Wrapped in my Enemy's Arms

Ayla's POV

"Do not cause a scene, Ayla. Keep your temper down – it's an important day," Coach says.

My jaw tightens, and I can almost feel my claws emerging. Why am I always the one to keep my temper when others keep asking for trouble?

I roll my eyes and respond before she leaves "Yes-Coach."

My wolf purred when I saw Sebastian walking towards me. He had that smile he always does when he notices my arousal scent. I would have finished only if Coach didn't walk in and almost catch me in the middle of pleasing myself.

"Do you need some help, baby?" he whispers after tapping my ass.

The Red Crescent Moon Pack are currently looking for warriors to join their pack-and I, Ayla, the best warrior student in Nightwhisper Academy, am about to have a quickie.

"Sebastian... hmm," I moaned as he slips his large palm into my spandex tights, gently massaging my clit.

"After the picking..." I mutter in between moans.

"Let me just make you come, Ayla. Then we can go for the picking ceremony after, alright?"

Sebastian ends his statement by thrusting his fingers deep inside me.

"Fuck... yes, I'm almost there. Oh goddess, help me."

My hips jerk up to straddle his hand more as I feel my climax climbing. My wolf stirred in me roughly-it was strange. Since it wasn't the first time with Sebastian, then why is she acting this way?

"Fuck, Ayla-" Sebastian muttered as he stops.

One millisecond more and I would have climaxed, but he just had to spoil the fun. I exhaled hard before speaking.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Your eyes, Ayla... they're s-silver," he stammered.

I've never seen Sebastian look this way before-it was new.

"What do you mean they're silver?" I get up from him and check the dressing mirror.

"They're perfectly fine and... black," I shrug.

"I-I need to go," he whispers and storms out.

Why did he seem so scared, like he had seen a ghost? What a funny guy.

I adjust my tights and step out of the dressing room. That was when it hit me-the heavy scent of a male that made my wolf stir madly. My wolf prowled; she was uneasy and filled with desire at the same time. It was a new scent, something I couldn't recognize. Whoever it was is either a new student or a guest.

Calm down, girl. You're not in heat, so keep it down, please, I communicate with my wolf.

The dome was filled with many students, teachers, and guests. I try using my sharp senses to locate Seb, but I can't find him. He's not inside the hall. The hall hummed with wolf energy as I made my way down.

I glance at the names on the large television screen in the middle of the hall. It ranked 1–20, the best fighters in the academy. My eyes gleam and my chest rises when I see my name at the top of the list.

I took my seat with the other fighters. They all moved away from me, and some even whispered. It wasn't a new thing... I think they should even be tired of it by now.

Whispers start coming from my right, and some students' mouths were agape.

"I don't mind being a baby mama for him," one girl says.

"He's so hot and sexy," another says.

Their eyes focused on some set of people walking to the front of the hall. I tried to look, but I couldn't get a proper view from my seat.

The school head walked to the podium and gathered our attention.

"Ahem..." Mr. Keith clears his throat.

That's when I see them. Six of them-and among them is a woman. She's the one from my dreams, always talking about some sort of power I don't understand.

What the fuck is going on? Who are they?

"We're all gathered here to pick five good fighters who will become warriors for the Red Crescent Moon Pack," Leader Keith says.

"The first round of the match starts now. Good luck to the contenders," he says and steps down from the podium.

The spotlight moves to the fighting ring. My chest tightens. This same ring...

The first contenders fought, then the second... Now I'm up next, and I'm going against Finn. Everyone knows Finn isn't a fair fighter, and I sense that he was put to fight against me intentionally.

"Get up here, Ayla. Let me pet that wolf in you," he says, grinning at me as I climb into the ring.

Remember who you are, I could hear my father's voice tell me as I took my stance.

I turn my body slightly, so my right side is facing him. With one leg a bit forward, I put my arms up to eye level and bend my knees a bit.

"Come on, big boy," I tilt my head, my lips tugging upwards.

His huge body drifts towards me and he throws out his arm, but I easily dodge his attack, making him lose balance and fall to the floor. The crowd cheers.

Before he rises to his feet, I jump on his back and wrap my hand around his neck tight-stopping him from breathing. He wriggled and writhed, but I held on tight. I wasn't going to let go.

The moment he taps out, I get down from him and I'm announced the winner.

Only a few people cheered. I force out a smile and bow my head-but my chest rises up and down, and a smile beams on my lips. I know my father would be proud of me at this moment.

An object suddenly slams into me, sending me flying across the ring. I scream out in pain and turn around-Finn is glaring at me, a vein twitching in his temple as he raises the iron rod and moves with speed towards me.

I only manage to clutch my body as the iron strikes my ribs. Each strike blurs the world around me. I try to get up to my feet, but the iron collides with me, this time with so much force that my body hits the ground flat.

I couldn't move; the ringing in my ears was loud and the metallic taste in my mouth was evident.

Finn is above me, grinning from ear to ear like a maniac, his eyes locked on mine. I look around, but my vision is blurred, and the only thing I can make out is the audience screaming and cheering loudly.

He's about to hit me one more time when a huge body slams into him and sends him flying.

I try to look into the man's face, but my vision is fading... I only remember his scent-it's the same one from outside the dome.

"I-don't-want-to-die," I mutter under my breath.

Ayla's POV

"I prefer treating other students than touching her. She's cursed."

A woman fumes near me.

My eyelids open slowly, I lift up my head but immediately set it down back from the throbbing pain.

"Shhh... she's awake," another says.

My hearing keeps getting wilder every day. It wasn't like the other werewolves. Maybe I was really cursed.

"Now that you're awake, can you rid yourself of this place?" the nurse says.

I lift my body gently but I'm surprised, I don't feel any pain besides the headache. I rip the bandage round my torso and check my injury.

My head snaps to the nurse as I get to my feet.

"How long have I been here?"

She only stares at me like I carried the plague before storming out.

"A few hours," the other lady says.

At least there are still people in this academy who don't mind talking to me- I hear what she says again.

"I can't possibly heal in a few hours, what happened to me?"

She only shrugs and hands me a bag before heading out.

"Wait..." I went after her – but she was gone.

I rummage through the bag to only find some of my clothes, my journal, and two other important possessions. The dagger had a crescent moon encrusted into it; it belonged to my father. The other is my mother's ring.

They were the only two memories I have left of my parents.

The silhouette of a woman approaches me. I step back- clutching the bag to my chest and holding the dagger towards her.

By the time she appears closer, I see her full body frame and my eyes widens. The same woman from my dreams. The dagger I held dropped to the ground as I stepped backwards.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" My voice trembled. Her presence made my blood boil and I felt my wolf growl inside of me.

"Easy there, little tiger. That's not how to act to someone who saved you from the brink of death."

"I'm Kiara," she stretches her hand towards me.

"No!" I snapped.

"If you saved me, then why are you trying to poison me with the wolfsbane you've dipped your hands in?"

Her face lightens up and she begins clapping.

"You're the only wolf who has noticed that. I guess it's you then," she whispers, and her eyes begin glowing a deep shade of purple.

Oh goddess- my day just keeps getting better.

"What are you?" I growled. My claws itched to come out but my heart is pounding too fast.

"I instructed you not to talk to her!" a deep voice snarls.

Kiara's eyes immediately went back to their normal violet shade and I also felt some sort of relief, it was like she had some sort of spell over me.

"I was only checking if it was her," she purrs.

The tall and muscular man strides towards me and grabs my bag. I can't tell if he's a wolf or something else because he's masked his scent, but I know he definitely has some power.

"You're coming with us."

He throws the bag at me. I stumble in a bid to catch the bag.

"Why should I-"

Kiara snaps her thumb and middle finger, and for the second time that day, I black out.

***

By the time I gain consciousness, I'm in a strange room. It was empty except for my bag – I grabbed it and went through it. My dagger was gone.

My jaw twitched and I furled my fists tight.

Whoever took it is going to feel my wrath, but firstly, I need to get out of this room.

I shut my eyes and focus on my hearing, trying to understand where I am or just listen to conversations.

"If she's the one, you'll have to sacrifice her quickly. You're running out of time."

"Tonight or never."

My eyes widen and my heart starts racing. I really hope I'm not the person he's talking about. I try to focus again but my chest is beginning to ache. I linked with my wolf once more to heighten my senses but it led to nothing.

Something was wrong somewhere and I sensed danger.

The door slams open, bouncing against the wall and startling me. My body instantly jumps into fight or flight mode. I haven't come this far to just lose like this.

"Follow me," the muscular man says.

I want to tell him no- what makes him think he can throw commands at me? But if I am going to escape, I need to get out of this room first.

My teeth grind against each other as I follow him.

We walked through a room with high walls. It is very different from the academy, which didn't have any beautiful architecture, but it was where I grew up comfortably. Golden moon crusts were embedded into the wall and several ancient writings of which I didn't understand.

The middle of the room contained sculptures of wolves slaughtering night creatures. The only one I recognize is the basilisk; a deadly night serpent. Thank goddess they're not real.

We stop in front of a large door.

"Wait here," the man says.

I only nod, but the moment he enters, I glance around. When I see no one around, I run towards the exit, moving as light as my feet can carry.

I managed to find a door. It was open and empty. I turn to leave but my mind keeps pulling towards the room, like a magnet to iron- I finally entered.

The strong scent of that same male I don't know fills the room. It had a huge bed, ceiling-to-floor burgundy curtains, and a sharp wood and spice scent. My wolf stirred.

I let my hand graze the wooden cupboard in the room... then I sensed it, there was something in there. My wolf instincts doubled and were instantly sharper- I heard footsteps coming and I immediately ran into the closet to hide, ensuring I held my breath as the huge stature strides in.

The scent hits me again- dark spice and wood. My wolf shudders inside me. It's him. The stranger who saved me. The one my instincts crave.

He enters the room, and that's when I see his face. He's the man who handed me my bag at the infirmary. He had masked his scent then, so I couldn't recognize him.

He begins taking off his shirt, and as much as I want to look away, I'm forced to stare. His upper body is perfectly sculpted; six abs were a common thing at the academy, but this man had eight, and they shone with sweat. I let out a breath when I saw his deep v-line.

He stopped in his tracks. He glances through the room until his gaze lands on the closet.

My pulse stops. He knows I'm here. Shit. I think I might be fucked.

Ayla's POV

"Come out now" He growled.

My breath stutters as I try to come up with something, a lie or anything- but my mind blanks.

I push the door open slowly, and come out of the closet, the air feels heavy and charged with his scent and rage.

I glance at the exit, then back at him before a tiny smile tugs at my lips.

"Don't" He tilts his head at me.

But I run – and in the next second, I'm airborne, his speed is unreal as he catches me easily and throws me over his shoulder as if I weigh nothing.

"Put me down!" I scream, kicking my feet against him as my fist pounds on his back. but his hold only tightens around my waist.

We arrived at a secluded clearing, surrounded by stone pillars and a few people who were gathered around. I spot Kiara among them, she looks different this time, draped in a flowing white robe trimmed with gold.

Alpha Kael, as I've picked from other wolves, sets me down on a flat stone... the hard surface burns cold against my skin. I try to rise, but Kiara steps forward, holding a round object wrapped in dark cloth. She lifts a hand and murmured something under her breath.

I freeze. Not just freeze, my body refuses to move and my limbs are glued to the stone.

"What's going on?" My voice cracks. No one answers, not even a glance.

"I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry- so please, just release me!" I shout, my voice breaking.

Alpha Kael doesn't look at me, his jaw only tightens as he glides the blade along a smooth stone.

"Please don't kill me, I'm not the one you're looking for, I swear."

My vision blurs as hot tears sting my eyes – my chest feels like it's collapsing, but I bite my tongue and lift my gaze to the sky.

goddess please don't let them do this to me. I beg you.

Alpha Kael stalks towards me, like a predator to prey.

"No-no-" I shake my head rigorously, breath trembling.

"I'm sorry" he only says as he brings the blade to my neck.

The moment I feel the cold blade touch my skin, Alpha Kael stumbles back, his eyes shut and he falls to his knees, the blade slipping from his hand and clattering to the ground.

He holds his chest as his mouth curls, Kiara runs to him.

"Alpha, is all well?"

He mouths something to her and her eyes widen in shock.

A man runs to our midst and speaks to Kael. I try to listen to what he's saying but the the only word I can make out is "rejected"

Kael turns to me, his eyes darkens and he mutters to the betas by his side.

"Take her to my room"

He doesn't take his eyes off me as he commands.

They both look at each other for a second till he snaps again,

"Take -her -to -my-room. Now!"

Two of the muscular men walk towards me and both grab my arm. My legs scrap the dirt as they drag me along the pathway.

By the time I'm back to Kael's room, my whole body is on fire and my head throbbed.

My body is flat against the floor and I want to move but not an ounce of strength is in my limbs.

The door creaks open and Alpha Kael steps in, he turns towards me and crouches to my position. My jaw clenches as he brings up an arm to trace my cheek. My head tilted away from his burning touch.

"What are you?" He whispers.

My eyes widens and my muscles twitch and I know If I wasn't so weak right now, I would have head butted him so hard he would want to kill me this time.

"What do you mean what am I?" My words sliced through the air.

"You stole me from school, to use me for your stupid sacrifice and now you're asking me questions?" The words spill out of me before I can process it.

"Fuck you!"

Kael's brows are now knitted together as he rubs his chin. After a minute of staring at me, he gets to his feet.

"Hungry?"

My stomach decided to betray me at that moment by growling loud.

"No, I don't want your poison!" He shakes his head and leaves the room. After some minutes, he returns with a tray of food and drops it on the table.

"Kiara would bring you clothes, eat and take a shower" he says, with a low and smooth voice.

The moment he leaves the room, my stomach rumbles at the sight of the steak on the table. After much hesitation, I began eating the food.

"There's more than enough if you want." She chuckles as she glides into the room with some folded clothes.

I don't say a word, I just remain where I am, stroking my mother's ring on my fingers.

"What do you know about that ring?" Kiara questions. She had dropped the clothes and now her hands are on her hips.

I turn to face her, my eyes narrowed as I reply to her "What do you mean? It's just a ring" I shrug.

"No darling" She moves closer to me and picks my hand up. I wanted to stop her but I was curious about what she had to say. I still haven't mentioned the fact that she had been terrorizing me in my sleep.

She slips her shirt off a bit and shows me a mark on her shoulder, the same mark inscribed in my ring.

"I bet you've started seeing the signs already" She releases my arm and covers the mark on her shoulder.

"I hope you're prepared," Kiara says before stepping out.