Mated To The Enemy Alpha

tory – Midnig

rets Elle Davenport wasn't supposed to hear- at least, not tonight. Not while snea

d from her father's armory. Her auburn hair was pinned beneath the heavy hood of her cloak, and her amber

good. Ruthless.

ks, Ashbane scouts had been disappearing along the border, and her father, Beta Calden, blamed the Nightclaws. But Elle had found track

thing worse than rival pac

n

She spun around, blade drawn, but saw nothing. Just mist curli

llide with a wall of muscle. Strong hands gripped her arms as a

t broke through the canopy, illuminating sharp cheekbones, jet-black ha

on Os

caught. No.

" he said, "to drop the blade be

dn't l

into her voice. "You're mistaken. I'm no

a brow. "O

e the dirt had y

carve it

orm. Elle's heartbeat thundered in her ears, but she refused

His nostrils flared. He took a single step forward, a

ened. "No,"

inked.

o strides and grabbed her wr

ing anywher

led. Hoarse. Filled with somethin

How do you k

and the heat from his skin burned agains

it ha

ng mark began to bloom, curling across Elle's collarbone and Brandon's neck

ered. "This isn'

" Brandon said, eyes glowing wit

ree and stumbled back.

t here

d hot. Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, clawing for

ty," she snapped. "You

y a hand on

y are th

swers too? My pack has been vanishing, same as yours. Somet

lieve he was lying. But the haunted

d her more than t

d-curdling howl sha

lf. No

hing

bones cracked, body contorting into

one. She cursed and shifted mid-stride, her w

an tog

orn en

ated

of shadow and flame tearing through the undergrowth. Trees bent under the wind of their passing, leaves spiraling

her pounding heart. Every instinct screamed at h

throat, drawing up beside him. His eyes locked on hers, silver gleaming

s c

now-acrid, acidic, nothing like a wolf. Her

snapped b

y s

east that emerged

as a

e-chested

a faint red hue. No

pa

et out a warning growl that

ed, showing t

ed. "The bond still wo

orward, teeth bar

amused. "A ghost. A story your

at crept over her bare skin as mist thickened. She stood tal

ution. And you..." He looked between her an

vanished into the trees-his movement unna

ing and falling with labored br

"He wasn't wolf. He w

r, jaw tight. "You n

ritory? Into the arms of the Alpha who

Whatever that thing is, it's killing bot

u believe i

said darkly.

ight over the glowing bond mark. It pulsed again, fai

his," she

do

e tension, the fear, the unspoken truth: the war be

with me, Elle. Just for tonight. We get a

ed run. But her wolf? Her wolf leaned

better judgmen

nig

y was silent-too silent. No ow

sed through thick fog. She wasn't afraid of wolv

care

low. Moments later, two guards appeared-massive wolves wi

ndon said. His tone

e of them

ed, stepping into the guard's spa

dropped

ked. "Alp

answer. He ju

ozen lake. Dark stone, iron sconces, and fur-lined cha

in with a quiet s

ed back. "We're not big on pr

l at how clean it was. Organized. Everything in it

to a heavy wooden chair ne

tanding. "You

think I'd throw away centuries of tr

pack w

does wh

er lying or you'r

d your pack? You thin

e not the ones hiding creatures that move

too. My cousin went missing last week. We found what was left

rackled be

ed slightly. "Then we'

d. "And

word stung more

k for this,"

id I," he

s heavy. Tense. The bond curled between them lik

stay the night. But in th

odded onc

rd the guest quarters-t

you in the morning," she

w, unreadable. "Good.