The alpha's bride

Chapter 28

The dawn crept over St. Ailbe’s Academy in shades of silver and gold, but the light did little to ease the tension that hung over the grounds like a storm cloud. I walked beside Dastien through the early morning mist, our steps quiet on the dew-soaked grass. Every instinct in my body screamed that something had shifted overnight—something dangerous, something I couldn’t ignore.

“Do you feel it too?” I asked, keeping my voice low. My wolf throbbed under my skin, restless, impatient, clawing for the hunt.

Dastien’s golden eyes scanned the horizon, alert. “Yes,” he admitted, voice tight. “Last night wasn’t just a warning. It was him. The stranger. He’s closer than we thought.”

My chest tightened. Even in the light of day, I could feel the dark pulse of his presence, the cold, intoxicating power that made my wolf bristle. It was like a heartbeat in the shadows, patient and waiting, and it had its gaze fixed squarely on me.

We reached the academy gates, the ancient stone arch looming like a sentinel. Students milled about, oblivious to the danger we both knew was coming. I wished I could warn them, tell them what I’d seen in my visions, but I knew the truth would terrify them—and worse, it would make me look insane.

“Dastien,” I whispered, clutching his arm. “What if I’m not ready?”

He turned to me, his gaze soft but unwavering. “Tessa, you’re stronger than you think. Every vision, every trial, every fight—it’s all been preparing you. You’re ready. And I’ll be right here, every step of the way.”

I nodded, drawing in a shaky breath. His confidence bolstered me, but it didn’t silence the dread curling in my stomach. My wolf growled softly, low and warning. Danger was coming. He could feel it too.

We moved toward the training grounds, a secluded courtyard behind the main academy building, where we often practiced control and strength. I needed focus, needed to ground myself before the inevitable confrontation. Dastien joined me, closing the distance, his presence steady, his warmth a tether to reality.

“Let’s start with the basics,” he said. “Control. Focus. Let your wolf be an ally, not a prisoner.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. The energy thrummed through me, sharp and electric. My claws extended, my senses heightened, the air tasting metallic and alive. I let my wolf rise to the surface, feeling its strength, its agility, its hunger.

Hours passed in a blur of motion—leaps, strikes, control drills. Dastien was patient, guiding, pushing, demanding. Sweat ran down my back, muscles burned, but with every movement, I felt a sliver of fear fall away, replaced by power. My wolf’s growls shifted to low purrs of satisfaction. I was ready. Almost.

As the sun climbed higher, casting long shadows across the grounds, a ripple of movement caught my eye. I froze, sensing the shift before I even fully understood it. Dastien noticed immediately, his body tensing.

“Behind you,” he warned, voice a growl.

I spun, claws extended, ready to strike. But there was nothing. Only the mist curling along the edges of the courtyard.

Then I saw it—out of the corner of my eye, a shadow flitting across the stone walls, faster than any normal human could move. My heart skipped a beat. My wolf snarled, ears flat. This was him. The stranger.

“He’s here,” I whispered.

Dastien’s jaw tightened. “Stay close. Don’t let him separate us.”

The mist thickened, curling into unnatural shapes. The temperature dropped, frost forming on the edges of the stone tiles. I felt it—the same cold, intoxicating power from my vision. He was near, and he wasn’t alone.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the fog. Tall, broad, his amber eyes glowing like fire in the mist. He stopped a few feet away, a predatory smile tugging at his lips. Behind him, others moved—shadowed figures, humanoid but twisted, their eyes glinting with malice.

My wolf hissed, muscles taut, claws itching for the fight. I could smell them, taste the dark energy radiating from them. Every fiber of my being screamed to attack, to defend, to survive.

Dastien stepped in front of me, golden eyes blazing. “Tessa, focus. We’re not just fighting to survive. We’re fighting to protect everyone here. Control your wolf.”

I nodded, teeth bared, heart hammering. The stranger’s gaze locked onto me, and I felt it—the recognition, the understanding that I was the key, the threat, the target.

“Finally,” he said, voice smooth and deadly. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d even realize your purpose in time.”

I lunged forward instinctively, claws slashing, wolf growling, but he was too fast. He moved like smoke, dodging effortlessly, eyes never leaving mine. The shadowed figures behind him advanced, and the courtyard erupted into chaos.

Dastien roared, leaping into the fray, golden claws slicing through the shadows. I followed, feral and focused, every instinct, every vision, every shred of training igniting in perfect synchronicity.

The fight was brutal. Shadows dissolved into smoke when struck, only to re-form seconds later. The stranger moved like liquid, striking with precision and power that made my head spin. But I was stronger now, sharper, faster, more attuned to my wolf than ever before. We fought together, Dastien and I, golden eyes and amber, claws and fangs, heart and soul aligned.

Hours—or maybe minutes—passed. Time seemed to stretch, warp, fracture. My muscles screamed, my lungs burned, but I could not stop. Could not falter. Could not let them win.

And then it happened.

The stranger’s gaze met mine, a dark, knowing smile spreading across his face. “It’s time,” he said.

Before I could react, the world around me shifted violently. The shadows condensed, forming a massive, swirling vortex of energy. My wolf screamed in protest, claws shredding the stone beneath me. Dastien’s voice called out, warning, pleading, but I could barely hear it.

The vortex pulled at me, twisting, tearing, and I was sucked into it, visions exploding behind my eyes. I saw the academy crumble, students screaming, friends falling. I saw Dastien, golden claws extended, shouting my name, reaching, grasping, but unable to touch me.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

I tumbled onto cold stone, gasping, heart pounding, body shaking. Dastien was beside me, steadying me, eyes filled with relief and worry. The courtyard was empty. The shadows were gone. The air was still, almost unnervingly so.

I looked around, searching for the stranger, for the threat, for the reality I knew was still out there. But there was nothing. Only silence. Only the wind whispering through the trees. Only Dastien’s steady presence.

He helped me to my feet, golden eyes locking onto mine. “You did it,” he said, voice low and rough with emotion. “You fought. You didn’t give in. You… survived.”

I nodded, trembling, wolf still thrumming beneath my skin. “But he’s not gone. He’s out there. Watching. Waiting.”

Dastien’s jaw tightened, protective and fierce. “Then we’ll be ready. Together. Always.”

I took a deep breath, wolf claws retracting, muscles relaxing, though the tension in my chest remained. The battle wasn’t over. The stranger was still out there. Still dangerous. Still focused on me.

But for the first time, I felt something else—strength. Power. Confidence. I wasn’t just Tessa McCaide, the girl with visions. I was a wolf, a fighter, a survivor. And I had Dastien by my side.

The storm wasn’t over. Far from it. But we were ready.

And as I looked toward the horizon, amber eyes meeting golden, I knew one thing with absolute certainty: whatever came next, we would face it together.