FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

As I listened to his words, I couldn't help but think of Ania and how stressed she had looked earlier that day. A pang of guilt hit me, but I quickly pushed it aside.

At around 6:30 PM, after everyone had finished dinner, I headed downstairs to wait for Alpha Kelly. He was coming to pick up Rina, and I wanted to thank him for his recent help. I waited in front of the stone driveway, and soon enough, his BMW pulled in.

Rina was already waiting for him, sitting on the steps with a small bag that Zara had prepared for her. The bag contained a few things that Rina could take with her until the Alpha could organize proper clothes for her. Dwight stormed off without even acknowledging Rina's excitement, but she jumped to her feet and ran over to Alpha Kelly.

As he stepped out of the car, she collided into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair and giving her a soft peck on the lips. I averted my gaze, allowing them some privacy. I couldn't bear to see how affectionate he was with her, particularly considering his domestic situation. It was the only aspect of the man that I disliked. As far as I knew, he was otherwise fine, though no one can truly discern what happens behind closed doors.

"Come on, my love, let's get in the car and head home," he whispered, cradling her face in his hands. Rina approached me and bowed, while Gary gave her a quick hug before she glanced around. "Where's Dwight?" she inquired, appearing a little crestfallen. Alpha Kelly grasped her shoulder.

"Did you say goodbye to your friend?" he inquired, and she looked up at him and nodded. He gestured toward the car, and she slowly made her way back to it, fastened her seatbelt before closing the door.

"Let me know if you need anything, my King. For now, I have to go home to my wife and introduce this new one to her. I'm sure she will kick up a fuss, but not to worry," he clicked his tongue and shook his head with a laugh.

"Lucky, I am Alpha, right?" he sighed. I said nothing on the matter. It sickened me how he treated them as mere objects to please him.

"Thank you for your help. I will be in touch," I told him, glancing at Rina, who was peering out the closed window up at the castle. Alpha Kelly looked over his shoulder at her before looking back at me.

"Now, please don't be upset, my King, but in order to get her to come with me, I may have made a deal with her," he said, and I tilted my head to the side, observing him.

He had a slim face and beady eyes. A smirk played on his lips like he thought it was funny he had to cut a deal with his own mate to get her to agree to go with him, which I knew any deal he did make would not be for herself. Rina was much like Ania in that regard. The only time I had seen her ask for anything was when she asked to go with her mate. Other than that, she never asked for anything unless it was for Ania!

"I told her I would, but I have no intention of stopping. I thought I should let you know, your mate Ania...?" he started. I nodded, wanting to know what he had agreed to for Rina.

"She is supposed to meet us at the bridge leading out of town. I agreed, of course, but I had no intention of taking your Queen. But I thought I should let you know. We can't have a runaway Queen now," Alpha Kelly murmured, looking back at the car as if he was worried Rina may overhear. I growled and glared at him before clenching my jaw. Gary's hand fell on my shoulder, warning me not to lose it with Rina present.

"I suggest you leave, Alpha Kelly. You never should have made that deal," Gary snarled, while I fought the urge to shift and kill the b*****d.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She is probably along the river somewhere, my King. She was meeting us there at 7 PM," he answered, and I nodded. Alpha Kelly quickly rushed back to the car. Rina glanced at us nervously. I waved and played along, waving back to her, trying to keep my fury in check. I watched them leave and went out the gates. The moment they did, I turned on my heel to go find her and drag her back. Gary gripped my arm, making me come to a stop, and my entire body trembled with the need to track her down.

"Please calm down," he said as I shrugged off his arm.

"Find her, goddamn it!" I bellowed through our mind link as I ran towards the river and shifted. Gary explained what had happened and howls filled the night sky.

"Arman!" Dwight's voice rang through the link.

"How dare she," I snarled.

"You need to calm down," he urged as he shifted and ran to catch up to me.

"I'll calm down once she's locked back in her room. Who was supposed to be watching her?" I growled, hearing Desmond whimper through the link. I snapped at him before cutting off the link.

"We'll find her, but please be rational about this, my king. If you scare her, she..." Gary began.

"She'll be lucky if I don't chain her to my bed. Enough with your rules, Gary. Find my mate," I snapped, and he nodded beside me. He ran towards the treeline while I picked up her scent along the river. Her scent pushed me harder as I tracked down my little mate, and she would regret running from me.

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

Rina and I had changed and showered before she had to leave to speak with the King about the arrangements made for her departure. She squeezed me tight before leaving and said, "Don't be late," before giving me a peck on the cheek.

I had been pacing ever since, even when the servant brought my dinner up. I was too nervous to eat and eventually went to the cupboard to change into warmer clothes and find some flat shoes that I could run in easily. As I headed towards the door, I cracked it open and fished out the small key from my pocket. I had no idea how Rina had gotten it and shook my head at how much trouble she could have gotten into if she had been caught.

Dumping my food in the bin, I entered the kitchen. A few kitchen staff lingered cleaning up but paid no attention to me as I moved around the kitchen, all too busy with their end-of-day tasks. I quickly poured myself a glass of water, which was a terrible mistake because the moment I drank it, my nerves worsened, making me need to pee.

I wasted more time having to run to the servant's bathroom to quickly pee before walking back to the kitchens. Thankfully, the kitchen staff had left to eat their own dinner, and I snuck out the back door into the laundry room. I rushed past all the shelves and the huge washers and dryers to the back door. Key in hand, I placed it in the lock and twisted it. A sigh of relief left me as I pulled the door open. The wind had picked up a little, and the sky was overcast with the approaching storm. I slipped out, carefully closing the door, and then darted for cover under the fruit trees. I raced along them, using them for cover, stopping a few times until guards turned away before rushing over the hill and down through the graveyard to the river that ran along the back of the castle grounds.

Heading west, I started running and keeping low until I was far enough away from the castle. I made sure to keep an eye on the time as I jogged along the river, heading west as Rina had said.

The sun had set by the time I had gotten halfway there. Glancing at the watch clenched in my hand, I checked the time again. She had said to run straight and follow the river, yet I saw no bridge or roads up ahead.

I ran a bit further, and a few minutes later, I spotted the bridge and the car parked on it with its lights on. As I approached, I saw the king standing by the bonnet. Everyone there, including me, suffocated under his murderous aura. His eyes darted towards me, and I halted, unable to move under his oppressive presence. "Sleep!" He commanded, and I hit the ground, cursing that he even let me fall to the ground before sleep consumed me.

When I finally woke up, my muscles ached, and I felt groggy as I blinked up at the ceiling. I didn't know how long I had been out, and my head hurt as I rolled in the bed. But when I tried to move my hand to rub my eyes, something cold and metallic caught my wrist.

Tilting my head up, I found that one hand was cuffed to the headboard. I gasped, jerking on my trapped wrist, yet the handcuff wouldn't loosen. Panic seized me as the events of yesterday flooded back all at once. My lungs felt restricted, and I struggled to breathe when my other hand went to my neck.

My fingertips tingled, and the sight stung a little. Had he marked me? His threat to tie me to the bed came back to me, and my eyes scanned the room for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. By the light outside, it was around midday, and I struggled against the restraint, the metal digging in and bruising my wrist as I tried to free myself.

Warm tears streamed down my cheeks as I realized I was trapped. He had confined me to the bed and marked me. I yanked my arm in an attempt to break free when I heard the door open. As I turned my head to face it, his scent wafted over to me. The King walked in and glanced at me, observing my failed attempt to escape.

"Hope you enjoyed your sleep, and by the way, I marked you," he said, as if I didn't already know that he had indeed marked me. But he was the alpha of kings, and there was nothing I could possibly do to resist him. He walked over to the bar area, holding a book in his hand, and watched me as he poured himself a drink before setting the book on the coffee table and sitting in the armchair.

All I could think of was the number of times Lucy had trapped or locked us away. I had confinement issues and was extremely claustrophobic. Despite the size of the room, being trapped on the bed and unable to use my hand made it feel tiny, like the walls were pressing closer and threatening to crush me.

He stared at me, sipping his drink and watching me over the rim of the glass.

"Please let me go, Arman," I stammered, but he just smirked and remained silent, snubbing me.

I glared at him, my sudden anger unable to stop the tears from sliding down my face or the feeling of unease at being trapped. His presence only made me more nervous. I turned my gaze to the closet before lying back down on my side.

This routine continued for a whole week. The king only released me to use the bathroom, and then he would cuff me to the bed again. During the second week, he allowed me some freedom, but wherever he went, I had to follow him. I trailed him up and down like a puppy.

To be Continued.....