Wrapped in My Enemy’s Arms

Chapter Thirteen

Ayla’s POV.

I should have been terrified, but a strange, icy feeling had settled in me.

“Time is fast in the Eidolon Realm of spirits. What do you seek?”

The voice vibrated in my soul. I turned. A woman hovered in the center of the room, bathed in a light so blinding. She was glowing with an ethereal aura.

I hope she’s one of the good spirits, like Kiara mentioned.

“I—I need to awaken my powers,” I said. My voice sounded different here—clearer, vibrating with a strange frequency. “I need to save my mate.”

“To take in Eidolon, you must give,” the figure echoed, “To wake the Sayer, you must surrender the Protector. Give yourself to the realm, little wolf, so she may guide you.”

“Protector?” I snapped, the word tasting like steel in my mouth. “What is that? Besides, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t even want me.”

“Watch your tongue in Eidolon,” the spirit warned, her voice thundered. “The spirits do more than listen. You will not die here, little wolf. But to gain her favor, you must serve. Two fortnights in this realm in exchange for your powers and a lifetime of her guidance for the goddess is a kind spirit.”

The thought of staying in this void for weeks sent a shiver through my soul, but I looked at my pale, lifeless body on the floor and then thought of Kael’s fading heartbeat.

“Fine,” I whispered. “I’ll do it.” I just had to serve.. it shouldn’t be so hard.

The woman drifted closer, her light becoming so intense it was like staring into the sun. She leaned down, her lips then brushed my cheeks. It wasn't a warm kiss, it felt like ice.

Suddenly, a torrent of light and fire surged into my spirit, tethering me back to the physical world with a violent jerk. I stared at my body—it was glowing now, a soft, silver luminescence radiating from my skin. I reached out, my fingers trembling. The moment I touched my own hand, the world turned inside out, and the silence in my chest was instantly replaced by the thundering thump of my own heart.

I sat up with a gasp, the timer on the floor letting out a final ding.

Power didn't just enter me, it raced through my veins, making my senses so sharp I could hear the spiders crawling in the rafters. I felt like I could face a bear and win with my bare hands.

I didn't hesitate. I threw my clothes on, the fabric feeling strange against my hyper-sensitive skin, and marched out the door. I prowled, the newly found confidence was a drug, humming under my skin as I waltzed straight into Kael’s quarters.

He was sitting up, leaning against the headboard, his skin had gone duller . When he saw me, his head snapped up, his dark brows furrowing in confusion.

“I thought you left,” he said, his voice stripped of its usual strength but still enough to authorize.

“I was going to,” I said, the words sliding out with a boldness way more than I knew I had. “But I decided I’m not going to let you die. It would be a waste of an Alpha—and a body as fine as yours.”

The silence that followed was electric. Oh goddess, why did I say that? To my shock, a soft, dry chuckle broke from his throat. It was a beautiful sound, even if it couldn't quite hide the agony etched into the corners of his eyes.

I stepped closer, my heartbeat syncing with his. I didn't know the mechanics of healing—I had no spells, no training—but my body seemed to have its own agenda. I moved like I was drawn to him by a magnet I couldn't resist.

I placed both hands on his chest. His skin was burning, the dark veins from the curse webbed across his muscles like lightning. My face was only inches from his, the scent of him infiltrated my nose.

Then, I did the unthinkable.

I leaned in and latched my lips onto his. I started gently, testing the heat, my teeth catching his lower lip. A low, guttural sound escaped his throat—a sound of pure, unadulterated need. He didn't pull away. Instead, his palms came up to sandwich my cheeks, his touch searing, and he pushed his tongue into my mouth, claiming me with a desperation that made my head spin.

The air in the room grew heavy, thick with a static charge that made the hair at the back of my neck rise. As we kissed, I felt the power within me begin to flow out, pouring into him like a river.

I opened my eyes for a split second. The dark veins on his chest were receding, melting away as his natural color returned. I looked up at his face, and my breath hitched. Kael’s eyes weren't dark anymore. They were glowing a fierce, predatory red.

I tried to find the will to pull back, to catch my breath, but the mate bond suddenly snapped into place with the force of a slammed door. It wasn't just a tug anymore, it pulsed in me with strong force.

The shift was instantaneous. He felt it too. The moment the mate bond locked into place, the air in the room seemed to vanish, replaced by a thick, magnetic heat. Kael’s growl wasn't human, it was a low, vibrating rumble that started in his chest and echoed in my bone marrow.

He didn't just pull me closer, he ate up the distance between us in one single swift move. His hands slid from my cheeks to her waist, his fingers digging into my skin with a possessive strength that should have hurt, but only fueled the fire in my blood. He hauled me onto his lap, and my legs automatically tangled around his hips, I grinned against his crotch, making me gasp against his wicked mouth.

"Ayla," he choked out, his voice wrecked with years of loneliness and the sudden, violent surge of the bond. "If I start, I won't be able to stop. The wolf—he wants all of you."

"Then let him," I breathed, my eyes clashing with his. I reached for the hem of his shirt, my movements frantic, fueled by the Sayer energy still thrumming under my skin and peeled it off his body.

He was healed but now, he needed to heal me.