Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy | Read Free Preview
Read chapters 1–3 of Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy free. Unlock the full ebook when you are ready to keep going.
Chapter 1
ARIA
"Aria, you must accept the bond with that cursed Alpha Kael in place of my daughter. This is what you owe the Blackwood pack! You—"
"I will."
My reply made my foster mother, Luna Margaret, gasp in disbelief, hearing my words. Her weathered face went pale as if she was sick as she blinked her eyes repeatedly.
"What did you say?"
I could understand her shock. After all, in our territory, which happened to be the largest werewolf settlement in the Northern Territories—who didn't know how desperately I'd loved Alpha Damon Cross? From the moment I set eyes on him I was a goner. I'd been his devoted omega for years, giving up my future, my pride, everything for a bond that was never meant to be.
Besides this alliance wasn't a new thing for me. I had refused this arrangement countless times before, all because of Damon, hoping that maybe he would take this as my sign of devotion to him, and mate me. Margaret clearly hadn't expected me to actually agree this time—to bond with a stranger who'd been trapped in wolf form for three years after a dark magic curse left him unable to shift back to human.
Calm and emotionally drained of the hell I have been suffering quietly in their hands, I needed an out, so I repeated, "I'll do it."
Once it was clear I was serious, Margaret let out a breath of relief before her voice turned serious and sharp with suspicion again.
"One month from now, the Shadowmere pack will perform the bonding ceremony with their Alpha. They've decided on the date during the blood moon, and it's final. Someone will come to escort you for the ritual. I've already accepted their offering of silver and protection treaties. It's what you owe the Blackwood pack for taking you in as a rogue pup, and there's no changing it now. If you dare go back on your word or cause trouble, I will—"
"I won't," I cut her off coldly, my wolf stirring restlessly beneath my skin.
"The Shadowmere pack is powerful, even if their Alpha is cursed. I trust their offering was generous enough, considering my origin. I came to you as a lone pup from the ruins of the Crimson Moon pack, and you raised me for sixteen years. Now I'll take your daughter's place and bond with their Alpha. That settles my debt to the Blackwood pack. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
With that, I hung up and shifted my phone to silent, to discourage her from calling me back, or anyone else at this point.
Sitting alone in the small cabin Damon had given me that was situated on the edge of his territory, far away from the rest of the dwelling places of his pack members, I couldn't help but reopen the pack news I'd seen earlier.
The announcement was everywhere and not just that, it was also accompanied by photos and videos of Alpha Damon Cross's bonding ceremony with Sera Quinn. This was a trending topic, that was being talked about in all werewolf territories.
In the images that I saw, they stood together under the sacred moon oak, and they were surrounded by their pack members, vowing to share one soul for eternity.
The bond-mark on Sera's neck was present and it seemed to glow in the moonlight. They clearly didn't care who saw it. The entire werewolf community was offering their blessings, to them, happy and celebrating that the two childhood sweethearts had finally completed their destined bond.
Everyone except me.
Because Damon had been my Alpha—the wolf I had loved with every fiber of my being and I had made sure that he knew that through everything that I did, since the moment he walked into my life.
Four years ago, he'd been poisoned with wolfsbane during a rogue attack. His wolf had nearly died, and the proud Cross family had written him off as weak, already looking for a replacement.. And now just that, his so called childhood sweetheart Sera had fled to the human city, claiming she couldn't handle being mated to a damaged Alpha.
Back when I was being tormented by other pack members for being an orphaned rogue and treated less than human, he was the one who had pulled me out of that darkness and saved me. Since that faithful day, my heart had started beating just for him and he was my reason to survive.
I had loved him in secret for so long. On that freezing winter night when the wolfsbane poisoning had driven him to the brink of ending it all, I was the one who had gone out in the freezing winter, found him and I brought him to my cabin.
I did everything I could to heal him, to pull his wolf back from the edge of madness one step at a time, I had been patient, and took his lash outs silently knowing he was hurting and felt like he had lost all purpose in life, but I didn't let that deter me. I researched ancient remedies, traded favors with witch healers, even offered my own life force to strengthen his wolf.
I'd heard about a powerful witch in the Eastern Territories who could purge wolfsbane completely. To afford her services, I sold my blood to vampire contacts, became a message runner through dangerous rogue territories, ending up with three broken ribs and scars that still ached in cold weather.
I suffered endlessly, but finally, two years ago, I gathered enough resources for the cleansing ritual.
It worked. His wolf was stronger than ever. He kissed me that night and promised he would claim me as his mate, that he would never let me suffer alone again, that we would build a pack together.
I had believed that everything we'd been through was finally behind us, and from then on, we would run together under every full moon.
I never expected everything to crumble the moment Sera returned back to the pack, and take everything from me without even doing anything.
Word was that Sera had been attacked by hunters and was dying from silver poisoning. How convenient. Her last wish was to complete the mating bond with Damon before her wolf faded forever.
He couldn't bear to watch his childhood friend suffer, he suddenly developed selective amnesia, forgetting that when he needed her, she didn't give a damn about him, and went further to make sure that the ceremony I had spent six months helping him plan became Sera's.
The ritual dress I had sewn with traditional pack symbols—Sera had been the one who wore it and flaunted it in front of me, while I gritted my teeth silently and watched.
The mating collar Damon had commissioned from the pack's silversmith—Sera wore it around her throat, the silver gleaming against her pale skin.
Through blurred vision as I blinked, feeling hot tears roll down my cheeks, I saw a pendant hanging beside her mating collar.
I recognized it instantly.
It was the only thing left from my birth pack— it was a moonstone pendant that had belonged to my mother.
I had lost it during the night I saved Damon from the wolfsbane madness and I had mourned the loss of it, convincing myself that Damon was more important.
He had once told me he found it and would return it to me on my eighteenth birthday when I officially became an adult in the pack and I waited patiently, like a fool, believing his words.
But now, just because Sera had admired it and wanted it... he gave it to her instead.
Suddenly, I realized there was no point in loving an Alpha like Damon.
I didn't howl for him. Didn't beg him to reconsider our bond or force him to tell me what he bought o my sacrifices all this years. He didn't want to acknowledge me,neither would i.
I simply lit the candle on my small birthday cake and watched it slowly burn down.
The sweet scent of frosting and vanilla turned bitter in the empty cabin—just like my love for Damon, which had died overnight, leaving nothing but cold ash.
It was nearly dawn when Damon finally returned to the cabin.
When he saw me sitting at my small dining table with red-rimmed eyes, clearly having stayed up all night, his jaw clenched tight. Even in the dim light, his Alpha presence was overwhelming but I refused to bow down anymore, I was truly done with him.
"Why haven't you slept?"
I ignored his question and said steadily, "Damon, I'm ending whatever this was between us. And tell Sera to return my mother's pendant as soon as possible."
Damon's eyes flashed gold—his wolf rising to the surface. He immediately understood my reason for this—I must have seen the bonding announcement and was feeling the sting of rejection.
He had never liked jealous omegas, because they were a nuisance to deal with, always clinging and whatnot but he had never once considered completely cutting me out of his life.
So he gentled his voice, his Alpha authority trying to soothe me.
"Don't be upset. I didn't forget your birthday. This is for you."
He opened an elegant black velvet box in front of me.
Inside lay a silver chain with a rare blue moonstone pendant.
It was far more valuable than the simple pendant my mother had left me. But it wasn't what I wanted.
Just like how I no longer wanted him.
Chapter 2
ARIA
Damon knew better than anyone how desperately I had always loved him,my actions were a clear sign, he also knew how my omega wolf called to his wolf in a way that should have sealed our fate.
When I stayed silent, staring at the moonstone necklace in disbelief without touching it, he thought it meant I was done with my tantrum and was finally placated by his actions.
He reached for the necklace, intending to fasten it around my throat—a gesture that would have sent shivers through me just days ago, because it would have given me hope that there was a spark between us, but now it just made my stomach burn with nausea.
"I don't want this necklace! I just want my mother's pendant!"
I slapped his hands away and said firmly, "That pendant was the last connection to my birth pack. How could you give it to Sera? I only want what was already mine! Give her the bloody expensive necklace and give me back my mother's keepsake."
"Still throwing a fit..."
Damon's patience snapped as his Alpha aura flared, filling the small cabin with the scent of pine and dominance.
His face turned cold and hard, radiating fury that made lesser wolves submit instantly under his gaze.
"Sera really treasures that pendant."
"She's dying—how much longer do you think she'll even get to wear it? Why must you fight over jewelry with someone whose wolf is already fading? Aria, when did you become so selfish and cruel?"
Selfish. Cruel. Fighting a dying she-wolf over a pendant...
But that pendant was mine—the only thing left of my murdered pack, my dead mother, the only connection I had to my real pack, and where I was from, in a pack where I wasn't wanted.
What was wrong with wanting it back?
Did he really expect me to keep sacrificing everything for him after he'd chosen another omega in front of everyone and took no regard of my feelings? Was I supposed to roll over and show my belly after being discarded? Even dogs bite their owners after being mistreated.
I wasn't that pathetic.
Before I could respond, Damon's phone buzzed with an urgent message.
It was from Sera.
Her text sounded weak and desperate:
"Damon, I just collapsed right now. The silver poisoning is getting worse... Can you come stay with me? I'm scared I won't make it through the night."
Damon's entire body went rigid, playing this message in front of me.
He hadn't even managed to calm me down yet.
But he knew I would never really leave him—omega wolves didn't survive well without pack protection.
And Sera was genuinely dying. So he made his choice.
"Sera, don't panic. I'm coming."
He turned and left the cabin without looking back, his wolf already coming out for a full shift under his haste.
As the door slammed shut, I let out a bitter laugh and kicked the moonstone necklace into the corner where it skittered across the wooden floor.
It had been like this ever since Sera returned a month ago.
Every time she felt weak or frightened about something, even if it was as insignificant as her shadow, he would drop everything that he was doing without a second thought just to run to her side.
Rain or shine, day or night, through every phase of the moon—he was always there for her.
It was like all those whispered promises he'd once made to me, all those vows of eternal devotion, of me bearing his mark and birthing his pups, and being the only Luna that he recognized had been nothing but a fever dream.
But thankfully, it would all end soon.
In one month, I'd be bonded to Alpha Kael of the Shadowmere pack.
Then Damon could stop worrying about me clinging to him and go protect his precious childhood mate without thinking that he needed to absolve himself of his guilt towards me. This was a perfect solution for everyone.
The irony wasn't lost on me—my bonding ceremony would be on Damon's birthday.
His birthday, my bonding. Two ceremonies on the same night. The moon certainly had a sense of humor and it was letting me know that.
As far as I was concerned, once I rejected whatever claim Damon thought he had on me, he was no longer my Alpha, neither was I one of his pack members. I had no reason to stay in his territory anymore and the sooner I started cutting off my ties, the faster I could leave this godforsaken place.
I spent the entire day packing everything I owned, or was in my name-which wasn't much for an omega who'd lived on the generosity of others.
I contacted the largest supernatural trade post in the Northern Territories.
Their representatives came to evaluate my few valuable possessions—some rare herbs I'd collected, a silver dagger I'd earned in combat trials, and jewelry Damon had given me over the years.
Everything sold for enough to secure passage to Shadowmere territory and start fresh in a new chapter of my life. I didn't send Damon a single coin of it. I'd earned that money through my own blood and sacrifice.
As night fell, I tore to bits the last scarf I'd knitted for Damon during the long winter nights when I'd waited for his return from pack business.
I threw the pieces in my fireplace and watched them burn.
I was just about to leave with my single duffle bag when I noticed the photograph that was still on my nightstand.
In the picture, I was curled against Damon's chest in wolf form, my smaller silver coat a stark contrast to his massive black fur. His muzzle rested protectively over my neck, and for once, his eyes held something that looked like contentment.
Damon had always hated having his picture taken—said it was vanity that weakened a wolf's spirit.
This photo was taken last year on the anniversary of the night I'd saved him, after I'd begged relentlessly. It was the only image we had together.
I had treasured it like a sacred relic.
As soon as it was printed, I'd placed it on my nightstand and looked at it every morning and night. Even when I traveled to gather rare ingredients for his pack's healers, I carried it with me, keeping it as a way of keeping Damon close to me. I had spent two nights in the woods searching for it without fail, during one of my expedition, almost going unconscious from lack of rest and food.
Now, all I felt was mockery of a life that I would never have.
I smashed the frame against my cabin's stone hearth and watched the glass scatter into pieces just like my shattered dreams.
Chapter 3
ARIA
By the time I finished packing, dawn was breaking over Damon's territory. I didn't leave a note. Didn't say goodbye to anyone except Tom, the kind guard who'd always slipped me extra meat from pack hunts when I was recovering from my injuries.
"You take care of yourself, Miss Aria," he'd said quietly, his eyes sad but understanding. "And don't let anyone make you feel small ever again."
I promised I wouldn't.
The journey to Shadowmere territory took three days through dense forest and mountain passes that tested even my wolf's endurance. Luna Margaret had arranged for a guide—a grizzled older wolf named Marcus who'd lost his own pack years ago and now worked as a neutral courier between territories.
He didn't ask questions, which I appreciated. We traveled mostly in wolf form, covering ground faster that way.
No more waiting by the window for Damon to come home. No more swallowing my hurt while he rushed to Sera's side. No more pretending I was enough when I clearly never had been.
"We're crossing into Shadowmere land now," Marcus said on the third morning, his voice rough from disuse.
We'd shifted back to human form to navigate a particularly treacherous cliff path. "You feel that?"
I did. The air itself felt different here—heavier, touched with old magic that made my skin prickle. The trees grew taller, their trunks twisted into strange shapes. Even the birdsong sounded muted, cautious.
"What happened here?" I asked, pulling my jacket tighter against the sudden chill.
Marcus glanced at me sidelong. "You really don't know much about your future mate, do you?"
"I know he's cursed. That he's been trapped in wolf form for three years."
"That's the surface of it." Marcus paused at the edge of a clearing, surveying the land ahead. "Alpha Kael challenged a dark witch who was hunting human children for her rituals. He could've left it alone—humans aren't pack business. But he didn't. Tracked her to her lair and tore her throat out with his own fangs."
Pride flickered in Marcus's weathered face. "With her dying breath, she cursed him. Said he wanted to be a beast so badly, he'd become one permanently. His human form was locked away, and every day that passes, his human consciousness fades a little more."
My wolf stirred uneasily. "And his pack? They just... let him suffer?"
"His pack is loyal as they come. They've searched everywhere for a cure—witches, shamans, even vampires. Nothing worked." Marcus started walking again, leading me deeper into Shadowmere territory.
"Then their pack seer had a vision. Said only a true mate bond might anchor his humanity. Give him something to fight for."
"But I'm not his true mate," I said quietly. "We've never even met."
Marcus shrugged. "Fate's a funny thing. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. But the seer saw silver fur in her vision, and you're the only silver wolf they could find willing to take the risk."
The only one willing. Because any smart she-wolf would run from a bond with a dying Alpha.
But I'd stopped caring about smart decisions the day I watched Damon place his mating mark on Sera's throat.
We traveled in silence after that, going deeper into forest, leading to his pack. We were often stopped by pack scouts who made sure that we weren't a threat.
Finally, as the sun reached its zenith, we emerged into a valley that took my breath away.
The Shadowmere pack settlement sprawled before us, built into the mountainside itself. Stone structures blended seamlessly with natural cave systems, and a crystalline river cut through the center of the village.
Wolves moved through the streets in both human and animal forms, and despite the heavy magic saturating the air, there was life here. Community.
"Welcome to Shadowmere," a warm voice said.
I turned to find a petite woman with kind eyes and silver-streaked dark hair approaching us.
"I'm Nina, Beta of Shadowmere pack," she said, offering her hand. "You must be Aria. We're grateful you've come."
Her genuine warmth caught me off guard. I'd expected coldness, cruelty, maybe resentment that their Alpha had to resort to an arranged bond.
"Thank you for having me," I managed.
Nina dismissed Marcus with thanks and a pouch of coins, then linked her arm through mine like we were old friends.
"Come, let me show you around before we take you to Kael. You must be exhausted from the journey."
She led me through the settlement, introducing me to pack members who greeted me with curiosity but also surprising acceptance. A group of children playing by the river stopped to stare at my silver hair—rare among wolves—then waved shyly.
"We're not a large pack," Nina explained as we walked, "but we're strong. Kael made sure of that before the curse took hold. He's a good Alpha, Aria. Perhaps the best I've served under."
"You say that like you think he can be saved."
Nina's expression turned fierce. "I have to believe it. We all do. He's fought the curse for three years—longer than the witch probably expected. If anyone can claw their way back from the edge, it's him."
We stopped in front of a large stone structure built into the mountainside, isolated from the other buildings. Two guards flanked the entrance, watching me with unreadable expressions.
"This is the Alpha's den," Nina said softly. "He stays here, away from the pack, when the curse is particularly bad. We can't risk him hurting anyone if he loses control completely."
My heart hammered against my ribs.
"And you want me to go in there? Now?"
"Not to complete the bond—that's for the blood moon ceremony. But he should meet you, sense you. It might help him hold on a bit longer." Nina squeezed my hand. "I won't lie to you, Aria. He's more wolf than man right now. But there's still something of Kael in there. I've seen glimpses of it."
The guards opened the heavy doors, and Nina led me into a dimly lit corridor that sloped downward into the mountain itself. Torches flickered along the walls, casting dancing shadows.
We descended deeper until the corridor opened into a massive natural cavern.
And there, in the center of the cavern on a raised platform of furs and blankets, lay the largest wolf I'd ever seen.
His coat was pitch black except for silver markings along his spine that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. Even lying down, he was massive—easily twice the size of any normal wolf. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and even.
"Kael," Nina called softly. "Someone's here to meet you."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then slowly, those eyes opened.
They were gold—bright, burning gold—but there was something wrong with them. Like he was staring at a prey, rather than a person.
The massive wolf's head lifted, nostrils flaring as he caught my scent.
Then everything happened at once.
Kael surged to his feet with a snarl that reverberated through the cavern.
Nina immediately shifted her stance, putting herself partially in front of me. The wolf's lips pulled back, revealing fangs that could easily tear through flesh and bone.
But he didn't attack.
Instead, his wild gold eyes locked onto mine, and for just a moment, I saw something in his eyes, a desperate, drowning plea for help.
Then he threw back his head and howled.
The sound was anguished, haunting, full of a loneliness that echoed my own.
My wolf responded before I could stop her, howling back.
In the sudden silence that followed, Kael slowly padded down from his platform.
He stopped just a few feet away, lowering his massive head until we were at eye level.
"Finally... you came..."
Nina gasped beside me. "He hasn't spoken in over a year."
But I barely heard her. I was too focused on those gold eyes that carried stories of pain.
"I'm here," I whispered, not sure why tears were sliding down my cheeks. "I'm here, Kael."
The great wolf's eyes drifted closed, and he collapsed at my feet like a puppet with cut strings.
"He's never done that before," Nina breathed, wonder in her voice. "Aria... I think the seer was right. I think you really might be his salvation."
As I knelt beside the unconscious wolf, running my fingers through his midnight fur, I felt something shift inside my chest.
Maybe I'd come here to escape Damon. But looking at this cursed Alpha who'd fought darkness for three years, I wondered if I'd actually been meant to find him all along.
Behind us, neither of us noticed Nina pulling out her phone to send an urgent message:
*He responded to her. Get everything ready. We perform the ceremony at the next blood moon—we can't wait any longer.*
*He's running out of time.*
Finished the preview?
Unlock the full ebook now and continue the story right away. Get instant access after purchase — no shipping, no waiting. Delivered as PDF and EPUB for reading on phone, tablet, or desktop.
👉 Unlock the Full Story — Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy ($15.99)