Ariana tries her best to live up to her duties as a child of an alpha. But, her life is thrown way off balance when she meets her mysterious mate. He is strong. He is fierce. And, he may, in fact, be her enemy. Now she feels torn between duty and love. "Please, don't go," I whispered as I started kissing her neck once again. She caressed my head but started saying the reasons why she knew it was wrong. "We can't do this, Triton," she told me. "It is killing us, and it is destroying our families. Imagine how the pack would react if they were to discover us here? If they discovered that you were in the woods with me, kissing and caressing? As much as I love you and as much as we are mates, we are also enemies, Triton." "No!" I said, my face still buried in her neck. "I don't care what they think! I don't care what will happen! All I want is you." My Enemy, My Mate is created by Emma Levy, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.
"Oh, ouch!" I gasped as I reached my hand back to grab my hair. "That hurt."
"Honey, I really need to finish getting your hair ready for the ball." My mother told me in a sweet but firm tone. She added some serum to her hands, gently rubbed it into my hair, and continued combing it. My hair was still semi-wet from soaking it that afternoon, but the serum really helped to detangle it even more.
It wasn't that I never combed my hair or anything. But, tonight was the most significant night of our lives. The Moon Goddess ball was held in honor of the Great Mother Goddess of the Moon. She was our guide in the dark nights of the woods. The frigid winters in the mountains. The lonely evenings we spent beneath the aurora borealis listening to the wind sweep over the tundra. That was centuries ago now before we were given the ability to shift our form.
We are werewolves now, but we have adored the moon mother ever since we crawled on all fours in the wilderness of the world. That was why we cried out to her in a song of sorrow, our faces pressed to the sky, releasing our solemn howls.
"Are you excited, Ariana?" my mother asked me as she continued combing my long, black hair. Her hands were rough and dry from hard work, but they were still so gentle. I glanced at my own smooth, white, creamy hands and felt a tinge of guilt. I lived such a pampered life when compared to all the turmoil she has endured.
"I am, mom," I responded to her slowly as I thought about all that this ball has meant to me throughout my life. "Do you think I will meet my mate tonight?"
"Oh sweetie," she responded dismissively, "you are not yet 18 years old. You will not be able to smell your mate yet. Alex is a fine member of our pack. Just stay close to him and see how he feels and acts towards you. He is 18, and he will know if you are his mate or not. Just remember, he might not be your soulmate."
"But, why must I stay beside him?" I asked nervously.
I love Alex. We have been dating for two years. Ever since we were 16, I was eager for this night, but I knew it could establish us forever and destroy us forever. If it turned out he was meant for someone else, what would I do? What could I do?
That was why all the pack elders would always say that young pups dated way too early. They should wait until the Moon Goddess ball. They'd save so much heartache. But, back when I got together with Alex, everything just felt so right. I was so sure he was my eternal mate. Tonight just felt like the test I didn't want to have. I felt so sure, but what if Alex did not feel the same way?
"If you remain beside him and away from the enemy pack, there will be no chance of them fooling you." My mother said reassuringly. "You are not 18 yet, so you will not be able to smell your mate. But, at least you will know for sure if Alex really is your mate. You just need tonight to assure you who is your eternal mate. But, do not stray near the enemy, or they will try to lure you. Stay away, and everything will be fine."
I know she was trying to be reassuring, but I still felt so nervous. I stood once she finished tying my hair into a loose braid and intertwining a ribbon. I saw myself in the long mirror on the wall.
My light blue dress came to my knee with a silver sash and a moonstone necklace. I critiqued my appearance harshly. My breasts looked small, my legs so big, and my face was solemn. I might look more playful if I added makeup, but I did not know how Alex would interpret that. I wanted to look perfect so he would choose me as his eternal mate. He had to.
"Darling, you look stunning!" my mother declared, grasping my hands and looking me over with loving eyes. I smiled, but she was my mother. She'd love me if I had mismatched socks, bad breath, and had no front teeth. She was not so sure about her boyfriend, though. She needed to show him how amazing she could be. Alex had to be my soulmate. I just needed to prove it tonight by being perfect.
"Hi, sweetie." I heard Alex's voice from behind me.
I jumped in a startled fright. I wasn't ready yet. I did not know when I'd be ready, but I knew I was not yet. I nervously ruffled my skirt with my hands and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. Alex gazed at me with a large smile on his face and seemed lost in thought. I blushed as I noticed his eyes wandering over my body.
"Hi, honey." I greeted him shyly. He reached out and took my hand.
"We will be back before 12, Mrs. Lloyd," Alex told my mother as he escorted me out of the house. After my mother took a dozen and a half photos, we got in his car and went to the school where our ball was being held.
I gazed lovingly at Alex, and he reached out and touched my lips.
"Tonight will change us forever." He said gently and then kissed me softly. I felt my heart soar as we took off down the road to our school. He was my soulmate. I was certain.
***Triton's POV***
I gazed at Jessica as she adjusted her hair tie for the third time since we got in line 15 minutes ago. She was so gorgeous in her yellow gown and golden curls. She wore the little tiara I had purchased for her. She was my queen.
"Triton, sweetie," my girlfriend said to me as she handed me the flowers I bought her, "could you just hold my flower while I get this hair tie right?"
I grinned as I reached out and held her flowers. She continued her battle with her hair tie as I watched her movements with pleasure. She always impressed me with her amazing beauty, but tonight she was especially astounding.
I moved to see how further the line went and realized we'd be in line for quite a long time. I saw the Shining Moon pack had beaten us to the wait. I rolled my eyes. As usual, the Black Sky pack was scattered throughout all of us since they are the neutral pack and really don't care who they stand with. My pack, the Starlight pack, was arriving fashionably late. I shrugged. It didn't matter, really; the Shining Moon pack was always pretentious.
But then, something weird happened, which threw me off. I smelled something sweet, like a daffodil flower in the springtime. I froze in my spot. I looked over at Jessica to see if it was her, but I did not smell it from her to my shock.
I moved a little from my place in line long enough to see a young woman in a light blue dress and beautiful black hair bend over to pick up a broach she dropped. She was with the Shining Moon pack, though. But, I could not ignore her scent. It was astounding. The most beautiful thing I ever smelled. I couldn't resist her. I automatically caught myself moving towards her.
I saw her only from behind, but her hair was beautiful and her figure divine. She wore a light blue gown that fell just below her knees. But, most of all, I caught her scent so strong I was to run up to her and tell her how I felt. But I just felt dizzy and confused now. Then, just as I was about to approach the girl and offer to get her the broach that she dropped, Jessica came up behind me.
"Oh, so this is what you do?" she screamed at me, tears in her eyes. "Why are you so enamored by her? I get it. I know what this means."
She dashed off towards the street, and I called after her frantically as I dashed off after her.
###
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”