Mated To An Enemy

Ashleigh stepped carefully through the mist and fog. Her bare foot touched the soft, cold earth beneath her. Reaching forward, her hand found the bark of a tree.

“Hello?” she called out, only receiving her echo in response.

She tried to look around her, to see anything she recognized at all. It was pointless. The fog was so thick she could hardly see her own hand in front of her.

“Where am I?” she asked herself out loud.

“With me,” a soft voice called back to her.

“Hello?!” Ashleigh called back quickly, her heart picking up the pace. Whether it was from fear or joy that she wasn’t alone, she didn’t know. “Who’s there?”

She quickly changed her positioning. Placing the tree behind her back and adjusting her footing to a more defensive stance. But, looking around, she still saw nothing, heard nothing.

“Come out!” she demanded. Her eyes moved all around her, darting back and forth, trying to catch any sign of movement.

Just as she began to think that she might have simply imagined the voice, as her heart finally began to ease, everything changed.

Ashleigh gasped at the sudden and overwhelming prickling sensation that ran over her body. A wave of pleasure rolled through every nerve.

“Ah…” A soft moan escaped her lips, her knees grew weak. She fell back against the tree to steady herself.

Or rather, what had been a tree moments ago.

The firmness of his chest pressed against her back. His strong hands moved down over her shoulders and arms, wrapping at her waist.

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose. Ashleigh couldn’t focus, feeling his body against her, so close to him. She felt drunk in his presence.

“I’m here with you, Ashleigh,” he whispered softly against her throat, his warm breath tickling her nerves and sending another burst of pleasure that reached down to her toes._.

His mouth pressed delicate kisses behind her ear and trailed down her throat, drawing forth small gasps and moans of delight from her.

Desperate to regain her senses, she pulled away, turning to face him. He smiled down at her, tender yet devilish. She felt the desire in her rising again. Their eyes met, hazel to grey.

“Caleb?” she whispered.

He smiled for her again, reaching his hand up to rest on her cheek.

“Who else would it be?” he replied.

Ashleigh felt a sense of relief deep within her heart.

“I–what was that?”

Her words were interrupted by a sound drawing her attention to something behind her.

She turned but saw nothing. The fog seemed to be thinning, she could see trees around her now, but she didn’t know where the sound had come from.

“Maybe it was just an animal,” she said quietly.

“Probably,” he answered in a voice that belonged to someone else.

Ashleigh turned back quickly, shocked and confused by what she saw. Black hair, pale blue eyes.

“Granger?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yea…” He furrowed his brows, his mouth tilted in a lopsided grin. “Expecting someone else?”

Ashleigh’s heart was racing once more. She looked around them. Caleb was nowhere in sight.

“I don’t understand…” she said.

“Ash, what’s wrong?” Granger asked, reaching out to her.

She turned back to him, his kind smile offering her a comfort she hadn’t felt in what seemed like a lifetime. She smiled, taking a deep breath. She did her best to relax. Ashleigh took his hand, feeling his warmth, kindness, and love for her.

“Nothing,” she said, returning his smile. “I just got confused for a minute.”

“But you’re not confused anymore, are you?” a voice said from behind her. “Not really.”

Ashleigh’s eyes widened, she slowly turned. There he was, a devilish grin proudly on his face, just like earlier.

“You know what you really want,” Caleb smiled, “you just have to accept it.”

He reached his hand out to her.

Ashleigh felt her heart beating strongly in her chest, pounding faster and faster. She was sure it was going to explode at any moment. Even her breathing was getting difficult.

She looked back at Granger. He was still there, still offering her the comforting smile she had loved for so long. He held her hand firmly but said nothing. She turned to Caleb.

Ashleigh took a step towards him. Granger did not let her go, holding her hand but not pulling her back. She looked between them once more. They remained still, waiting for her to make a move. Swallowing down her fear and confusion, she took another step, this time feeling the resistance from Granger.

She looked back at him. Tears in his eyes, his smile faltering. He said nothing, but she knew he was begging her to stay. It hurt.

Ashleigh looked back at Caleb. His devilish grin was gone. He looked at her sincerely now, with no arrogance, no assumptions. Pure, honest, acceptance. He opened his arms to her, his heart, his home. He would give her anything, he would take her anywhere, and he would treat her as his equal. All she had to do was take his hand.

She raised her arm towards him, their fingers almost touching.

Just as their fingers were about to touch, a pain like she had never felt before stung her arm. She tucked the arm into her chest protectively. Looking for injuries, she found nothing. Not even the scar that she knew should be there. The pain did not stop, however.

“Ah!” she cried out, falling to her knees. It burned through her shoulder and seemed to be spreading into her chest. “Help me!”

When Ashleigh looked up to either of her mates for help, she found herself alone. The fog and mist were gone, but a dark crimson red now covered the sky. She looked up to see the Blood Moon above her.

The sound of something cutting through the air reached her ears before she saw it with her own eyes. She jumped out of the way just in time. The arrow found purchase in the earth where she had been.

Ashleigh immediately moved behind the nearest tree for cover.

“Hiding?” he laughed, “How predictable.”

Ashleigh looked around the tree. Caleb stood in the open, looking around.

“Caleb?” she called.

He smiled, turning to where she was hiding.

“There you are.”

He ran at her. The expression on his face was filled with rage. She tried to get up, but the pain overwhelmed her once more, and she stumbled to the ground. Giving him enough time to reach her. Ashleigh struggled, kicking and squirming as he grabbed at her.

‘Why can’t I fight?’ she asked herself, feeling as though all of her strength were leaving her body.

Caleb grabbed her roughly, picking her up and pulling her out from behind the tree. He threw her down to the ground. She landed hard, crying out from the pain.

He laughed.

“Caleb?” she called out desperately, “Stop! You’re hurting me!”

Caleb looked down at her, his eyes filled with a cold rage she didn’t recognize.

“That’s the point,” he snarled. Kicking her painfully.

Her body was on fire. The pain from her arm continued to send out bursts of crippling waves. But the pain in her heart was unbearable.

“I don’t understand!” she shouted through tears. “Why are you doing this?”

He bent down and lifted her to her knees. She didn’t struggle.

Caleb squatted down, so they were face to face.

“Caleb…” she whispered, unrestrained tears streaming down her face, “I don’t understand….”

“Don’t you?” he asked, a bitter smile on his face. “I’m going to kill you. Do you understand that?”

Ashleigh couldn’t breathe. Her heart was pounding in her ears. The pain in her arm was spreading over her entire body.

“No…” she managed to gasp out. “No… you love–“

“I love you?” he laughed, “Is that what you think?”

His cold eyes stared back at her. They were unrecognizable.

“I used you, Ashleigh,” he snarled, clenching his jaw tightly. “I pretended to care about you, to love you. And you ate it up.”

“No…” she cried out in anguish.

Her chest was tightening, her lungs working harder than ever before.

“Afraid so, baby girl,” he smiled, putting his hand on her chin softly.

“Why?” she asked. The world around her was beginning to lose its color. She could hardly keep herself up anymore.

“Because your father deserves to lose his precious princess,” he growled, grabbing her chin roughly. “I don’t give a damn about you, Ashleigh. All I have ever wanted is to make your father suffer.”

Caleb reached his hand behind his back, bringing forth a hunting knife. He smiled at her.

“Thanks for all your help.”

He pulled her chin towards him, crushing their mouths together, forcing a rough kiss on her before he plunged the knife into her chest.

She screamed into his mouth as he held her firmly against him.

The blackness settled over her as she felt the life draining from her body. The last thing she heard was his bitter laugh.

***

“What the hell happened!” Bell shouted, running into the room and pushing past the nurse. She checked Ashleigh for a pulse. “Damn it! We need a crash cart! Now!”