Fated to the Enemy

A sharp intake of air tore through her lungs.

Her eyes snapped wide open in the dark. Without a single wasted breath, she surged to her feet and dashed into the dense woods, her fists gripping the heavy fabric of her dress to keep from tripping. The dazzling silver moonlight filtered through the canopy, illuminating her path as she sprinted like a fugitive princess.

An intoxicating scent had invaded her senses. It was a potent blend of crushed pine, winter frost, and dark musk. The fragrance bypassed all rational thought, seizing control of her mind and body. She never expected to find her fated mate so soon, but the primal pull was undeniable.

She heard Enzo calling her name from somewhere in the distance. She ignored him. She needed to reach the source of this scent. It lured her deeper into the shadows, tugging at her soul like an invisible chain. Her legs moved on their own accord. Even if she possessed the willpower to stop, her wolf refused to listen. She just had to get there.

The towering trees gave way to a small, moonlit clearing. Celeste halted in her tracks, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. Her wide eyes locked onto the massive back of a man standing in the center of the opening. He possessed broad, muscular shoulders draped in a thick fur coat. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, rushing in her ears like a roaring river.

She took a shaky step forward, the dry leaves crunching beneath her slippers.

The giant of a man slowly turned around.

Her breath hitched in her throat. Her gaze crashed into the darkest shade of onyx she had ever seen. He towered over her, standing well past six feet tall, radiating an aura of lethal power. As the moonlight hit him, she noticed the intricate, terrifying head of a dragon inked across the thick column of his neck. Her stomach dropped to the forest floor. A dangerous warning flared in her mind, yet she could not stop the swarm of electric tingles erupting across her skin.

"Mate," the fragile word slipped from her trembling lips in a soft whisper.

The man heard it. The subtle shift in his imposing stance proved he felt the bond too. He tilted his head in a slow, intimidating motion, barely sparing her a glance before his dark eyes shifted to the tree line behind her.

Heavy footsteps thudded against the dirt. Jaxon, Soren, and Enzo erupted from the brush, skidding to a halt right behind her.

"Alpha Vander!" Jaxon sneered with vicious hatred.

Celeste froze. The blood drained from her face, and her heart ceased to beat for a agonizing second. This could not be real. She had to be trapped in a nightmare.

Soren stepped forward, grabbing her arm and hauling her behind him. Jaxon moved just as fast. Both of her brothers planted themselves in front of her, standing shoulder-to-shoulder like unyielding iron shields.

"Are you okay?" Soren asked over his shoulder, his tone laced with heavy concern.

She was too stunned to formulate a response. Her aghast eyes peered around Soren’s broad back, landing on the towering man once more. His lethal onyx gaze bypassed her brothers and fixed directly onto her. The sheer, terrifying intensity in his eyes caused her entire frame to tremble. She took a shaky step backward, wanting to hide from the heavy weight of his stare.

"What are you doing on our territory?" Jaxon barked, the hot-headed and lethal Alpha of the Moon pack radiating pure aggression.

Vander shifted his attention to the enraged brother.

"To kill." Vander hissed the words in a menacing, gravelly voice that caused Celeste to flinch.

Soren, Jaxon, and Enzo tensed instantly. They glared at the notorious Alpha Vander of the Frost pack, their muscles coiled and ready for a brutal fight. He was the sworn, bloodthirsty enemy of their bloodline. Standing in their territory all alone was an act of pure madness.

"Leave or else we will kill you." Enzo delivered the grim threat, stepping up beside Jaxon.

"Try." Vander issued the cold challenge, his posture relaxed despite the three warriors ready to tear out his throat.

Tears began to gloss over Celeste's eyes. This was the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for her. The ruthless enemy of her family. The monster who slaughtered innocent people without a second thought. Why would the Goddess curse her with such a horrific fate?

"Why are you here, Alpha Vander?" Soren asked in a measured, calm tone.

Soren preferred to solve this issue without shedding blood, unwilling to put the lives of their pack members at stake over a border dispute. Both he and Jaxon stood rigid as wooden planks. They had heard Celeste utter the word 'mate', yet the Frost Alpha had offered no acknowledgment of the bond. Was he planning to reject her simply because she shared the blood of his enemies?

Enzo's jaw clenched tight. He wanted to rip the arrogant intruder to shreds. He knew Celeste would always choose her family over a rival enemy.

"I will not harm a soul while I am on this territory." Vander spoke with unnerving calm, his dark eyes sweeping over the trees.

Soren took in a deep breath, his extended claws retracting back into his fingertips. He straightened his posture, though Jaxon and Enzo remained poised for an ambush.

"What are you here for then?" Soren queried.

"To talk." Vander replied smoothly.

Jaxon opened his mouth to hurl a string of profanities, but Soren moved faster. He opened a mind-link, ordering both Jaxon and Enzo to keep their tempers in check.

"Go back to the mansion." Soren directed the command to Celeste without looking back.

A single tear escaped her eye and charted a hot path down her cheek. She stole one last, devastating glance at her fated mate, convinced this would be the final time she ever saw him. A sharp, hollow ache bloomed in her chest. He was going to reject her. And if he did not, she would have to gather the strength to reject him first. He was the architect of their pack's suffering. A future between them was an impossible fantasy. He was a beast who planned wars and shed blood without hesitation.

She spun on her heel and bolted back toward the safety of the packhouse.

By the time she reached the towering double doors of the mansion, her mother Diana, along with Val, Gemma, Sybil, and her father Gideon, were already gathered at the entrance. The panic on their faces blurred together. Celeste ignored their questions, pushing past them and sprinting straight up the grand staircase.

She burst into her bedroom, slammed the heavy oak door shut, and threw the lock. Her trembling legs gave out. She slid down the solid wood, hugging her knees tight against her chest. The dam broke. Sobs tore from her throat, her tears falling in thick, relentless cascades.

Was it too much to ask for a kind, loving mate?

A soft knock rapped against the wood.

"Celeste, sweetie. Please open the door." Diana spoke gently from the hallway.

Soren had already mind-linked their father, relaying the disastrous encounter in the woods. The entire family knew the truth.

Celeste remained silent on the floor. She wanted to drown in her isolation, but she knew the unbearable weight on her chest would lessen in her mother's embrace. Groggily, she pushed herself up and unlocked the door. Diana stood there, her arms open wide. Celeste threw herself forward, clinging to her mother and crying brokenly into her shoulder.

Diana rubbed her back with soothing, rhythmic motions. Seeing her precious daughter shattered like this tore at her maternal heart. What should have been the most magical night of Celeste's life had morphed into a waking nightmare.

"Mom, why? Why of all the people, did that man have to be my mate?" She asked in a raw, broken whisper.

Diana's own eyes filled with unshed tears. "It is okay, Celeste. You are my strong daughter."

Gemma and Val watched from the doorway in heavy silence. Gemma wiped at her wet cheeks, while Val's expression twisted into furious rage. Val wanted to march down to the study and slaughter the Frost Alpha with her bare hands.

Downstairs, the atmosphere inside the pack study was suffocating.

Gideon strode into the large, wood-paneled room. Alpha Vander sat on the luxurious leather sofa, looking thoroughly unbothered by the hostile territory. Enzo and Jaxon stood guarding the closed door, their arms crossed over their broad chests. Soren took up position in the high-backed chair next to the desk.

Gideon circled his grand desk and took his seat, facing the man who was both a deadly threat to his pack and the fated mate of his only daughter. He always knew his children were destined for strong mates, but he never imagined the Goddess would pair his little girl with their most dangerous adversary.

"What was your intention for crossing the border?" Gideon asked in a booming, authoritative tone.

Vander shifted his dark gaze to the older man. He had heard the tales of Alpha Gideon and his formidable twin sons. They were considered an undefeatable force.

"I was just overlooking. Preparing for the war." Vander stated the terrifying truth without a single ounce of hesitation.

Jaxon gnashed his molars together, a low growl vibrating in his chest. "Where is that bastard Bastian? You must be keeping him safe."

"I don't know." Vander replied, his deep voice devoid of inflection.

"Bastian is a power-hungry maniac. His rampage is one thing, but why did you join hands with him?" Soren pressed the interrogation.

Vander stared at him with cold detachment. "None of your concern."

"You should leave our territory as soon as possible if you don't want to get killed." Enzo barked, taking a threatening step forward.

Vander merely leaned back further into the sofa cushions, crossing one thick leg over the other. His dark aura flared, screaming a silent message that he felt no fear in a room full of enemies. Gideon watched the younger Alpha with sharp observance. The Frost leader behaved remarkably like Jaxon. Arrogant. Lethal. Fearless.

"I would like to have a word with the girl." Vander voiced his demand.

"No!" Soren, Jaxon, and Enzo roared the denial in perfect unison.

Gideon held up a hand, studying the flicker of gold that briefly illuminated Vander's onyx eyes.

"Are you going to reject her?" Gideon asked pointedly.

"Let me talk to her." Vander repeated the demand, refusing to give a straight answer.

Jaxon and Soren moved to block the path to the door. Gideon rose slowly from his chair.

"Very well." Gideon gave the permission.

Soren and Jaxon whipped their heads around, staring at their father in sheer disbelief.

"Dad—" Soren started to argue.

"He is going to reject her, so let him." Gideon cut his son off, maintaining intense eye contact with Vander.

Gideon believed he understood the cruel necessity of the situation, oblivious to the true darkness brewing behind the Frost Alpha's calm exterior. Reluctantly, Soren and Jaxon exited the study to fetch their sister. Enzo remained behind, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he glared at the intruder.

Upstairs, Soren pushed open the bedroom door.

"Celeste, he wants to talk to you." Soren spoke the dreaded words.

She blinked up at him, wiping the dampness from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She had no desire to face the monster again, but logic dictated she needed to endure this trial. If he planned to sever the bond, she needed to accept it quickly so he would vacate their lands.

Straightening her spine, she followed Soren down the grand staircase. She squared her shoulders as they reached the study. Gideon and Enzo had already vacated the room, waiting in the dim hallway.

"We are right here. If he tries anything, just say my name and I will be in there." Soren promised, his eyes fierce with brotherly protection.

She gave him a stiff nod. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she stepped over the threshold.

The heavy door clicked shut behind her, sealing her inside the lion's den.

Vander stood in the center of the sprawling room, his broad back facing her. She stopped a few feet away, fidgeting with the hem of her dress, refusing to initiate the conversation. He turned around with agonizing slowness. A violent shudder ripped down her spine as his intense, suffocating gaze pinned her in place.

"Are you willing to come to my pack?" He asked, his voice ringing with icy authority.

She bit down hard on her lower lip, shaking her head in frantic denial. She would rather die than willingly walk into the Frost pack territory. He was a ruthless warlord. She wanted nothing to do with him.

"I'm not rejecting you if that's what you want." His deep voice tore through the silence like a lethal blade, slicing her expectations to ribbons.

Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She stared a hole into the floorboards, refusing to meet those mesmerizing, dangerous eyes. Panic churned violently in her gut. She needed to end this. She needed to sever the tie to protect her family.

"I... I don't want..." She stammered, her timid voice failing her.

"Think before rejecting me!" He barked the warning, his menacing tone causing her to flinch violently.

The back of her eyes stung with fresh tears, but she blinked them away. She would not display weakness in front of this tyrant.

"Those guys think I would reject you. Pretty stupid of them." He stated plainly, referring to her father and brothers.

She gritted her teeth. They were not stupid. They were just decent men who assumed he possessed a shred of honor.

"They are not stupid." She stuttered, forcing her chin up to glare at his chest. "I, Celeste Thorne of Moon pack re—"

A massive, calloused hand clamped roughly over her mouth, muffling the rest of the sacred words.

Sparks erupted across her skin like branding irons. The sudden, forceful touch sent a jolt of pure electricity straight to her core. He moved with terrifying, blinding speed. His hand was so huge it swallowed the lower half of her face completely.

She reached up, clawing at his thick wrist to pry his hand away, but he was an immovable stone wall. With his free hand, Vander grabbed the delicate nape of her neck in an inescapable, iron grip. He yanked her forward. Her eyes widened in pure, unadulterated horror as her body slammed against his hard chest.

He tilted her head back aggressively, forcing her to look up at him. He hovered over her like a towering, cruel beast ready to devour its prey.

"Listen here and listen good. You are going to come with me to my pack, and if you refuse, I will kill each and everyone in this pack. My men are aligned right outside your borders awaiting my orders. I was here to attack your pack, but you ended up showing up and ruining my plan. Now you have two choices." He sneered, lowering his face until his nose almost brushed hers.

Big, fat tears of horror spilled over her lashes, soaking into the rough skin of his palm.

"Either you agree to go with your mate or else you can reject me and let me kill your whole damn pack, it would be a massacre." He spat the vicious ultimatum in a low, terrifying menace.

He stared mercilessly into her terrified, tear-filled eyes, leaving no room for doubt or negotiation.

"And after that I would still take you with me," he finished, causing her heart to cease beating then and there.