~Milo~ Panic coursed through Milo’s body when he woke up to find himself surrounded by a group of strangers in blue uniforms and white coats. One was even drawing blood from his leg. "I'm done being poked and prodded for their sick experiments," he growled, shaking away the fear. In a fit of rage, he knocked people into walls with a growl he’s never heard himself make before. “She’s coming up,” someone called through the chaos from behind him as bodies moved to block the exit and windows. He paced the room, contemplating his next move when the woman with hazel eyes appeared in the doorway. “Milo,” she called softly, causing something to stir within him. He froze and met her eyes. “Remember what I told you? You’re safe now, and we’re here to help you recover,” she encouraged, slowly approaching him while the others stepped away. An ache in his mind encouraged him to believe her as he quickly recalled what happened in the prison. Narrowing his eyes at the people in lab coats, Milo
-Warning: Graphic Descriptions- ~Tessa~ As Tessa stepped out of Milo’s hospital room, she was met by a very concerned-looking Leah. “Is everything okay,” Leah asked, glancing between Tessa and the closed door behind her. Tessa raised a brow, noticing the way Leah was shifting anxiously on her feet. “It will be. My brother has been through a lot, but he will be okay,” Tessa assured her with the same encouraging smile she showed Milo. Leah nodded with a sigh of relief and took her post outside of his room. Tessa smirked at Leah before walking the halls of the hospital with her head held high, but the further she went the more she felt her walls were beginning to crumble. Her thoughts repeated the findings of Milo’s first medical assessment today and replayed his first treatment after he was under. The severity of his condition overshadowed the joy she felt about him being alive, especially as Tessa watched the doctor reset his bones. The x-rays were showing mangled breaks, which the
~Tessa~ As they ran through the forest, Tessa took the lead with Dainin while Milo remained securely in the middle of the group. Their formation wasn’t planned but everyone seemed to share the same idea of safely surrounding him. Even with his labored breathing, Tessa was so delighted to see Milo keeping up with their pace. His eyes shined bright with happiness and freedom. "He's come a long way," Dainin said through their mind link. "Let’s just hope he's strong enough to survive this ritual," Tessa sighed, looking up to the full moon. She hoped the Moon Goddess was smiling down on them. When the lake came into view, Tessa felt it was a good idea to rest and let Milo catch his breath before the ritual. She expected to find him collapsed on the ground, but instead, he bound straight for the water. She silently watched over him, like she did when they were kids, and was happy to see him playing without a care. When he splashed Leah, Tessa couldn’t help but chuckle. The she-wolf di
~Dainin~ Dainin's mind raced with strategies of how he'd get Tessa away from her brother's body if things went south. She was already trying to free herself from his arms. He understood she wanted to help Milo in any way she could and was feeling helpless, but as Ingrid said, all they can do is wait. "Leah, what are you doing," Dainin asked through their pack link, cautiously watching the she-wolf approach Milo's pale lifeless body, but he was answered with silence. He also noticed Zander was struggling to hold Cadence back. Her darkened eyes were locked on Tessa, and it was clear she didn't like the way Dainin was handling her Alpha, even if it was for her own benefit. "Milo," Leah whispered, reaching the altar with her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "You won't do this to us, to your sister! You need to wake up, now," she yelled beside him. "You can't come back and tease us with the hope we may have a life together," Leah cried, throwing her body over his chest. Dainin felt
~Tessa~ The first snow of the season fell overnight, covering the usual luscious green landscape in a glistening blanket of white. Tessa smiled while admiring the beauty outside. Winter always made her feel refreshed. It reminded her that a new year was fast approaching, and everything could start with a clean slate. She was looking forward to leaving her murky past behind her for a fresh start. "Positive changes are coming our way," she thought as her hand mindlessly caressed her now prominent stomach. A creak from the bed behind her caught her attention followed by Dainin’s deep voice filling the room. “Everything okay, love,” he asked, causing Tessa’s breath to hitch in her throat. She turned to find her glorious mate propped on his elbow, scanning her body with his dark eyes. A blush immediately flooded her cheeks because, although she was wearing her nightgown and robe, she may as well have been naked under his hungry gaze. Tessa cleared her throat to try and compose herself
~Dainin~ Dainin’s anticipation only grew the longer they waited for Alan and Leah to arrive. “We shouldn’t be surprised he’s running late, and I’m sure Leah is the only reason he’s even on his way,” Dainin’s wolf sighed in disappointment. “His heart is in the right place. Alan may be a goof, but he despised our father’s carelessness as much as I did and worked hard to prove he deserved to be the Beta,” Dainin defended his brother, earning silence from his wolf. Even with all of Alan's quirks, Dainin knew he'd protect the pack with his life. He proved that on the day of the attack. The sudden thought of his father brought Dainin back to the days Tessa was recovering in the hospital. Alan had stopped by to visit her and it was the first time Dainin was alone with him since the night he went missing. He finally had a chance to tell him about their parent’s murder. “As sad as this is, we tried everything we could to protect them, Dain. Dad made his choice, and like always, his pride go
~Tessa~ Later that day, Tessa found herself reviewing all the plans her Grandmother left piled on her desk. "I have a feeling she's been working on this long before today,” her wolf sighed, earning a chuckle from Tessa as they sifted through the stack of papers. "Gran and her parties," she muttered to herself, seeing everything from rentals, decoration plans, and finally the thick guest list. “I think she went a little overboard this time,” Tessa’s wolf whined at the sight of the stack of pages, but for once, Tessa was excited to look it over. She had made it her mission to become familiar with her pack members since the battle. Now that she could put a face to the names on the list, Tessa felt a sense of kinship. Pack occasions were no longer just about business. They became a gathering of a family she never thought she’d have again, and now it was about to double in size. Her gaze froze when her eyes fell on Milo’s name, and it brought her back to earlier in the afternoon when
~Tessa~ Tessa’s frustration motivated her to find a way to convince everyone that she and Dainin were only joining their packs out of love. She knew the Werewolf Council would feel their plans didn't threaten the Alliance, but the thought of these few Alphas fearing such a thing enraged her. “Then they have the nerve to want my pack members transferred? They're probably intimidated because a male would be in power now too. Bastards,” Tessa growled under her breath while sifting through each file she had on the cowards. It didn’t take her long to notice the pattern. Each Alpha involved had been a suitor she refused to mate with. She was glad she followed her instincts and stayed away from them because they were not pursuing her with pure intentions. If their fathers hadn’t been family friends, Tessa would never have agreed to continue an alliance with them in the first place. There had been countless occasions where Blue Ridge was forced to bail them out of financial turmoil. Tessa