Pregnant with My Mate’s Enemy’s Baby

They dressed me like a bride, but I felt like a sacrifice. Gold chains were placed around my neck. Crimson silk hugged my hips. And as I stood before the altar, bound to a man who didn’t love me, all I could think was: I hope someone crashes this ceremony and kills him. The crowd cheered in excitement and jubilation. But I heard nothing but my heart racing in my ears as Alpha Kaelen, my mate, leaned in to mark my neck. His breath was cold and his lips were even colder. “Smile, Luna,” he whispered with venom. “You’re mine now.” My hand trembled as I lifted it for the ceremonial cut, one drop of blood for the bond. One cut to seal a deal that would end my freedom forever. The blade touched my palm. Then all hell broke loose. A low, bone-shaking growl rolled through the trees, it was guttural. Then came the raw, panicked howls of wolves caught off guard. Elders spilled their goblets. Warriors dropped to all fours mid-shift. Shadows surged from the forest line like ink spilled across the moonlit courtyard. From then on it was total chaos. Wolves burst through the trees with glowing eyes and snarling mouths, fangs flashing beneath the moon light. The sacred space of the mating bond became a battlefield. Rogue wolves collided with Kaelen’s guards in a brutal, feral ballet. The air reeked of fur, sweat, and fury. And at the center of it all was me, still standing at the altar with my palm bleeding. I didn’t see his face at first. Just the way he moved like war wrapped in a man’s skin. His long black coat was trailing behind him, his steps were silent and deadly. Kaelen spun, already halfway shifted. “Moretti,” he growled, baring his fangs. The name punched the air out of my lungs. Rafe Moretti. The rogue Alpha. Kaelen’s sworn enemy. And my new captor. “Happy wedding day, Storm,” Rafe smirked. “Thought I’d bring a gift.” In one swift motion, his men surrounded me. I didn’t resist. What was the point? I was just being delivered from one cage to another. And this one… might just burn me alive. Twelve Hours Earlier “Mmmmmmm don’t stop Kaelen.” The last thing I heard before my mating ceremony was the sound of my sister choking out Kaelen’s name as he f****d her against the garden wall. It was raw, wet and loud. Like she wanted the whole damn pack to know he was inside her and like he wanted me to hear it too. Her nails scraped the stone. His growl vibrated through the ivy-covered bricks. Flesh slapped against flesh, the rhythm cruel and unforgiving. She sobbed his name like a prayer, and he answered with a grunt that made my stomach twist. My dress smelled like roses. My hands shook like winter leaves. And my heart? That died long before I walked down the aisle. I was the bride no one wanted. Not even the groom. Especially not the groom. They said this mating would bring peace between our bloodlines. That it would save my family’s standing in the pack. That I should be honored Kaelen agreed to take me, even though his heart belonged to someone else. I didn’t understand why he didn’t just marry her directly, my beloved older sister. I rushed off and cried to my parents. My mother said, “Kaelen’s an Alpha, sweetheart. You’ll have to get used to him needing more than one outlet.” Then my father said, “You don’t marry for love in this world. You marry for strategy. I would’ve preferred he married her instead of you but I don’t know why he insists on marrying only you.” And so, I walked down that aisle with a straight spine and a shattered soul. Kaelen didn’t even look at me. His eyes scanned the crowd, probably for her. I forced myself to smile as he took my hand, marked my neck, sealed the bond I never asked for. My wolf whimpered. My skin burned. My heart into nothing but ashes. When I woke up I was in a moving carriage bound, gagged and blindfolded. My body ached. My wrists burned. My wolf paced wildly in my chest, but the bond to Kaelen was distant and numb. Like someone had pulled the thread taut and then snapped it clean. The air reeked of wet sandalwood, pine, and something else I couldn’t quite name. We were on the road for hours, I’m not sure how long it was. When they pulled the blindfold off, I was standing before a massive iron gate carved with wolves’ teeth. A dark fortress of a packhouse loomed behind it. He was right beside me. The rogue Alpha. The one who burned three villages last winter and left the ashes as a message. The one whose name was used to keep pups in line. Behave, or the Moretti wolf will come for you. He looked at me like I was less than dirt. Less than prey. Just… inconvenient. Then he carried me into his arms. “You’re lighter than I expected,” he said. “Let me go,” I croaked. He smirked. “Let Kaelen come fetch you. If he cares enough to try.” I was locked in a room with stone floors and no windows. There was a blanket, but no bed. Food came twice a day. Always warm. I refused to eat. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. I’d rather just died than live like this. On the third day, Rafe opened the door. He looked down at me like I was something pathetic. But his eyes weren’t cruel. Just… indifferent. “Eat something,” he said. “Are you going to kill me eventually?” “No.” “Then happens to me if he doesn’t come for me?” He crouched beside me. Too close. I flinched, but he didn’t move. His voice dropped low, it was almost a whisper. “I want Kaelen to suffer terribly.”