Page 20 of Bound to Enemy (Wolf Billionaire #3)

CHAPTER 20

ALESSANDRA

I stared out the window with Jason at my side. It had been two days since Daxton and I had made the discovery. Not only was this far graver than I had realized, but the fate of the world depended on us. We were the only ones who could potentially achieve victory against the rogues.

If we allowed the rogue king to harness the life power of the moonstone, then we could kiss all man and wolf kind goodbye.

His plan was sick, sadistic, and just plain evil. Never in my years of life had I ever known there to be darkness quite like this.

I watched as wolves from my old pack walked to the training grounds at the back of the mansion.

Daxton had put out a call to my father, to which he had answered without hesitation. He sent us thirty skilled warriors, and the rest remained to guard the borderlines in the south.

I had spoken to him briefly, and he sounded calm, but I knew that news of the plan had shaken him. What the rogues wanted to do was a perversion of our values and morals. Wolves could not create life; it was taboo. What they wanted to do disrupted the sanctity of nature.

"You're quiet," Jason cleared his throat beside me.

"How can I not be," my fingers flexed at my side. "They are trying to corrupt the life that we know. And if they are successful in getting that stone then?—..."

Jason came to stand in front of me, blocking my view of the window. "Don't think like that. They won't get the stone, and they won't win. We are strong, and we are capable. Now that we know their plan, we can work on setting up a good defense."

He was right, but I couldn't help the pacing of my wolf.

I may have been Daxton's mate, and I may bear his mark now, but many people in this pack still did not think me worthy, least of all my pack members from Blackstone.

Even from the top floor of the mansion, I could feel the tension down by the grounds. Blood Moon looked at my people like they were the scum beneath their feet.

I hated it.

"We are going to go against a well-oiled rogue army, and our warriors can barely stand the sight of each other. I don't know if this is such a good idea." My heart rate jumped, and I felt like my entire world tilted on its axis. I was thrown off my equilibrium, and now I was free-falling.

"You will make them fall into line. Have you forgotten how much of a bad mother fucker you are, my friend? I don't need to remind you. But in case you forgot, I will tell you. You are the same wolf who took on two rogues alone and lived to tell the tale. You trained under your father and me for many years up until the point you started winning every sparring match. If anyone can get these wolves to agree, it will be you, but I need you to believe who the fuck you are, okay?"

Jason had this way of always calming the storms that plagued my mind often. I guess this was why he would have been my beta had I kept my position.

"Okay," I nodded. "Let's do this."

Daxton had left with his beta to go and secure the walks on the outskirts of the pack lands, which meant that I was left alone. I had my aids, but in terms of authority, they held no true rank in the pack, and it made giving orders next to impossible. These little Blood Moon members liked to pretend like they didn't know what my rank was when their alpha was away, but today they would learn not to play with me.

I stood at the end of the training ground with about a hundred-plus eyes on me. There was an eerie kind of silence that fell upon the entire area.

Lily and Alex stood to my left and Jason to my right. All three had straight faces on. My eyes moved over every face in that training ground. What I was about to ask of these people could mean life or death for them. Not only was I asking them if they were willing to bleed for our cause, but if they were willing to die for it.

I stepped forward. My heart hung heavy in my chest, and the tension in my muscles caused an immense amount of pain in my back.

"All of you know me, but some know me as their future alpha and others as their now luna." The silence was so loud you could hear a pin drop. "We all know the situation at hand here. The rogues are rampant, and our defense is failing. Our walls have been weakened, and we still are not completely sure how this is happening, but it is. The moment we have all dreaded has finally come; war is here."

A few gulped while others remained still, staring at me. Many of the wolves had not faced a rogue, which meant they would be more of a liability on the battleground. We could not afford any weak links, and we didn't have time for fuck-ups. This was now or never.

"My aids and I will be taking you all through extensive training to help you when you come up against the rogues." I could recall the times I had come face to face with the crimson devils. They were ruthless and had no fear. They weren't afraid to go for the cheap shot or to play dirty. "We will break off into different groups spread out between the four of us. We will teach you all how to battle these rogues. Blackstone wolves, you will be paired with a Blood Moon wolf. You all have gone through similar training, so they can use you all as reference. We don't have much time. They could attack us any day, but I believe they are waiting till the next full moon, when wolves are known to be at their strongest."

Hushed whispers erupted between the wolves, and I knew that this would happen. Asking them to partner with each other was asking for a miracle. My marriage to Daxton did not wipe away the tensions of the years passed. Though I had come to terms with and reconciled the past, our people had not.

I was about to speak when I heard someone open their mouth rather loudly.

"Like these mutts could teach anything. She is out of her mind."

My head snapped in her direction immediately, and my wolf surged forward. She did not tolerate disrespect, and she was showing massive amounts of it.

"Step forward." When the girl's eyes locked with mine, they widened, and she immediately looked down. "Come now, don't be shy. You were bold enough to speak, so speak."

The girl lifted her head and looked me dead in the eye. She feigned false bravado that was given away by the scratching of her inner palm. She was trying to pretend she could stand before me when in all actuality she could not.

I didn't know if it was stupid or pathetic, or a mixture of both.

I had taken the disrespect and I had swallowed it down since my arrival. But I would stand for it no more.

I moved toward her, people parted like water as I moved through the sea of people to get to where the girl stood.

At the end of the parted sea of people was a girl about my height with a toned physique and raven black hair that looked like a bad dye job—but that was my personal opinion.

I came to a halt in front of her. "Say that again, pup."

To her credit, her false bravado didn't waver. But unlucky for her, my wolf had zero fucks to give.

"Speak." The alpha authority left my lips without my consent. My wolf was trying to push forward now. "You clearly aren't mute. I said speak. What did you say about my aides and me?"

She swallowed hard, I watched the hollow in her throat bob up and down. "We... we have skill sets and extensive training already. And they are good."

I scoffed, "Is that what you think? In regards to my aides and me? That we are unfit and incapable of teaching you anything new."

I was boxing her into a corner. I knew this. But she would answer for her disrespect. I was tired.

"Speak!" My voice moved over the area with a loud boom. Everyone lowered their heads, their wolves being commanded by the authority in my tone.

"I...I...I..." her voice was practically shaking.

I grabbed her neck and lifted her into the air. Her feet hovered off the ground and she struggled against my hold. I could hear the carried whispers all around me, but I didn't care. This one needed to be made an example of.

"Listen to me when I say this," I allowed my grip to tighten, drawing the strength from my wolf. "I am not some weak little pup that you all think you can bully when the alpha is away. Make no mistake, I hold the alpha gene. I have trained for years to be efficient and tactical. I have faced more rogues in one month than most of you Blood Moon members have faced in your entire existence."

"L-Luna," the silly girl choked, "please...mercy."

I whipped my head in her direction. "Mercy? You want me to show you mercy? No, today you will be made an example of. If you think I have nothing to offer you, then get in the pit with me and fight."

I dropped her to the ground where she fell at my feet and sputtered out coughing. She clutched onto her throat for dear life, her hair curtained her face so I could not see her facial expressions.

"Stand," I ordered.

My wolf was clawing to take control, but I held her back. I knew that once I gave her free rein, then it could mean a dead body on my hands, and I had promised Daxton to keep this all civil.

"Forgive me, Luna," she knelt at my feet like a beggar. "I was out of my mind and foolish."

Pathetic. They had the balls to say whatever they wanted, but when it came time to put their money where their mouth was, they always became cowards.

It disgusted me.

The mark may have made me more connected to Daxton, but it didn't by any means dull the sharp edges of my warrior instincts. I did not take disrespect lightly.

"Next time you choose to be so brazen with your words, I will have your head. I am your Luna; respect is demanded when you speak to me. I outrank every single person in this field, am I understood?"

She cowered at my feet while the rest nodded in agreement.

I turned to the crowd, "Shall we begin?"