Chapter 5. Daughter to My Enemy

Liam

Ainsley Lovett.

That had been the name I’d found on my student roster.

Why hadn’t she changed it to conceal her identity? Surely, Cyrus hasn’t gotten so sloppy over the years that he’s chosen to forgo all sense of caution. Even if I wasn’t aware of the infamous Lovett eye color, he had to know I’d recognize the last name.

Has he gotten so bold in his fastidiousness that he’s chosen to stop caring altogether? Clearly, he thinks I’m no match for the girl he’s sent after me, believing she’ll be able to kill me no matter the circumstances.

So why hadn’t she when she’d been in my office?

That’s the part I’m still stuck on. Why had she left the moment I’d demanded her to, looking like she had her tail tucked between her legs? Fear had permeated from her when she’d passed by me, stinking up the air long after she’d left my office.

Perhaps it’s a ploy to force me to let my guard down—to lull me into a false sense of security and, therefore, give her the advantage to strike when I least expect it. Cyrus has certainly played dirtier tricks in the past. None of it would surprise me if I found out this had all been some giant act.

But how in the world could she have faked her scent like that? In fact, how did she conceal herself from me, detecting her altogether before I’d opened my door?

None of this is adding up and only further confuses me.

Not only that, but she’s my mate. How will she be able to kill me?

It’s no secret to anyone that bringing harm to your own fated mate is worse than death. The bond will simply not allow that to happen under any normal circumstance, so unless she has some way to get past it—either from a witch’s spell or otherwise—I don’t see how she’ll be able to accomplish her mission.

It occurs to me then that perhaps Cyrus hadn’t accounted for this at all. A completely random happenstance that has now thrown a wrench in his plans. That could be the reason she sought me out alone in my office, to test the bounds of our bond to make sure it is, in fact, real.

Lucky for me, it is. That may have just saved me.

For now, at least. Until she, or her alpha, finds a way to get around it.

As the day comes to an end and the sun sets beyond the mountain and treeline surrounding the campus, my wolf grows anxious. Pent up with too many unsolved questions and not enough time, I set out for a run around campus.

Typically I stick to the edge of the woods, just out of sight from any students or faculty that happen to pass by. The last thing I need is for local wildlife and rehabilitation to come out here and set traps to catch me for fear I’m going to attack a student on their way to class.

Wolves are common among these parts of the state but not so close to civilization that people tend to spot them. Shifters, even less so.

But that’s not something the human population needs to know.

The moment I shift, tension melts from me.

Out here, I feel free.

Free from the confines of modern society. From the noise and haste that seems to permeate every waking moment, sun up to sun down, no matter the season. I’ve lived outside of the shifter world for a long, long time. I’ve gotten to know how to blend in with my human counterparts well.

But I still yearn for the days I used to run with my packmates, out on patrol or simply running together under a full moon, celebrating life and everything worth living.

Those times are far off in my memories. Tainted by the stain of the night, I lost it all. Sometimes, I find myself stopping in the middle of the forest and howling at the night sky, praying I’ll hear a call back to me from my dead packmates.

It, of course, never comes, but my heart still aches for it nonetheless.

The trail I usually follow is second nature to me at this point.

I wouldn’t say running around the outskirts of the campus is, in a way patrolling it, not in the sense that I think of this place as my territory. It is certainly the town I’ve called home for a long time, but it’s never felt like mine.

I don’t know if I’ll ever feel that way again.

Maybe in the next life.

Passing by the student dorms, my wolf picks up on a scent that calls to me. I stop dead in my tracks, dragging more air into my lungs to process it.

Her.

The trail hasn’t faded completely, traces of it still lingering from the building and heading into the woods where I am. At least, that’s what my nose is picking up. With no wind to fluctuate the scent from moving it downwind, I’ve got a pretty good idea of where she’s headed.

Without another thought, I take off running.

I’m surprised she’s chosen to risk it a day into school. It seems to only solidify my theory of her coming here with a purpose that has nothing to do with learning or gaining a higher education. Any shifter who wanted to blend in with humans would be terrified of roaming around unfamiliar territory.

If not for fear of being stumbled upon by humans, then certainly by other shifters who’ve claimed this place as their home territory.

None have, as far as I know. But she doesn’t know that.

I come upon her on top of a small hill, overlooking a spot in the woods where the trees part, and it opens up into a lush meadow. She’s turned away from me, the wind coming from the east and giving me the advantage to sneak up on her without sensing me first.

If I take her out now, I’ll have plenty of time to dispose of her. There’s enough coverage out here, and even if our fight gets messy, no one in their right mind will be wandering so far away from town to investigate the sound of two wolves fighting.

Not unless they’re a hunter, but even they tend to stay away from these heavily wooded areas. None of it is easy to navigate on foot, let alone with a pack and a gun.

I’d be risking myself due to the matebond, but she’s going to try to kill me anyway. Better I strike first.

Her coat is beautiful. Silvery white with small touches of dark fur trimming along her paws, the same small spots lining the backs of her ears. Her tail is sleek, held up high as she remains on high alert.

It’s too bad we’re enemies. She really is quite a beauty.

I hunch down, readying myself to launch forward and strike her.

However, at the last second, her head whips around toward me.

Then she takes off running.

My wolf howls, fueled by the primal urge to give chase. I allow him to drive us forward, dashing after her as fast as we can go. My heart pounds in my chest, colliding with the feeling of hers matching mine as our bond pulls taunt.

She’s quick, darting through trees and brush in an effort to get away from me, but I have a full advantage here. I know these woods like the back of my hand. No matter how studied she is, I’m better.

Tackling her is easy, pinning her to the ground even more so. The air is squeezed from her lungs the moment we land in a heap, one of my paws coming down hard on her neck to keep her from trying to wiggle out from under me.

She barks, a high-pitched sound that expels fear.

I let out a sharp snap, silencing her immediately.

“When I release you, you will leave this town and this campus and never return. Or else I will kill you.”