My Ex-Mate Rejected Me, Now His Enemy Wants Me

Just An Asset

MALAKAI'S POV

"Kael! Torin!" I barked into the darkness and at once two men, my Beta and my lead scout emerged from the treeline like ghosts, their bows drawn and ready.

They stopped dead when they saw the woman in my arms. I saw the recognition hit them instantly—the shock, followed by the confusion.

"Malakai?" Kael whispered, stepping closer, his eyes fixed on the blood-soaked silk. "Is that... is that not the Luna of the Moonlit Pack? What is she doing here?"

"She was but now, she is nothing to Moonlit," I snapped, my voice cutting through the trees. "She was discarded. They flogged and threw her out like a common trespasser."

“What?”

Torin moved to touch her, perhaps to check for a pulse, but for an inexplainable reason, I moved before I could think—blocking him. Deep inside my chest, my wolf let out a warning rumble, my fangs fighting to pull out and draw blood.

Torin froze, his eyes widening as he looked at me. He had never seen me protect a stranger, especially not an enemy. “Alpha, are you okay?”

Ignoring his question, I looked between both their faces. “Secure the perimeter," I commanded, masking the growl in my voice. "We’re moving back to the stronghold. Now."

"What? You are taking her back to the castle?" Kael asked, his brow furrowed. "Have you forgotten she is from the enemy Pack? If Greenwood finds out—"

“That coward can’t do anything. He gave up his right to her the moment he let the silver touch her skin," I growled, adjusting my grip, and lifting her higher against my chest. Her head fell back against my shoulder, her soft hair brushing against my neck. The contact sent another jolt of lightning through my spine, making my jaw ache from the tension. But I swallowed hard, swallowed as though my entire being depended on it.

"She is no longer an enemy. I plan to make her my tool. One that I intend to use to dismantle everything that bastard stole from me."

I turned toward the direction of the Blood-Wing, my boots treading heavily on the earth. I didn't care if they believed me. I didn't even care if I believed myself.

"She is to be kept alive," I said over my shoulder. "I want the best healers waiting at the gate. If she dies before I can question her, I’ll have your heads. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Alpha," they chorused, though I could feel their lingering doubt.

The trek back felt longer than usual. Every step was a battle against the pull of the bond. I could feel her pain as if it were a dull echo in my own nervous system. It was an invasive, irritating sensation—a tether I hadn't asked for and didn't want.

^^Our mate is so beautiful^^ I heard my wolf say from within.

^^We have seen far more beautiful women. Now shut it^^ I fired back in my head.

He laughed in a way that suggested mockery, ^^Do not deny her beauty, Malakai. Hers comes with innocence, gracefulness and calm. I can’t wait for us to claim her^^

I looked down at her again. Her eyes were closed, her lashes casting long shadows against her bruised skin. She looked so small against my furs. It was hard to reconcile this broken creature with the woman who had stood beside Greenwood at the Solstice Ball, looking every bit the queen. I had seen her from afar, seen how Greenwood always talked about her, I hated it, hated how he had such a beautiful woman… no, a beautiful life after all they had done to me!

I hated her for being his. I hated her for being here. And I hated the way my heart hammered against my ribs whenever her scent flared in the wind.

^^I will never claim her. She is only being taken into my home because I need her. So dead every idea you’ve placed in your head. She is just an asset!^^

Before he could reply, I blocked him off. I didn’t need any distractions.

As we reached the iron gates of the stronghold, the torches flickered against the dark stone. My people gathered in the courtyard, their murmurs rising like a tide as they saw what I was carrying. I was out to hunt rogues, so they had all been expecting a prize of war, a head on a platter.

Seeing a dying woman wrapped in their Alpha's scent was the least most surprising thing they expected to see.

I ignored them all and strode through the center of the courtyard, my eyes fixed on the infirmary doors.

"If this is what Moonlit discards..." I whispered to myself, my voice lost in the clatter of the gates closing behind us. "I’ll decide if she is worth anything. I'll see if there’s anything left of the Luna beneath the scars."

“Make sure she survives or I will have your heads!” I ordered the moment I reached the doors and handed her over to the waiting healers, but as their hands replaced mine, the loss of contact felt like a deep, excruciating wound. My skin felt cold, the golden thread stretching and vibrating with a frantic, mournful energy.

I turned away, curled my hands into fists at my sides, and squeezed my eyes shut. “Control yourself!”

By the time my eyes opened again, I could see the stares of my beta, the other guards and the healers on me, waiting for an explanation. Waiting for a sign of weakness.

I let out a low, vibrating growl that silenced them, before hurrying out and stopping at the end of the passageway.

I looked toward the dark peaks of the mountains, the moon hanging high and indifferent above us. I could still feel her. Even through the stone walls, even through the distance, the bond was there; a constant, pulsing reminder of a fate I’ve refused to accept.

"This changes nothing," I growled to the shadows. "She is a means to an end. Nothing more. She will be nothing more.”