Finding Love With the Enemy

Jena hugged me tightly, holding on as if she’d never let go. After a moment, she handed me her spare clothes. I shifted back, and as I dressed, she filled me in on the pack's situation.

It turned out we were severely undermanned after the attack, so she had to step up, filling vacant posts and patrolling beyond the areas typically restricted to she-wolves like us.

Jena studied my expression, her eyes searching mine. I could see she sensed that something was off.

“What happened, Elle? You should be in the hospital! What are you doing out here in the wilderness?” She finally asked, her words tumbling out in rapid succession.

“I’m not ready to talk about it. Maybe another time,” I said, turning away with a wry smile. She didn’t hesitate to follow, insisting she couldn’t let me go back alone.

As we walked down the road, a car honked from behind. I didn’t bother turning around; I knew exactly who it was—Mason.

“Ella!” he called out, but I kept my eyes forward, ignoring him.

He pulled up beside us, driving slowly to match our pace. “Come on, Elle. I know you haven’t eaten since last night. At least let me drive you home.”

His voice was so sugary sweet, it made me sick. “I’m not coming with you,” I replied flatly, refusing to look at him.

Jena, clearly catching on, stepped in to shut down Mason’s persistence. “Give her space, Mason. Just leave.”

Mason growled at her for butting in, but he didn’t insist.

“Fine,” he said, and with a rev of his engine, he sped off.

That was the last time we spoke for the next few days.

After Jena walked me to the packhouse, I begged the Alpha to let me stay in the dorms, and he agreed without hesitation. I didn’t care to ask why—I just needed the space. I spent the entire week channeling my anger into relentless training.

Mason came by almost every day, but I never saw him—not even a glimpse. All he left were the same white tulips outside my door, which I always tossed in the trash. I never understood why he chose tulips as his apology—they weren’t even my favorite. It was like he wasn’t even trying.

His half-hearted visits quickly became the talk of the pack. Whispers grew louder by the day, and it didn’t take long for everyone to figure out the reason behind our rift—it became the latest hot gossip.

Many sided with Mason, calling me names for not forgiving him despite all his efforts. Most of them were from Kara’s circle. But there were a few who showed me sympathy, patting my back in support. Some even questioned why I hadn’t rejected him outright. Truth be told, I didn’t know the answer myself. I wasn’t sure what I wanted from him. It was a mess.

While I was lost in my tangled thoughts, Jena and her brothers invited me to hang out at a pub in neutral territory. Jena said watching me train with such emotionless intensity was unsettling, and they couldn’t stand it anymore. One look at the busted sandbags, and I couldn’t disagree. I hadn’t been myself since coming back from the brink of death.

As we headed to the city, Jena did her best to make me laugh, and for a brief moment, I didn’t feel so numb.

We were laughing about something funny as we entered the pub, but the mood shifted instantly when we saw the group of wolves inside. It was Mason and his friends, along with Kara and her clique, and they were talking about me.

“Mason isn’t used to this kind of drama. If it were anyone else giving him the cold shoulder, they wouldn’t last a day,” one of them said.

Kara sat close to Mason, looking concerned. “Ella’s just too sensitive. We’ve all been friends for years. You all know how Mason and I are.”

“Yeah, and back when Lucas was after you, if you’d liked him, you would’ve said yes,” someone else added.

My head buzzed with anger and disbelief.

Jena, looking apologetic, whispered, “I didn’t know, Elle. I’m so sorry…”

I shook my head, stopping her. “It’s fine. Let’s just leave.”

I was about to turn and walk out when one of Mason’s buddies suddenly shouted, “Yo! Look who just walked in—Mason’s darling mate!”