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.
###
Elin spent twenty years deeply loving her husband, finally marrying him just as she'd always dreamed. But reality shattered her illusions—he wasn't the man she believed. Instead, he callously destroyed her family, crushing her heart beyond repair. At her lowest point, Ruben, equally betrayed that night, approached her steadily. "Marry me, Elin. I'll help you take revenge." Yet, after their wedding, she quickly discovered he was dangerously unpredictable. "I made a mistake. Let's divorce..." Ruben slid his arm possessively around her waist, whispering a chilling promise, "Only in death."
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
Kara Martin was known as Miss Perfect. She was a beauty with good personality and successful career. Unfortunately, her life changed at one night. She was accused of adultery, losing her job, and abandoned by her fiance. The arrogant man who slept with her did not want to take responsibility. He even threatened to kill her if they met again. What's worse, Kara was pregnant with twins and she chose to give birth to them. Four and a half years later, Kara returned to work at a large company. As the secretary, she would frequently face their notorious CEO. Kara thought it wouldn't be a problem, but as it turned out ... the CEO was the father of the twins!
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!