Page 10 of Bound to Enemy (Wolf Billionaire #3)

CHAPTER 10

DAXTON

T he air was tense and the entire compound stood in both amazement and fear. I stood in front of my wife-to-be in wolf form.

She was a white wolf.

Never in my entire existence had I seen a white wolf. They were incredibly rare and thought to be blessed by the goddess herself.

She was beautiful.

It was not a compliment that I gave away easily. She was still my enemy and I was still in a forced union with her.

"Shift," I ordered her, but she kept her stance. "Alessandra. I will not tell you again. You need to shift out of your wolf. This is enough now."

I looked around at the crowd that had gathered around us. This was the last thing that I needed right now. The council and my elders were already worried about her. Her harming anyone so close to her arrival would mean disaster.

Her wolf snapped at me, and my own wolf didn't take kindly to her little outburst. He didn't like being challenged and her defiance was a show of challenge.

In her wolf form, she was just as tall as me, and I knew if I shifted I would tower over her. But I couldn't do that. At least not yet.

I looked over her shoulder to where her aides stood. My eyes found Jason and narrowed, "How could you have let it get this far?"

He didn't get a chance to answer because Alessandra used her head and forced me backward, successfully catching me off guard.

Within the blink of an eye, she charged me. Thankfully I moved out of the way but only by the skin of my teeth.

She lunged for me and I dodged her. She was not going to let up and I knew that her alpha instinct had been triggered. She wanted blood and if she couldn't have my pack members then she would gladly take mine.

"Alessandra," I stood in front of her facing her in my full human form. I didn't want to escalate this to more than it needed to be. If I shifted now then not only would my warriors be triggered to defend me but my wolf would be in more control than he was now.

She lunged for me again but this time I managed to get her by the neck and hold her steady. She moved her large head around trying to get a good snap at me but I held onto her. One of her claws managed to nick me enough to draw blood.

My wolf, in his deep anger, squeezed her neck hard to the point I heard the subtle crack of bone followed by her loud howl.

"Ale!" Jason screamed.

Immediately I took the reins from my wolf and let her go. Her body dropped to the floor and she slowly shifted back to her human form.

No...

Jason shoved past me taking off his jacket and using it to cover her naked body. From the small glimpse I got, her shoulder looked to be dislocated.

The rest of her aides came to her side and effectively blocked me from her. Jason gathered her in his arms and started to walk away from the pit. I moved to try and stop him but her aides were lightning quick.

"No, alpha." The petite little girl glared at me. "With all due respect, you are the last person she would want by her side. You took things too far."

"Get out of my way, pup." My wolf stirred uncomfortably from within me. I could sense his remorse and regret. He had let his emotions get the better of him and now his new mate was off to the healers.

"Alpha," the taller man, I think his name was Alex, stepped forward. "Please let us take care of our alpha. She will see you when she is ready but as for now I think it's best she gets the attention she needs and for you to calm your wolf. The last thing we need is another fight to break out."

He didn't incline his head but his tone alone told me that he was not here with disrespect. He was simply trying to look out for his alpha and protect her.

I looked over my shoulder at Elliot who had been watching this whole scene unfold.

"Make sure the Luna is cared for by the head healer. And make sure she gets whatever she asks for." I ordered my beta to which he nodded and walked in the direction Jason had gone in.

I didn't like the guy but at the moment he was what she needed.

Jennifer ambled from the sand and stood to her feet. Her angry gaze followed the aides until they disappeared into the house. She then turned her eyes to meet mine and she bowed.

"Forgive me alpha, I didn't mean to cause a scene."

I knew Jennifer, I had trained alongside her when we were young pups. She was competent and skilled. But what she had done had crossed a line and I couldn't let that slide.

"Jennifer Woodhall, I hereby relegate you to omega within the pack. Not only for your insolence against your Luna. But for wanting to kill her." An audible gasp rang across the large crowd and the entire space fell silent.

Jennifer gaped at me with wide eyes, "Alpha."

Tears brimmed in her eyes and I could physically see her heart breaking in her pupils. I didn't like demoting her but I had to make an example of her. What happened today would never be repeated again.

I turned my attention to the crowd. "Alessandra Fraser is to be my wife and by extension, she will be your Luna. Any disrespect shown to her is disrespect shown to me. Today the punishment is relegation but make no mistake the next time someone lays a paw on Alessandra, you will meet death's door. When you see her, you should see me. Am I understood?"

"Yes, alpha." They wasted no time in responding.

"Good." At this, Jennifer was borderline wailing. She dropped to her feet and clung to my ankles for dear life with her one good arm. "Enough now Jennifer. You knew what you were doing. This will teach you to not cross the line, we will revisit your relegation in the coming year. If you refuse to face your punishment you are free to leave my pack."

Her head snapped up, tears streaked her face. "Alpha, please!"

Her pleas would help nothing. My mind had been made up and I wasn't changing my mind. I removed my ankles from her hold and left the pits feeling a large gaping hole at the bottom of my stomach.

I had crossed a line of my own and it was time to rectify my mistake.

I stood outside the healer's room for almost an hour while she was attended to. I paced up and down the hallway debating on whether I should simply enter and see her for myself or wait until I was called to come in.

From what Alex had told me, she was awake but she was in a great deal of pain. Whatever sedatives the healers had tried to give her failed, and she had to endure the resetting of her bones without medicine.

I had heard her small screams as they reset her shoulder, and with each sickening crack that filled my ears, my stomach churned.

I had prided myself on being able to control my wolf and to contain himself, but on the day I needed him to be calm, he nearly killed her.

The door opened and I withdrew from my own mind. Jason stepped out looking pained and riddled with guilt. His eyes lifted from the ground and met my gaze.

"How is she?"

The anger in his pupils was instant. The man looked ready to body-slam me head-first onto the ground. "What are you doing here, Vale?"

"Is that even a question? How is she?"

"Fine, no thanks to you." He spat his words with a vicious venom. "You can go about your day and leave her alone now."

"I need to see her." I moved toward the door but he blocked me. "Get out of my way, Jason."

"So you can almost kill her again? I think I am good where I am. Don't you have a meeting to attend or babies to murder?"

"You're not funny."

"I only speak truths. Leave, Vale. What Ale needs is to rest and relax, and you are the farthest thing from both those things."

I balled my fists at my side. I knew it was hypocritical of me, but I hated the fact that they were so close. I hated that he understood her and knew her in ways that I would never be able to.

It was strange because I still wanted nothing to do with this woman, but she still managed to induce a thick jealousy from my bloodstream. Or maybe that was simply my possessiveness speaking.

"I need to know she's alright."

"She's fine," he ground out, "now leave."

"And who are you to tell me to leave? This is my pack, she is my mate, and I am?—"

The door to the healing room swung open and a depleted-looking Olivia leaned against the wooden threshold.

"Enough, Daxton," she panted.

Her skin gleamed with sweat and her baby hairs clung to her forehead. Her eyes looked tired and her skin was flushed from the treatment she had endured. Her arm was placed in a sling, likely to aid her healing process, and there were bright red bruise marks decorating her body.

This is what my actions had done to her.

"Alessandra..." I didn't even know where to begin.

"Ale, you should rest." Jason ran to her side like he always did and her eyes softened. Why did she hold such a soft spot for him? What made him so special to her?

"How can I rest when you two are bickering like children?" Her breathing was incredibly strained and she looked about ready to topple over. Her eyes moved from her aid to me; they hardened on me. "Are you happy with yourself now, Daxton? You did this for me."

I opened my mouth to speak but her words beat me to it.

"You hate me so much that you almost killed me in your fit of anger." The disdain in her tone did not go unnoticed. "I thought that I could give your people the benefit of the doubt but now I see that you are all monsters. You have no regard for life and you treat my people like mutts. We deserve better treatment than that, I deserve better treatment since you are supposedly meant to be my mate."

Her words were true and I wanted to apologize, but I knew that no matter what I said in this moment, it would only fuel her anger. The best thing that I could do right now was leave.

"Jason is right," I cleared my throat, "you should rest."

I gave her one long-lasting look and then I left. I didn't look back and I didn't attempt to speak with her for the next week. I knew she was angry and her anger was justified. But the longer I drew the avoidance on, the harder it became to speak to her.