Hate Me, Claim Me: The Luna Who Destroyed Them All.

Tessa Frostmere clutched her head as the screaming headache tore through her skull. She stood right outside the thick wooden doors of the Moonhowl Banquet Chambers in the heart of the Silvermoon Dominion. Her bestie, Brynna Ashvale, stared at her with deep concern from the heavy oak frame.

"Are you all right, Tessa? Shall I go with you?" Brynna asked, her hand resting on the carved lintel of the private room. Tessa was practically stumbling after consuming half a barrel of fermented wolf-mead.

"No, thanks. I'll go to the washroom. I'm not drunk. Enjoy yourselves."

Tessa flicked her hand, gripping the cold stone wall to steady her small four-foot-five frame. Her curvy, plus-size body swayed inside her tight black tunic. Being the only omega werewolf in the entire pack meant she had to work twice as hard just to look half as composed.

Exhaling a sharp breath, she had to admit these warriors could drink anyone under the table.

The chamber's washroom was occupied, forcing her to stumble out into the main stone corridor of the tavern.

After stepping out of the public washing area, Tessa stared blankly at the glowing runes carved into the heavy wooden doors along the hallway. Her dark face flushed with heat, her brown eyes completely blurred from the alcohol.

She squinted at the silver door handles, completely unable to read the numbers, so she picked a door at random and shoved it open.

Inside, magical colorful lanterns sparkled against the dim stone walls. Tessa was too tipsy to realize she had stumbled into a high-ranking pack meeting. Her wolf whimpered softly in the back of her mind, but Tessa ignored the instinct.

To cover her utter embarrassment, she grabbed a heavy clay jug of ale from a nearby table and raised it high. "Come on! Let's make a toast!"

The alpha guards and high-ranking pack members in the room gaped at her in pure shock.

Who is this omega?

However, Roric Winterclaw instantly recognized the short, dark-skinned girl standing in the middle of the room.

"Alpha... isn't she..."

The giant man sitting elegantly on the central leather throne emanated an icy, suffocating aura. Alpha Kaelen Thornwyck sat at five-foot-eight of pure, dense muscle, his shoulders broad enough to block out the firelight. He wore clear-lens glasses—glasses he had zero medical need for, using them only when he wanted his enemies to think he was harmless.

The moment Tessa stepped into the room, he smelled her. That sweet, dark honey scent he had craved for three agonizing years hit his senses like a physical strike.

Seeing no one move, Tessa circled the room, holding the ale jug sloppy against her chest. "Why don't you drink? Are you afraid of getting drunk, big bad wolves?"

Suddenly, her hazy gaze locked onto the central throne. Drawn by an invisible, magnetic pull, Tessa kicked aside a heavy wooden stool, swinging her hips as she stumbled directly toward him.

Without a shred of caution, she plunked her plump body right onto the armrest beside Alpha Kaelen Thornwyck.

The air in the room instantly turned to sub-zero ice.

Kaelen breathed in her scent, his pulse spiking rapidly under his dark tunic. On the outside, he remained a marble statue, but beneath the surface, his inner beast pounded against his ribs, demanding he mark her on the spot.

Tessa leaned closer, her blurred vision catching his striking profile. She traced her eyes over his sharp dark brows, his terrifyingly intense golden stare, his straight nose, and his firm, dangerous lips. He looked like an unyielding god of war.

Slowly, Tessa reached out her hand, pressing her index finger under his square jaw. She lifted his chin, staring into his cold eyes.

"Gee... You look just like my lying ex-mate."

Roric's jaw hit the floor. He couldn't tell if this tiny omega had a death wish or if she was truly out of her mind.

Holding Kaelen's face, Tessa glared at him as painful memories resurfaced. Three years ago, this man had used every cruel trick in the pack law to cast her out. First, he let his mother hand her a purse of gold to buy her silence. Then, he stood by while his entire elite bloodline tormented her for being a weak omega. His house servants had spat on her feet, and to top it all off, he was already betrothed to another noble female. He had hunted her down, claimed her as his mate, and sworn she was the only female he would ever touch.

Pure rage exploded in Tessa's chest, washing away the alcohol haze.

SMACK!

Her hand flew across the Alpha's face, the crack echoing like thunder through the stone room.

"You scumbag, Kaelen Thornwyck!"

Before anyone could react, Tessa grabbed a full tankard of foamy ale from the side table and dumped it straight over Kaelen's head. The sticky, amber liquid ran down his dark hair, dripping off his clear-lens glasses and soaking his spotless leather tunic.

The entire room froze in utter horror. Kaelen Thornwyck was the most ruthless Alpha in the entire Silvermoon Dominion. He controlled every piece of territory, every pack resource, and every trade route across the northern lands.

He had one high-status fiancee, and no female in the entire Dominion dared to even look him in the eyes. The last warrior who disrespectfully touched him had his throat ripped out before sunset.

Every pack member in the room covered their eyes, praying to the Moon Goddess they wouldn't be collateral damage.

Tessa completely ignored the lethal, bloodthirsty glare radiating from Kaelen's dark eyes. She dug into her leather waist-pouch with clumsy fingers, pulled out a handful of silver coins, and hurled them directly into his wet, handsome face.

"Think you are awesome because you control the pack resources? Think you can bully a weak omega like me, huh? I just hit you. There's your compensation!"

The coins bounced off his chest and scattered across the stone floor.

Tessa let out a long, satisfied breath, feeling a massive weight lift off her shoulders.

She casually reached down, grabbed an unspilled glass of sweet wine from a nearby tray, and took a deep sip. She turned to the terrified crowd of warriors and gave a bright, cheerful wave.

"Girls, boys, have fun! I'm super happy today. Please excuse me. See you!"

She spun on her heel and glided out of the chamber as if she had just won a war.

Inside the chamber, the silence was suffocating.

No one dared to breathe. No one dared to look at Kaelen, wishing they could melt into the stone floor.

Slowly, Kaelen lifted his hand. He took off his clear-lens glasses, folding them closed, one temple at a time. The harmless act was over. His inner wolf roared with a possessive, furious vengeance.

He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

Bravo, Tessa Frostmere. It's been three years... and you still know exactly how to drive me wild.

The next morning, the harsh sunlight streaming through the window woke Tessa up. A terrible, throbbing migraine hammered inside her head from the dark ale.

Her communication rune on the nightstand pulsed violently, buzzing with Brynna's panicked voice.

"Why are you calling me so early, Brynna? I'm still trying to sleep."

"My princess, you've offended Alpha Kaelen Thornwyck, the absolute monster of Silvermoon Dominion! How can you still be in the mood to sleep?!"

Tessa's breath hitched in her throat. The haze instantly cleared from her brain.

"What did you say? Who did I offend?"

"The Alpha of the Dominion, Kaelen!" Brynna shouted through the magical connection. "Sweetheart, do you have enough silver? If not, I can send you some from my pack vault. Grab a swift horse and run away! Right now! Hurry!"

Kaelen Thornwyck?

Tessa pressed her palms to her burning face. Did she really see him last night? Did she... hit him?

"You don't have time now, girl!" Brynna cried out, abruptly severing the connection.

A moment later, a magical notification flashed on her desk—Brynna had transferred four thousand silver coins directly to her account.

Before Tessa could even get out of her bed, a heavy knock echoed against the front door of Frostmere Cottage.

Thinking it was her older brother, Garrick, coming to check on her, Tessa didn't bother changing out of her thin silk nightgown. She threw on her fur slippers and hurried down the short wooden hallway, throwing the heavy front door open.

"Garrick, you won't believe the nightmare I—"

The words died in her throat.

Standing on her porch was a massive, mountain-like man. Tessa stared up at his handsome, lethal face, completely overwhelmed as his dark mint and cedar scent washed over her senses. Her omega wolf let out a helpless, desperate whine deep within her chest.

It wasn't her brother. It was Alpha Kaelen.

Before she could process the shock, Tessa gasped and slammed her weight against the heavy wooden door to shut it.

Kaelen didn't even sweat. He casually kicked the door wide open, stepping into her tiny cottage. His massive frame dominated the entryway. In one fluid movement, he grabbed her tiny waist, lifting her off her feet and trapping her firmly between his rock-hard chest and the cold plaster wall.

He lowered his head, his sharp golden eyes locking onto her wide brown ones with a dark, predatory amusement. A dangerous, slow smile spread across his lips.

"Don't you recognize me, my little omega?" he purred softly, his voice deep and dark, vibrating through her very bones like a dark cello string.

Tessa's heart slammed against her ribs like a trapped bird.

She knew he was deadly, but looking at him up close now, he was infinitely more gorgeous and terrifying than he was three years ago. The raw, pure power of an Alpha radiated off his skin, suffocating her defenses.

"We met last night," Kaelen murmured, leaning down until his lips brushed the shell of her ear. "How can you forget me so fast? Do you need me to remind you how you laid your hands on your Alpha?"

His scorching breath spilled across the sensitive skin of her neck. Tessa's entire body went rock hard, her core instantly throbbing with an embarrassing, traitorous heat. Her mate bond screamed at her to yield, to let him sink his teeth into her flesh.

Kaelen felt her shudder. He let out a low, dark chuckle against her skin, his large, calloused hand gripping her plump hip tightly, digging his fingers into her soft flesh.

"It's been a long while," he whispered, his voice dripping with pure possessive lust. "I didn't expect your sensitive spot to still react to me like this."

Tessa snapped back to reality, placing both of her small hands against his solid chest, pushing with all the meager strength her omega body possessed.

"Let go of me!" Tessa spat, her dark eyes flashing with pure irritation and deep-seated hatred. "What on earth do you want from me, Kaelen?!"

Kaelen didn't budge an inch. His thumb trailed up her stomach, pulling her thin nightgown higher, exposing her dark, smooth skin to the chilly cottage air.

"What do I want?" Kaelen grinned, his eyes darkening as he lowered his head to press his hot lips against her throbbing pulse point. "I want what's mine. And you're coming back to the Thornwyck Alpha Keep."