Chapter 3

Tessa’s POV

It was a long walk, but I managed to drag my exhausted body all the way home. I got in the shower and changed into my night clothes, ready to go to bed, until I heard a knock at my door.

“I need to talk to you,” my father gruffly said before his footsteps disappeared down the stairs.

With a deep sigh, I followed after him. He sat in his chair in the living room and eyed me over his glass of gin. The joyful glint in his eyes made me uncomfortable because most things that made him happy tended to bring me great discomfort.

“I’ve secured a very special opportunity for you.” I looked at him, confused, and he was eager to fill in the blank spaces. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll work as a maid at the pack house.”

I gaped at him in shock. “What? Why?”

“To get you in the same vicinity as Eric, of course,” he replied as though it was obvious.

I glared at my dad. “He doesn’t want me around him!”

Why should I be the one to compromise for his sake? I wanted to reject him, and yet they see me as the one who’s thirsty for a mate! How infuriating!

Dad snorted. “He’s only saying that because of Paige. Trust me. He wants you as bad as you want him.”

I flushed but chose not to comment on the part about wanting Eric.

“He’s trying his best to resist it for now, but he’ll be more ragged by tomorrow. If you can just catch him alone, then there’s a good chance he’ll be overwhelmed by the pull of the mate bond and mark you at once.” Dad finished with a manipulative smile that disgusted me.

“This is crazy. I’m not doing it!”

His face changed immediately. “You’ll do it if you know what’s good for you.”

I scowled, and he glared back at me.

“What’s wrong with you? This is for your own damn good. What kind of life do you think you’ll have as an omega in this kind of world? Not to mention when you can’t even fucking shift!”

I froze upon hearing that.

“You’re a huge disgrace, you know that? You should be thankful enough that the moon goddess gave you a powerful mate; seize it, your stupid weakling!” he added, completely frustrated.

That’s right. I couldn’t shift to my wolf form despite being able to feel and talk to my wolf. At the age of sixteen, we should be able to shift already, but for me, nothing.

It’s as if all the unluckiness was poured on me when it rained with luck.

I sighed and clenched my hands upon hearing my father’s words. I didn’t buy it even for a second, and this had nothing to do with my good. It was all for him and his stupid ambitions.

Without another word, I stomped back up the stairs.

“The job starts at eight in the morning sharp, but you leave here by seven-thirty. Don’t be fucking late.” He called behind me before I slammed my room door.

The next day, at seven-thirty, my father all but bundled me inside the car and drove me to the pack house. I grumbled the entire time, but I could do nothing except come down and walk into the house under his watchful stare.

I was handed into the care of the Housekeeper, Mrs. Willis, who narrowed her eyes up and down at me and snapped at a maid nearby to give me a uniform.

After changing, I slipped back into the kitchen, relieved to see that Luna Peige was nowhere in sight. I perched on the far side of the counter, away from the rest of the maids, and listened to their chatter.

My spine straightened when I realized the topic of discussion. The Dark Lord had struck yet again!

“Which pack was it this time?” One of them questioned the other.

“Fairseed pack. They say he killed a lot of their males and made off with almost half the females. My father says the whole pack is in shambles. Their Luna was taken captive, and the Alpha was badly injured.”

Some of the girls gasped. “Well, it’s their own fault for not seeking protection under Alpha Eric. He would have had more men posted on his pack lands, and maybe they could have helped them fight.”

“I don’t think there’s any stopping this fight, Sarah. The Dark Lord doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. Much less mercy. Even the Bronts Pack couldn’t stand against him. Do you think our Alpha can? I’m sure he’ll invade us soon.” Another girl spoke with evident distress in her very tone.

As she spoke, I felt a shiver of fear run down my spine. I must have made some noise, or maybe they caught my scent because one of them gestured to the other, and their voices suddenly grew quiet as they glanced in my direction.

They began to furiously whisper between themselves, glancing occasionally at me. I caught a few words like ‘mistress’ and ‘home wrecker,’ but I kept my gaze straight ahead, ignoring the blush of shame that blossomed on my cheeks.

“Have you girls got nothing better to do than gossip?” Mrs. Willis reentered the room, and the girls quieted, standing immediately at attention.

“You two.” She snapped her fingers in one corner, and the two she was talking about perked up. “You have the kitchens today.”

“Sarah can start in the east wing and Lisa in the West.” She turned her steely eyes to me. “You. Come with me. I have somewhere in particular for you.”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

Knowing my father, he would have arranged to have me put somewhere Eric was bound to notice. Like, I thought with widening eyes, recollecting the House’s layout and his study.

“Please don’t assign me to the Alpha’s study. Let me take the east wing, please.”

Hell, I would even take both wings if it meant being away from them.

“No can do. Your father was very specific with his words,” she said. I cursed silently and sighed, accepting my miserable fate.

“What’s his schedule like? Will he be out at all today?” I asked, hoping I could find a loophole by cleaning it when he was least likely to be around.

“He should be out most of the day. He’s probably already gone now.”

I didn’t even wait for her to explain further. I just asked where the cleaning supplies were. After getting them, I hurried over to his study. I planned to finish long before he returned and even realized I was there.

Immediately, I entered the study room. However, his scent instantly engulfed me, intoxicating my entire being.

My wolf breathed it all in before I could stop her, and the effect on me was crazy. I needed him so badly. I craved his presence, his touch, and his kiss once again.

As I recalled the memories of him and Paige being together, my heart felt a painful clench. Meanwhile, my inner wolf whined, and I involuntarily made a pitiful sound. I had not anticipated that the mate bond would cause so much pain. Therefore, it was imperative that I release myself from it as soon as possible.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I took a few steps and leaned on Eric’s hardwood desk, praying that the ache would pass soon. I was in that position when I heard the study door open. In an instant, I knew by that damned scent of red velvet and vanilla who it was without even looking.

I turned around.

Eric stood at the doorway, showing a stunned expression on his face.

“W-What…” he trailed off and gritted his teeth, his fingers closing into fists as if to resist the urge to reach out. “What are you doing here?”

His eyes bored into mine, but not with the hate his lips professed. My wolf leaped with excitement, urging me to follow the scent and get closer to him.

I stood frozen in place, trying desperately to resist the mate bond. I stared at Eric with a hooded gaze.

He stared back, teeth-gritting with whatever great effort he seemed to be exerting at the sight of me.

My wolf gave me a stronger nudge, and I stumbled forward. That was the last straw for Eric because he strode at me, kissing me again with so much heat I was surprised our clothes didn’t just melt off our skin.

I kissed him back, opening my mouth for him and wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt his hands over my ass, and he squeezed once before lifting me on the table, lips glued to mine the entire time.

He rose long enough to tear at my uniform shirt, a crazed glint in his eye that filled me with lust. When my shirt was out of the way, he snapped my bra into two, moving the pieces off my chest before lowering his mouth to my bare boobs.

I gasped, my body arching off the table towards his mouth even as my fingers clutched and tore at his shirt.

More.  I need more. My wolf thought; my heart yearned, and my body felt.

I pulled him down on top of me, moaning loudly and sliding my hands over his back to take the more that I needed when the door opened once more.

The sound itself didn’t register immediately. Due to our position, I was facing the door directly, but in my lust-filled haze, it took a few seconds for Paige’s shocked face to come into focus.

Eric froze and seemed to be brought back to his senses by the sudden presence of his wife. He rose from me quickly, leaving me half-naked and vulnerable.

I reddened with embarrassment, shrinking away as Paige stepped into the room with a thunderous expression on her face.