Dear Enemy, You're My Mate

Chapter 11 **

Alice

I wake up with a start, knowing a girl named Gloria has been murdered. I saw the entire scene in my dream. A two-legged werewolf, one with blazing eyes and snow-white fur, tore her to shreds. The creature in my vision wasn't from this world.

Fear runs through my veins, yet I came to this town to put an end to this creature. Visions of this creature awakening won't leave me alone. At first, I only saw eyes staring back at me, but now the monster has slaughtered a werewolf, and I can no longer stay idle.

I tiredly put on my clothes. I don't care about fashion and dress like Aerith from Final Fantasy on most days. I've always been kind at heart, and Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter is my idol—she wasn't afraid of being herself. She always smiled, and watching her gave me the strength to wear my floral patterned clothes and boots.

Humming to myself, I walk out through my room at the hotel, almost crashing into the girl from the other day—Patricia.

Black hair and a heart-shaped face truly make this werewolf woman beautiful, even though she doesn't seem to understand it herself. The man with her the other day couldn't pull his eyes away from her—I wonder what type of story they share.

Old lovers?

"Oh, sorry!" Patricia says, offering me a smile. I assume she has been out running, judging from the sweat glistening on her skin. "I'm such a klutz walking behind your door without thinking it could open!"

"No, no, don't apologize!" I dismiss her apology with my hand, smiling even brighter. "Are you staying at this hotel too?"

Things are only getting better.

I'm interested in making friends with this werewolf girl. Patricia might be a rogue, but I've seen her face in my dreams. She will play an essential role in what is coming, and the fierceness in her eyes got me intrigued—the girl is more powerful than she thinks.

Patricia is alpha material, determined enough to lead others, but she is entirely clueless about this. When the time comes, I hope she will step up to take her role.

"Yes, my family threw me out after I abandoned my pack," she grimaces at her words like it physically stings her. Her eyes then find mine. "What are you doing in our small town of Daleen?"

"Witch stuff," I answer her mysteriously, and then I giggle at her petrified expression. "Don't worry! I'm not here to hurt anyone—I'm one of the good witches."

"Phew, I'm glad to hear that."

"Yeah, I don't eat werewolves for lunch like the rest of my kind."

Patricia laughs. "You're weird, aren't you?"

I sense no ill intention of her words.

"The best people usually are." My lips form an even brighter smile. I'm suddenly feeling brave. "Do you want to eat with me?"

Patricia ends up agreeing to eat with me. I've never had friends before, so it's nice talking to her. My coven was all killed by a werewolf pack called Summerburst. I was hiding in the cabinet, witnessing everyone get murdered by this ruthless luna.

Their alpha wasn't present, yet it didn't matter. Everyone was taking orders from the blonde, young luna, and her eyes were so, so cold when she crunched through my mother's skull. I had to cover my mouth and held back my tears so she wouldn't find me.

I'm not sure if the luna is still around today. I hope not. The luna wanted us, witches, to follow and obey her, help her take over more territory, and our refusal to support her ended up with her showing us her true colors.

I shudder at the memory. I've feared werewolves since that day, yet I'm not afraid of Patricia at all.

She is like a refreshing wind in my life. A werewolf who has shown me kindness, and now I understand not all werewolves are evil.

After eating, we walk outside of the hotel and take a seat in their garden. The autumn breeze is cold, but the sun is bright and warm—needless to say, it's a beautiful day.

I'm slurping on my smoothie, pausing to speak. "So you need somewhere to live?"

Patricia smiles hesitantly, nodding her head. "Yes, I don't have a job. Yet I'm not entirely broke, though! I get the CNN from school to pay rent with—it should be enough if I find a roomie to rent an apartment with, but the problem is finding someone wishing to live with me."

My mood immediately brightens. "You could rent an apartment with me if you would like. I normally don't mingle with werewolves, but you're alright, and I think we would get along if you stay clear from the ice cream I keep in the fridge."

She smiles at me. "I've been taught to stay away from witches too, but I have this strange feeling in my gut that says I can trust you."

I nod my head at her, then let my eyes fall to the ground. "The reason I'm here in Daleen is that strange creatures are appearing here. And I had a vision of a girl named Gloria dying last night. She was killed by a creature that doesn't belong in our world."

Patricia's eyes widen. "You said her name was Gloria?"

"You knew her?"

She nods. "She was a member in my old pack."

My mood turns darker. "I can sense a great evil coming for this town—there will be more bloodshed if we can't find the person behind these creatures appearing."

Patricia inhales, looking thoughtful. "So, what is your plan?"

"Well, I have to kill all the creatures and then find the cause of them being here in our world. They are destroying our ecosystem by existing, and most of them don't care about being seen—imagine if the humans found out about their existence."

Patricia widens her eyes. "If humans found out about supernatural creatures existing, then panic would break out."

"Exactly," My determination is fierce and gushing through my veins as I speak. "Witches are one with nature, and we rarely kill, but in this case, I will have to make an exception. I will find this creature that killed Gloria and put an end to its reign."

Patrica nods. "Can I help you in any way? Gloria and I weren't close, but I don't want to see anyone else dying."

Laughing, I nod at her enthusiastically. "Yes, I could use your nose, and I was thinking-..." I bite my lip, letting out another laugh. "I'm thinking of enrolling in your school. I can learn more about the werewolves and what is happening in your town."

Patricia stares at me. "But didn't you say you were like-..." She hesitates, scrunching up her nose. "How old are you?"

"I have lived for sixty years, but my mind is like twenty since the curse prevents me from aging," I say and frown at my misery. I'm tired of living forever without my special someone. "And I won't age unless I meet my mate and finish the mating ritual."

Patricia smiles. "I hope you find them."

My lips twitch. "Me too."

What I don't tell Patricia is that I have dreamt about my mate. He is in this town, but he is of the wrong species. My mate is a werewolf, and he is in the pack that killed my coven in cold blood.

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you!" Patricia is beaming at me. "I love baking, so expect to try a lot of cakes."

"Wow!" I'm smiling so hard it hurts. "I think I hit the jackpot! We must hurry to move in with each other! I love sweets!"

Patricia giggles. "Why don't we look straight away for an apartment big enough to share? I think they borrow computers down in the reception, and I know the best site!"

I love her enthusiasm. "Sure!"

We both get up from the park bench. I'm about to follow Patricia until I freeze and turn around towards the tall trees. My heart is pounding, and the wind is blowing red hair into my face. Without blinking, I notice a cream-colored wolf running past the bushes. It stops briefly, staring at me, and I gasp—mate.

The werewolf, however, flicks its ears and turns towards another cream-colored wolf standing further away. I stare at them join each other, confused by what this means. They lick each other in this loving way, and my heart cracks.

Plenty of visions enter my skull, and I shudder at the last scene of the blonde werewolf making love to my mate. She is moaning, and anger spikes every hair on my body.

It seems my mate has finished the mate-bond with a half-vampire. This half-thing has bitten him, and now he belongs to her. The worst part is that I recognize the female wolf—she led the other werewolves that night when my coven was murdered.

It seems I'm not the only one incapable of aging.

I stare at the werewolf who murdered my mother. Intelligence stirs in her eyes, and I have this sickening feeling she recognizes me. I shiver at the thought, hoping I'm wrong.

"Are you coming?"

The wolves sprint away, and I turn around to face Patricia. I'm bleeding on the inside, yet I smile at her. Part of me wants to scream and go after the werewolf, but I know better than to challenge her.

Because the cream-colored wolf isn't only the luna of her pack, she is also the daughter of the vampire king. She is too powerful for me—my psychic abilities already showed me the outcome of me attacking her. It would mean my death.

"I'm on my way!"