Mated to the Enemy

Chapter 5 - Secrets

— Danny —

Shit. I didn’t think they would be watching, if the light was blinking it means someone was recording us. They didn’t always use the cameras, not when most people they wanted to hold in the cell were already considered convicted of a crime. What was the point of recording them when the alpha of the pack was just going to sentence them anyways?

The Blood Crest pack thought I was mated to this stranger, and on a blood moon it would be expected that we would, well, we would consummate things. I wrinkled my nose. I had just been laughing my ass off at how ridiculous this guy was for telling me the stupidest of jokes while in a holding cell, and not even able to keep himself upright with how much wolfsbane was in his system. Maybe I could blame his poor attempt at humor on his current health state, but with how he was staring at me a moment ago… he didn’t seem deterred by such things.

I’ve always had a way of sensing people’s auras, similar to how witches do, but mom assures me my dad wasn’t a warlock. Auras take on a different appearance when people are in pain, and this guy was in a lot of pain, though he hid it well enough.

For goddess’s sake, the way his dark eyes were smoldering at me right now I could feel my legs clench together. I had to tell him what was going on, but I couldn’t outright say that I pretended he was my mate. The best I could come up with was the truth, but easily explainable if someone asked later.

I mean I didn’t outright say we were mates, but that some perverts wanted us to mate.

Was that considered s****l harassment to a practically naked guy that was staring at me with lusty hooded eyes? I mean I wasn’t saying that we were going to have s*x here in some voyeur fantasy cell, but I would be lying if the idea wasn’t somewhat appealing minus the being watched part. He was a very attractive man. Or should I say werewolf? But he was very much more man than wolf right now.

And I couldn’t seem to stop myself from touching him.

Even when he was safely on the ground and I could rest assured he wasn’t going to faint or topple over with a loud thunk, he wrapped his arms around me, and to my own astonishment I stayed.

Male wolves were known to be a bit possessive if they find someone that has genetic markers that are compatible with their own. You don’t have to be someone’s fated mate to have a wolf want to claim you, but there are many who do choose to wait for the goddesses divine intervention. That’s what my mom was hoping for when she brought me on all of these camping trips through out the years.

This had nothing to do with my dad, or her need to feel free in the forest.

She was trying to set me up.

I sighed.

And she got her wish, there was a piece of hunky wolf meat in front of me with obvious signs that he found me compatible. But compatible did not mean we were meant to be mates, and I refused to just jump onto the mate bandwagon just because someone thinks I smell good.

But, I did claim him as being mine in front of a bunch of wolves…

For both of our safety really.

He just needed to go along with it until we are released.

Then the door opened beside us.

In strutted the guy from before, what’s his name? Right… Lauren.

He glanced between us both, those amber eyes assessing, and without prompting the stranger who I still haven’t asked his name yet pulled me to him defensively, like he was blocking me from this new threat. It was cute, but also confusing.

“I spoke with your mom,” Lauren said with a smile. “You didn’t come here with him, and Tristen already explained that she’s been trying to set you up with a mate without your knowledge. You don’t have to pretend to be mated with him just to get your mom off your back, Danny. Why don’t we enjoy the blood moon together while Holden talks with his dad about having you rejoin the pack?”

I left when I was young, and wouldn’t be able to recognize most of the pack after twenty years, but that name I did remember. Holden was the Alpha’s son, and he had a sister named Willow, well adoptive sister anyways. I smiled. We used to be friends. Alpha Peyton treated me like I was part of their own family with how much I hung out with Willow.

Lauren, I might not have recognized him, but he was Holden’s best friend and as I recalled used to make fun of me for being small, among other things.

I glared at him now, he had clothes on this time which I was thankful for.

What was my mom thinking? She knew I didn't have a wolf. Why would she confess to the pack that I was looking for a mate? Didn't she remember that shifting was part of the regular requirements of being part of the pack? How long could I stall everyone from finding out I couldn't shift? And a mate? This was a disaster waiting to happen.

Any wolf would require seeing proof of being blessed by the goddess, and of course combat strength. I may have been stronger than the average human, but that was about it. I'd be a laughing stalk if they made me go to pack training.

As if on queue my mystery man joined the conversation like we had already agreed to the mating ruse barking at Lauren, "Read the room."

His energy weighted the room making me gasp. I hadn't noticed his alpha aura before, too focused on the the pain he was in. How could he even connect with his wolf at all with how much wolfsbane was in him? Enough to keep his wound open, even though it wasn't bleeding anymore. Enough that no one shackled him to bring him here, unconcerned with a rogue's escape.

Lauren lifted a curious brow, his amber eyes more amused than irritated with the rogue's behavior.

"I think you're the one that should read the room, rogue. Willow's already confessed to mating with you on several occasions. You're lucky you are an alpha, even if a rejected one, otherwise the pack wouldn't be considering having Willow claim you instead of sending you to the Lycan King or letting you duel for your life."

"Then I'll duel," he replied to Lauren and squeezed me to him closer.

My mouth hung open in shock, and I couldn't decide which was better, to let this stranger continue to pretend we were mates, or go with Lauren and delay long enough to disappear again. This guy being ass up with Willow wasn't what I expected, but it relieved my guilty conscience about using him for my own gain while also helping him escape the worst possible outcome for a caught rogue. He'd be fine as long as he mated with Willow, she was the adoptive daughter of the beta, and treated like a daughter by the alpha, and even though I haven't know her since we were eight, she'd give him respect in the pack. I knew that much.

"Suit yourself," Lauren said dismissively to the rogue, while offering me his hand.

The rogue would be fine without me, and there was no guarantee he'd continue to play along with pretending to be my mate when he was choosing to duel instead of claim Willow. I lifted my hand, but hesitated.

Why was it so difficult to get up? Right, Mr. Naked was holding me against his chest. It had nothing to do with the fact that I found him attractive, I assured myself. Then I reminded myself he had slept with Willow, and forced myself to reach the rest of the way to grab Lauren’s offered hand. Lauren promptly took my own, and smiled in a confident manner that made me want to roll my eyes.

I'm sure he was used to girls throwing themselves at him. He was a good looking guy, and based on what I'd overheard this whole time, next in line to be the pack's beta when Holden took over. He'd have his pick of she-wolves if he wasn't waiting for a fated mate that may or may not show up.

If that happened, it wouldn’t matter who he mated with… fated mates nulled all previous commitments if they both accepted each other.

Mates didn't work that way for a long time. I think the goddess recognized the changing times and allowed her followers more choice with whoever we were compatible with.

That isn't to say she doesn't push for certain unions, after all that was what the blood moon was all about.

But I didn't have a wolf, so it was unlikely I would know if she had mated me to someone or not.

I cleared my throat, and tapped the stranger on his forearm to let him know it was okay to release me, but he merely pulled me closer while Lauren refused to let go of my hand. Lauren's amusement faded quickly, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. If only they both knew there was no wolf to mate within me, they'd probably be less annoying.

"I think I need to speak with my mom. Is she outside?"

This stranger was in no condition to be dueling anyone, and for now I knew he'd be safe whether I claimed him or not.

I pulled on Lauren's hand and he braced himself well for not having warning. Like I suspected would happen, the stranger released me after the comment about my mother, and my feeling about him being a good guy despite being a rogue was affirmed.

Glancing back over my shoulder, despite being irritated at him for being caught sleeping with a pack member I smiled at him. Even if he was a rogue I'd still come back to check on him to make sure he didn't die form the wolfsbane, or get sentenced to death for merely not being affiliated with a pack.

"Guess you already found a mate," I teased him and winked.

Those dark eyes blinked several times as if in a trance, and he did something I didn't expect. He was full of surprises.

He stood up slowly, towering in height making Lauren seem smaller despite being tall himself. I could sense the pain from him, but he gritted his teeth bearing it, and then unwrapped my jacket from his waist.

My eyes widened, and I stared before flushing averting my gaze. Damn, he was well sculpted. Not to mention fully ready to participate in the blood moon festivities. Cheeks hot from his display, I felt my whole body tingle in response to his alpha energy that called out to be taken care of. If I had a wolf, she would not have been able to stay away.

Guess that's what they called magnetism.

Or chemistry.

Or Alpha command?

"Your coat," he offered, and I couldn't even meet him in the eyes to reply.

"You can keep it for now," I insisted.

With a shiver, that I hoped was from a cold chill and not how damned sexy he was, he wrapped the jacket over my shoulders. He was smirking at me, and unashamed of his nudity.

Lauren guided me away from him, and suppressed a territorial growl. "I'm sorry you had to deal with him. If you had been honest to begin with we wouldn't have had to detain you at all."

The door closed behind us, then he pressed a keypad to have the silver bars close in place. He wasn't being careful about making sure I didn't see the code and then I saw my mom, standing in the next room with Tristen holding her, stroking her arm comfortingly.

I bristled at their closeness, still angry that he thought I was his daughter and did nothing. It didn’t even matter that he wasn’t my dad, but if he was then he would have been a shitty one.

Lauren still didn't release me, and when my mom looked up to see I had entered the room, she smiled at the contact the werewolf was giving me with a sly twinkle in her eye. She obviously approved of Lauren as a mate. I scoffed internally, shrugging off his arm over my shoulder. My jacket slid down my back with the movement, and Lauren's quick reflexes caught it before it fell, making it seem like I wasn't dismissing his touch at all as he replaced it back over my shoulders.

"You should have stayed at the campsite," my mom admonished. "Tristen could have arranged to come to the packhouse without putting you in danger with a rogue."

And yet they put us in the same holding room together, he must have been super dangerous, I mocked them all in my mind.

Willow was Tristen's adopted daughter, since he was the beta, though the alpha also treated her like his own daughter when I was part of the pack. Now that I knew Tristen thought I was his real daughter and still was okay with never seeing me while continuing to have his adoptive daughter by his side was a bit unnerving. I couldn't help but glare at the man.

I shrugged off Lauren's arm once more in my irritation.

This time it wasn't just him that annoyed me, it was my mom. I gave her an insincere smile that she'd know right away was my pissed off face.

"I think even the goddess has more boundaries than you seem to have these days. She hasn't forced a fated mate on anyone in years, merely mate suggestions, while my own mother has been secretly insisting on camping trips in hopes of inciting a mate bond without so much as a conversation."

"Danny..." She narrowed her eyes at me in warning. "A mate is a blessing, and it seems to me that the goddess has indeed answered my prayers about just that." My mom scanned Lauren with an amused crinkle at the corner of her mouth.

Lauren piped up with pride, his chest puffing out, "I'm Holden's right paw, Ms. Gabriel, but I don't wish to frighten your daughter off before she's had a chance to get to know me again. I must admit when I knew her last I was a bit of a bully because I didn't know how to say how beautiful I thought she was."

I called him out on his crap, "Pretty sure you said the opposite of that, even went so far as to say no one in our pack had my hair color so there was a reason why my dad never stepped forward to claim me, because he wasn't part of this pack. Guess you were right all along, right mom?" I looked between her and Tristen, my non-dad, who didn't claim me as his own while happily adopting another she-wolf as his own daughter while he thought I was his real one.

She turned scarlet and Tristen growled at me, being protective of his mate that he didn't even try to find or contact for the last twenty-something years.

"Tristen,” Lauren bowed his head to him, “I was a dumb kid back then, I didn't realize that she was yours and that there would be risk to her life from your previous pack the Red Claws." Lauren bowed his head in apology.

"You're both adults now," my mom dismissed, "And even if you choose to ignore it Danny, there is obviously a compatibility between you two. You don't even realize that you're grabbing his arm for support right now, and the way he's all tensed up shows his restraint. We can talk about this later after you've calmed down." My mom flattened her lips and dragged Tristen with her out the door.

I was left huffing in what appeared to be a reception-like area of the pack house, and my grip tightened on Lauren's arm before I forced myself to release him.

"I'm sorry," I gritted out to him, and stood there frozen because everything looked different from what I remembered when I was eight, and if I stormed out of here I wouldn't know where to go.

"Your mom is right, I do feel the draw towards you, but I can tell your draw to me will take time to build. I’m willing to wait,” he said confidently with a playful smirk. “Until then, how about I show you around the pack grounds. It’s changed in the last twenty years.”

Eying him suspiciously, we were somewhat around the same age, he was a little older than me, but it was uncommon for any werewolf to be without a mate for that long unless something was holding them back. Why would he all of the sudden be interested in “waiting” for me? What was he hiding?

Laughing internally, I realized that I too was hiding something.

I took his offered arm, and patted it so it was less of an intimate touch, adding a bit of gruffness to it.

“What’s a handsome guy like you, with a future position like yours doing single for all these years?” I asked sweetly, but it was obvious I was poking fun at him as I blinked up at him with a grin.

“I could ask the same thing of you,” he punted back. Touche, my adversary, touche.

“Well, that one is easy enough. I’ve been a rogue since I was eight, living among humans. What’s your excuse?”

He merely laughed, ignoring the question as a joke… but I knew he was hiding something. He had to have been, because I certainly was.

Then I heard a banging sound from the other room…. Where the rogue was being held.