Bound to Enemy

2

My pack recovered after years of tears and hardship. It was a deep and horrendous wound to heal, but it did heal after some time. However, for my father and me, that wound never quite stopped bleeding. He put on a brave front, but I knew that he was hurting inside.

He lost the love of his life and his two sons. Not only did he lose his light, but he lost the heirs to his throne. My brothers, Brandon and David, had been groomed for the positions of alpha and beta respectively. It was their birthright; now they would forever remain frozen at 22 and 23 years of age.

They deserved more.

"How are you, Dad?" I had been afraid to ask him this question the entire day. I knew he wasn't okay, but I knew that he was just going to put on a brave face and say...

"I'm fine." He sighed, leaning into his leather seat. "It's been a hard day, but we must still move. The war is not over, Ale. The dead are gone, but the living are still counting on us."

Exactly like I had expected from him.

My father was never one to get into his true feelings about things. 'He was the alpha'; he was never allowed to feel things in front of his pack, including his own daughter. I hated that his title took the freedom to break from him. But I understood—at least now I did.

When my brothers passed, that left me as my father's sole heir. From the tender age of 15, I was plunged into the world of leadership and brutality. My youth was gone, and I had to become something tougher with less emotion.

The little girl in me died, and what remained from the ashes was this warrior I had become.

"I know you don't want this marriage, Ale. If I'm being truthful, I don't want it for you either. But it is a necessary alliance that we have to form with them to preserve our pack. They have the numbers and the resources to survive against the rogues."

"I understand." I didn't want to be combative with him; he had already suffered so much today and over the past decade. He had given me so much already in my life, and if this small sacrifice was what he wanted from me, then I would do just that. "I'll marry Daxton. For you, for the pack, and our legacy."

He smiled, but the glow didn't quite reach his eyes. He looked tired and worn down. My father put on a brave front, but he was no god; he was only just a man, and the flesh eventually got tired.

"I know I have placed a lot of expectations on you, Ale. You were plunged into the role of my heir so...unexpectedly. But you have carried the responsibility well and have held your head high through all adversities."

His words hung in the air like a pungent smell. Neither one of us spoke for some time.

We rarely talked of my mother and brothers. They were an incredibly sore spot for my father. He still couldn't bring himself to look at her pictures without being overcome with tears.

They were true soulmates. They were destined and intertwined.

A union ordained by the goddess herself.

If I was being truthful, I felt such a bond to be more of a curse than a blessing. To have your life completely tethered to another so that their doom can easily become your end.

I hated that. I hated feeling dependent on another; I wanted to stand on my own as one wolf.

I could only thank the heavens that I would never feel that way for Daxton Vale. The great alpha of the north and the rogue slayer.

"When will he be arriving?" I shuddered to think that traitor was going to be in my homeland, my sanctuary.

"Tomorrow."

My heart dropped to the floor. It was all happening so soon. I thought I would have time to prepare and come to terms with my life being snatched right from under me.

I had less than 24 hours to kiss my old life goodbye.

"It will be fine, Ale." His words of reassurance did nothing to ease the tension locked into my bones. "You'll be able to take escorts. I suggest taking Jason, seeing as he is your most trusted friend and a highly skilled warrior. You will need him in case you face any challenges."

Challenges.

I was walking into the lion's den. It was no secret that Bloodborn hated our pack. They viewed us as mongrels and unworthy to be within their rankings.

My blood simmered at the memories of what their scouts had done to our border patrol. They had marred and killed them like they were nothing but disposable rubbish.

Daughters, sons, and husbands. Those wolves had belonged to someone, and Bloodborn had killed them like they meant nothing. They claimed it to be a mistake and mistook them for rogues.

"Alessandra," my father's voice drew me from my internal thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, trying to control my pacing wolf. The memories of the borderline incident still burned fresh in her mind and pierced both our hearts.

"The rogues are getting stronger, Ale." The grave tone in my father's voice penetrated through my anger. "They are getting stronger and far more desperate. There will be more blood, and we need to prepare. We need to work together with Daxton so we have a chance at victory. This is more than just tribal squabbles; this is for the good of our kind."

I hated that he was right, but we did need Daxton. Our pack had taken the brunt of the attacks since we were closer to the southern region.

"I will do what I have to, Dad."

The sides of his lips tilted upward slightly. "I know you will, Ale. You are your mother's daughter, after all."