The Enemy Alpha Claimed Me

Serena’s POV “Mate” The word slammed into my mind It rippled through me, pulling me from sleep instantly. My eyes shot open, my heart already racing before I even knew why. For a long moment, I didn’t move, just stared up at the ceiling I didn’t recognize. The air smelled strange, faintly smoky and sharp, like cedarwood and something darker. The sheets beneath me were not mine. A slow, creeping panic began to crawl over my skin. I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest. My gaze darted across the room; spacious, unfamiliar, walls painted in muted grays. A single armchair sat in the corner, a jacket thrown carelessly over its back. This wasn’t my room. This wasn’t even my house. Then I looked down. The blanket slipped, revealing bare skin. No bra. No underwear. Nothing. My stomach clenched in horror. My thighs ached as if I did something all night. “What the hell…” My voice came out hoarse, dry. I clutched the blanket tighter, forcing my mind to rewind, to remember. I was in a bar. I needed a drink to distract my mind from the duties of the pack. That was when a man I couldn't recognize because I was drunk joined me. He was full of fun. He had whispered something in my ears. I can't remember anymore. My memory broke off like a snapped rope, leaving a void where the rest of the night should be. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, I had to leave immediately before anyone noticed I wasn't home. My bare feet hit the cold floor, and the room tilted slightly with every step, my head still pounding. I found my clothes scattered on the floor. Part of its side was torn. Whoever he was, he's definitely a wild one. The door was only a few feet away. My fingers had just curled around the handle when it opened from the other side. My heart sank. The world seemed to tilt for a different reason now. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Hair dark as midnight, eyes like molten gold. His gaze locked on mine, “Mate” Zara's voice repeated and my heart skipped a bit. I knew him. Not personally, but his face was burned into my pack’s history, into every warning my father had ever given me. Kade Veylor. Alpha of the Ashfang Pack. My father’s sworn enemy. The kind of man whose name alone could spark a fight at a council meeting. The kind of man my father had spent years trying to destroy. And he was here. Blocking my way out. I stiffened,I pulled my blouse to cover up my exposed sides “You…” My voice shook with both anger and disbelief. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You knew who I was. You—” I broke off, my throat closing around the words. “You took advantage.” One of his eyebrows lifted, the corner of his mouth curling in something dangerously close to amusement. “Is that what you think happened?” “That’s exactly what happened!” I snapped. “You got me drunk, you—” He pulled something from his pocket. A phone. With a few taps, the screen lit up, and he turned it toward me. The sound hit first—my own voice, breathless, pleading, calling his name. Then the image followed: my hands tangled in his hair, my lips crashing into his, my legs wrapping around his waist as I pulled him closer. I felt my stomach drop into nothing. “That’s not possible.” “Oh, that's exactly what happened.” His voice was quiet but sharp enough to cut. “You kissed me first. You climbed into my lap. You told me exactly what you wanted, and you didn’t stop until you got it.” The shame hit hot and fast, burning in my cheeks, my neck, all the way down to my chest. My mind screamed no, but the images on the screen didn’t lie. Worse, my body still remembered—the heat, the way my pulse had raced. Kade stepped forward, closing the space between us with slow, deliberate movements. I backed up, but the wall met me too soon. “You can spin whatever story you want when you run back to your pack,” he murmured, leaning down slightly. “But we both know the truth.” My grip on the blouse tightened. “You, stay away from me.” But he didn’t. One hand came up, bracing against the doorframe beside my head. The other brushed the edge of my dress, his knuckles grazing my bare skin. Sparks erupted across my body, stealing my breath. “I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, trying to fight the way my pulse leapt under his touch. Kade’s gaze locked on mine, the gold in his eyes catching the light like molten metal. Then his mouth was on mine—firm, consuming, sending a shiver down my spine so sharp it left me breathless. When he finally pulled back, his lips lingered near my ear. “See you soon, mate.” The word was deliberate, mocking, and yet it sent another unwanted rush of heat through me. And then he stepped aside, letting me go. The next thing I knew, I was home. I didn’t remember the journey, whether I walked or was driven, whether the air outside was hot or cold. My head was full of him. The scent of cedarwood and smoke clinging to my skin. The taste of his mouth is still on mine. I closed my bedroom door and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath. The walls here were familiar, but they didn’t make me feel safe. Not with the images still burning into my mind. “What have you done, Serena?” I whispered to the empty room. I moved to the mirror, unable to stop myself. My reflection looked… different. My hair was tangled, my lips swollen from his kiss, my skin flushed in a way I couldn’t hide. My hand lifted, brushing the exact spot on my hip where his fingers had touched. The memory hit like a live current—his grip, the way he’d leaned in, the heat that had rolled through me without permission. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to smother the sensation. Trying to think about the consequences instead. My father. If he ever found out… gods, if he ever even suspected… Kade Veylor wasn’t just any man. He was the enemy. The one man my father would see destroyed before he ever let him near me. And yet A shiver worked its way down my spine, my skin still tingling from that kiss. I tried to settle my thoughts about what was going on, but a loud knock on my door sent me to my feet. Gripped by the shock, I gazed up at the door, my hands quivering on the knob, I pull it open…..