Fated to my Sworn Enemy

Layla's pov Sometimes I wondered if life was against me, if I was the bad apple in this world, or if I was suffering for the deeds of my unknown parents. The Silvermoon Pack members humiliated me for being royalty without any royal traits and for my mysterious identity. But could I blame them? How could a royal member of the pack not be a werewolf? However, it was not my fault either. I was adopted by Alpha Scott himself, who claimed to have found me lying on the roadside, covered in blood, just outside the Silvermoon Pack territory. I had no memory of what happened or how I ended up there that fateful night eighteen years ago. When I woke up after three days of treatment, I could not remember anything about myself—not even my name. Despite the humiliation and disrespect, what kept me going was my fiancé, Liam, the son and heir of Alpha Lorenzo of the BlackWood Pack. He was my world, loving me completely despite my strange identity. I also had the support of my adopted father and my adopted sister, Zoey—or so I thought. That night, I couldn't wait to see the look on Liam's face. My visit was a surprise, and I had good news to share with him. Just a month ago, he proposed to me after three wonderful years of dating, which I accepted without hesitation. But the news I had for him that night would take our relationship to the next level—at least, I believed it would. He had always been the perfect partner for me—caring, loving, attentive, and fulfilling all her needs, including my s****l desires. He had been the only one I had ever been intimate with, and I cherished the fact that he was the one who had taken my virginity. From a young age, I had made a promise to myself to keep my purity for the man I would get married to, and I was glad that it was already coming to pass. As I entered the royal mansion, striding towards Liam's quarters with my heart racing in excitement to share my great news, a guard suddenly stopped me. "Does he know you are here?" he questioned. I scoffed in disbelief, eyeing him from head to toe. How could he ask me such a thing? Everyone in Liam's pack knew who I was to him, and surely, this guard did too. So why the bizarre question? "Are you drunk?" I scrunched my face in fury. "If you don't get out of my way right now, you will regret it." I warned him. After a scoff, he stepped aside. I ignored his attitude and moved on, determined not to let it ruin my mood. I decided to report him to Liam later since no one in this pack had ever disrespected me, unlike in my Silvermoon pack. As I entered Liam's quarters, I caught a familiar scent. Since it belonged to someone who was not on good terms with him, I chose to ignore it. As I was a few steps closer to the bedroom, the bedroom where only he and I had slept, like he had told her, I heard moans coming from there. "Perhaps he is jerking himself off." I tried to shun the thought in my head as I shook my head, smiling. Lo and behold, as I slowly opened the door, I could not believe her eyes. I was devastated when I found out that my worst fear was true. He was having an affair with Zoey in our soon-to-be matrimonial bed. Zoey was the person for whom I had perceived her scent. If I had been told that I would catch them sleeping with each other, I would have utterly disagreed. Zoey of all people! She had said many despicable words towards Liam, being the only one against our relationship. Their underpants were strewn across the floor as they passionately embraced each other on the bed. Liam was positioned on top of her, riding her. Heartbroken, I retreated backward, hoping to remain unnoticed, but my presence was revealed when I accidentally bumped into the door. But what happened next was utterly shocking. Liam smirked as they both stared at me. "Liam?" I whispered in disbelief. I had expected him to at least feel remorse for his infidelity and to call out to me as I ran out of the bedroom and the mansion in tears. But his expression remained cold and indifferent, leaving me unable to bring myself to leave the room. He chuckled callously. "It is about time you found out. Be grateful you discovered this early." My heart sank, and I staggered, struggling to maintain my balance. "What do you mean? How could you do this to me?" My voice trembled. He scoffed dismissively. "It's laughable for you to think I could ever marry you." He moved his fingers between us. "What connection could there possibly be between you and me?" His words cut like a knife, shattering my soul. "My partner will be someone of the same breed and species as me, not a mere, weak human like you," he spat, his tone dripping with contempt. As if the cruel mockery was not enough to devastate me, Zoey added her own cruel jab, twisting the knife deeper into my shattered heart. "In other words, you've been nothing but his bed warmer all this while." She chuckled as she planted a kiss on his lips. My heart shattered as I watched the betrayal unfold before my eyes. "You can stay and watch if you'd like," Zoey sneered, her fingers digging possessively into Liam's waist. "We are just getting started." The room spun as reality crashed down. This was no nightmare; it was all too real. Choking back a sob, I stumbled backwards, my legs barely supporting me as I fled upon realising that my relationship with Liam was beyond saving. In the hallway, the guard from earlier scoffed at me as I passed by. "Now you've seen what you weren't meant to. Eh?" His words pierced like daggers, and hot tears streamed down my face as I ran, my chest heaving with each ragged breath as the BlackWood Pack's laughter echoed in my ears, amplifying my humiliation. I reached the SilverMoon pack in a daze, slamming my bedroom door and collapsing against it. Gut-wrenching sobs wracked my body as I curled into myself on the floor. The pain was unbearable—not just Liam's betrayal, but the cruel twist of it being with Zoey. If Liam had shown any remorse for his betrayal, I might have eventually forgiven him. But the fact that he didn't, and that it was with Zoey, twisted the knife deeper, leaving me broken and alone in the darkness. I was woken by a knock on my door by a maid the next morning, who informed me that the Alpha had requested my presence in his chamber. "Yes. It is time she have her own share of embarrassment in tenfold." I muttered as I rose from the bed, knowing that the meeting was about what I had witnessed the previous day in Liam's room. I had played the outcome and scenario of the meeting in my head, not knowing that it would be the stark opposite. What I witnessed when I got there really surprised me because Zoey didn't seem remorseful for what she did. Instead, she crossed her legs and folded her arms across her chest when the meeting started. Nora, my adopted mother, whom I had thought was my only enemy in the family, was also there. Alpha Scott cleared his throat and announced the purpose of the meeting. "I've called this meeting to address some important matters," he announced, his voice strained as if speaking under duress. Zoey exuded indifference. She sat with her leg bouncing idly. "Zoey is pregnant for Liam, Layla." Nora announced it since Alpha Scott seemed reluctant to. "What?" I rose from the sofa instinctively. "How could she be pregnant for him when they slept with each other just once? Besides, it's yesterday they did." I countered what Nora had said. Everything dawned on me when they all shot me quizzical gazes, making me realise that the atrocity I had witnessed the previous day was not the first time it had happened. I slumped on the sofa in defeat, realising that I had been living among liars all the while. I desperately wished for this nightmare to end, yearning for the ground to swallow me whole and shield me from this brutal reality. "So?" I was eager to hear their verdict on the situation. It was clear they had already reached a decision without my input. A bitter realisation struck me: I wasn't truly part of this family after all. Nora exchanged a loaded glance with Alpha Scott. With a resigned sigh, he delivered their verdict. "Despite our initial plans for Zoey to marry Alpha Ares' son, we have reached a difficult decision... You must accept and agree to the union between Zoey and Liam." Disbelief washed over me. "Union? You mean... marriage?" I stammered, hoping I had misheard. Zoey's mocking chuckle cut through the air, confirming my worst fears. "Yes, Layla," Alpha Scott affirmed. His words hit me like a physical blow. The pain from yesterday's betrayal returned tenfold, crushing me under its weight. In that moment, it felt as if the entire world had conspired to break me. "And..." "And what?" I asked Alpha Scott out of curiosity. "You will have to marry the person whom we had arranged for Zoey to marry before." I stared at everyone in disbelief because it was the most absurd utterance I had ever heard in my entire life. "So, let me get this straight..." I said, my voice laced with disbelief. "You want Zoey and me to swap partners? You expect me to marry the man who was intended for her?" My words dripped with bitter sarcasm as I struggled to comprehend the absurdity of the situation. "That's correct." He confirmed, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And your wedding to Alpha Ares' son is scheduled for tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" I gasped, shock reverberating through my body. My mind raced. Zoey's marriage to Alpha Ares' son had been planned for months. Why this sudden, drastic change? "And what gives you the assurance that I will accept this offer? I don't know this person, and besides, even if I will allow Zoey to be with Liam, you are not to tell me or find me who I will get married to. You wrapped everything up by saying that the marriage is tomorrow..." I scoffed. "Doesn't that sound ridiculous to you?" "Please, Layla, you need to marry the person and have the wedding tomorrow. Many things are at stake. Please." Alpha Scott's apologetic tone hinted at deeper motives. As I listened, I realised their decision stemmed from more than just infidelity and an unexpected pregnancy. There was an underlying reason—something significant enough to prompt such a drastic and rushed solution. "What is your usefulness, or what has been your usefulness since you became part of this family? What have you done to this family to repay their kindness for saving their worthless lives? You have to accept it because you have no choice." My mouth was wide open in shock, not because of what Nora had just said but because Alpha Scott could not do anything or rebuke her for saying that. Nora's disdain for me was no secret. Her affection had withered the moment Zoey was born, leaving me an outsider in my own home—I thought. The reality of my position hit me hard. This gathering had made it clear: I was less than family, barely above a servant. Even a stranger might have received kinder treatment. In that moment, a reckless idea took hold. This arranged marriage, thrust upon me so suddenly, could be my escape. Perhaps it held the key to the happiness that had always eluded me here. With a mix of desperation and defiance, I locked eyes with Alpha Scott. "Fine!" I declared, my voice steady despite the turmoil within. "Let's do this. Tomorrow." Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and strode towards the door. Little did I know what that day held for me.