FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩:

Ania fell asleep quickly, and I ran my fingers up and down her spine, enjoying her closeness and her scent. Relief flooded over me - she was officially mine, and I was hers. An overwhelming feeling of completeness washed over me, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

However, worry soon gnawed at me. I had knotted her in the heat of the moment and forgotten to pull her off. The chances of getting her pregnant were now increased. With everything else going on, this was the last thing we needed. Lycans were most fertile during their heat cycle, and I couldn't shake off the worry that was eating away at me.

Ania had no idea what I was talking about when I explained the situation to her. Her confusion only made me worry more. Would she hate me if I got her pregnant so soon? My troubled thoughts clawed at my insides and gave me a headache, especially with the additional issue of her best friend's disappearance.

I was lost in thought for so long that time had slipped by unnoticed. When the swelling at the base of my Doshi had finally subsided, I managed to slip free of her body with a groan. I noticed that it was already morning, the sun had risen. Opening the mind link, I reached out to Joe, hoping we could go to the police station. I needed to know if they had made any progress on their side.

I could sense that he was asleep, but Lemmy wasn't, his mind link buzzing like a live wire in my head. I pushed on his tether, and he let me in.

"Finished already, my alpha? That was fast. Need me to show you how it's done?" Lemmy taunted.

"Lemmy!" I growled.

"Sorry, my alpha. The walls have ears. With our heightened hearing, it's no secret, but my offer still stands," he said.

"The offer to teach me how to make love?" I asked. A stupid smile slipped onto my face as I thought of the brute...

"If that's what my duty requires, I'm up for the task," he laughed.

"That will not be necessary, but I appreciate the offer," I chuckled.

"You should get laid more often. You seem to be in a cheery mood, not your usual alpha aura," he mocked. I looked down at Ania and sniffed her hair. She reeked of my scent, making me purr with contentment.

"No need to purr at me, my alpha. I'm pretty sure your calling doesn't work on me," Lemmy snickered.

"Sorry, Ania distracted me," I admitted.

"Sure, now what can I do for you? I assume you want something, or did you just drop into my thoughts for a friendly chat?" Lemmy asked.

"Well, I was trying to get a hold of Joe. I need him to ride with me down to the police station. I want to know how far they have gone in their investigations," I told him.

"Oh, my alpha, can't you relax and sleep in bed with your luna? You just mated, she could really appreciate some cuddles," he stated.

"My guy, I only have less than a day, or else my mate will be taken to Devonshire. I won't get the chance to cuddle her, will I? Since Joe is asleep, I want you to drive me."

"I would love to alpha, but I can't. I promised my girlfriend to be with her today, it's her birthday."

"Hmm, so who will be with me if not you, little ol' you? I noticed Joe needs some sleep because he has not been sleeping since Rina's disappearance," I growled.

"Please alpha, don't do this to me... Plus, consider your mate who will wake up and find you gone," he pleaded.

"You are coming with me, Lemmy. Call your girlfriend and tell her you will be running late. I will deal with my mate," I growled and cut the link before he could say anything more.

I walked out of the bedroom feeling fresh and clean, having made sure that Luna was still asleep. I instructed Kim to remain on guard as I walked down the corridor. I had hardly reached the living area when I heard an altercation, which made me rush into the area. I saw Mylar punch Lemmy, knocking him down. Joe was trying to separate them when Lemmy rose up and tackled Mylar. Joe grabbed the back of Lemmy's shirt and ripped him off Mylar just as she went to attack him again. I wrapped my hand around Mylar's arm and jerked her back.

"What in Hunter's name is going on here?" I snarled as Mylar tried to shrug off my hold, her anger brewing.

"Answer me," I commanded.

"I was taking breakfast to my Luna, but Lemmy isn't allowing me upstairs," Mylar chirped. "Care to explain, Lemmy?" I asked, glaring at Lemmy.

"We don't want her near the Luna. She can't be trusted," Joe snarled.

"And you can?... Do you remember when you once lured our Luna into the dark when we were hunting, putting her in danger?" Mylar spat back at him.

"Yes, it was all you, though... Didn't you compel me to ask her into the dark so she could be preyed on?" Joe growled, taking a step toward her, but I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Is this true?" I asked Mylar, who turned her attention to me. She sighed, scratching the back of her neck. I was too perplexed to get angry.

"Yes, my Alpha. But I did not know she was your mate then," Mylar admitted. My mind was going on a roller coaster.

"And you would let Joe take full responsibility for what happened? You can't say you didn't know Ania was Hunter's mate. You knew from the word go, at least that's what you told your sister," Lemmy demanded.

"Wait a minute, how do you know about what I told my sister? My Alpha, I didn't know she was your mate, it was only a wild guess," Mylar defended herself. Lemmy shook his head, looking at me.

"As far as I'm concerned, no one from the pack house was ever to be touched as prey, so how come Ania was a target? You have two seconds to explain yourselves, now," I said firmly.

"Joe hates me, Alpha. He thinks he deserved the principal's position and couldn't take it when you gave it to me. Since then, he's been doing all he can to bring me down, saying evil things about me that I never did. He's been on me to a point he asked me to step down from the investigations," Mylar explained before glaring at Joe.

"Joe didn't pull you from the investigations, I did. There are too many speculations and suspicions about both of you right now," I chimed in, occasionally keeping quiet as the children passed by us on their way outside. At some point, we all went to speak from the office. Once inside, Mylar spoke up first.

"How can you say there are speculations and suspicions about us yet you tag him along everywhere you go?" Mylar scoffed.

"He is my beta, Lemmy, our warrior leader trusts him, even if right now I don't. And this is about his missing mate. If he could have bonded with her, we couldn't be in this mess. He could have used the link to draw us to her. That reminds me, from now henceforth, if you get to know someone is your mate, inform them immediately. Back to you, Joe. Let's go back to the night of disappearance. What happened?" I growled, looking at Joe. I wanted to beat them senseless until they spoke out about what was going on.

"Mylar didn't tell me Ania was your mate, and before you say no one from our pack was to be attacked, let me set my record straight. Mylar didn't give me a choice that night," Joe snitched, and I growled.

"You had a choice. You could not have asked Ania out, but instead you come to me because the alpha wasn't around," Lemmy yelled.

"At the expense of my life and my mate's life, no! Mylar said he would kill us both if I didn't cooperate, and she would start with Rina so I could live miserably without my mate before she killed me later," Joe retorted, and Mylar looked away. Lemmy rubbed his temples and shook his head.

"Where is my mate, Mylar?" Joe snarled after he kept quiet for a second or so.

"What are you talking about? I don't know where Rina is," Mylar said under my watchful gaze. "I know you have her. You have been threatening me for the longest time that if I don't do your bidding, Rina will pay for it. Now, where is she?" Joe snarled. My blood was boiling. I couldn't believe that the two people I had trusted with my everything, including my life, were doing sneaky things behind my back. "Why am I hearing about this now, Joe? You had us running around when all you had to do was come clean?" I bellowed.

"Come here before I do something that will start a war with the vampires," I mind-linked Ben. He said he was on his way, knowing he could take like one hour with vampire flying speed to be there. I commanded everyone to be quiet and not to leave. They couldn't fight the command as the room felt quiet. There was a knock on the door. I walked there, hoping that it wasn't something that needed my attention. "Not again!" I muttered under my breath, seeing it was Ania with Kim behind her, another wrong timing. I sighed heavily dropping my aura as I took her into my arms, closing the door behind me so she couldn't enter the office.

"Good morning, my Luna. You woke up early," I said, tucking hair strands behind her ear before kissing her. I loved how she melted in my arms and tasted on my tongue. For a moment, I forgot everything else, deepening the kiss only to pull back when she became breathless.

"Are you alright, my Alpha? Your anger was blaring through the bond, and it shook me awake," she said, and I smiled.

"I will be fine. I'm just taking care of something, then I'll be okay. Can you do something for me, my love?" I asked, intending to keep her busy so she couldn't get caught up in everything going on. I needed her to relax.

I had knotted her, and unlike humans, the vae-wolf's pregnancy only lasted for three months. One week of human pregnancy was equivalent to four weeks in our pregnancy. So, if she was pregnant, I had to start taking care of her immediately.

"Anything for you, Alpha," she said.

"I want you to go to the kitchen and prepare breakfast for yourself. Then make sure the younger ones have eaten breakfast and that everyone is doing what they're supposed to do. The young adults help with chores and then study. You're the Luna, and it's your responsibility," I whispered, kissed her, and she nodded before walking away .

"Love, handle your food by yourself," I repeated through the mind-link, and she said, "Deal with what you're dealing with, my Alpha. I'll handle the rest," assuring me before I walked back into the office. I rippled my aura out, causing everyone in the office to shake under it. Yet they couldn't say a word under my command.

𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩:

The pack house was surprisingly quiet as Kim escorted me downstairs. I was expecting it to be buzzing with activity since everyone was home, but we didn't encounter a single soul as we walked down.

"My Luna, you seem tense. Is everything alright? Is it because of the alpha? Don't worry, give him time to take care of things. Do you want..." Kim fell silent, his hand gripping my shoulder. He stepped down the last few steps before suddenly slamming me against the wall, his hand going over my mouth. I was petrified.

My heart beat erratically as he held a finger to his lips. The fun-loving man I was used to was gone as his eyes flickered oddly, a sadistic gleam in his eyes as they darkened and his fangs protruded past his top lip. I could hear the head chef frantically talking down the hall before the doors next to the staircase burst open. Kim shoved me behind him as men in armor flooded the halls from every direction. My hands shook as I clutched the back of Kim's shirt where he had pushed me.

Guns were raised as four other men, who I could tell were vampires, walked in wearing suits. The head chef rushed in after them, bursting into the foyer.

"May I ask what this is about, Mr. Tony?" Kim asked, motioning for the head staff to come to him with his hand. She rushed to his side and whispered something to him about how they took the security out and had everyone else locked up in the stores, covered the building with mountain ash so they couldn't break free. She glanced at me nervously behind him. Kim nodded but didn't move his eyes from the men surrounding us with their guns trained on him.

The mind-link opened up as Kim called for the security men, yet no one answered. However, the alpha felt the opened mind link and invaded it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The council of elders are here. Get down here," Kim told him.

"Don't let them in. I am on my way," the Alpha said.

"It's too late," Kim told him.

"Ania?" he asked. "I am good, my Alpha. Just confused about what's going on," I answered.

"Get here, Hunter. I am all that is left," Kim growled, slamming the link shut.

"How may I help you, gentlemen?" Kim asked as she walked down to greet them.

"We have had a complaint," the tallest man said.

"So you thought you would break into the pack house? The alpha is busy, so I am sure we can reschedule," Kim said.

The tall man, who was even as tall as Hunter, stared at Kim curiously and sniffed the air.

"Take the new girl upstairs," Kim told the head chef while staring at me. But the man stepped forward, and Kim's hand fell on his chest. The energy shifted, and the head chef grabbed my arm, pushing me up the stairs.

"She remains. We aren't here to see the Alpha but to find a woman. Her name is Ania Talia, the Luna of the Mooncrest pack," the man said.

"As I said, the Alpha is busy, and so is the Luna. She is on a trip. Like I suggested before, you will have to reschedule," Kim growled, looking at the man who still had his eyes on me. The men surrounding him moved in closer the moment Kim moved, guns pressing against him, and my heart thudded painfully. I felt sick.

The man watching me tilted his head to the side. "Now that would be a lie because she reeks of the alpha's scent," he growled.

"And as I said, the Alpha is not here, so I will escort you off the premises, gentlemen. No need to frighten everyone here. Come when you have an appointment with him," Kim replied.

The head chef grabbed my arm, and I followed her when another voice filled the room. The command behind it made me freeze.

"She goes up those stairs. Shoot Kim and the woman in uniform. Don't touch the Luna," the voice commanded. I stopped, and the head chef gasped as her eyes met mine. The fear behind them as she stared at me made me swallow while I tried to figure out what was going on.

"Valentine, take her upstairs," Kim ordered, and I swallowed, turning my attention back to the men surrounding Kim. "What is this about?" I demanded, but the man smirked at my command, which had no effect on him. "If you would come with me, my Luna. You are under arrest for multiple murders," he said, and I wondered what was taking my alpha so long to get there. "She is not going anywhere with you," Kim snarled, turning his head to the man watching me intently. The men holding guns stepped aside to allow the other three men into my line of vision, all of them dressed impeccably in tailored suits.

"You must be Ania. I see you have met Mr. Tony. I am a council elder. My name is Dennis," he said, seeming to be the one with the most authority out of the lot of them. It oozed off him. He smirked, his cold blue eyes looking up at me. He had a thick accent I couldn't place. "And this is my brother, Lucas," he said, motioning toward the man beside him in a blue suit. He was a little shorter, but he had the same cruel, sharp features as Dennis. "And this is Kristian," he said, motioning to the last man who was missing an eye. A long jagged scar went from his hairline to his chin, his lips scarred and twisted into a snarl, almost identical to my alpha's scar.

"He took a step toward me, and Kim moved quickly, stepping into his path and grabbing the front of his suit jacket.

"Touch her, and I'll remove your other eye," Kim snarled. Kristian snarled back at him, but it was Dennis who spoke.

"There's no need for that, Kim. You're outnumbered. We're here for the Luna, and there's no reason for things to turn messy," he said.

"Not without the Alpha present," Kim said, turning his attention to Dennis as the mind link opened and Hunter's frustrated voice came through. "Someone has poured mountain ash outside the office doors and windows. I can feel it everywhere. We can't leave the office. I'm trying to find a way out." My heart sank further. Mountain ash had the ability to stop any kind of supernatural from gaining access. It bound you where you were."

They moved towards me, and all hell broke loose as Kim suddenly shifted. Dennis was instantly ripped backward along with the other two men when the guns started going off. I didn't get a chance to see what happened as Valentine, our head chef, tugged me up the stairs. I could hear gunfire and fighting, screams, and footsteps chasing after us.

"Hunter," I screamed through the link.

"Hide, I will find you," he said, cutting off the link. Valentine stuffed me into a room. She looked around, and so did I, as I heard footsteps. My entire body shook in horror. I had never been in such a predicament before.

"Stay here. I will lead them away," Valentine said.

"Lock the door," she added, cracking the door open and peering out. I went to follow her, but she slipped out and shut the door. I quickly locked the door and glanced around towards the window. Hundreds of people stood outside the gates, and I stepped back so they wouldn't see me. I was confused. I thought Hunter had told me I was no longer a suspect. Did he lie to me to protect my feelings? I didn't get the chance to answer myself before his voice came through.

"Where are you, love?" Hunter asked through the link.

"I'm in a bedroom on the first floor," I answered.

"Don't leave. Stay there. The council is up to no good. I am doing all I can to meet them first. Alright?" he said.

"Okay," I replied.

"I need you to relax. I have everything under control," he said, not cutting the link. I also didn't want him to.

I looked through the window and was petrified when I saw Valentine being dragged out, kicking and screaming. Dennis wiped his face with a handkerchief as he walked towards the gates, and then I spotted Sky. Dennis talked to her through the gate, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Three other men stood off to the side, watching him, before he turned around.

The man with the missing eye wiped the blood off his face before snarling and kicking Kim in the stomach. My hands went to my mouth, consumed with fear, and I forgot about Hunter, who was trying to communicate with me through the link.

"Ania!" he snapped.

Dennis turned around and reached for a microphone from one of his guards. He turned to face the house and brought the microphone to his mouth.

"Luna Ania Talia, you have been summoned by the council, so you need to step outside," he said. He looked up at the windows, but I remained out of his line of vision.

"You have two minutes to step out, or we will use deadly force, beginning with," he looked around before one of the guards grabbed Valentine.

"Two minutes or the woman dies," he said.

"Ania!" Hunter snapped at me.

"They're going to kill her if I don't," I said.

"Don't you f***ng dare," he growled.

"Ania, I am almost breaking through," Hunter said, and I could hear him shifting as I watched in horror as they pushed Valentine to the ground on her knees. Mr. Tony pulled a pistol from inside his jacket and pressed it to her head.

"Two minutes, Luna Ania."

"I have to go," I told Hunter.

"No, remain where you are," he ordered, and I gritted my teeth.

"One minute," Dennis called over the microphone, and Valentine cringed away from the gun held to her head.

"Ania?" Hunter said, his panic smashing into me. Mr. Tony pressed the gun to her temple, and I rushed toward the window, throwing it open.

"Wait, I will come down," I screamed to them. Mr. Tony lifted his head to look at me while Mr. Dennis smirked.

"We thought you would change your mind." He nodded toward some of his men, who raced toward the house.

"They will meet you at the foyer doors," Dennis called through the microphone, and I nodded, moving back inside the window. Swallowing down the bile in my throat, I moved toward the door and opened it.