Chapter 2 The Alpha's Shadowed Fate

The bike that had just shot forward came to an abrupt halt under Tessa’s control. She had been ready to leave, but a gut feeling stopped her. If she left Landon behind, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. With a sigh, she changed her mind and decided to lend him a hand. The next moment, Tessa tossed aside her bike, stopped holding back her true abilities, and instantly teleported into the midst of the werewolves. Without a weapon, she swiftly disarmed two of the werewolves and engaged in hand-to-hand combat against the group. The leader, watching Tessa’s swift and brutal moves, straightened his posture, his expression growing serious. How can an unawakened teenage female werewolf possess such strength? But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. “Kill them both!” the leader ordered coldly. No matter what, Landon had to die tonight. Tessa maneuvered past the fray and stopped beside Landon. “Still alive?” “Not dead yet,” Landon replied, his gaze fixed on her. At 27, Landon had yet to meet his destined mate. But now, something about this young girl felt… different. If only I weren’t poisoned, he thought bitterly. Flex could confirm if she’s really my mate. But his wolf, Flex, had gone dormant after sustaining severe injuries trying to save him. Now wasn’t the time to focus on such things. The remaining werewolves rushed toward them again. “Look out!” Landon, wounded, managed to call out just as Tessa launched herself back into action. Her movements were precise, powerful, and effortless, taking on the entire group without breaking a sweat. Each strike was executed with cool confidence and efficiency. When she finally had the werewolves sprawled on the ground, Tessa kicked one aside and turned toward Landon. “Done. You’re welcome,” she said, mounting her bike to leave. It was almost 11 p.m., and she needed to get home. But as she pedaled, her bike didn’t move. Turning back, she saw Landon gripping the rear seat, his striking eyes filled with frustration despite the late hour. “Something else?” “Thank you,” he said softly before collapsing to the ground. “F*ck,” Tessa muttered, staring at the elegant man now unconscious on the pavement. Finally, she sighed and crouched down to inspect his injuries. His body was riddled with jagged knife wounds and claw marks from werewolves, though none were fatal. The worst injury was a gunshot near his heart—a silver bullet designed specifically to kill werewolves. If it had been one millimeter closer to his heart, he would have been beyond saving. Poisoned and unable to use his werewolf healing abilities, Landon looked utterly battered and broken. After examining his injuries, Tessa let out a long breath. Guess I have no choice. Resigned, she lifted him onto the back of her bike and pedaled out of the alley. Silver bullets are banned in the werewolf world. Those who wanted Landon dead couldn’t be ordinary werewolves. They’re likely tied to that mysterious organization... Not wanting to get entangled in old conflicts, Tessa avoided taking him to a hospital. Instead, she brought him to the medical lab at Falindale University. Navigating the lab with practiced ease, she switched on the lights and placed Landon on a dissection table used by medical students. She opened a cabinet, pulled on a surgical gown, and donned gloves. No anesthesia was available, but he was unconscious. He can handle the pain. With a pair of scissors, she carefully cut away Landon’s blood-soaked shirt. The bullet was dangerously close to his heart—one wrong move, and it could rupture. She sterilized the scalpel and began extracting the bullet. Despite being a hardened alpha, Landon awoke with a jolt of pain as the blade cut near his heart. “What… are you doing?” he growled, glaring at the girl operating on him. Tessa hadn’t expected him to wake up mid-surgery. Still, considering the extent of his injuries, it would’ve been more surprising if he hadn’t. “If you want to live, don’t move,” she snapped, uninterested in arguing. Landon gritted his teeth, letting out only a single groan as the scalpel cut deeper. For the rest of the procedure, he remained stoically silent. It wasn’t until the bullet was removed that he finally passed out again. “Impressive,” Tessa muttered, setting down the scalpel. Typical of a Nightshade Pack alpha to endure surgery without anesthesia. With the life-threatening injury handled, Tessa used her Mind Link to summon her wolf, Emma. “Emma, help me detoxify him.” “Of course,” Emma responded softly. Tessa placed her hand on Landon’s chest, and a gentle white light spread from her palm, enveloping his body. Ten minutes later, the light faded. “All done. The poison is gone,” Emma said kindly before retreating into silence. This was typical of Emma, a rare White Wolf with healing abilities. She only appeared at Tessa’s command to avoid unnecessary complications. “Thanks,” Tessa murmured. With the poison neutralized and the bullet wound treated, Tessa left the rest to Landon’s natural healing abilities as a werewolf. After all, he was the alpha of the Nightshade Pack. His regenerative powers would handle the remaining injuries…