In the Enemy's Land

I was sitting in the local tavern, a place run by Rosela—the lovely, old lady who had come earlier to greet us. She'd invited everyone, and by everyone, I meant at least half of the village. A long table had been formed, and Rosela led us to the top seats. The remaining seats were occupied by more than three dozen villagers, all keeping their eyes on us—on their Alpha.

I kept reminding myself I need to breathe, I need to stay calm, but under the mask of serenity, I was on the verge of panic. This was a nightmare. I was supposed to lie low and find a place where I could be safe. Instead, I'd found myself in front of Sarendonia's greatest enemy. I was certain that the Fates had laughed their asses off when they'd decided to lead me here.

“More potatoes, dear?” Andrea, Rosela's younger sister, didn't wait for my answer. She beamed at me and quickly shoved more potatoes onto my plate. That smiling woman had to be literally made of kindness. She had even given me some undergarments, leggings, a long female tunic with a belt, and shoes, so I wouldn't have to sit with all the villagers wearing clothes soaked in their Alpha's smell…

“Um… thank you.” I gave her yet another nervous smile.

“You should eat more meat, too.” Rafe, who sat next to me, put another steak next to the one I had barely touched.

“I'll… try,” I mumbled, stabbing the tiniest potato with my fork.

I could barely swallow anything at all. My throat was too clenched, and my insides twisted into thousands of little knots. I looked at Dearon, at his posture, demeanor, and the authority radiating from him. How could I have been so blind? How could I have missed the unique resemblance between him and his brother? My instincts had always helped me avoid every kind of danger. Why had they failed me so miserably?

I dropped my gaze to my plate and pretended to cut a piece of meat. My mind was racing. I had let myself believe Alpha Callum's brother, his most fearsome general, Dearon Conaran, was dead. Everyone in Sarendonia trusted the news, saying he had died mere weeks before the Great Battle, and Jarith had been too arrogant to verify it. The so-called great Alpha of the Silver Mountain Pack had ignored the potential threat solely to announce his victory—a victory that had never been real.

A shudder skittered down my spine as I watched Alpha Dearon casually chat with his packmates. I had never met him in battle. Now I knew I wouldn't have survived had that happened. Rumors had it that Dearon had always been stronger than his older brother, but their father had still chosen Callum as his heir, deeming Dearon soulless and too unpredictable to become a leader.

But was he truly like those rumors claimed? I raised my gaze, tracing every inch of his deadly handsome features. That man had saved my life. He had brought me to his tent, offered me food and clothes. His behavior certainly didn't make him seem soulless…

I hadn't realized I'd been staring until Dearon's eyes landed on me, and a smug smirk appeared. “Eat more, Kaira. Rosela will be sad otherwise.” He dragged his teeth over his bottom lip. “And later, I can let you look at me all you want.”

Raw heat flooded my cheeks. “I wasn't trying to stare,” I muttered. “I was just… thinking, and—”

“Don't be nervous, dear. He always loved to tease beautiful ladies.” Angela chuckled and smacked Dearon's arm. Then something sorrowful entered her smile. “We actually missed him being this way for a while.”

I had already known what had caused that change, that sorrow… Something akin to guilt clenched my chest. Thousands had fought in that battle. Any Sarendonia warrior might have faced Alpha Callum. Not to mention that the official version stated that it was Alpha Jarith who had killed him. But the truth was different, and for the first time in my life, I truly hated having his blood on my hands.

“Kaira made a miracle.” Torin laughed, snapping me out of my bewilderment.

Rafe's brows rose. “You mean she turned our Alpha back into an arrogant asshole?”

Dearon glared at him. “I heard that.”

He responded with a shit-eating grin. “I merely speak the truth.” Then his eyes landed on me. “Maybe you're fated to be together?”

My stomach dropped to my knees. “Can we… not take it that far?”

“Would it be so bad to be with our Alpha?” Angela teased.

“I have known him for less than a day,” I retorted, nervously tugging a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Back in the day, we knew right away if we were looking at our destined mate.” Rosela's raspy voice echoed through the room. She placed four large jars of ale on the table and released a heavy sigh. “Before the Moon Goddess took away our bonds, you would have known by now if you were fated mates.”

“What do you think, Kaira?” Torin called out, and everyone's eyes turned to me.

“About… what?” I choked out.

“The mate bonds,” he said before grabbing a slice of bacon and shoving it into his mouth. “Would you like our bonds to return?”

“Um… I used to dream of the day we would all feel our bonds. Now… not so much,” I muttered, pushing a small potato around my plate.

“I've always thought the Moon Goddess was too cruel to punish all of us,” Nazo stated, his lips forming a wry smile. “A few greedy dickheads started this war. Why curse everyone?” Then he pointed his fork at me. “You come from Dagonrel, so you guys should be pissed the most. You weren't even involved in this war, and yet you pay the price like everyone else.”

My lips twitched into an awkward grimace. The threads of fate had disappeared long before I was born. I had heard about it in countless stories told by those old enough to know what they had meant for the shifters. I had heard about the darkness covering every inch of the sky the day it had happened. I had heard about the painful howls and cries that flooded the lands as the bonds had been ripped apart. The next day, the war between Sarendonia and Korendorr had begun…

“Honestly, I thought that now that we're at peace, the bonds will somehow return,” I murmured, staring down at my plate.

“Peace?” Dearon's low growl nearly made me flinch. “We're not at peace. There was no treaty, only a one-sided decision—a false victory,” he hissed before leaning forward, a dark smirk tugging at his lips. “We will let those fools in Sarendonia enjoy themselves for a while, but Korendorr will rise again.” He looked at his warriors and packmates, and they all grunted in agreement.

Chills rushed down my spine. I had truly believed that after thirty years of war, this bloodshed would finally end. For all I knew, it was Korendorr who had started this war thirty years ago. It was Korendorr's warriors who had attacked Silver Mountain Pack and slaughtered the innocents. Why couldn't Dearon and others accept the defeat? As the new Alpha, he could have sent envoys to negotiate a proper treaty. What was the point of continuing this war? Or perhaps the rumors were right. Maybe beneath this pleasant mask, Dearon truly was cold and soulless…

A part of me wanted to scream. I had witnessed the cruelty of the countless battles. I had seen my packmates die for more than five years. This had to stop. I grabbed my mug and gulped down the water, needing anything to stop myself from saying something that could reveal my true identity.

“Kaira? Are you all right?” Nazo narrowed his eyes at me. “You look… pale.”

I forced myself to smile and shook my head. “It's nothing,” I said, but clearly not convincing enough.

“You must be exhausted.” Angela cautiously scanned me from head to toe. “Would you like to lie down?”

Despite the general friendliness, I knew that others watched my every move. I was a stranger here, and the last thing I wanted was to raise suspicions. I drew a deep breath and added more brightness to my smile. “I'm all right, but I'd love to freshen up a bit.”

“Of course.” Angela beamed, rising from her seat and entering a narrow corridor. “It's not luxurious, but you can at least take care of your basic needs,” she explained.

“Thank you.” I could feel Dearon's eyes on me as I followed Angela to the small chamber.

“Take your time,” she said before closing the door behind me.

I drew a deep breath and walked over to a basin and a mirror hanging on the wall next to it. I examined the amount of dirt on my face and winced. I might have looked more presentable during the battles…

I filled the basin with water and then used it to wash myself. Somehow, the cold water helped me soothe my senses. I let the cold drops trail down my face as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

“You need to focus, Kaira,” I muttered to myself. One thing was for certain: I couldn't stay here. Eudoris wasn't the safest place for me to stay either, but at least it was far from Alpha Dearon Conaran's reach…

I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly, trying to gather my thoughts. Then I opened my eyes and froze. I was still looking at my reflection in the mirror, but the one on the other side seemed… different.

The Kaira in the mirror had a midnight blue gown with a bustier ornamented with silver threads. Her hair was combed and shiny, her face well-rested, her emerald eye blazed with unrecognizable strength. She smiled at her reflection—at me. Then she pulled her raven hair back, exposing her neck…

My breath hitched as I saw a fresh mate's mark—the sign of her belonging to someone. Kaira in the mirror traced the red spots with her fingers, and a blush rouged her cheeks.

“There you are, my Luna,” a deep, sultry voice sounded behind me.

Gasping, I whirled around but saw no one. My eyes frantically scanned every inch of the chamber. Nothing. My heart began to hammer. I looked in the mirror once more, and my normal, not-so-elegant reflection returned.

“A vision,” I breathed, pressing my hand to my pounding heart. “I had another vision…”

Perhaps I shouldn't find it disturbing. The me in that vision seemed peaceful. But I recognized that voice. I knew who called me his Luna…

It was Dearon.