Adversaries

CHAPTER 3

AMERADA'S POV

White, long hair and piercing blue eyes had made me a freak among the other pack kids when I was younger. I stood out like a sore thumb, an anomaly in a world where there were only brown and black hair or bald head. My appearance set me apart, marking me as different, even before anyone got to know who I truly was.

I was always excluded from the rest of society, an outsider in my own pack. The other kids would huddle together, whispering and pointing, as if my presence was a reminder of something they didn’t understand. While they bonded over shared experiences and formed friendships, I was left on the fringes, watching from a distance.

The isolation was suffocating. No one dared to approach me, and I grew accustomed to the cold stares and the silence that followed me wherever I went. The blue eyes were not the problem, it was my hair.

"Miss Amerada, Alpha Damora is calling for you." A maid stopped me during my walk. I only went out of the house as a way of distracting myself from the suffocating feeling. Being around the alpha was almost like being held by the neck with a leash. I hated it. Hated everything about the Canine's Pack. My parents were killed in the war 100 years ago. After that, I was adopted by Damora's parents who were later killed before the adoption could be completed.

Walking back to the Pack house, I envisioned how much better my life would be when I found my mate. He would be the solution to my problems. Whisking me away to whatever pack that he was.

Sadly, finding my mate was going to be difficult. I was being held captive here and Damora with his bald head was looking to me as a new addition to his collection of wives.

"Amerada," his voice boomed as I entered his study. Rejecting his very scent that filled up the room as he stepped closer to me.

"Alpha Damora," I bowed. Fear, disgust and annoyance washing over me in waves as he caressed my hair.

"Still as beautiful as ever. My lovely Amerada, you haven't accepted my proposal to wed?" He asked, as if softening his tone would make him more appealing to me.

"What can I help you with, Alpha?" I asked as I left my head in a bow to show submission.

"Look at me Amerada, I want to see those blue orbs," he whispered in my ears. A plethora of goosebumps rose on my arms. My irritation was heightened. I looked at him, taking in his features once again.

I could not see the top of his head but the forehead reflected the light of the brightly lit room. His eyes were a blend of black and blue. His breath smelled of roast meat, a testament of his just finished dinner. He was a big man and I strained to maintain eye contact.

"I like the look of fear in your gorgeous blues. I imagine them imbued with pleasure, underneath me," he growled. From the swelling in his crotch area, I could tell that he had envisioned a clear image of that imagination in his head.

"Alpha Damora!" I called out as he put his hand around my waist. I pushed him away and stepped back. Immediate regret for my actions washed over me as my head was slammed against a wall.

"How dare you, Amerada mi Amor!" He shouted as he held and slapped me. My vision blurred.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I'm so sorry!" I cried out, desperately clutching on his arm for release.

"Sorry?" He asked me with a smirk before letting me go. I have lost count on how many times I have rejected him.

"Look at your battered face my love, Your head is bruised and your beautiful lips are in bad shape." He smoothed my hair.

A knock on the door brought him out from his obsession. A low growl slipping from his lips. I felt shivers travel down my spine. The person knocking was taking too much time to come into the house.

"Alpha Damora, the Claws have left their pack. They're headed south." Beta Hardin reported as he came in. He smelled of sweat. He looked like he had just come in from a run.

"Why should I be bothered with the useless members of the Claws pack?" Damora asked in annoyance. His beta was clearly pretending to be oblivious about disrupting his alone time with me.

"Alpha Raizen is with them." He reported again.

"Why did you leave out the important part?" The alpha roared.

"You are always uninterested in anything that doesn't include the Alpha." Hardin shrugged.

A deadly growl left Damora's lips. He punched his table, causing one leg to break into two. It was not news that he hated Raizen. They were enemies who never saw eye to eye.

"We're going after them. I need to see what shape he is in after being closed off from the world in the last 100 years." He said as he left the office. I was frozen on the spot. No idea on whether to leave or wait for the alpha to return.

"Miss Amerada?" Beta Hardin called, he was holding the door open for me. This man was a serious person, much more different from the Alpha. He never mixed pleasure with business and he was faithful to his mate. Lucky woman!

"Oh, I'm sorry," I wiped my eyes. Feeling relieved, I sighed and stepped out of the office before Hardin. I was going to say thank you with a bow but I was picked up from the ground like a doll and before I could comprehend my situation, I was thrown on a horse.

"You my love, will entertain me on this ride. After that, we will get married in three days!" Damora said as he climbed the horse and pushed me to his lower body.