surface during this heart-breaking time.

"Let's do this," she responded, flashing herself through Tessa's eyes, and with a deep breath, she walked out of the closet where Dainin took her hand with a smile.

"You look beautiful, Tess," he said, kissing her cheek before walking through the packhouse together.

At the front door, Cadence and Zander waited for them with grim expressions. "It will be okay," Tessa assured them, placing a hand on both of their shoulders. When she saw tears forming in Cadence's eyes she gave her a small smile. On the way downstairs, Dainin shared that Cadence notified the pack of the news, which explained why the packhouse was so quiet. This day showed Tessa that she and her Beta were not made of stone.

Pausing in front of the door, Tessa sent out a mind link to her pack, "I know we are all hurt after hearing about this unexpected betrayal, and I apologize I couldn't deliver the news to you myself, but we will avenge the late Alpha and Luna as well as my brother. Their murder will not be in vain. We will have our revenge," she declared and after a moment of silence, Tessa was swarmed with a chorus of howls as her pack swore to avenge their fallen leaders.

Her chest filled with pride, and she looked to Zander who gave her a nod of approval. "We are with you to the end whether these other Alphas agree to help or not," he swore bowing his head.

"Thank you," she said, then finally opened the door.