The Alpha's Command

Tessa's POV

I let out a soft, genuine laugh as I fall naturally into Kaelen's wide, muscular arms. He catches my momentum with ease, pulling my smaller frame flush against his hard chest. I bury my face into his dark fitted shirt, breathing in his intoxicating scent of fresh pine mixed with the crisp forest air. The aroma wraps around my senses, grounding my racing thoughts. The warmth radiating from his embrace provides a stark, comforting contrast to the biting coldness I endure inside the walls of my own home.

He chuckles, a deep, rumbling sound vibrating against my cheek. His large hand comes up to playfully ruffle my hair, messing up the strands I had just brushed. "You still run like you are about to fall over your own feet," he teases, treating me just like he used to do when we were innocent kids running through the pack lands. He is two years older than Sienna and me, but in moments like this, the age gap disappears.

"I do not," I whine, though my voice comes out muffled against his solid chest.

When we pull away from the hug, his dark eyes soften, scanning my face with a quiet fondness. The teasing smirk remains on his handsome features. "Where are you heading so early in the day? The party preparations are barely starting."

I hesitate. I bite down on my lower lip, chewing on the soft flesh as my mind races. I know exactly what his reaction will be the moment the words leave my mouth. I avoid his piercing gaze, staring instead at the broad expanse of his chest. "I am heading to Gemma's house," I explain quietly, keeping my voice steady. "Sienna forgot the silver necklace you gifted her last year over there. She demands I go get it. She needs it before noon to match her dress for tonight."

The teasing smirk on his face vanishes in an instant. The playful light in his eyes dies, replaced by a thunderous frown. The skin between his dark eyebrows creases, and his jaw sets into a hard line. "Why couldn't she go take it back herself? Or have Gemma bring it over?" His dark gaze drops away from my face, scanning the worn, scuffed fabric of my sneakers. The realization hits him. "Are you walking?"

He does not sound pleased. The air around him shifts, growing heavy with his dominating presence. When I offer a small, reluctant nod, his expression darkens with a fierce, protective anger.

"Get in the car Tessa, I'll drive you there myself," he grumbles. His voice is thick with annoyance, the low pitch vibrating with a hint of his inner wolf's displeasure.

My stomach drops. He used my name. That means he is annoyed by my family's treatment of me again.

I nervously chew my lip harder, tasting the metallic tang of blood. Pure anxiety floods my veins. My parents and Sienna despise my close bond with Kaelen. I am the pack's wolfless, pathetic weakling. My wolf never presented itself, leaving me stranded as a mundane burden in a society built on strength and predatory instincts. My closeness to the powerful future Alpha is frowned upon by every single member of the pack, but most of all by my own flesh and blood.

To my cruel family, I am nothing but a useless embarrassment. They make sure I know it every single day. They tell me I do not deserve to breathe the same air as the flawless, perfect Sienna. She is the golden child, the strong wolf, the beauty of the pack. Yet, she maliciously steals the credit for all my academic achievements. I excel in my studies more than anyone else, pouring my soul into books, but Sienna simply swaps our names on the papers and basks in the praises of our teachers and parents. I am left with nothing.

They break my spirit down with relentless verbal abuse. They sneer at my clothes, mock my quiet nature, and remind me that I am a stain on our family's beta bloodline. They only bother to hold back their cruelty when Kaelen is physically present. They fear his authority. But I know for a fact that if they look out the pack house windows right now and see me getting into his luxurious red Lamborghini, they will unleash pure hell upon me the very second his taillights disappear down the road.

"No, that's okay," I force a wavering smile, trying to mask the rising panic in my chest. I glance nervously over my shoulder, my eyes scanning the large glass windows of the sprawling pack house. "I can walk. Besides, I am sweaty from being trapped in that hot kitchen all morning. I need the walk to clear my head."

His eyes follow my gaze, tracking back to the imposing structure of the house. He knows exactly what I am looking for. He knows why I am afraid. His strong jaw flexes tightly, the muscles jumping beneath his tanned skin. His broad shoulders grow stiff, expanding his imposing frame.

"Get in the car Tessa," he orders. His authoritative Alpha tone bleeds into the air, vibrating with a command that leaves no room for debate or argument.

Desperately not wanting to cause any more trouble for myself on the night of the claiming, I shake my head stubbornly. I cannot face Sienna's wrath tonight. I take a quick step back, attempting to sidestep his massive frame and make a break for the tree line. "It's fine Kaelen. I can walk—"

A breathless squeal leaves my throat. He moves with blinding werewolf speed. Before my mind can register his shift in stance, he scoops my body up off the ground. He tosses me over his broad, hard shoulder like I weigh no more than a sack of feathers. The sudden change in gravity forces a sharp gasp from my lips. My stomach presses flush against the solid muscle of his back, and my legs dangle helplessly in the cool morning air.

I squirm, trying to find my balance. To hold me steady, his large, warm hand clamps down firmly on my bare thigh.

A searing heat flushes across my skin, spreading like wildfire from the point of his contact. I am wearing a loose summer dress, and the fabric rides up my legs the moment he lifts me. The physical touch is meant to be innocent and practical, a simple grip to keep me from falling. But his bare palm presses against my bare skin. His long, calloused fingers rest dangerously close to my sensitive inner thighs right beneath the bunched hem of my dress.

The pad of his thumb grips the soft flesh of my upper thigh. The placement is excruciatingly intimate. If he shifts his fingers just an inch higher, his rough knuckles will brush directly against my clit. The explicit realization hits me like a physical blow. The thought alone sends a rush of blood straight to my core. My cheeks burn with a furious blush. I frantically remind my racing heart that Kaelen is strictly off-limits. He is a powerful Alpha. He will never be with a broken, wolfless weakling like me. He is destined to be Sienna's mate tonight. The pack expects it. My family demands it.

"Kaelen put me down!" I shriek as quietly as I can manage, terrified of drawing attention from the open windows of the pack house.

"I will, in my seat," he grumbles stubbornly. He ignores my weak struggling and strides with long, confident steps directly toward the passenger side of his sleek car.

He pulls the door open and sets me gently inside the low seat. Before I can smooth my dress down or catch my breath, he leans his large body over mine. He reaches across my chest to grab the seatbelt.

My breath hitches in my throat, trapping the air in my lungs. His massive frame cages me in. The intoxicating pine scent of his wolf wraps around me, suffocating and rich. The close brush of his radiating body heat makes my heart pound erratically against my ribs. I can feel the hard lines of his chest hovering mere inches from my own.

The wetness begins to pool between my legs. The friction of his hand on my thigh has sparked a fire I cannot put out. I clamp my thighs tightly together. I am terrified that his heightened wolf senses will pick up the slick, sweet scent of my sudden, unwanted arousal filling the confined space of the expensive car.

He drags the belt across my body and clicks it into the buckle. But instead of pulling away, he stays leaning over me. He pulls back just enough to look directly down into my face. The space between us vanishes. Our eyes clash. I hold my breath, trapped under the intense weight of his gaze. Neither of us is willing or able to look away.

"Next time be a good girl and listen to me, Tessa," he says. The words slip from his lips, low and smooth.

I stare up at him, my pulse roaring in my ears.

"Because bad girls get punished."

His voice drops several octaves. It turns hoarse and dark, stripping away the playful best friend I have known for years. Something wild, hungry, and dangerous swims heavily in his tone. The raw gravel in his voice hits me like a physical touch. It causes my clamped thighs to press together even harder as a heavy, throbbing tingle sparks intensely right between my legs.