House of Wolves

Tessa POV By the time Madam Calla tightened the last pin into my hair, I already wanted to run. “You’re moving too much,” she said sharply behind me. “I’m breathing.” “Barely.” Lina snorted from the corner, nearly dropping the tray of jewelry in her hands. “To be fair, this entire place smells like nervous rich people and overpriced flowers.” “Lina,” Madam Calla warned. “What? I’m right.” I laughed quietly before I could stop myself. That seemed to relax the room a little. Outside the chamber doors, Stonehaven was alive. Voices echoed through the halls. Guards moved constantly downstairs. Nobles from every Great House had arrived hours ago, and the entire Council estate felt packed with wolves pretending not to gossip about the alliance. House Hale and House Verin. Power and diplomacy. Control and grace. At least that was how the Council described it. Nyra, my wolf, stretched lazily inside me. You still have time to fake your death. Helpful. Always. I stared at myself in the mirror. White and silver silk wrapped around my body elegantly, the Verin crest stitched subtly into the sleeves. My hair fell over one shoulder in soft waves, and for a second, I looked exactly like what everyone expected. Future Luna of House Hale. Future wife of Alpha Marcus Hale. The strange part was… I did love him. Maybe not loudly. Maybe not wildly. But Marcus had been part of my life for years. He was steady. Reliable. Strong. When House Verin started weakening politically, House Hale stood beside us publicly when others didn’t. Or at least Marcus did. That mattered. Didn’t it? “You’re thinking too hard again,” Lina said. I glanced at her. “You say that every day.” “Because you do it every day.” Madam Calla adjusted the sleeve near my wrist before stepping back with narrowed eyes. “There,” she said finally. “Presentable.” “Your version of affection is terrifying,” I muttered. “It keeps people alive.” Fair enough. The doors opened suddenly before anyone else could speak. Julian walked in first. My younger brother looked unusually formal for once, dark hair pushed back properly instead of falling into his face. He stopped the second he saw me. Then he grimaced dramatically. “Oh no.” I blinked. “What?” “You actually look like you’re getting married.” Lina burst out laughing. Madam Calla looked deeply disappointed in him as usual. Julian ignored all of us and crossed the room toward me. His expression softened slightly when he reached me. “You okay?” There it was. Not congratulations. Not excitement. Just quiet concern. I swallowed. “I think so.” Nyra lifted her head immediately. Liar. I ignored her. Julian studied me for another second before sighing. “If Marcus annoys you today, I’m starting a fight.” “You say that every formal event.” “And one day I’ll mean it.” “You already mean it,” Lina muttered. He pointed at her. “Exactly.” A knock sounded from outside the chamber. Lucas stepped in first, dressed in Verin guard colors, one hand resting near the weapon at his side automatically. Behind him stood two Council attendants. And suddenly the room shifted. It was time. “The ceremony hall is ready,” Lucas said quietly. My stomach tightened immediately. Nyra rose to her feet inside me now, alert. Too many wolves. Too many Alphas. Too much pressure. I stood slowly. The moment I did, everyone in the room went strangely quiet. Even Lina. Even Julian. Not because of the dress. Because this was real now. Madam Calla stepped closer and fixed one invisible crease near my shoulder. Then, softer this time, she said, “Walk in with your head high.” I nodded once. The walk to the Council Hall felt longer than it should have. Stonehaven’s corridors were lined with Council guards and noble banners from every Great House. Wolves stood everywhere in formal colors, conversations lowering as we passed. I felt the staring immediately. Not hostile. Curious. Assessing. Nyra hated it. I hate political events. You hate everyone. Not true. I like Lina. That hardly counts. The massive doors ahead opened slowly. And the full force of the ceremony hit me at once. The Council Hall was enormous. Silver chandeliers glowed overhead while House banners hung between towering stone pillars. Nobles filled both sides of the hall in rich formalwear, their scents mixing together until it became overwhelming. Hale black and silver. Draven green and gold. Sorren crimson. Sullivan rust and steel. Every important House was here. Every powerful wolf in the territory. Watching. The musicians softened as I entered. Then the whispers started. Nyra immediately noticed what I didn’t. Something’s wrong. My pulse jumped. What? She didn’t answer immediately. Because then I saw Marcus. Standing at the front beside the Council Elders. Tall. Controlled. Unreadable as always. Black formal wear fitted sharply against his broad frame, the Hale crest gleaming silver across his chest. His Alpha Presence pressed heavily across the room without effort, instinctively demanding attention. And yet… His eyes weren’t on me. They were on the woman standing beside him. Megan Sorren. Beautiful. Elegant. Wearing deep crimson like she belonged there. My steps slowed slightly. Julian noticed immediately behind me. “What the hell is she doing here?” Good question. Megan wasn’t unusual at political gatherings. But this? This was different. Too close. Too familiar. Marcus finally looked at me then. And something in my chest twisted painfully because there was tension in his expression. Not warmth. Not affection. Tension. Nyra’s fur lifted. Something is wrong. The Council Elder at the front began speaking, but I barely heard him now. Because Marcus stepped forward before the vows could begin. The entire room quieted instinctively. “I need to address something before this ceremony continues.” My heartbeat stopped. Beside me, Julian went completely still. Across the hall, I noticed several heads turning immediately toward House Sorren. Toward Megan. Toward Marcus. No. No no no. Marcus looked directly at me. And suddenly I couldn’t breathe properly. “Tessa,” he said carefully, “there’s been a change regarding the alliance.” The room became dead silent. Not even movement. Not even whispers. Just stillness. I stared at him. “A change,” I repeated slowly. Marcus exhaled once like this conversation inconvenienced him too. That hurt more than anger would have. “The Council has been informed already. House Hale will be proceeding with a different arrangement.” Different arrangement. The words didn’t make sense at first. Then Megan stepped forward beside him. And the entire hall exploded into whispers. Nyra snarled violently inside me. Oh, I’m going to kill him. I couldn’t hear properly anymore. Blood rushed loudly in my ears as the realization finally hit me. He wasn’t postponing the wedding. He was replacing me. Publicly. In front of everyone. In front of every Alpha. Every House. Every Council Elder. Marcus kept talking, saying something about stability and political necessity and strengthened alliances, but all I could see was the woman standing beside him wearing crimson like victory. Humiliation burned so hot through me I thought I might actually collapse. Beside me, Julian moved first. “You planned this?” he snapped. Lucas grabbed his arm instantly before he could lunge forward. “Tessa,” Marcus said, finally sounding frustrated now, “don’t make this worse than it needs to be.” That snapped something inside me completely. Don’t make this worse? My fingers curled so tightly my nails cut into my palm. Around the room, wolves shifted uneasily under the pressure building in the air. Marcus’s eyes flashed silver for half a second. Ares pushing forward. Nyra wanted blood. Then another presence moved through the hall. Quiet. Controlled. Dangerous enough that the room felt it instantly. Alpha Kael Draven. He had been leaning near one of the side pillars the entire time, watching silently. I noticed him fully for the first time now. Tall. Dark green formal coat. Sharp eyes locked directly onto Marcus. Unlike Marcus’s crushing dominance, Kael’s presence spread slowly through the room like something patient circling prey. Even the whispers started dying. Marcus visibly stiffened. Of course he did. The rivalry between House Hale and House Draven was older than most people in this room. Kael pushed away from the pillar calmly. Then he looked at me. Not with pity. That was the strange part. Not pity. Like he was waiting to see what I would do. Nyra went suspiciously quiet. Oh no. I knew that silence. It usually meant trouble. Marcus noticed the look too. “Draven,” he said coldly. Kael ignored him completely. My humiliation suddenly became unbearable under hundreds of watching eyes. The whispers. The staring. The sympathy. Marcus standing beside another woman while expecting me to simply accept it gracefully. Something reckless rose inside me so fast it scared even me. Nyra loved it immediately. Yes. Do something insane. Terrible advice. Excellent television though. Before my brain could stop me, I turned fully and walked straight toward Kael Draven. The hall went silent again. I stopped directly in front of him. Up close, he was somehow worse. Sharper. More intimidating. Those dark green eyes studied me carefully, like he already knew this was a bad idea and wanted to see if I’d do it anyway. “Careful,” he murmured quietly enough that only I could hear. “You look angry.” “I am angry.” “I noticed.” Behind me, I could feel Marcus moving now. “Tessa.” Too late. Maybe it was humiliation. Maybe rage. Maybe the fact that for one horrible second I refused to be the pathetic woman left standing alone at the altar. Whatever it was— I grabbed the front of Kael’s coat and kissed him. The entire Council Hall froze. And Kael kissed me back.