by Ariel Lei
Fated. Enemy Mine.
By Ariel Lei.
Copyrighted by Ariel Lei
Published by smashwords.
Warning.
This book contains mild language, violence and sexual content.
DEDICATIONS.
This book is dedicated to all my followers and readers on Wattpad.
Thank you for the support and kinds words.
You gave me the inspiration to continue writing.
Fated.
Enemy Mine.
Book one in the fated series.
Chapter One.
Mason
Alpha Mason MacKaye followed the slight brandy and earthy scent of his second in command, Jonas, through the forest. The trees around him blurred as he passed them with quick speed. Even though the sun was starting to set, and it was darkening, confident footing, quick reflexes and werewolf sight helped him miss roots and rocks that were in his path. With enhanced werewolf hearing, he could also hear small animals skittering across the uneven ground in an attempt to hide from him, sensing his bad mood.
He’d been in the middle of getting laid when he’d had a phone call from his friend, Alpha Kaiden Kruz, warning him that his men had picked up on unfamiliar scents, and had followed them to the border of Mason’s territory. He’d thanked Kaiden and immediately sent his men out to find out who the trespassers were.
How many have crossed onto our territory? Mason connected with his Beta through the Pack link.
Twelve. From the Tribal Pack, Jonas replied instantly. Mason gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. Why had twelve of Alpha Earl’s wolves crossed onto his territory? It had been years since they’d done so. Not since his father had been Alpha.
They are scouting and looking for weaknesses in my Pack. He decided that must be the reason why they’d make such a foolish decision to cross onto his land again.
Earl killed Mason’s mother when he was four years old, and has been an enemy to his Pack ever since. He didn’t remember much about her, only certain songs she’d sing to him, the smell of her jasmine scent, and her warm, green eyes. But it didn’t matter that he remembered little about her. The need for vengeance was still strong in him.
Ever since his father died three years ago, and he became Alpha, he’d wanted to succeed where his father had failed, and put an end to Earls’ life once and for all. His father had beaten the thought of revenge into him. The animal inside of him demanded blood. He needed it.
Mason didn’t live by mundane rules. In the werewolf world, it was an eye for an eye, a life for a life. He lived by undiluted, wolf instinct. And his wolf instinct overpowered the human one when it came to the people he loved.
Have you killed them? he asked.
Only the ones that wouldn’t surrender and continued to attack us, Jonas answered.
How many are left alive? Mason enquired. He could just about see Jonas in the distance between the thick trees. He was butt naked. He’d obviously shredded his clothes during his shift to hunt down the trespassers. It was a good thing werewolves weren’t ashamed to be seen naked, as they spent a lot of time that way.
Two. Both Unconscious, Jonas replied, turning towards Mason as he made his way to him. He was a few inches shorter than Mason, had a muscular build, deep blue eyes, dark, military cut hair, and strong features. Jake, the third in command of the Pack, and Jonas’s identical twin stood just off to the side, as naked as his brother. He kept his hair a little longer so people could tell them apart.
Gary, the fourth in command, stood next to Jake. He was taller than all of them, built like a wrestler, and his naked body was covered in colourful tattoos. He had dark grey eyes, and kept his head shaved. The guy looked scary as hell, but everyone who knew him, knew he was a friendly giant. Unless, of course, someone got on the wrong side of him.
Looking around, the evidence of a recent fight came into view. The soil and leaves on the ground had been upturned. Naked bodies lay lifeless and bloody on the floor a few feet from where they all stood. Three belonged to Mason’s Pack. His hands fisted at the sight of them. He turned to Jonas.
“Where are the survivors?” Not waiting for an answer, he sniffed the air to determine where they were, ready to kill them himself. He could smell blood mixed in with the wild smell of the forest. His nostrils flared, catching the scent of something else, too. Something alluring.
Cherries and honeysuckle.
The smell alone made his body warm up and his cock harden. He shuddered. His inner beast wanted to ravage whoever the scent belonged to.
Mason frowned at his reaction.
What the fuck?
He turned his head, watching as Jake and Gary move aside to reveal two more bodies. His eyes landed on the body of a naked man first. He then looked to the one next to him, seeing a woman lying flat on her stomach. She wore clothes. A sign she hadn’t shifted into her wolf.
She must be stupid if she thought she could escape my men in human form.
He had an overwhelming, instinctive desire to go to her and see if she was okay. He swallowed and fisted his hands instead, fighting to stay rooted to where he was standing. Slowly, he turned back to Jonas. His whole body was tense.
“Why didn’t you kill them?” his voice was low, gruff. His wolf wanted out. Wanted to stake claim to the unconscious female on the ground.
Jonas brushed a hand through his hair and shrugged. “The guy was determined to protect the girl. All of them were. I figured she had to be of importance, and we could question them.” His answer made sense.
Mason narrowed his eyes in thought. Protecting her. Who could she possible be to need protecting? He wiped his clammy brow and took in a small breath, trying not to breathe through his nose. The girl’s scent was all he could smell. He had trouble thinking straight because of it. His dick was like a throbbing pulse in his jeans. It was getting very uncomfortable. Never before had a scent had this effect on him. It was beyond crazy.
“We think she is Earl’s daughter. But we are not sure,” Jake commented. Mason felt like being sick. No. Goddess, no.
"I didn't think he had any children. My father never mentioned any," he muttered.
"He probably didn’t know. It wouldn’t have been hard to keep her a secret. But even if she isn’t Earl’s daughter, she is still important to the Tribal Pack. I think that’s why the others wouldn’t surrender. They were willing to die to protect her.” Jonas explained.
I can’t mate with the potential daughter of a man who killed my mother. Mason would rot in hell before that ever happened. He couldn’t deny that she was his mate. The animal inside of him was making it very clear that she was. Her scent was like an aphrodisiac.
Mason had heard when a werewolf first sighted their fated mate that their scent was like a drug, calling to each other’s animal side, urging them to claim and mate. They weren’t wrong. Her scent was clouding his senses.
“Are you okay?” Jonas asked. Mason nodded his head, trying to appear normal. He clenched his fists together. His nails bit into his flesh, and he welcomed the pain, hoping it would distract him.
“Do you want us to kill them?” Jake nodded to the male and female. Mason growled at him. Shit. He hadn’t meant to do that. It was instinct.
The others looked at each other in surprise. Mason could feel his eyes turning black, and his canines starting to grow. For once in his life, he didn’t know what to do. He’d always wanted to find his mate, was looking forward to the day that he did, but now he wished he hadn’t.
“Maybe killing them isn’t the best idea right now. If she is Earl’s daughter, we could use that to our advantage. We could finally get information about his Pack and their hideout,” Jake added, moving to stand next to his brother. Jonas nodded in a
greement.
“You’re father tried to torture her people before, and it never worked. Although, it has been years. It could be worth trying again,” Gary put in. Mason felt another growl rumble in his chest at the mention of torturing the girl. He pushed it back down and tried to gather his control.
“Take them to the cells, and put them in separate ones,” he ordered, opening and closing his fists to help relieve the tension in his body. “Don’t harm them unless I say so,” he added, not yet sure how he would react if the girl were to be hurt. Jonas nodded with a knowing look in his blue eyes.
Fuck. He knows she’s my mate.
It didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to accept her. He couldn’t. Not if she was the daughter of Earl as the others suspected.
Chapter Two.
Neoma.
Neoma awoke with a raging headache. She opened her eyes slowly, and discovered she was in an unfamiliar place. She bolted up into a sitting position on the solid bed she was lying on. She scanned her surroundings, seeing that she was in a white room. A mirror covered the wall in front of her. In the corner was a sink and toilet. To the left of her was a door with a red light glowing above it. She tilted her head in confusion. As she continued to look around, it became clear that she was in a detention cell. Oh, goddess. Her lips trembled.
She’d been following Wade, and he’d caught her. But then they were attacked.
Her mind travelled back to what had happened.
“Neoma, you shouldn’t have followed us,” Wade exclaimed, his eyes wide with horror. Wade was her father’s third in command. He was tall and strapping with long, braided, light brown hair that fell past his shoulders, and had dark blue eyes. His face was sharply angled with a thick coat of stubble. He looked in his early twenties but was actually in his thirties. Werewolf aging could be stopped and started at will if a werewolf wasn’t mated. He was unmated.
Wade was like a big brother to Neoma. He’d taught her how to hunt in human form. Learnt her how to skin an animal for its fur. Unlike most werewolves nowadays, her Pack lived out in the wild. Knowing how to hunt for food and resources was important for their survival.
“I thought you were hunting,” Neoma said, her eyes scanning the other members of her Pack. She’d been following them for a few hours.
“Do you not realise where we are?” Wade asked, “you followed us onto Alpha MacKaye’s territory.” Neoma blinked at him, startled. Why were they on enemy territory? The last members of the Tribal Pack to cross onto this territory were killed by their old Alpha.
The Knight Moon Pack had a vendetta against hers. The old Alpha believed her father had killed his fated mate. Her father had always said it wasn’t true. And she’d never doubted his honesty.
Panic slithered up her spine. “If I’d known you were com-” Wade cut her off by grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him. His jaw was tight with anger.
“Your father will have my head if he knows you are here,” he hissed, "of all the stupid things for you-" his words were cut off by the sound of a wolf howl. Neoma watched his angry expression fall away, only to be replaced by fear. Her heart stuttered. Fear wasn’t something she often saw on Wade’s face. This scared her.
“We need to get Neoma out of here. Now. They know we are here,” he shouted to the others, taking her hand and pulling her through the forest.
Neoma’s heart sped up. “Why did you come here? You know my father forbid anyone coming onto this territory?” Wade didn’t answer. Instead, he urged her to run quicker. She wished she was eighteen already, so she could shift into her wolf form. That way, she would have been able to run a lot faster. She knew she was going to slow them down. Male werewolves were able to shift from the age of sixteen. She didn’t think it was very fair. First time shifters always shifted on the night of the full moon, too. The moon called to their inner animal, waking it up.
Another howl rang out.
“You should go. Leave me. I’ll only slow you down,” Neoma urged.
Wade shook his head. “If I don’t return with you, there is no point returning at all,” he replied. He was right. Her father would most likely kill him. And if he didn’t, Dwain, her father’s Beta and her soon to be mate, would do it for him. Dwain was a brute. She didn’t want to mate with him, but her father had begged her to agree to it. He wanted someone strong enough to take care of her and the Pack when he finally passed. She hoped it would be years before that day ever came. There was something about Dwain that sent warning bells ringing through her head. He wouldn’t think twice about killing Wade. And she didn’t want Wade to die because of her stupidity.
Neoma had been bored in the camp, and had thought it would be fun following Wade out to hunt. Obviously, she’d been wrong. This wasn't turning out to be fun at all. She was glad that she hadn’t encouraged Sian, her best friend, to join her in her little escapade, because she knew if any of them were caught they’d die.
She could hear the footfalls of paws hitting the ground behind her.
“They’re catching up fast,” a werewolf named John yelled.
“We need two different scent trails so they separate. Split up. John, you’re with me, and you four. Everyone shift into your wolves,” Wade commanded. He pulled Neoma in a different direction to what they had come. John and the other four ran beside them in wolf form. They were double the size of standard wolves. Stronger and faster.
“How far from the border?” she asked, sprinting through the forest. They needed to get off Alpha MacKaye’s territory as quickly as possible. The only safe place for them now was no man’s land, unmarked territory.
“The border is twenty minutes away,” Wade answered, his tone grim. Her mouth dropped open. Twenty minutes?
“We won’t make it. You need to leave me. Maybe they won’t pick up on my scent, and keep going after you...but you could all make it back-” she was cut off by another howl. This one was close.
Too close.
“I’m not leaving you,” Wade snapped, yanking her hand to make her run faster. Her heart hammered against her chest. She urged herself to keep up with his quick steps, jumping over twisted roots, dodging trees as they sprinted through the dense forest.
There were ten main territories in Canada where Neoma lived, and Mason’s and Alpha Kruz’s Packs were the closest to where her Pack was hiding out in no man’s land. They moved around a lot, but tried to stay in the boreal forest.
Canada’s boreal region stretched ten thousand continuous kilometres across the country’s breadth. Its size rivalled even that of the Amazon rain forest. As one of the world’s greatest remaining forests, the boreal provided an important haven for Neoma’s kind. It was why her father didn’t want to move away. This was their home, too, and he wasn’t going to be chased off by the Knight Moon Pack. Had Amelia, a witch her father saved when she was younger, not sworn loyalty to him, things may have been very different. But as it was, Amelia used her magic to conceal the Tribal Packs location in the forest. Neoma’s Pack had been safe from the old Alpha. But now his son was a threat. She just hoped her Pack remained safe now that he was Alpha of the Knight Moon Pack.
Another howl came from behind them. Closer than the others. Wade cursed. “Neoma, keep going. Don’t stop. We are going to hold them back.” Neoma shook her head.
“I can’t leave you,” she cried. If he died, it would be her fault. She knew she couldn’t live with that on her conscience.
“Do as I say,” he ordered. His orders were useless on her. As the Alpha’s daughter, she was above him in the ranks.
He let go of her hand and her gut twisted with dread. The vicious growls from behind them turned her blood cold.
“Keep running,” Wade yelled. He shifted into a dark wolf with white streaks, his animal skin pants shredding. The necklace of bear teeth he wore around his neck snapped and fell to the floor.
Neoma looked over her shoulder. John and the four other wolves that Wade had ordered to follow them were fighting six enemy wolves. In the
distance, she could hear the other members of her Pack fighting. So much for splitting up.
She heard Wade snarl before jumping into the fight, landing on top of a grey wolf. She stumbled back as they rolled around on the ground, snarling and biting, tearing flesh from each other.
Her eyes moved to another wolf. Its dark blue eyes locked onto her, and it charged forward. With a gasp, Neoma turned and started running as fast as her legs could take her.
She’d managed five steps before something heavy knocked into her back. She fell down, hitting the back of her head off a rock.
Pain swept over her, and everything started spinning. Her vision filled with black dots.
And that was when darkness pulled her in.
Neoma put her hand to her mouth and gasped in horror. She’d been caught by the enemy Pack.
Wade.
Tears filled her eyes at the thought of him being dead. She concentrated on her Pack link, and tried to reach out to him, hoping he was just locked up in a cell. She could sense him, but she couldn’t make a connection with him, and was too far from her camp to connect with her father or anyone there.
She let out a soft sigh. At least Wade is alive. But for how long? And how long would she be alive for? Those were the questions that were swimming through her mind. How could I have been so stupid? She shouldn’t have followed him. He would have probably escaped had she not held him back.
At the sound of a buzzing noise, Neoma jumped to her feet. She staggered backwards as the red light on the door turn green.
The door opened. A man walked in. He had blue eyes, military cut, dark brown hair, and was tall and muscular with a light tan. He wore a white tee under a black jacket, dark brown trousers, and black converse. He was young, maybe middle twenties.
When he looked over at her, she took a nervous step back. He started towards her. Don’t panic. Just stay calm, she told herself.