Mated To An Enemy

He ran through the trees, avoiding the overgrown roots and brush with ease. Ahead of him, the black wolf moved between the trees.

Axel's rage grew with each step he took.

For most of his life, this wolf haunted him. Living in his nightmares and stalking the back of his mind. The fiery eyes glared at him through the darkness leaving Axel always afraid of seeing them again.

Roman, the monster Axel feared since his childhood. But more than that, the monster that had broken Bell. The reason for her scars and her guarded nature. The reason she understood what it was like to drink her food through a straw.

Axel snarled and pushed himself harder through the trees. He was getting closer. Roman had been forced to change directions multiple times in an attempt to outrun him.

There were too many monsters in Alice's life. Too many memories haunted her dreams and defined how she interacted with others.

Even before he died, Alice didn't plan to kill Holden, or Tomas. In private, she told Axel about some of her fears, some of the memories which left scars she couldn't ignore. But she had no wish to see them dead, just out of her life.

But in those same conversations, Alice made it clear Roman was unlikely to ever leave her or Bell alone.

Axel had been too arrogant. He believed the protection of Winter, the oath he made to the Goddess, would last forever. As long as Alice and Bell stayed within the borders, they would be safe from the monster.

Foolish.

Roman would never give up. He would never let them have a peaceful life. He would continue to force them all to live in fear, suffer nightmares, and wonder when the day would come that the danger he posed would become a reality.

Today, Axel would put an end to his fears. To Bell's nightmare. And to the danger to Alice and the family they were starting.

Today, Axel would make sure Roman was held accountable for all the pain and suffering he caused, just as he had done with Granger.

Axel snarled as the surge of determination blended with the rage in his heart, Axel flung himself forward and snapped his strong jaw closed on the black wolf's tail as he yanked him back.

Roman let out a scream, and a growl as his tail crunched and his body was flung to the snow.

Roman rolled on the ground, trying to right himself, as the large black and grey wolf, Axel, lunged at his throat.

Roman and Axel snarled and snapped their jaws at each other as Roman got to his feet. They circled, baring their teeth and growling. Each took a turn snapping and lunging forward to bite the other.

Axel managed to bite down on Roman's leg. He let out a pained howl and a bark before biting at Axel's ear and pulling himself free.

Roman snarled, he let out several angry barks and attacked. He went for Axel's throat, Axel moved in time to avoid the bite, but Roman was ready, correcting himself almost at once. Clamping down on Axel's shoulder, his teeth piercing through the fur and skin.

Axel howled and shook the bothersome wolf off him.

As he was about to retaliate, the sound of movement from his left drew his attention. He turned as a feral wolf erupted from the bushes, heading straight for him.

Axel growled and flew at the invader, catching him mid-air, and as they snapped at each other, he gained the upper hand, biting into his throat and tearing with all his strength as the blood poured into his mouth.

The feral wolf let out a cry and a whimper as it went limp. Axel had no chance to enjoy the victory as a burning pain along his ribs wrenched a cry and whimper from his throat. His body was then forced away from his kill.

He looked back, expecting Roman had shifted and waited to strike again with a weapon. Instead, he was faced with one of the fallen, its clawed hand stained with the crimson of his blood.

Axel growled. Looking from the corner of his eye, he saw Roman's black wolf sitting beside one of the trees, watching.

'Coward,' Axel hissed in his thoughts.

The fallen howled and charged at Axel.

Axel moved, avoiding another slash from the fallen's claws as he raced around behind it. He jumped at its back, trying to bite down, but the creature was not going to make it easy for him. It turned and used both arms to throw Axel back against the closest tree.

Axel let out a pained whimper as his body slammed into the tree and fell down into the snow below. He lifted his head as the monster ran at him, snapping its jaws. He tried to reach his feet but was not fast enough. Axel let out an anguished cry as the beast closed its jaws with force over his front leg.

Alice fell to her knees inside the Safe Zone, holding her arm to her chest and knocking over a cart of supplies as a tidal wave of pain rushed over her. Her entire body was flooded with a cold sweat. Her stomach turned at the sudden rush of pain and emotion, she couldn't hold back, lurching forward as the contents of her stomach made their way onto the floor.

She panted, her breaths were quick and short, one hand pressed to the wall to keep herself steady as she tried to regain her senses.

"Alice!" Bell cried out.

She rushed to Alice's side from Sadie's room. The clatter of supplies hitting the ground had pulled her attention away from the young girl. Bell grabbed one of the small towels from the fallen cart, she wiped Alice's mouth and chin with a delicate touch as she looked at the panicked expression on her face.

"Hey," she whispered, placing a gentle touch on Alice's back. "You're ok. I'm right here. Tell me what is happening."

Alice could not think straight, the pain in her arm was easing away, but the panic, the fear of what was happening, did not.

Her breathing would not slow, and her heart pounded so hard she thought it would burst from her chest.

"Alice…" Bell said. "Alice, I need you to try and slow your breathing."

Alice knew she needed to listen, to do as Bell said, but she couldn't. She kept thinking of how sudden the pain had come on and what it meant.

Teeth breaking the skin, bone splintering.

It was not the first time she felt such a sensation. The first had been a disturbing and memorable experience, one that could not be mistaken for something else. Out there, somewhere, Axel's arm was bitten so hard the bone had splintered.