Bound to My Enemy's Alpha

The Rite

Ivy’s POV

Coming back into her own body felt like climbing out of water that had been trying to keep her under.

Ivy became aware of the cold stone floor of the crypt first, sharp against her bare skin, grounding in a way that almost hurt. And then came the ache. It sat everywhere at once, deep in her bones, like she’d been folded and unfolded too many times in too short a span.

Her wolf had gone somewhere quiet to rest, curled small and satisfied at the edges of her mind, and Ivy found she resented it a little for how easily it had settled after tearing her whole body apart to get there.

Someone had wrapped a cloak around her shoulders. She didn’t remember whose hands had done it.

“Easy,” a voice said, close by, and Ivy blinked the crypt back into focus enough to recognize one of the maidservants crouched beside her, steadying her by the elbow. “You did well tonight. Better than most.”

Ivy didn’t feel like she’d done anything at all. She felt like something had been done to her, thoroughly and without her consent, even if she’d technically spoken the words that let it happen.

Her whole skin still hummed, a low electric current that hadn’t fully faded, and beneath that hum sat something new: a bond, quiet and unfamiliar, curled into a corner of herself that had been empty an hour ago.

House Voss, she thought, and the thought landed strangely, foreign in her own mind, like trying on a name that didn’t fit.

She was helped to her feet, wrapped more securely, and led out of the crypt through a side passage meant for exactly this, wolves too wrung-out from a rite to be paraded back through the main halls for anyone to gawk at.

The corridor beyond was empty and dim, lit by widely spaced torches, and Ivy was grateful for the quiet after the chanting still echoing faintly in her ears.

She was taken back to the room that she had stayed in before the ceremony. The room was warm compared to the crypt. She was dropped off by the maidservant.

Ivy could hear and feel the steaming hot water that was coming into the bathroom.

A light knock resounded on the door. Ivy was startled at first.

Who could it be? she thought as she sighed.

She walked towards the door and opened it. At the other end stood Kael, his broad shoulders blocking the door.

“May I come in?”

The nerve, Ivy thought.

How can he come here after how he just stood and watched me about to be killed? And he’s supposed to be my mate?

I can hear you, you know.

Kael thought back to her.

Ivy stared into his eyes, images of just slamming the door in his face resurfacing in her mind.

Pretty sure it’s my room.

Kael transmitted to her.

With an angry expression, she left the door and walked back into the room.

Kael came into the room and leaned against the wall, with his arms crossed. His gaze was fixed on her as he said nothing and simply observed her.

“So, what do you want?” Ivy asked.

“I came to check on you and to see how you were faring.”

“How I am faring? Well, I’m not dead, thanks for asking. Now, is that all?”

Kael sighed as he looked at her.

“Basically, I couldn’t do anything about the trial, and for that, I am sorry.”

“Sorry? Sorry? I almost got killed. And you are here saying sorry?” Ivy began to raise her voice.

“Okay. What should I do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe for starters, you shouldn’t have brought me here?”

“And let an unknown wolf wander my land?”

“What?”

“I didn’t come here for all this,” Kael said as he moved away from the wall and began to move in closer.

He now stood right before her, his body very close to hers as he tilted his head down to meet her gaze while she raised hers up.

The two locked in a death-stare contest.

His scent called out to her.

What is he doing?

Ivy could see his eye twitch a bit and was about to move.

No, he wouldn’t.

Ivy’s eyes darted towards the nearest vase as she waited for his move.

“It would be heartbreaking to lose that vase. I would prefer if you used the other one.”

Kael pointed to another vase that wasn’t as good-looking as the first.

“First of all, can you stay the hell out of my head?” Ivy said as she drew away from him.

“And also, why do you have to be so close? Haven’t you ever heard of boundaries?”

“Well, you had something on—” Kael gestured to her head.

She reached toward where he gestured and pulled a petal from her hair.

“OH, GOD,” she sighed.

“Anything else?” she asked.

Kael said nothing but just stared at her.

When Ivy saw he had nothing to say, she motioned at the door with her head.

Kael said nothing as he approached the door. He opened the door slowly and stepped out. Ivy was about to shut the door when he held it in place.

“You should rest,” Kael said to Ivy as she gave him a perplexed look.

“And that’s your concern, how?”

Kael was about to reply when Ivy slammed the door shut in his face.

She waited for a moment as she expected him to go away, but she heard nothing.

Ivy sighed as she let the clothes slip down her body while she walked into the bathroom and laid down in the tub. The hot water soaked into her skin as she allowed herself to reminisce on the events of the day.

From almost dying to becoming a sworn wolf of House Voss.

And then Kael.

Why did he come here like he cared? What’s the deal with him? One minute he’s acting all nice and protecting her, the very next moment he has given her up for slaughter to the council.

All this bugged her. Ivy let herself sink into the water.

And what is his deal with reading my thoughts through the bond? Can he even hear these thoughts right now?

“Ahh,” Ivy let out a stifled scream as she got out of the tub, took a towel, and wrapped it around herself.

She got into the room as she began to squeeze and dry her hair when she heard something.

Ivy stopped and waited for the sound.

Again, she heard the light taps that came from the door.

What do you want again?

Ivy sent her thoughts through the bond as she angrily walked towards the door.

She opened the door, ready to scream in Kael’s face when she stopped.

Her body grew cold.

All the anger and the scream she wanted to vent out died as she stared at the figure before her.