My Enemy, My Mate (Complete)

Chapter Two

We stood feet from each other. The space between us seemed to sizzle with electricity that we both tried to steadfastly ignore. The expression on Jackson's face looked pained and I was sure mine was a mirror of the same.

My mind and emotions were in complete chaos. I was trying to reason the situation out, but my wolf was howling. She didn't care that he was Merphate, only that he was sent to us by the Goddess.

I knew how wrong it was, but I wanted to close the gap between us as well. I wanted to go to Jackson and feel his lips on mine again - his skin on my skin. Everything in me was rejoicing - I had found my mate and he was perfect. But my mind, my mind was in turmoil as I tried to find a way out of the situation we were in.

I couldn't betray my whole pack for him. Could I? I mentally shook my head. I had been raised with the pack. My father was alpha, for Goddess sake. Mate or no mate, he would never accept or let me go with the Alpha of the Merphate pack, not after all that they had done.

How could Jackson want me after all my pack had done? It was an impossible situation.

I glanced over at Jackson inadvertently, almost without thinking. He looked as torn as I did. His eyes met mine and my body pulled towards him so instinctively that I couldn't help but take a step towards him before I managed to stop myself. He noticed, of course. He was likely watching me just as I was watching him.

"We can't do this." He whispered, his voice barely louder than a breath.

My heart, which had been beating erratically until then, stopped dead. I know that the hurt was evident on my face, but I couldn't help it. I was irrational, hurt and horribly emotional - despite knowing our impossible circumstances. My wolf had heard our mate reject us and the pain was amplified double and I just couldn't take it.

"Don't you want me?" I managed to choke out.

The gap between us was filled instantly and I felt Jackson's arms encircle me. I couldn't help but breathe his scent in deeply and hug him back just as ferociously.

"Don't you ever think that," he growled into my hair. "There is nothing I want more in this world."

I relished in him before I pulled back slightly, only enough so I could look him in the face.

"If I take you with me your father will consider it an act of war, whether we are mates or not," he said, his brow furrowed. "We are in a tense truce right now, which is a welcome break for most of my pack members and their families. I don't want to do anything that is going to disrupt the rare peace that they have."

I nodded slightly. Jackson was a good Alpha to put the welfare of his pack in front of his own. That was what any good Alpha would do. I knew that. It still broke my heart into pieces.

"Will you ever come for me?" I asked.

"I don't know." He answered honestly.

I closed my eyes and buried my face in his chest, holding back the tears that threatened to escape. I had only just met him, but I knew that I never wanted to be parted from him. At this point, I wasn't even sure if I was ever going to see him again.
"Maybe my father will let me go so long as I am happy," I said, but counted against it.

"If you think that then you do not know your father as well as I do," he growled deeply, causing his chest to rumble.

My heart breaking and I pressed myself into him further. When would be the next time Jackson would be able to hold me like this again? When would I be able to even see him again? I almost wished I hadn't met him, at least then it wouldn't be so painful to be parted from him. There had to be a way for us to at least speak to each other while we were so distanced.