3. Enemies?

TWO WEEKS AFTER ELYN WAS KIDNAPPED...

(ARES) 

Elyn, without a last name, was the most infuriating creature I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. My men had royally messed up and now, that little problem was taking over my whole fucking pack. 

There was no peace. No place was safe. I came to the library for a moment of peace, but what did I find? Her! Elyn and my fucking best friend were nestled together, laughing at something like they were old friends. 

The traitors in my pack were all besotted with her. I didn't know what she did, but I was almost positive it was black magic.

I slammed the door shut, and she looked up, startled, the big book raised above her head like a weapon.

"Do not throw it," I growled in warning and she looked at me and the book, like she wanted to do what I told her not to. After a while, she put it back down, sighing. 

"Kai? Don't you have something else to do?" 

"What? I have nothing else to do," Kai said as Elyn looked at him with a knowing look and they both shared a quick smile, rolling their eyes in sync.

"Go, Alpha Ares wants to shout at me some more, he can't sleep without that," she whispered, playing with my name so that it sounded almost like ass, in a voice that was a bit too loud. 

She gave me a sweet smile as she looked at me, motioning me to go on.

That smile was poison. I didn't trust it, because I knew that behind that pretty mouth, and that sugary smile, was an evil creature made in hell.

Kai stood up and punched me playfully on my shoulder. "Don't nag her too much," he said with an amused look before he walked away.

"You are not welcome here."

I didn't even know who the hell she was. She wouldn't tell me even when I asked her politely. I had also threatened her, but no, she just wouldn't budge. 

"Go on."

She comfortably moved back on the couch, crossed her legs and closed her eyes with a smile that made me want to kill her.

Or... I shook my head. No. Not kiss her. Definitely not that. 

"But kissing her would be more exciting than killing her," Storm said with a deep moan. 

I was always filled with conflicting emotions when it came to her, and my horny Wolf was not helping. My eyes went to her breasts... 

I liked the way the t-shirt slid over her body, teasingly brushing against her soft skin. My greedy eyes were staring, even when I wanted to stop. I licked my lips and then cursed myself for doing this to myself.

I could hear her body whispering to me in a seductive voice. Take me. Take me, hard. I shook my head, pushing the evil thought out of my head.

I growled under my breath, shaking my head in frustration.

"It is getting old," she whispered, opening one eye and staring at me with an amused expression. "The growling."

I fucking didn't need the complications that this girl would bring in my life.

She was trouble in big bold letters, with her tantalizing tattoos and her smile that could twist me up... She had no place in my already messed up life. She had made a complete mess of my life in two weeks. Who knew what would this little hound from hell would do if she stayed any longer? 

Storm chuckled. "This is what you get for trying to be a villain, using YOUR stupid men who have peas instead of brains!"

I walked towards her and grabbed the book away from her. "Get out." 

"If you wanted so bad to read the book, you could have just asked," she said as her curious gray eyes studied me. No. Stalked me. She stood up, stretching as she did, and I was filled with her intoxicating scent. Storm licked his lips. 

"Calm down, you ass."

"I don't want to read the book. You know what I want."

I gripped the book tighter in my hand until my knuckle turned white. Her eyes flickered to my hand.

She smirked. She is a demon. 

***

(ELYN)

He did this every damn day, like clockwork. 

After sixteen days, I had hoped he would stop trying. Ares Kincaid was the most stubborn, headstrong man I had ever met in my life. 

"Can you move?" I tried to look past his big-ass self, but he was completely blocking the television. I grabbed a ginger and dragon spice tart and took a bite of it, waving my hands at him. 

His eyes, one blue and one maddeningly golden, went dark. Those eyes were distracting, but the scene on the TV was really getting interesting and steamy between the two dragons.

I knew he wanted me gone, but I kind of liked it here. It was strange, the feeling inside me. It almost felt like freedom. Or happiness. I had never truly, really felt that.

I was always the odd one, not just because I didn't have a wolf, but there was always something, something that made me feel like there was more to me than just this.

But of course not. There was nothing more.

"You know, I need you to get the hell out of my pack. Like weeks ago and you are still here," Ares glared at me and I could see how hard it was for him to not physically pull me up and throw me out. But he wouldn't. We both knew it. Despite being an asshole, he was still a gentleman in his own way. 

I took another bite of the tart, staring at him. I didn't want to go away. 

I needed a distraction, and this was the perfect one. For the first time, Maseir was on my side!

This pack was heaven when compared to Turquoise Falls. I liked it here, and for the first time in my life, I was content. Nobody bullied me, nobody tried to tell me how worthless I was.

"Well. It was your fault you kidnapped me. Now you are fucking stuck with me, Alpha! Deal with it, and stop growling. We have already established I am not going anywhere."

I thought of Liam and sighed. Especially not back there.

A soft growl left his lips, and his eyes gleamed. "This is my pack and I want you to leave."

The look of anger in his eyes... if it was anyone else in my old pack, I would have worried about that. I would have at least grabbed a knife or two. But I knew he wouldn't hurt me, despite all his growling. He was all bark and no bite.

"You sound like a broken record." I frowned at him. "Listen. I am NOT leaving."

He growled again.

"You are still standing in front of me, Ares!" I said with a sigh. "That was such an interesting part of the movie, too. The dragon and her mate are just going to mate for the first time, and it is supposed to be sexy." I huffed out.

"You are ludicrous."

"You are boring. The dragons, though, not so much. Come on, move!"

He turned back and coughed when he got a good look at the big screen. He shook his head and turned around, and I could see how red he looked. It was curious. The way the Alpha was flushing. It was almost tempting to see him like that.

If I wasn't so in love with someone else...

He could be a fantastic rebound though, I thought, as I assessed him. He was tall, with hair that looked like flowing dark chocolate, tempting lips.

"Oh wow, you are so red! Did you like the scene so much? What were they doing? God, I missed it because of you." I stared at him and he looked embarrassed. "You want to join me?"

"Wh-what?"

"Pervert. I mean, do you want to watch the movie with me?" I teased, and he cleared his throat.

"Why would I do that?" He glared at her. "If it is not clear, we are not friends. I want you to get the hell out."

"If it is not clear, I am not going anywhere."

"Why? Why won't you just go? Nobody is crazy enough to stay in the same house with their kidnapper. Except you," he said as he shook his head. I knew he had already dubbed me crazy. I wasn't. Okay, maybe only slightly crazy...

I didn't want to go because this was more home than the home I had lived for nineteen and a half years.

"Your Beta is sexy and I really like to watch him practice. Shirtless!" I teased as I looked at him from under my lashes. He didn't look too pleased to hear that. 

"You are crazy."

I poked a finger against his chest. "Listen carefully, Alpha Ares. I like it here. I get free, amazing food. And the men here are easy on the eyes. It is fun. So I am not going away."

"You act like you own this place. And me."

"I would love to own you," I grinned, and he choked. I loved how the big, badass Alpha became a blushing mess whenever I teased him. "And Alpha, we are going shopping tomorrow."

He narrowed his eyes. "Shopping?"

"I need dresses. You know... I can't keep borrowing your t-shirts."

"Not borrowing. Stealing! You never asked," he gritted the words out. He took a step towards me and grabbed the edge of my t-shirt in between his fingers and I suddenly felt a big nervous ball stuck in my throat. My heart raced, and even when I ordered it to shut the hell up, it didn't listen. I looked into his eyes and they were strangely dark and I knew that look.

Lust.

I gulped.

My heart raced, and I felt sweaty and hot.

I didn't... this wasn't rational. Once bitten and all that shit. But my body was not listening to any warning. 

I gulped and I could see the confusion and conflict in his eyes before he took a quick step back and another from me. I felt disappointment and relief, too. 

He cleared his throat, looking as if he had just woken up from a trance, and ran his fingers through his dark chocolate hair and I wanted to do the same.

"Go!" He breathed out, and I could see his throat bobbing up and down.

"You go."

"Why are you so- so maddening and-"

"Uncle Ares. What are you doing to Elyn?"

We both coughed, flushed, and quickly jumped away. Ares took in a deep breath before he turned to look at Azalea. 

I didn't know what happened to her parents, but Ares loved her so much, and it was clear in everything he did for her. I smiled when Ares ruffled her hair. "What's up, Cookie? How was school?"

"Awful," she said with a pout. 

"Yes, I know. You are just like Andr-" he stopped and sighed, and I saw the look of utter dejection in his eyes as he grabbed her hand in his. "Come on, let's get you something to eat."

Azalea waved at me before she walked away with her uncle. I stared at the two of them for a while before I walked to the kitchen. The head cook smiled at me. She was a big woman with a hearty laugh and it was love at first sight between us. 

"Hey Carella, you are a witch."

"Don't tell my Alpha. He doesn't really like witches," Carella smiled. "Do you want anything else?"

"I am just going to take a short walk before I go to bed. I am too full, and if I ate like this with no exercise, I might explode!" I smiled as I walked out. The pack land was massive and the woods behind the pack house were full of wildflowers and wonders. I had always felt so at ease in the wilderness, like I belonged in the wilds, in nature, when everything else was at its most basic.

It was magic, every single thing around. I inhaled the sweet scent of the pine as I continued to walk deep into the woods, enjoying the stillness in the air, when I heard a rustle in the bushes. I stilled as I looked around. 

"Who is there?"

I could see the person quickly disappear. 

I don't know who it is, but I felt the chill in my bones as I turned to leave.

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