Mated To An Enemy

Luna Corrine was a beautiful woman with a fierceness that was both attractive and intimidating. Throughout the meeting, she had remained silent as the discussion went sideways. But she listened, and she heard every word.

The only other thing he knew about her was that she had once been a nomad like himself. He heard that she had come to Winter when her mother was sick, and in the end, her parents chose to stay.

After also finding her mate in the Alpha of Winter, all hope was lost for her.

Myka looked at her with pity as her journey had ended when she was still so young.

鈥淗ello,鈥?he replied with a gentle bow of his head.

鈥淢ay I?鈥?Corrine asked, indicating the spot on the bench beside him.

Myka moved over a little, ensuring her enough room. Corrine smiled and sat down.

They were quiet for a time. Then Corrine took a deep breath of the cold air.

鈥淗ave you been to Winter before?鈥?she asked.

鈥淣o,鈥?Myka replied. 鈥淢ost of my journey has taken me to other places.鈥?/p>

Corrine smiled.

鈥淎h yes, the journey.鈥?/p>

Myka gave her a gentle look. Corrine saw it, and she chuckled.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen that look before,鈥?she commented in a gentle tone. 鈥淒o you pity me?鈥?/p>

Myka took a breath.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say pity,鈥?he lied. 鈥淚 just find it鈥nfortunate that your journey ended so soon.鈥?/p>

Corrine laughed.

鈥淥h, child鈥︹€?she said dismissively. 鈥淭ell me something. You are not a nomad by birth, are you?鈥?/p>

Myka furrowed his brows. He looked at her curiously and then nodded.

鈥淣o, I was born in a pack.鈥?/p>

Corrine nodded to herself.

鈥淭hose that join the journey have a very different view from those born into it,鈥?she smiled. 鈥淲hat is your journey about, Myka?鈥?div class="novel-ins2" id="scriptList4">

鈥淔reedom, exploration. Seeing the world, experiencing all of its splendor,鈥?Myka replied dreamily, smiling as he looked up at the stars.

Corrine nodded.

鈥淎nd have you seen the world?鈥?/p>

鈥淣ot all of it,鈥?he admitted.

鈥淣o, of course not,鈥?Corrine laughed. 鈥淏ut you have seen all of our werewolf territories, right?鈥?/p>

Myka paused. He gave her an unsure smile.

鈥淣ot all of it, no.鈥?/p>

鈥淎nd how long have you been on the journey, Myka?鈥?Corrine asked.

鈥淭en years,鈥?he said.

鈥淭en years, that鈥檚 quite a long time,鈥?she said. 鈥淟ong enough to have traveled these territories twice at least. Yet from my understanding, you haven鈥檛 gone much further than the greater territories. Why is that, I wonder?鈥?/p>

Myka swallowed.

鈥淗ave you been asking about me, Luna Corrine?鈥?/p>

鈥淥f course, I have, darling,鈥?she smiled. 鈥淚 have to know the people with whom I or my family plan to be involved. In recent times, we鈥檝e had far too many surprising characters appear in our lives.鈥?/p>

蟻伪nd伪sn慰v蔚l.c慰m

鈥淣ot all bad, I assume.鈥?/p>

鈥淣o,鈥?Corrine smiled, 鈥渂ut enough.鈥?/p>

Myka kept his expression unchanged, but his heart began to race as he saw a hint of her wolf staring back at him.

鈥淲hat is it that you seek, Myka? What is the destination of your journey?鈥?/p>

鈥淭hat鈥檚鈥?rather personal for our first conversation, don鈥檛 you think, Luna Corrine?鈥?Myka grinned, then leaned closer to her. 鈥淧erhaps we should get to know each other better first.鈥?/p>

Corrine smiled and looked away.

鈥淟ittle boy,鈥?she sighed. 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 know what to do with me.鈥?/p>

Myka found himself laughing appreciatively.

鈥淏esides,鈥?Corrine continued. 鈥淚鈥檓 not the one you wish to know.鈥?div class="novel-ins2" id="scriptList6">

Myka swallowed and looked away as Peter鈥檚 smile worked its way into his mind again.

鈥淲ord travels fast in Winter, it seems,鈥?he whispered. 鈥淪hould I be honored that the Luna is interested in gossiping about me?鈥?/p>

鈥淚 don鈥檛 care at all about you. I care about Peter,鈥?she replied with a soft growl. 鈥淗e is a member of my pack. But even more than that, a great friend to my children and me.鈥?/p>

鈥淚 see,鈥?Myka replied, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. 鈥淭he Peter I knew was quiet and lonely. But this Peter seems to have many friends.鈥?/p>

鈥淭hat happens when you stay long enough,鈥?Corrine smiled. 鈥淵ou build a community of your own.鈥?/p>

Myka let out a gentle scoff.

鈥淢y mother was like you,鈥?Corrine said. 鈥淔or a long time, she believed that the journey was only possible if you kept moving. Kept searching. It wasn鈥檛 until she was forced to slow down, to stop. To stay. She finally understood that many kinds of journeys are available in this life.鈥?/p>

Myka took a deep breath.

鈥淐ommitting yourself to a people, a place, a person, these aren鈥檛 bad things. Building a life is just a different kind of journey. A brand new and less lonely destination.鈥?/p>

Myka chuckled softly.

鈥淒o you think that by trying to convince me to stay in Winter and using Peter to do so, I will commit the others to this alliance?鈥?/p>

鈥淢yka, I am not trying to convince you to stay. I never even suggested it. I am suggesting that Peter is on a journey of his own. You don鈥檛 have to understand it or join him. But perhaps, if you open yourself to it, you can find a way for your journeys to intersect.鈥?/p>

Corrine gave him another smile before standing from the bench. She moved to leave the courtyard but turned back.

鈥淥h, and Myka?鈥?she called.

鈥淵es?鈥?he replied.

鈥淓very Alpha in that room represents a pack of hundreds of wolves that are committed to fighting this war. Committed to risking their lives for everyone represented. Each of them speaks with one voice for their people,鈥?she said.

Myka turned to face her, listening carefully.

鈥淵ou are here as only one representative of the nomads. There are five others,鈥?she said. 鈥淓ven still, you all represent independent voices shouting at each other. Joined together, not by community or trust. But by the circumstance of seeking help defeating an enemy that none of you can fight alone.鈥?/p>

鈥淲hat is your point?鈥?Myka asked.

Corrine gave him a gentle smile.

鈥淢y point, Myka, is that, just like Peter, we don鈥檛 need to convince you to commit to us. You need to convince us to be willing to accept you.鈥?/p>