Fated To The Enemy

Layla POV As I waited in life for my iced mocha frappé, my mind wandered to the towering pines, and the rugged snow-capped peaks that were the Rocky Mountains. I longed for the crisp mountain air and the scent of the pine needles littering the ground. I reminisced as it was the only home I’d ever known. I still recall my mother telling me the story of how we came to Rocky Mountain as mere pups. She was escaping from my father, who was the alpha of the Evergreen pack. He hadn’t been kind to her, and she wanted better for my brother Liam and me. So she, with the help of some friends, whom I knew as my Uncle and Aunts, fled the pack, leaving our lineage behind us and eventually forging a new place for us as the leader of the Rocky Mountain pack. “Iced Mocha Frappé!” the barista called out. I smiled and walked up to the counter, grabbing my frappé and placing my receipt down. “Thanks,” I said as I walked off, still deep in thought. My childhood had been of privilege and obligation. There were many expectations placed on how I should behave, and how I should act and react, among other things. I have always felt a little claustrophobic if I’m honest. So when the opportunity arose for me to attend an elite training academy in Montreal, I couldn’t pack my suitcase quickly enough. It was tradition for future alphas to attend and some gifted wolves. That’s where I fit in - being that I was a crescent moon wolf. For the past year, I’d been honing my combat skills, learning strategy and diplomacy, and now it was all over. I’d just sat my final exam and I knew I’d aced it. And tonight we all planned to let loose. A bunch of us, mostly alphas, and my best friend Rory, headed to O’Malleys for celebratory drinks. *** We’d been at O’Malley’s for a couple of hours now, and most of the guys had partnered off with girls they had just met for a little late-night fun. It was just Rory and me now. The guys had checked in on us before leaving, offering us rides home, but we were having too much fun to leave just yet - the night was young. Rory had her sights set on this cute recruit who had just recently started at the academy. She was just looking for a bit of fun, a one-night stand at this stage, and he looked happy to oblige. It was starting to feel like a third wheel cramping their style, so I made my way to the dancefloor. I was a big girl. I didn’t need anyone with me to have a good time. Besides, O’Malleys was our regular. We knew most of the wolves here anyway. Well, tonight there were a few new faces, but I could handle my liquor, so I wasn’t concerned. I walked up to the bar, “Hit me, Jerry!” I called out to the bartender. He nodded and prepared my drink. I was a creature of habit, so he didn’t even have to ask. “You all on your lonesome?” Jerry asked, looking around the crowd, finally casting his eyes on Rory, who was walking arm in arm with the recruit. I turned, and she winked at me with a devious expression on her face, “Make good choices!” I yelled out cheekily, not sure if she could hear me or not. “Yeah, that’s not happening,” Jerry replied, chuckling. “You want me to call you an Uber Layla?” he asked. “The night is still young,” I replied, “Thanks for the drink! Put it on my tab!” And with that, I walked off, half-empty drink in hand. Walking through the bustling crowd, a figure across the room caught my attention; a tall, dark, and handsome man with eyes that sparkled like emeralds. Our gazes met, and a spark of arousal surged through me. "He’ll do!" My wolf Raven said, roaring internally. Raven could be kinda predatory at times. While she longed to meet our mate one day, and was willing to settle down when that time arose, for now she was up for a good time. Raven figured that our mate was probably doing the same thing, and if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for us. A lot of my friends were waiting for their mates, and I respected that. But I was no virgin, and I was fine with that. I was a grown woman, independent, confident and proud of the choices I had made thus far. If a man didn’t want me because I wasn’t ‘pure’, then that was his loss. I made my way along the dance floor and approached him with a slow smile. I felt drawn to him. He had a charm and magnetism emanating from him. “Hey beautiful,” he said, with a grin. “Drinking alone?” I asked casually, glancing around then meeting his eyes. “Not anymore,” he said assuredly. And with that, I took a seat at his booth. We drank together, made small talk, and eventually danced intimately on the dance floor. As the night wore on, I felt my senses begin to dull. My mind was feeling foggy, and my body grew heavy. Unsure of what was happening, I excused myself, stumbling as I made my way to the ladies’ room. As I splashed cold water on my face and willed myself to wake up, I felt like I was fighting a losing battle. I had been drugged. I was no stranger to this sensation. I had been trained in torture tactics. I began my ritual to awake my senses, although it felt like I was fighting a losing battle. I made my way out of the bathroom. I needed to get out of here as soon as possible. As I emerged from the ladies’ room and made my way along the dance floor toward the exit, I looked back to the booth where I was sitting with the handsome stranger. I abruptly halted. I watched as he tipped a white powdery substance into my drink, a sinister gleam evident in his eyes. He just f****d with the wrong girl! The fury ignited within me as I stalked toward him, my movements quick and strong. I picked up the glass and hurled the contents of it into his face, the liquid splattering across his skin. The commotion drew the attention of everyone nearby, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief. But my focus was fixed solely on the pitiful excuse of a man who had dared to betray my trust. I watched as he stumbled backward, wiping the alcohol from his eyes. “You b***h!” he cursed. Before he could say anything further, I unleashed a punch that delivered a sickening crack to his nose and watched as the crimson blood sprayed outwards. “You dare to drug me!” my voice rang out, clear and unwavering. “Do you have a death wish?” I stood in front of him, tall and proud, and a little foggy, but I still had my wits about me. Before I knew it, two arms were gripping me firmly. “Come on Layla, you know the rules, no fighting!” they said. “Get your hands off me, I’m good, I’ll go,” I huffed as I pulled away from them. “You need to kick him out too, that creep tried to drug me!” I yelled as I walked past Jerry, who had a concerned expression on his face. He dropped what he was doing and went over to me. “Do as she said, kick that piece of s**t out of my bar!” He called out to the security team. “Are you okay Layla?” he asked, touching my shoulder in a supportive manner. “I’m good, I might make my way home though,” I said. “I’ll call you an Uber,” he said. “I'm fine,” I replied, turning to walk out. As I did, I could hear Jerry sighing. He was a good guy, but I needed some fresh air. As I was about to walk out the door, Jerry cut me off. "His name is Joe, and he will be here in six minutes!” I looked up at Jerry and smiled, “You’re a good man, Jerry!” “Get home safe Layla!” he said as he walked outside with me and waited for the Uber to arrive. Ten minutes later it finally arrived. “Uber for Layla!” I heard from a black Tesla. “That’s me!” I called out. I leaned forward and kissed Jerry on the cheek, “You’re a true gentleman, Jerry! Thank you," I said, as I made my way into the Uber. I sat in the Uber still fuming from what that creep in the bar had tried to do to me, and wondering if he hadn’t done it throughout the night. I had made a point to get my drinks myself. It was my rule, and I generally didn’t leave them unattended. I’d only left that one unattended because I was done with drinking it for the night. I was a little tipsy, but I was still vigilant. How had I missed this? I went through the events of the night in my head. I was unsure of how he could have drugged me. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I noticed the Uber pulling into what appeared to be an apartment garage. “Uh, this is the wrong address,” I called out. No reply. The driver stopped the car. “Hey, what the f**k are you doing!” I screamed angrily. “Let me out right now!” And then a gas began to release from the air conditioning system. I started banging on the windows to break them, but they weren’t budging. I frantically tried to open the doors, but I couldn't force them open. I covered my face with the front of my dress but it was futile. I felt myself losing control and drifting out of consciousness.