The Enemy Alpha Claimed Me

Chapter5

KADE POV

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the half-empty glass of whiskey in my hand. My mind was chaotic as I thought of no other person than my mate, Serena.

That stubborn, infuriating, beautiful woman.

It should’ve been easy to forget her. Goddess knows I’ve had more women than I care to count. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Every time I tried to focus on work, her voice slipped into my thoughts. And when I remembered that night… that one reckless, passionate night we shared… my chest tightened.

No woman had ever made me feel that way before. Not one.

It wasn’t just her body, though I’d be a damn liar if I said it didn’t haunt me—the way she’d clung to me, nails digging into my shoulders, the heat of her skin under my hands. It was the way she fought me even in pleasure, the way her lips trembled when she tried not to moan, the way she gave in only when she couldn’t hold back anymore.

She’d been fired. And I’d burned willingly.

But then there was her stubbornness. That same fire that made me crave her made me want to break her in the worst way. I’d offered her something many women wanted, the chance to stand beside me and she’d thrown it in my face.

I set the glass down harder than I meant to, the sharp clink echoing in the quiet room.

She’d refused me. Not just my offer, but me.

It had been days since I sent her a message, telling her to come to me so we could talk. I hadn’t demanded, for once. I’d asked. And she hadn’t even responded. Not a single word.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked again. The message was still there, unread.

My jaw tightened. She was testing me, whether she realized it or not. And I didn’t take well to being tested.

I was about to toss the phone back on the desk when a knock came at the door.

“Come in,” I called, my voice clipped.

The door opened and one of my guards stepped inside. He was tall, broad-shouldered, wearing the black-and-red colors of my pack. “Alpha,” he greeted with a short bow.

I leaned back in my chair, masking my irritation with a calm I didn’t feel. “You have news?”

He hesitated, just for a second, but I caught it. My gut tensed. “Spit it out,” I ordered.

“It’s about Serena,” he said, his voice low.

At the mention of her name, my pulse quickened. “Go on.”

He shifted uneasily, as if unsure how I’d take it. “Word is… she’s getting married.”

My mind went still for half a second, like I hadn’t heard him right. “…Married?”

“Yes, Alpha,” he confirmed. She is getting married to no other person but to your cousin. Julian.”

The name hit me like a punch to the ribs. My hand curled into a fist against the desk.

Julian.

The same Julian who had taken everything from me. Julian had the gut to go for the woman I'm in love with.

Those memories slammed into me. The day my birthright—the pack that should have been mine—was stripped away. The council’s cold judgment. The accusations. The lies. They’d painted me as the enemy, the threat, the one who couldn’t be trusted.

And Julian had stood there, all righteous smiles and fake sympathy, pretending he hadn’t been the one pulling strings behind the scenes. He’d been handed my pack, my legacy, my family’s bloodline… while I’d been cast out like some filthy rogue.

I’d sworn that day I’d get it back.

I’d clawed my way up from nothing, built my own pack from the ground up. I’d spilled blood, broken bones, crushed anyone who stood in my way. Every move I’d made had been for one purpose to destroy Julian, to take back what was mine.

And now… now he was marrying my mate.

The rage came fast and hot, flooding my veins. My vision sharpened, my wolf pressing against the edges of my control. It wasn’t just about revenge anymore. This was personal in a way it had never been before.

Julian wasn’t just taking what I’d built—he was trying to take her.

I stared down at my desk, breathing slowly and controlled, because if I let go now, the entire building might shake from the force of my anger.

“Where did you hear this?” I asked finally, my voice dangerously calm.

The guard swallowed. “There’s been talk among the allied packs. Julian’s hosting the ceremony soon. It’s… public enough that it’s spreading.”

Public enough. That meant Serena wasn’t hiding it. That meant she was either doing this willingly… or she was being forced into it.

My wolf snarled at the thought. Forced or not, the image of her standing beside Julian in a wedding dress made my blood boil.

“You’re sure?” I pressed, my gaze locking on him.

“Yes, Alpha,” he said firmly.

I leaned back in my chair again, but this time it wasn’t to relax—it was to keep from putting my fist through the desk.

Serena. My mate. Serena is a very stubborn and infuriating mate.

I thought of her again, the way she’d looked that night, flushed, trembling, lips parted in surrender. She belonged to me in that moment, whether she wanted to admit it or not. And now she was going to stand beside him? Pledge herself to him?

Not happening. "No! Not while l am still alive. A slow, cold determination settled in my chest, heavier than the anger but just as lethal.

“You’re not marrying him. We’re going to talk. Tonight.”

I sent her the text and threw my phone aside.