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Latest chapter

• BOUND TO MY ALPHA ENEMY    20

  Alina’s POV I stood before the mirror in my room, my back turned as I slowly pulled down my sleeve. The faint rustle of fabric against skin was the only sound in the stillness. The blouse slipped off one shoulder, exposing the top curve of my back to the mirror. And there it was again, the mark.The crescent.It shimmered faintly like light bouncing on still water, except it wasn’t light, it was something else. Something strange. Something I didn’t ask for. I stared at it longer, hoping, begging for it to reveal its meaning. But it just sat there, glowing gently like it owned me.What was it?I exhaled deeply, the weight of confusion pressing down on my chest. I pulled the sleeve back up and buttoned my blouse again, slower this time, as if delaying the inevitable questions clawing at the inside of my mind.I needed answers. That dream last night still clung to my skin like cold sweat. That woman – me, but not me – with the same mark had spoken like she knew something I didn’t. Like

• BOUND TO MY ALPHA ENEMY    19

  Alina’s POV “No,” I replied curtly, my voice clipped like the snap of a closing gate. “Because Cade isn’t just another man.”His jaw tensed, the line of his mouth flattening. For a moment, I thought he’d say nothing. Then, with a short breath that seemed to scrape through his throat, he shrugged.“Fine.” His tone was light, but there was an edge to it, raw and biting. “Do as you wish. It won’t bother me in the slightest. You can fall for his pure charm too. I don’t care.”That stung more than it should have.A slow smirk tugged at my lips, part mocking, part armor. But before I could let it speak for me, he flicked a sharp look in my direction.“By the way,” he said, voice low and annoyingly composed, “let’s start training for you. It’s quite unfortunate” – his emphasis on the word was like a deliberate sting – “that Cade won’t be able to train you.”I blinked. “What? Training?”He nodded once, leaning back in his chair like he hadn’t just thrown a wrench into my peace.“Yes. You can

• BOUND TO MY ALPHA ENEMY    18

  Alina's POV I paused and gave him a flat look. “So that’s why you invited me this morning? To mock me over toast and eggs?”He chuckled. “Well, I did want to see if you were chewing your tongue.”I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my lips betrayed me.He wasn’t done.“You used to be so dramatic. Like the world was going to collapse if you so much as looked in my direction. And now? You even smiled when I served your tea.”“That was a polite reaction,” I said dryly.“You rolled your eyes at me with grace. That’s called growth.”“I will stab you with this butter knife.”He grinned and leaned forward. “And here I was thinking you’d matured.”I tried to hold it in. Really, I did.But then he said, “Do you remember when you said I looked like a vulture and that you’d rather marry a tree stump than me?”That did it.I dropped my spoon and laughed, my shoulders shaking before I could stop myself.He laughed too, soft and pleased with himself. Then, without any warning, he said another line

• BOUND TO MY ALPHA ENEMY    17

  Alina’s POVI should’ve been relieved that the ball was over.But no. The moment we stepped out of that grand hall, reality started to feel… fragile. Like glass under my feet.We’d done well, Lucian and I. Pretending like we were the real thing. Smiling in sync. Dancing like every step was choreographed by fate. His hand never left mine, not even once. I laughed, tilted my head when he whispered something ridiculous, and leaned in just right when others were watching. It felt smooth. Too smooth.But I didn’t miss the eyes. The curiosity cloaked behind champagne glasses. The sideways glances filled with wonder, or worse, suspicion. It clung to me all night like perfume I never asked to wear.Lucian, on the other hand, played his role effortlessly. Powerful. Respected. Feared. Everything an Alpha was supposed to be.And hot. Goddess, it still annoys me how good he looked in that suit.Still, even with all the acting, I couldn’t deny we looked like we had it all.Even if it was a lie.De

• BOUND TO MY ALPHA ENEMY    16

  Rowan’s POVI didn’t know why, I just couldn’t take my eyes off her.The woman.She was somehow unfamiliar, yet everything about her tugged at a part of me I thought had gone numb. Something visceral. I tried to dismiss the pull at first, like a subtle breeze brushing against skin I had grown too numb to feel… but it kept growing stronger. Restless. Obsessive.Her face – it reminded me of Alina.No, not her exact features. This woman was different. Sharper. Bolder. Not soft like Alina had been. She held herself like she’d seen war and smiled through it. She seemed confident without flaunting it, proud without trying. Sophisticated. Elegant. Classy. Every movement she made had meaning, like she knew people were watching but didn’t give them the satisfaction of acknowledgment.She was stunning.Everything about her was put together like art meant for a private collection: one glance wasn’t enough and every new look uncovered something deeper.And yet… in the core of her presence,

• BOUND TO MY ALPHA ENEMY    15

  Alina’s POVGoddess.I couldn’t wrap my head around what he meant with his last words. "I wanted to make sure your ex isn’t digging into you in the restroom."Lucian… was never one to waste words, and he definitely didn’t say things without a reason. His voice had held no jealousy, just cold calculation. A prediction, maybe. Or a warning cloaked in sarcasm.And suddenly, I wasn’t sure if I was still the one pulling the strings, or if I’d unknowingly handed them all to him, wrapped in a bow.We walked back into the ballroom, his grip on my hand steady but loose enough to pretend it was casual. But I knew it wasn’t. He was anchoring me again, grounding me in a way that both irritated and unsettled me.The moment we returned, the music shifted. Strings and soft percussion filled the air.Lucian turned to me, hand already out. “Let’s have a dance, Alina.”It wasn’t a request.He said it like a command disguised as charm, and before I could object, he had already begun leading me to the c