Chapter 2 2

Tessa's POV

The forest felt alive around me, its ancient trees whispering secrets in the wind. The scent of pine, moss, and earth filled my senses, grounding me as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. I had died. The betrayal, the heartbreak, the loss- I had died, and yet here I was, standing in the middle of a clearing, breathing the crisp air, feeling the rush of life through my veins. It was impossible, but somehow, it was real.

I glanced down at my hands. They were the same, but different. The skin felt softer, smoother than I remembered, and yet there was a strength within them, a power I hadn't known existed. A strange sensation coursed through me, as if I were tethered to something greater than myself. My heartbeat was steady, the rhythm of my life flowing with an intensity I hadn't felt in years.

My breath caught in my chest. The Moon Goddess. It was her doing, I knew it. She had answered my plea for vengeance, had granted me a second chance at life, a chance to make things right, to rewrite the ending of my story. But that wasn't enough. Not anymore.

I clenched my fists, the fire of anger flaring up inside me. Ian and Rita would pay for what they had done. They had betrayed me in the worst way possible, and now I would make them feel every ounce of the pain they had caused. They had stolen my trust, my love, and my future. And now, I would take everything from them.

The world around me seemed to pulse with my anger, as if it recognized the fury building within me. I could feel the connection to the pack, the distant pull of their presence, the faint echo of their emotions. It was all so overwhelming, so new. But that was not my focus right now. I needed to find a way back to the pack, back to Ian. I needed to face him, to make him understand the consequences of his betrayal.

I took a steadying breath and began to walk through the forest, my mind racing. The sound of my footsteps was soft against the earth, almost drowned out by the rustling of the leaves. The trees seemed to bend around me, parting to give me a clear path forward, as though the forest itself was guiding me toward my destiny.

Hours passed before I emerged from the dense woods, the trees thinning as I approached the edge of the pack's territory. I could sense the presence of other wolves nearby, their emotions swirling around me like a cloud of uncertainty. My body tensed, the Alpha's call in the distance sending a shiver down my spine. Ian. He was close.

The sound of rushing water drew my attention. A river ran through the outskirts of the pack's land, its current swift and strong, reflecting the coldness in my chest. I followed the sound until I reached the bank, where I paused to take in the sight of the river, its waters glistening in the fading light of day.

I bent down, my reflection staring back at me from the surface of the river. My face was the same, but there was something different about the way I looked. My eyes had changed. They were darker now, more intense, and there was a glint in them that I hadn't seen before. A promise of something dangerous, something powerful.

"Do you know what you've done?" I whispered to my reflection, my voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside me. The pain, the betrayal, the loss- it was still there, but now it was tempered by something else. Something stronger.

The sound of footsteps approaching broke my moment of introspection, and I looked up, my heart skipping a beat. There, standing at the edge of the clearing, was a figure I hadn't expected to see. A man. A wolf.

He was tall, his posture commanding, and his gaze was locked onto mine. His dark hair ruffled in the wind, and the air around him seemed to crackle with energy. His presence was undeniable.

"You shouldn't be here." His voice was deep, almost a growl, and it sent a chill down my spine.

Alpha. The word echoed in my mind, though it didn't quite fit. This man wasn't part of my pack, but I could feel the weight of his status, the strength that radiated from him. He was someone important, someone powerful.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," I said, standing up straight, meeting his gaze. "I'm just passing through."

He didn't move, his eyes narrowing as he assessed me. "Who are you?"

I hesitated. My name was Tessa Urg, but that felt like a lifetime ago. I had been Tessa, the Omega wolf, the broken mate. That woman had died, leaving only the hunger for vengeance in her wake.

"Tessa," I finally said, though the name felt foreign on my tongue. "Tessa Urg."

The man's expression shifted, his eyes flickering with recognition. "Urg? You're one of them?"

One of them. His words stung, but I didn't let it show. "I'm not here to explain myself. I'm here for a reason."

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "And what reason would that be?"

"I need answers," I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "I need to find Ian Makenzie."

His eyes hardened at the mention of Ian's name. "What business do you have with the Alpha?"

"I'm his mate," I replied, the words coming out sharp, a bitter truth that I no longer cared to hide. "Or I was."

He studied me for a long moment, the tension between us thickening with every passing second. Finally, he spoke, his voice softer but no less commanding. "You're not welcome here."

"I'm not here to make trouble," I repeated, my voice low but firm. "I'm here to take back what's mine."

A flicker of understanding crossed his face, but he still didn't move. "You're not in the position to demand anything from the Alpha. You don't know what you're walking into."

"I know enough," I snapped, my anger flaring. "I know that Ian and Rita-"

"Enough," he interrupted, his tone suddenly sharp. "You don't want to go down that road."

His words only fueled the fire inside me, but I held back, resisting the urge to lash out. The last thing I needed was to get into a fight with a stranger, no matter how powerful he was.

"I'm not leaving until I've spoken to Ian," I said, my voice resolute. "And nothing you say will stop me."

The man didn't respond immediately, his eyes scanning me as if trying to assess whether I was a threat. After a long pause, he nodded once, almost reluctantly.

"Then follow me," he said, turning and beginning to walk away. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

I didn't hesitate. I followed him, my heart pounding in my chest as we made our way deeper into the pack's territory. The weight of the moment settled over me like a cloak, the tension in the air thick with unspoken words and emotions.

We walked in silence, the sounds of the forest surrounding us. But all I could think about was Ian. What had happened to him? What had happened to us?

The journey felt long, each step bringing me closer to the confrontation I had been avoiding for so long. The closer we got, the more I could feel the Alpha's presence, the pull of his power. The pack.

Finally, we reached a clearing, and there he was. Ian.

His back was to me, but I could feel his tension, the way he stood rigid, as though waiting for something. Or someone. The man who had been my mate. The man who had betrayed me.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the storm that was about to unfold. There was no turning back now. The Moon Goddess had granted me this second chance, and I would make the most of it.

"Ian," I said, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto mine, his expression unreadable. His gaze flickered with surprise, and then, to my horror, a flicker of something else. Guilt.

But it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

"You," I whispered, my heart racing. "You have no idea what you've done."