Winning Over the Alpha

Chapter 28

~Tessa~

It felt like Tessa had been running through the forest for hours after being separated from Zander. After deciding to scratch a mark into each tree she passed, Tessa discovered she's been following the same path for four laps now, confirming her suspicions that magic was at play here. Somehow, she was trapped in an illusion and needed to find her way back to her territory.

Finding herself lapping the path for the fifth time, Tessa noticed the clouds finally began disappearing to reveal a pale moon and it felt like she had just been pulled out of a haze. "Alpha! Are you there?" Her Beta's voice screamed in her head, causing her wolf to wince and growl at the sudden intrusion, but they were grateful to finally hear a voice.

"Yes, I'm here," Tessa responded, relieved to find the scenery was finally changing. "Is everything okay? Is everyone safe," she asked in a rush as she made it closer to the clearing. She could just make out a line of warriors patrolling the border.

"Yes, Alpha. We couldn't pick up your scent anywhere. You've been missing for over an hour, but we found no signs of an intruder or an attack," Cadence replied. Tessa's worry only grew with this knowledge. If this witch could trap her in a loop, hide her scent, and cut off her connection to her pack, she was more powerful than they first believed.

When Tessa finally broke through the border, she was met with howls of relief as Warriors came up to greet her. "I'm okay, everyone. Keep your guard up. Witchcraft was involved in my disappearance," Tessa explained. The air surrounding them grew heavy as they connected the dots as she did moments ago.

"We'll beat this so don't be discouraged," she said, hoping her encouragement would keep their morale up. "If anything crosses the border, I want it captured and locked up for interrogation. Is that clear," Tessa directed and took off toward the packhouse once they agreed.

Cadence, Zander, and Elijah paced the steps waiting for her to arrive and Tessa quickly shifted back to her human form as the three approached her.

"Any word from Alpha Monroe and how his pack is doing," Zander asked with his face filled with concern.

Tessa's expression remained grim as she shook her head in response. She could feel her stomach churning at the thought of anything happening to Dainin after what she did. "It's too dangerous to send a scout alone to their territory. I wouldn't feel right asking anyone to risk it," Tessa sighed, running her hand over her face.

She was considering going herself, but Tessa knew it would be selfish to put herself in such a dangerous situation when her pack needed her most. "We have to do something," her wolf stated anxiously. She knew they wouldn't be able to concentrate without knowing White Sand and Dainin were safe.

Elijah cleared his throat before stepping forward. "Alpha, our pack needs you to stay here where it's safe. You're their main target and the pack needs your guidance," he said. "I will go to White Sand in your place with a handful of warriors and we'll report back immediately," Elijah volunteered before Tessa could argue.

She paced in front of the group contemplating the outcomes but was pulled out of her thoughts when Elijah's hands rested on her shoulders. He looked deep into her eyes and all she could see was courage.

"Tessa, this is what all the warriors and I have trained so hard for. My life's mission is to protect the pack," he paused, taking a step back. "Please, let us do this.".

Tessa was moved by his words and she could feel a presence behind her. She turned around meeting the eyes of eight warriors, standing tall and ready to fight.