The alpha's bride

Chapter 29

The academy was quiet after the battle, unnervingly so. The kind of silence that didn’t feel peaceful—it felt heavy, like the walls themselves were holding their breath. Everywhere I looked, I saw the aftermath: broken stone in the courtyard, claw marks gouged into walls, students whispering nervously in corners. It wasn’t just a fight that had shaken us—it was a message.

The stranger hadn’t come to destroy us. Not yet. He’d come to show me what was at stake. To make sure I knew I was his target.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of his eyes on me, even now, hours later. They haunted me, even when I closed my own. My wolf was restless, pacing inside me like a caged predator. Every sound made me flinch, every shadow made me tense.

Dastien stayed glued to my side, protective as always, but even he was quieter than usual. His golden eyes were hard, calculating, like he was planning for a war he already knew was inevitable.

“You haven’t eaten,” he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from my face as we sat in the small common room outside our dorms. His voice was steady, but I could hear the worry beneath it.

I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “I’m not hungry.”

He frowned, leaning closer. “Tessa… you can’t let him get into your head. That’s what he wants.”

I dropped my gaze to the floor. “But he already is. Every time I close my eyes, I see him. I hear him. It’s like he’s inside me somehow.” My wolf growled low, agreeing, as though it, too, felt the invasion.

Dastien cupped my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. “You’re stronger than him. Stronger than his tricks. He’s trying to make you doubt yourself, because he knows what you’re capable of.”

“What if I’m not capable of enough?” I whispered, the fear I’d been bottling spilling out. “What if all of this—my visions, my wolf, whatever destiny everyone keeps talking about—isn’t enough to stop him?”

His gaze softened, and he leaned closer, his forehead pressing against mine. “Then we fight anyway. Together. You’re not alone, Tessa. You’ll never be alone. Not while I’m breathing.”

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of his words sink into me. For a moment, the fear ebbed, replaced by something steadier. Stronger. Him.

A knock at the door shattered the fragile calm.

Before I could even move, Dastien was on his feet, muscles tense, eyes flashing gold. He opened the door slowly, and I caught the sharp scent of authority before I saw him: Michael, the alpha of the pack, standing tall in the hallway.

“We need to talk,” Michael said, his voice clipped, his gaze shifting to me. “Now.”

Dastien growled low, protective, but Michael ignored it. “Both of you. My office. Immediately.”

The walk there was tense. Students moved out of our way, their eyes following me with a mix of awe and fear. They knew something had changed, even if they didn’t know the details. I tried to ignore their whispers, but my wolf bristled at the attention, ears twitching, claws threatening to unsheathe.

Michael’s office was as imposing as the man himself: tall shelves of old books, maps of territories spread across the walls, the faint scent of wolf musk lingering in the air. He gestured for us to sit, his sharp eyes never leaving me.

“You’ve drawn him out,” he said without preamble.

My stomach dropped. “I didn’t mean to—”

“You didn’t have to,” he cut me off. “He was always going to come for you. But last night, you gave him a reason to reveal himself. That’s dangerous, but it also gives us an advantage.”

I exchanged a look with Dastien, my pulse racing. “An advantage how?”

Michael leaned forward, his gaze intense. “We know what he wants. You. That means we can plan around it. Set traps. Use his obsession against him.”

The idea made my skin crawl. “You want to use me as bait.”

Dastien snarled, fists clenching. “Absolutely not.”

Michael didn’t flinch. “It’s the only way. He won’t stop. He won’t be distracted. The longer we wait, the stronger he becomes. We need to face him head-on, and the only way to do that is to draw him in.”

My wolf snarled inside me, furious at the thought of being prey, but a small part of me knew he was right. The stranger would never stop hunting me. Running or hiding wasn’t an option.

Dastien stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “There has to be another way. I won’t put her in that kind of danger.”

Michael’s gaze sharpened. “With respect, Dastien, this isn’t your decision. She’s not just your mate—she’s the key to all of this. The visions, the power, the way he fixates on her… Tessa is central to everything. If we don’t use that, we lose.”

The words hung heavy in the air. I felt the weight of them settle on my shoulders, pressing me down. My wolf whimpered, uneasy, but deep down, I knew there was truth there. I hated it, but I knew it.

Dastien turned to me, golden eyes blazing with emotion. “Don’t even think about agreeing to this.”

I swallowed hard, heart pounding. “Dastien…”

“No.” His voice cracked, raw and desperate. “I can’t lose you, Tessa. Not like this.”

I reached for his hand, squeezing it tight. “Maybe this isn’t about what either of us wants. Maybe it’s about what has to be done.”

His jaw clenched, fury and fear warring in his gaze.

Michael leaned back in his chair, studying me with something like respect. “She understands. The choice is hers. But know this—if you say yes, there’s no going back.”

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. My wolf paced inside me, claws scraping against the edges of my control. My visions flickered at the edges of my mind—shadows, blood, amber eyes. I knew what was coming, whether I agreed or not.

Finally, I lifted my chin, meeting Michael’s gaze head-on. “If it’s the only way to stop him, then I’ll do it.”

Dastien’s growl filled the room, raw and furious, but I didn’t waver.

Because deep down, I already knew the truth: this wasn’t just my fight anymore. It was everyone’s. And if I had to step into the fire to end it, then that’s what I would do.

Even if it destroyed me.