Fated To The Enemy

The stream glimmered under the full moon, casting silver light across the rippling water. This place had always been my sanctuary as a child, my escape from the weight of my father’s expectations. But tonight, it wasn’t nostalgia or peace that brought me here—it was something deeper. A pull I couldn’t ignore, a whisper in my blood that demanded I come. I sank to the mossy ground, fingers trailing over the cool earth as the memories rushed back. This spot held fragments of my childhood, from a time before I understood alliances, betrayal, and war. Back when my world was small, and my dreams were endless. Tonight, though, was supposed to be the start of something new. My eighteenth birthday. The night I finally felt whole. The night my wolf, would wake and join me. I’d been waiting for this moment my entire life, the excitement building with every passing year. But the joy of finally meeting Sara and experiencing our first shift was destroyed by my fathers news. His voice echoed in my head, cold and authoritative, the way it always was when he delivered orders. “You’re to be married, Lila. Tomorrow, the Alpha of the Silver Star Pack will arrive to meet you and negotiate the marriage terms. This alliance is vital to the survival of our pack.” An arranged marriage. Not to my mate. Not for love. For strategy. Anger bubbled up in my chest, burning hotter with every breath. Did he even care that this was supposed to be my night? My moment? Why couldn't he have waited until after my birthday before shattering my heart. Sara had been stirring all day, her presence a quiet hum in the back of my mind. But when my father spoke those words, she went silent. The snap of a twig shattered the stillness, jerking me back to the present. I froze, every instinct sharpening. My heart raced as the scent hit me—pine and spice, earthy and wild, so unmistakably him. My stomach twisted as recognition clawed at me. Derek. I turned slowly, my breath hitching as he stepped out of the shadows. Moonlight spilled over him, highlighting every sharp angle of his face. He was taller now, broader, his presence more commanding than I remembered. His dark hair was ruffled by the breeze, his piercing eyes locked onto me. The bond slammed into me like a tidal wave, raw and undeniable. My wolf stirred, fully awake now, and one word echoed through me, clear and deafening: Mate. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head as the weight of it crashed down on me. My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to stand, backing away from him. “This isn’t… You can’t be—” “Mate,” Derek said, his voice low and rough, disbelief thick in his tone. His eyes burned into mine, and I knew he felt it too—the pull, the connection, the inevitability of it all. “This isn’t real,” I choked out, panic surging through me. “It can’t be real. You can’t be my—” “Don’t,” he snapped, his voice sharp. “Don’t act like you don’t feel it too.” The anger in his tone stoked my own. “Of course I feel it!” I shot back, my voice trembling. “Do you think I want this? Do you think I asked for this?” Derek’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “You think I wanted this either?" The words hit like a slap, but I refused to flinch. He didn’t move, didn’t even blink. His eyes locked on mine, and something flickered there—something deeper than anger, darker than frustration. “You don’t get it, do you?” My wolf growled softly in my mind, pushing against my resistance, longing for him, for us. But I refused to give in. “We are enemies” I spat, the bitterness lacing my words like poison. “ My father would—” “I don’t give a damn about your father,” Derek growled, cutting me off. His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. His touch was electric, searing through me like fire. “This isn’t about him. This is about us.” “There is no us,” I hissed, yanking my wrist free. “There can’t be. Don’t you get it? You’re the reason my pack suffers and why my birthday has been destroyed. You’re—” “I’m your mate!” His voice thundered through the night, the force of it silencing me. His chest heaved, his eyes wild as they bore into mine. “Whether you like it or not, Lila, I’m your mate.” The words hung between us, heavy and unrelenting. My breath caught, my heart racing as the bond pulsed between us, tying us together in ways I couldn’t escape. “You don’t want me,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “And I don’t want you. This doesn’t have to mean anything.” Derek’s eyes softened for a fraction of a second, and I saw the conflict there, the war he was waging with himself. “It already does,” he said, his voice quieter now but no less intense. I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “I can’t do this. I can’t—” Before I could finish, he stepped closer, closing the distance between us. His hand brushed my cheek, and the touch sent a shiver down my spine. I slapped his hand away "Don't touch me!" “Don’t,” he snapped, his voice sharp. “Don’t act like you don’t feel it too.” The anger in his tone stoked my own. “Of course I feel it!” I shot back, my voice trembling. “Do you think I want this? Do you think I asked for this?” Derek’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “You think I wanted this either? You think I wanted you?” The words hit like a slap, but I refused to flinch. “Then reject me,” I fired, stepping closer, my chest heaving. “Go ahead, Derek. Say the words and end this right now.” His eyes darkened, a dangerous glint flashing in them. “No.” I clenched my fists, my own anger surging. “Fine. If you won’t, I will.” I straightened, lifting my chin, defiance burning in me. “I, Lila Swan, of the Swan Lake pack, reject—” Before I could finish, Derek’s hand shot out, his palm clamping over my mouth. The growl that rumbled from him was low and feral, sending a shiver down my spine. “You don’t get to reject me,” he snarled, his voice trembling with barely restrained fury. His face was inches from mine, his breath hot against my skin. “Only I can do that.” His eyes burned with a golden light, his wolf flashing through, wild and unrestrained. The raw power radiating off him was suffocating, pressing against me like a tangible force. My wolf stirred in response, her yearning a physical ache I couldn’t suppress. My body betrayed me, leaning into his touch even as my mind screamed to pull away. My heart pounded, my breaths shallow as every nerve in my body came alive under his gaze. I shoved against his chest, my voice muffled against his hand. “Get off me,” I growled, though the words lacked the strength I wanted. Derek’s grip tightened slightly before he let go, stepping back just enough to let me breathe. His eyes, though still glowing with his wolf’s presence, softened just slightly, but the tension in his body remained. “You don’t get it, do you?” he said, his voice rough and low, his chest heaving. “This isn’t just about you. It’s about us. You can fight it all you want, Lila, but it won’t change what we are.” I stumbled back, shaking my head as tears stung my eyes. “I don’t want this. I don’t want you. “Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I want to be tied to you? To someone who hates me?” His words cut deep, but I refused to let him see it. “reject me,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “If you hate this as much as I do, do us both a favour and just end it.” His eyes locked onto mine, his jaw clenching. “I can’t,” he said, his voice barely audible. “And even if I could… I wouldn’t.” The bond between us pulsed, stronger than ever, an unrelenting force tying us together. My wolf howled in frustration, torn between anger and longing. I took another step back, my chest tight with emotions I couldn’t control. “Stay away from me,” I whispered, my voice cracking. Derek didn’t move, his eyes never leaving mine. “You can run, Lila,” he said, his voice low and steady. “But you won't be able to resist this for long.” I turned and ran, his words followed me, a haunting promise I couldn’t ignore.