Chapter 33: The First Breeder 1

TESSA’S POV

That journalist just ignited old wounds. Dredged up memories I had buried so deep I’d convinced myself they were gone for good. Memories I had no desire to revisit. Ever.

People think Selene was his first breeder. Or at least, that’s what they’d been made to believe. But long before Selene ever got pregnant for him, someone else had already been carrying his child.

That someone was me.

It happened when we were still teenagers. Still in the academy, training and honing our skills. That was when I met Lucian ... this handsome, infuriating young wolf who had no idea the damage he’d one day cause.

"You and Lucian have been betrothed," my father told me, fully aware we were already in the same class.

He said it was the fate the goddess had chosen for us, and whatever she gave was what we were expected to receive without question.

Everyone knew Lucian was heir to the Winterwood throne. His father was the Alpha, which meant Lucian trained harder than any other male wolf in the territory ... because there would always be those who’d try to challenge him for what was rightfully his.

I watched him from the upstairs window one afternoon. He was outside, drenched in sweat, yanking off his shirt and wringing it out. There was so much sweat it could have filled a bucket. I observed the cut of his abs and, if I’m being honest, I was attracted to him from that very first moment.

Our fathers introduced us at dinner shortly after.

"Lucian, this is Tessa ... your future mate. And Tessa, this is my son Lucian," the Alpha said, his face warm with a wide smile.

After dinner we were left alone to bond and talk.

"Nice to meet you," Lucian said, extending his hand.

I shook it and immediately felt the warmth radiating from his palm. Our eyes met in the strangest way. He had the most striking pair of eyes I’d ever seen on a wolf. I was almost lost in them.

Lucian wasn’t the type who chased females back then, even though plenty of them were after him. They all wanted their shot at the future Alpha, but he never gave them the time of day. He was too focused, too disciplined ... until we met.

"So... this mate thing. We can’t exactly act like strangers until the time comes, can we? We can be friends, right?" he asked.

"Yes, of course we can," I told him, giving him my biggest smile.

"Can I confess something?" he said, the corner of his mouth curving.

"Go ahead."

"You’re very beautiful. I must say ... the goddess chose right."

I blushed immediately. Made it completely obvious. Couldn’t hide it no matter how hard I tried.

"Thank you," I said, reaching up to stroke my hair. I was shy. He was sweeping me right off my feet with nothing but words.

"The goddess doesn’t make mistakes. Or so I’ve heard," he added.

I laughed again ... harder that time. It felt like the universe was pouring a new light over me, one I hoped would never fade. But nothing lasts forever, and change is the only constant. I just didn’t know that yet.

That night ended. It was our first real introduction and I left the house glad, walking back home beside my father with something warm sitting in my chest.

Teenage fever hit me the moment I got through the door.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I was up all night, replaying every moment ... his body, his aura, every single thing he’d said to me. There I was, already daydreaming about how our lives would look. How our love story would unfold.

In my mind, I had already found love.

I was scrolling through his social media before the night was even over. I saved every picture I could find. He looked like the best thing that had ever happened to me ... and I’d only just met him.

My father noticed the change almost immediately. My face had gotten brighter with every passing day, and he always asked after Lucian, wanting to know how things were developing between us.

"We’re getting along. He’s pretty decent," I told him, smiling in a way I couldn’t contain.

He’d hug me and tell me better days were ahead, that Lucian would be one of the reasons why. I wanted so badly for that to be true.

Every single day, I looked forward to seeing him. Other teenage wolves stopped existing to me entirely.

If he was even a few minutes late to class, my body would tighten with anxiety until I saw him walk through the door. Gradually, without even realising it, I became obsessed.

And he was giving back every bit of the energy I was pouring out ... multiplying it, even. Every small thing he did felt enormous. Every conversation pulled us closer to something neither of us had words for yet.

We talked about our favourite foods. The stupid things we’d done as little wolves. We even bonded over places we wanted to travel one day.

I couldn’t help being futuristic. Couldn’t help anticipating.

"Our pups are going to be beautiful, you know that?" I said to him once.

"Of course they will. They’ll carry your genes and mine ... and you’re the most beautiful wolf I’ve ever seen," he said, smooth as ever with his flattery, which didn’t feel like flattery at all back then.

We started meeting after school. We’d go home, then come back around five in the evening to meet at the back of the academy building ... a secluded corner where no one ever wandered.

The closer we became, the more public our relationship grew. The future Alpha with Tessa Crane, his betrothed mate. That was the headline making the rounds back then.

The kissing started there, behind that building.

He made the first move, though I had been giving him every signal. My adrenaline spiked at an embarrassing level every time we met. One afternoon, while we stood at our usual spot, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine ... quick and light, like a test.

"Why did you stop?" I asked him.

"You’re okay with it?"

"Yes," I said. And I stepped closer, closing the distance myself.

That was our first real kiss. The first of so many that followed.

It felt less like two people messing around and more like two souls recognising each other. The goddess had done this. I was sure of it.

He is my mate. Thank you, goddess, for sending this one down my path.

After that day, it became our ritual. We returned every afternoon to that spot and we didn’t bother with talking anymore. We just kissed.

And we got better at it. Every day, we improved ... until kissing wasn’t enough and hands started wandering alongside lips. He’d grab my ass, press his palms against my breasts ... always with my consent ... and I’d hold onto his perfectly built body while he kissed me until I couldn’t string a coherent thought together.

Sometimes we couldn’t even wait. During school hours, we’d slip out of class within minutes of each other and sneak into the restroom just to get a fix. He’d lift me off my feet and pin me against the wall behind the stalls, kissing me like the world outside that door didn’t exist.

Our dirty little sins showed no signs of stopping. Why would they? We were betrothed mates. That’s what I kept telling myself.

I didn’t want to stop seeing him. Didn’t want any of it to end. It was like a drug ... the most addictive kind. Every encounter left me craving the next one, and the one after that. I never wanted our fountain to run dry.

Until...