Mated To An Enemy

Ashleigh and Axel had spent the last few days before she left for Summer in heated arguments. It seemed like every little thing they could argue about, they would.

They didn’t agree on Caleb, and they definitely didn’t agree on Alice.

After Ashleigh had heard that the ceremony in the South had been pushed back a night, she knew something was wrong. When her father and brother returned, they told her about the ‘gift’.

Axel had some minor issues, some fever, and a severe headache. But nothing life threatening.

Bell ran tests on the candy but could not identify what was in it. There was something but nothing she had ever seen before. Both she and Ashleigh suggested asking Caleb to look into it, but Axel refused.

He insisted that whatever it was, it wasn’t lethal. And that there was no reason for another pack to investigate a personal issue for him.

Ashleigh demanded that, at the very least, this action violated the treaty and that Alice and, by extension, Spring should be held accountable. Again, Axel refused.

Wyatt agreed that if there was no proof that the candy bar was lethal, they could not rightfully claim the peace was broken.

Axel made a point to say that Alice was not to blame, that she had warned him.

After that, Ashleigh and Axel couldn’t hear anything the other said.

He did make sure to remind her that the business of Winter was not information she could share with Summer, especially not with their Alpha.

And so, Ashleigh left Winter angry and eager to focus on building her relationship with Summer.

Her arrival was expected, and this time no angry Luna was waiting for her, only an Alpha with a dangerously charming smile.

“I didn’t expect a welcome party or anything, but not even Galen came to greet me?” she laughed as she approached Caleb.

“I demanded that your attention be all for me,” Caleb grinned as Ashleigh leaned down to greet him with a teasing kiss.

“I’ve already won you over. I need to win them,” she smiled.

Caleb growled softly. He took her hand in his, feeling the light thrum of her heartbeat against his thumb, he kissed her wrist.

“I don’t like sharing,” he whined.

“I never expected the Alpha of Summer would be so clingy,” Ashleigh laughed.

“Does it bother you?”

Ashleigh turned her eyes to his, and she saw a genuine concern there. She sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“No,” she smiled. “I like that you miss me. That you want to spend time with me.”

“I do,” Caleb whispered, pecking her lips gently. “I want to monopolize you.”

He kissed her once more before moving down and nuzzling his nose against her throat.

“I want to…” he continued, pausing as he softly kissed her throat. “… do more.”

Caleb could feel how Ashleigh’s heart picked up with his actions. He smiled against her throat. Touching his tongue lightly to the soft pulsing vein. She let out a moan that threatened his control.

He kissed her again and then pulled away. Looking into her eyes, he saw a fire he recognized. They both felt it just as strongly.

“I want you, too,” she whispered.

Caleb closed his eyes and clenched his teeth together painfully. Those words were enough to cause a noticeable discomfort in his lap.

Ashleigh felt the change and gasped. Her face flushed with embarrassment, yet she couldn’t help but notice the small pride she felt.

“I guess that answers that question…” she said quietly.

“Did you have a question about my…” Caleb shot a look down and then back up. He gazed at her with the dark swirls of his desires pulling at her. “Performance abilities?”

“I just wasn’t… I didn’t know….” Ashleigh stuttered to answer.

“My legs might not work, Ash, but the rest of me, is very much up and running,” he growled.

“I…”

Before Ashleigh could finish her sentence, they were interrupted by an intentional knocking sound of wood hitting against the floor twice.

Ashleigh turned to see Galen and Luna Fiona staring at them from only two feet away. Ashleigh immediately jumped out of Caleb’s lap, drawing a slight groan from him.

“Oh, good, they’ve noticed us,” Fiona smiled widely.

“Mother,” Caleb sighed with annoyance, then added with more apparent irritation. “Galen.”

Galen looked away guiltily.

“Luna Fiona,” Ashleigh greeted her respectfully, bowing her head and placing a hand to her heart.

“Why are you here?” Caleb asked.

“I am here to greet our guest, of course,” Fiona answered.

“We agreed there was no need for you to do that,” he said.

“No, dear,” Fiona smiled. “You boys agreed. I disagreed.”

Fiona stepped closer to Ashleigh.

“But as Luna, it is one of my duties to greet all guests to our pack.”

“Of course,” Ashleigh smiled.

“Galen, get her things. I will show you to the room you will be staying in while you are here,” Fiona said.

“I was going to take her there myself, Mother.”

“Oh, but sweetheart, you don’t even know where her room is,” Fiona laughed. She turned to face Ashleigh. “This silly boy, he knows nothing about hosting guests. He placed your room across from his own.”

Fiona let out a loud laugh, and Ashleigh smiled awkwardly.

“Mother…” Caleb began.

“But it would be foolish to expect you to stay in that room,” Fiona continued. “After all, those rooms are reserved for visiting alphas and lunas. You are neither.”

“That’s true,” Ashleigh said. Taking a deep breath.

“You are just Caleb’s mate,” Fiona stated.

“Yes, I am.”

“Mother,” Caleb called, getting angry. Galen placed a hand on his shoulder.

‘Let Ashleigh handle it,’ Galen whispered through their neural link.

‘Why are you whispering? Mom won’t hear you in my mind,’ Caleb replied.

‘You don’t know that….’ Galen whispered back.

“Luna Fiona, I am a guest here. I will trust that you know where is best for me to stay during my visit,” Ashleigh smiled.

Fiona gave her a smirk.

“Good girl,” she said. “Now, follow me.”

Fiona turned and headed for the doors. Ashleigh glanced back at Caleb, telling him that everything was alright with her eyes. She smiled and then followed after Fiona.

“Do you intend to just give in to me to win points?” Fiona asked as they walked through the halls.

“No,” Ashleigh answered honestly. “You were right. I am not an alpha or a luna at this point. Therefore, I have no reason to have a room intended for one.”

Fiona nodded.

“I won’t fight you on something you’re right about,” Ashleigh continued. “But, I won’t roll over and let you run me into the ground either. I am here because I am Caleb’s mate. I plan to be by his side for the rest of our lives, which means being a part of this pack. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You are here because you are Caleb’s mate… by his side the rest of your lives… part of this pack… hmm,” Fiona repeated Ashleigh’s words curiously. Then, she stopped walking and turned back to face the younger woman. “I didn’t hear you mention being his Luna, though I did notice you said you are not a luna ‘at this point’.”

Ashleigh took a deep breath.

“I don’t have the right to mention being his Luna,” she replied. “Not yet.”

Fiona tilted her head. She crossed her arms, telling Ashleigh that she was listening.

“I have every intention of being her one day, but I know that I am not there yet,” she began. “Caleb has his own thoughts, and I love him, but they are naïve.”

Fiona let out a laugh, quickly composing herself.

“If it were up to him, we would be married tonight, and the wolves of Summer would be calling me Luna or facing his wrath,” Ashleigh sighed. “But that’s not the right way.”

Fiona smiled.

“I truly am here to visit,” Ashleigh said, “I want to get to know Summer and her wolves. I want to learn the values and traditions. I want to understand Summer so that I may be a part of it. And then I want to earn my place. I’m not looking to just take the title without meaning. When I am Luna, I will be one in every way.”

Fiona nodded.

“It’s good that you don’t hope to just ‘take’ the title,” Fiona said. “Because I don’t plan on giving it away either.”

She stepped closer to Ashleigh.

“I gave it up before when I thought that any mate belonging to Caleb would have to be a great woman,” Fiona continued. “But then it came back to me. Caleb gave it back to me when his Luna was dead.”

Ashleigh swallowed.

“I like you, Ashleigh. I would embrace you if you were anyone else,” Fiona said, anger seeping into her words. “But you aren’t someone else.”

Fiona stood up straight, her eyes taking on the slightest glow. Ashleigh felt the power at the edges of her senses. However, she could tell that Fiona was holding it back.

“You have put my son through hell, and that was before you made him believe his mate had died,” she growled. “But even that wasn’t enough… he is in a wheelchair because the wolf you chose over him poisoned his spine.”

Ashleigh let out a shuddering breath and chided herself for allowing the tears to fall from her eyes.

“I cannot stop Caleb from accepting you back into his heart and honoring your mate bond. But I have no intention of leaving this pack in your immature and selfish hands.”