MY ENEMY, MY MATE?
1634 Words
LEXIE'S POV
“Are you my mate, seriously?”
Paul's question hits me harder than I expected.
For a moment, I forget that I am sitting in a dungeon's bed. I forget that this man ordered an attack on my pack, killed my people, took me prisoner. All I hear is the question that sounds familiar.
A sharp pain runs through my chest as Nate's voice comes rushing back to me.
“I reject you, Lexie.......”
I remember the humiliation, especially the way the girl looked at me as she watched the Alpha reject me for being an unworthy girl.
I clench my fists then look at Paul.
“Why are you asking me that?”
He doesn't answer immediately. He looks at me as if he is trying to solve a puzzle, then walks a few steps away.
“Because I felt it.”
“Felt what?”
“The mate bond.”
My heart skips and I hate this.
I hate that my wolf reacts to his words before I can control her. She stirs inside my head, almost excited by the sound of his voice.
“No.”
Paul raises an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“You heard me.”
He takes a step closer. His scent is irresistible. I wish he just stays away.
“I don't understand.”
“Then perhaps you should ask your wolf.”
His expression changes.
“Do you feel it too?”
I can't hold his gaze and I look at the floor. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing what is happening inside me.
“I feel something,” I finally admit. “But that doesn't mean I am ready to call you my mate.”
“Why?”
The question irritates me. Deep down I wish he just leaves so that I can compose myself.
“Because I don't know you.”
He smiles slyly.
“You know enough about me to call me the Black Alpha. You have spies in my pack. You have photos of me in your desk.”
“That's different.” I finally get up and look him in the eye.
“How?”
“You are my enemy.”
He goes quiet and I can see he is thinking.
I look at him again.
“You attacked my pack on the day I was crowned queen. Your men killed some of my people and took me prisoner. I am here against my will. And now you are standing in front of me asking whether I am your mate.”
“I ordered the attack against a pack of rogues that has wrecked havoc on us.”
“At least you have the decency admit it, but can you please mention just one instance when my pack wrecked havoc on you?”
“We will get to that later.”
There is no hesitation in his voice, which somehow makes me angrier.
“And in light of this, you expect me to accept you?”
“No.”
“No?”
“I don't expect anything from you.”
He pulls a chair from the wall and sits several feet away from me, then looks at me with a face devoid of any expression.
“I only want to understand what is happening.”
I study him carefully.
For an Alpha who has just captured his enemy's queen, he doesn't look as dangerous and threatening as I expected.
But I know better than to trust appearances. Looks can be deceptive.
“What is happening is simple,” I say. “Your wolf has made a mistake.”
His lips twitch.
“My wolf has never made a mistake.”
“Then maybe our Goddess has done a mistake.”
The smile disappears from his face. He becomes darker and fierce.
“Don't say that.” He rises from the chair.
“Why not?”
“Because she doesn't makes mistakes.”
I stare at him.
There is something in his voice. Something serious.
“What do you know about the Moon Goddess?”
He reaches for the blood-stained paper on the table.
“Let’s just say I know more than I knew yesterday.”
He unfolds it carefully.
“This is the message that came from your people.” He waves the paper at me.
“My people?”
“Your Beta, to be precise. Rowan.”
My heart jumps. I am happy. Unbelievable.
“Rowan is alive?”
Paul nods. My curiosity deepens.
“So are some of my warriors.”
“Where are they?”
“They are prisoners. Rowan has them.”
I stare at him.
“Tell me everything now.” I say sternly. He gets back to his seat.
“Fine, I ordered your people to release my warriors. Rowan demanded that you be released before they would surrender them.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“So this is what it is? A bargain? Barter trade?.”
“Yes.”
“So, what happens now?”
“That depends on what we discover.”
I narrow my eyes.
“We? Discover?”
He folds the paper and puts it back on the table.
“Before tonight, I believed the Queen of Rogues was simply the most dangerous rogue leader in this region.”
“Has your opinion changed?”
“I am not sure. Several years ago, a prophet came to my pack.”
My heart beats faster.
“A prophet?”
“Yes. An old man who told me something strange.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That somewhere among the werewolves there was a woman chosen by the Moon Goddess.”
I stare at him.
“What kind of woman?”
“Someone who would bring our kind together, stop the wars, end all the animosity.”
My breath catches. That dream....
Paul continues.
“He said she could be from one of the great packs or from a rogue pack. He also warned me that anyone who harmed her would face the full wrath of the Moon Goddess.”
I touch my scar without thinking. I caress it for a minute. I feel some warmth inside it.
Paul notices.
“The prophet also described her.”
I slowly lift my eyes.
“How?”
“He said she would bear a scar across her face.”
My fingers freeze against my cheek. I take them off the scar and I can see him looking at it.
“You have one.”
I don't answer.
“That is why yesterday I ordered my warriors to bring you to me alive.”
“Why?”
“Because I remembered the prophecy.”
I shake my head.
“This is madness. Pure madness.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“You attacked my pack because of a prophecy?”
“No.” His tone changes. He almost bangs the table. ”I attacked your pack because of what rogues did to my pack years ago. Now everything went wrong and I am here to make amends.”
His voice hardens. I remain silent.
“The prophecy is the only reason I refused to let my men kill you.”
I stand up.
“So, what exactly went wrong?”
“Everything. We attacked. But things went wrong. Your people fought back, my warriors were defeated, taken prisoners and now I have to find a way to put things right. At some point your people used magic, tipping the scale.”
“Magic? That's what you call our ways? You attacked us, we have all rights to defend ourselves.”
“Yes you do. We need to make an exchange, but before that there's something else.” He now looks dangerous, menacing.
“What?”
“My wolf has never reacted to anyone the way he reacts to you.”
I swallow.
Mine is doing exactly the same the same way, but I refuse to admit it.
“I don't want a mate.”
Paul looks surprised, but he quickly gains his composure.
“Why?”
“Because I had one.”
His face becomes serious.
“And he rejected you.”
I laugh bitterly.
“You know that too?”
“Everyone knows the story, that the queen of rogues is angry because of a rejection that hurt her immensely..”
“There. You know what happened.”
“Yes.”
“Then you should understand why I don't want to hear another man tell me that I'm his mate.”
He takes a slow breath.
“I won't reject you.”
My heart clenches.
“You can't promise that.”
“Why not?”
“Because the one who rejected me promised me nothing either.”
I look away.
“He was my mate. Then he looked at me as though I was something disgusting. He told me I was a lowly Omega. He laughed at me in front of his girlfriend.”
My voice trembles, and I hate myself for it. He doesn't look at me now and he's too silent.
“So forgive me if I don't get excited because another Alpha has suddenly discovered that I might be his mate.”
I watch as his expression softens.
“I am sorry.”
He takes a step closer.
“I am not him and I should not pay for his sins.”
I don't answer.
Before he can say anything else, there is a persistent knock on the door.
Paul turns.
“Come in.”
The door opens.
A woman walks into the room.
I look at her once and my heart stops because I know that face.
I have seen those eyes before. She sees me too and freezes.
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