Mated to My Enemy

Chapter 5 The Alpha Claim

The feast broke into whispers and gasps.

All eyes turned to the door. Axel stood there, tall and dark, like a shadow that should never have returned. His hair was longer now, falling just above his eyes, and his smile was sharp and dangerous. My stomach tightened the moment I saw him.

It had been years since I last laid eyes on him. Years since the boy who once whispered promises under the moonlight had betrayed me and left me broken. Now, he stood in front of me again, not as a boy, but as a man who carried the weight of power and danger around him.

His gaze moved slowly through the hall, as if searching for something—or someone. Then his eyes found me. For a heartbeat, the world seemed to stop. My breath caught in my chest, and my heart pounded like a drum.

When our eyes locked, he smiled. Not a warm smile. Not a smile of love. It was the kind of smile that said he had come to claim something that belonged to him.

“Teresa,” Axel said, his voice smooth as silk but laced with poison. “My lost little mate. Did you think you could hide from me forever?”

The word mate cut through me like a knife. My hands trembled, but I clenched them into fists at my sides. He had no right to call me that. Not anymore. Not after everything he had done.

Before I could open my mouth, Kaelrik stepped forward. His silver eyes burned with fury, his whole body radiating power. His presence felt like a shield pressed between me and Axel.

“She is not yours,” Kaelrik said, his voice firm and unyielding. “Leave now, Axel, before you regret it.”

The entire room seemed to tighten with tension. Wolves stopped eating. Some shifted in their seats, ready to spring into action. Low growls rumbled in the air, but no one dared move closer. The feast was forgotten.

Axel tilted his head slightly, studying Kaelrik with amusement. His smirk deepened. “So protective. But let’s not play games. You and I both know the truth, Kaelrik. You couldn’t keep her. You couldn’t stop me before.”

Shame clawed at my chest even though Axel’s words weren’t true. I wanted to shout, to scream that he was the one who had left me, the one who had torn my heart apart. But his words were sharp, made to wound, and I could see doubt flicker in the eyes of the wolves around us.

“You lost your right to her the night you broke her,” Kaelrik growled. His voice was low and dangerous, like thunder before a storm. Power rolled off him, pressing against the room and forcing weaker wolves to bow their heads.

But Axel did not bow. He stood tall, his aura flaring just as strong, just as suffocating. He took a step forward, his voice cutting through the silence.

“Then tell me,” Axel said softly, “why does her heart still race when she looks at me?”

Heat rushed to my face. Not from love. Not from longing. From anger. From fear. From pain. But the wolves didn’t know that. They only saw my flushed cheeks, only heard the rapid beat of my heart. The whispers began again, curling through the hall like smoke.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed to my feet, my voice loud and trembling. “Enough!”

The hall fell silent at once.

My chest rose and fell quickly as I stared straight at Axel. My voice shook, but I made sure each word was clear. “I am not yours. Not now. Not ever. I belong to no one.”

The words echoed in the hall, strong despite the fear twisting in my stomach. For a moment, Axel’s smirk slipped, and something darker flashed in his eyes. Kaelrik’s gaze shifted toward me, unreadable, but I saw his jaw tighten.

Then Axel’s face hardened. His smile returned, sharper than before. “You think you’re free?” His voice dropped, heavy and dangerous. “You are mine, Teresa. And before the next full moon, I’ll prove it.”

Power burst from him, heavy and suffocating. Wolves around me bowed their heads without meaning to, their bodies giving in to the force of his dominance. My chest tightened, and it felt like the air itself was pressing down on me.

But I refused to bow. Not this time.

Kaelrik stepped forward, his aura rising like a shield of fire and steel. The weight in the room shifted as his strength clashed with Axel’s. The air between them seemed to crackle with unseen energy, sharp and violent.

“Touch her,” Kaelrik said, his voice like ice, “and you will not live to see another moon.”

The hall was so tense it was hard to breathe. Wolves froze in their seats, caught between two storms, afraid to even move. My heart thundered in my ears as the two men stared at each other, their power colliding like blades.

Then Axel laughed. It was low, dark, and cruel. The sound made the hairs on my neck stand on end.

“We’ll see,” he said softly. His eyes slid back to me, burning with a promise that made my stomach twist. “You can’t hide from me, Teresa. Not again.”

With that, he turned and walked out into the night. His footsteps echoed in the silence, each one striking fear deeper into my heart.

No one moved. No one spoke. The hall was heavy with unease, as if the very walls knew a storm was coming. My heart pounded so hard it hurt, but I forced myself to stand tall, even though my knees trembled.

Kaelrik finally turned to me, his voice steady but low enough that only I could hear. “He will not touch you. Not while I live.”

I wanted to believe him. His words were strong, his presence like a shield, but fear gnawed at me all the same. Axel’s promise echoed in my mind. You are mine.

And though I had spoken with strength, though I had declared myself free, a chilling truth sank into my bones as the night grew colder:

Axel wasn’t finished.

He was only beginning.

And his next move… could destroy everything.