Page 2 of Bound to Enemy (Wolf Billionaire #3)

CHAPTER 2

DAXTON

" Y ou're sulking." I could feel my beta's hard stare from the other side of the car.

I had spent the majority of the journey here looking out the window. Not only had this man conjured up one of the most reckless plans, but he had brought me far beyond my border without my full consent.

"You're taking me to the slaughter; what else am I meant to do?"

"You're being dramatic," I could hear the rolling of his eyes in his tone. I whipped my head around and glared at him. "There are those big beautiful green eyes."

"Your teasing is unbecoming of a man of your repertoire."

"Your sulking is unbecoming of an alpha of your reputation."

"I'm not sulking, I'm...wallowing." Dammit, that wasn't what I had meant to say. "I have a right to sulk. You're tying me to the enemy. No, you are tying our pack to the enemy. You know what those wolves are like."

"The rogues are a problem, Daxton. We are on the back foot in this war. The attacks have doubled over the last month alone and our security has waned."

"Then we add more warriors."

"They keep dying." Elliot's voice raised an octave. His grey eyes shined with anger and annoyance. "We have tried to do this your way, but we are fighting a losing battle at the moment. The rogues grow stronger as the days pass and their alpha grows bolder. He isn't afraid to sacrifice his warriors. We, on the other hand, cannot afford to lose any more fresh blood. I made a vow to stand by your side, but my first vow was to this pack, that I shall always have its best interest at heart. You may not agree with what I have formed, but deep within yourself, you know that I did the right thing. Hate me if you want, but I will not let you compromise this for our pack."

His words hung heavy in the air. How could I argue with that? He was right, as always. He was a practical and intelligent man who didn't let his emotions rule his judgment. He made the tough calls that at times I was too reluctant to make.

I let go of the long breath I had been holding in my lungs and relaxed my body. I was being a bit of a hard-ass, but I think that had more to do with my wolf being uneasy.

"I'm just uneasy about the whole thing. No one knows about Ezekiel's daughter; she's an anomaly and has never been a part of any negotiations or meetings."

All I knew of my future bride was that she was three years younger than me and was the last born. When her brothers were massacred in a rogue attack, she became the sole heir to Bloodstone.

I knew of her brother David. He was a renowned warrior and was to be the heir of Bloodstone. My father had spoken of him in high regard. Well, as high as one could a Bloodstone wolf. They were often rather barbaric and uncouth.

"She is the apple of Ezekiel's eye. She is his most precious flower, or so he had described her to me."

"And yet he is willing to marry off his most precious flower to the enemy?"

Elliot gave me an incredulous look. "We all do what we must for our pack. Since his pack lies more in the south, they have taken the brunt of the attacks. Just a few days ago, he lost his beta in another attack."

I winced.

Though they were my enemies, the loss of someone so close to you was never easy. I still remember the day when my father was murdered in front of my eyes. It was the deepest kind of pain I had ever experienced in my life. It was the kind of pain that left a man emotionally crippled for months, if not years.

"Have they burnt the dead?"

Elliot nodded somberly. "Yesterday, I sent some gifts of remembrance."

I nodded, "Good, you did well."

This war with the rogues had caused a lot of spilled blood, and hopefully, this alliance would bring an end to all of it.

I knew what they were after, and it was my duty to keep it from them. The gem had been entrusted to my pack and my people, and I would guard it with my life. If it ever fell into the hands of the rogues, it would mean the ruin of all our kind, if not humankind as well.

"This arrangement will be good, Dax. And who knows, maybe this will bridge the gap between us and them."

I highly doubted that. The feud between our two packs ran deep; it was over a century long. I had a better chance of garnering peace between us and the rogues than I did falling in love with my betrothed. This deal would be nothing more than a war strategy in order to give us what we both want—the rogues to die out.

We had one common enemy for now, but after that enemy was dealt with, we would have to face the reality of what we were to each other, and that alone was reason to worry about this arrangement.

We pulled up to the large gates of their compound. Bloodborn had far larger land and had access to more resources, but I had to say that their pack compound was impressive; I would be remiss not to be a little jealous of it.

The Frasers knew how to build and make what they had work for them.

The car slowed, and we were approached by two guards, both wearing all black. They stared at my car, knowing exactly who was in it.

My wolf was already on high alert. He didn't like being this deep into enemy lines. The Bloodstones were only just better than the rogues. They were too much of a free people and didn't respect the natural laws that the goddess gave us.

"I am with Alpha Daxton and Beta Elliot. We are here to see your alpha on urgent business," my driver told the guard by the window. "We have permission to be here."

The guard glared through the window at me.

The boy looked as intimidating as a weaner dog. One growl and he would submit to me in seconds, but I had to keep my composure. I was not here to incite violence.

After they had 'showed their teeth,' they pulled back and allowed us passage.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by the Fraser compound. Though the Blood Moon pack was about half my pack's size, their main compound was as beautiful as mine. Their wolves were known for their love of art and culture, and it showed in the way they designed their alpha mansion.

The building was situated atop a small hill that had the beautiful West Virginian mountains behind it. It was designed more like a castle than a home. The white marble glistened against the summer sun, casting a vibrant light off of it. Four large marble pillars stood at the entrance area, forming a stone canopy for guests to come and park under.

We drove up the gravel driveway, passing by the neatly pruned green hedges that showed just how well-maintained the grounds were.

For what the Blood Moons lacked in etiquette, they made up for in their lands. Even if they did not respect the natural traditions of our kind, they still took care of the land they had been gifted by the goddess.

Leo, my driver, came to a stop by the front door. Elliot got out almost immediately, while I remained in my seat trying to calm my pacing wolf.

He was far beyond his boundary and deep within the land of the enemy. I could not blame him for his unease. I felt the exact same way.

We had been guaranteed protection, but I had learned that words meant nothing to some wolves, and to always be on guard.

Leo rounded the car and opened the door for me. I was hit by the cool mountain air on my face, and that calmed some of the heat pouring into my blood.

I remained seated for a beat of a second before I got out of the car. I turned to the entrance the same exact moment the door opened and several men in black uniform poured out from the foyer. I walked to the other side of the car to stand alongside my beta. I could feel the tension in the air; it bounced off my body angrily, thickening the air with each passing moment.

Breathe... breathe, Daxton.

Alpha Ezekiel stepped out of his home wearing black dress pants with a white button-down and the sleeves rolled up to the top. He looked far more formal than Elliot and I did, which told me that he took this arrangement seriously. The Black Moons were known for being laid back and easygoing.

It was why they were so weak.

Although Ezekiel was more than double my age, he still exuded every ounce of power a young alpha like myself did. He stood far above everyone around him, including me. I was a good 6'2", so he had to be at least 6'4".

The last time I had seen this man, I was only a boy. He looked relatively the same except for the salt peppering his brown hair and the lines that showed evidence of how time had passed. But besides that, he looked every bit the alpha he had been all those years ago.

His amber eyes held mine in an intense stare-off. I could see him assessing me the same way I was him.

Whenever two alphas came together, there was always a tension that had to be passed before everyone relaxed. It was our natural instinct to be the most dominating person in the area. We were born for power, and we hated relinquishing it to our own ranking.

"Daxton Vale," he held his hand out to me. There was a ghost of a smile on his lips that I could hardly make out. "You are the spitting image of your father."

I stepped forward and took his hand in mine. I gave it a firm shake, making sure to hold eye contact the entire time.

This was a normal interaction when greeting people, but in my world, this was a time for one to show their dominance over the other.

"Alpha Ezekiel. Thank you for welcoming us into your territory."

"The pleasure is all mine. Please, shall we?"

The servants bowed as we walked into his home. I was not surprised to see that it was as beautiful inside as it was outside.

We walked in complete and utter silence. The only thing that could be heard were our footsteps as we went down the hallway.

If my mind weren't so chaotic, I would have had time to appreciate the intricate nature of the mansion he lived in.

We came to a halt at the second door, which I could only presume was his office.

"I actually need the bathroom," I announced just before we entered the study.

Elliot gave me a weird stare, but Ezekiel thought nothing of it and pointed to a door down the hallway.

"The one at the very end."

"Thank you," I muttered before I made my way down the long hallway.

I walked into the bathroom and went straight to the sink basin. I stared at myself in the mirror, staring into hazel eyes that had taken on a greener tint.

My heart was calm, but my mind was only now coming to the reality of what was about to transpire within the next hour.

I was going to meet the woman I was going to marry and spend the rest of my life with.

I was not much of a sentimental or soft man; I never gave much attention or care to marriage. I knew that after some time, I would need to father an heir.

But to now have the choice of my mate ripped away from me, it made me feel as though I took that freedom of choice for granted.

"Get this over with and deal with the rest later." There was no use grieving what was already lost. I came here to perform a job, and I needed to see that job through.

I walked out of the bathroom, but as soon as my foot hit the wooden floor of the hallway, I saw a flash of blonde before I was pushed up against the wall by the door.

A cool sharp blade was pressed against the soft flesh of my neck, and I paused. My eyes connected with a pair of blue-grey ones which held a toxic hatred that I could feel searing my skin.

We stared at each other for a heated moment. Neither one of us dared to move an inch. Her nostrils flared with whatever anger she was harboring. Her body pressed itself into mine, leaving me no room to move.

I stared into her eyes, which reminded me of the sky just before a storm was about to take over. It was the transition period between calm and chaos.

They were unique but deadly in their beauty. There was something intriguing about this woman.

"May I help you?" My voice vibrated against the walls of the hallway. "I would suggest you remove your blade before I plunge it into your chest."

"I would love to see you try, Vale." Her voice was far more angelic than I had anticipated. It was sweet like warm honey. "So this is the great alpha Daxton."

Her anger was felt in every word she uttered. Clearly, she was not a fan of me, but I had been expecting that from them.

"You seem to know me. I think it's only fair I know your name."

Her hard stare deepened. "My name is Alessandra, Alessandra Fraser."

"Wait..."

"Yes, I'm your betrothed."

Well, I guess that was one way to make an introduction.