FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

There was no word strong enough to describe how furious I was that she had taken off with Desmond. I felt murderous. I wanted to strangle the pair of them for their stupidity. However, at the same time, I had never felt such relief as when we arrived on time to find her alive.

"You disobeyed me!" I growled, stalking toward her. My eyes scanned over her, seeing her drenched in blood. Her worst injury was the gaping wound in her hip, which was leaving a trail of blood down her leg. "And now you're injured!" I snapped at her.

"But Rina," she tried to say before I cut her off with a growl. Her eyes widened as I reached her, and she cowered, pressing closer to my beta. But he knew better than to get in my way. He was also furious with Desmond for allowing her to put herself at risk, despite being relieved to have Rina back.

"I don't want to hear it," I snarled, ripping her closer. Her tiny body smacked into my hard chest a little harder than I intended. I had been frantic the entire run here, and now I knew she was by my side. But it was overshadowed by my anger and her returning heat. She struggled against me, which only made my instincts want to claim her, heal her. I regretted not explaining almost instantly when I felt her betrayal hit me. She thought I was making her submit. In a sense, I was, but not for the reason she undoubtedly thought.

She would bleed out long before we got home, and I would mate with her if she remained awake. Her scent was potent, as the effects of the drug Doc gave her were wearing off. So I sank my teeth into her neck and re-marked her. Her body fell limp in my arms, and I barely managed to scoop up her legs before she slipped from my grip. I licked her neck before holding her tighter and attempting to lift her shirt when I was suddenly hit repeatedly by tiny fists in the back.

"You incredible beast, you jerk! You didn't even let her explain. You just made her give in," Rina screamed, delivering punches to my side in a fit of rage. I glanced over my shoulder to see her futilely striking me with her tiny fists. Dwight grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back, and she fell forward in his arms, flailing as he restrained her arms. She snarled angrily, leaning forward and biting me like a savage.

I blinked down at her, her teeth sunk into my arm, and then Dwight forcefully pulled her away, causing him to fall on his rear and her teeth to painfully disengage from my arm. She actually bit me!

"I'll damn well kill you, you savage beast!" she screamed, her face turning red as she landed on top of Dwight.

Dwight growled before snapping at her. "He didn't make her give in. Stop, look!" Dwight snarled at her, pointing to where I lifted Ania's shirt. Her wound was already healing, although my hand was covered in her blood. I huffed. If Rina were anyone other than Rina, I would have been angry, but I knew these girls would sacrifice themselves for each other. I shook my head while Dwight apologized for Rina. Returning my attention to my mate, I leaned down, lifting her higher, and ran my tongue over her wound. Then I noticed Rina standing in front of me, having escaped from Dwight.

"See? He isn't hurting her," Dwight whispered, coming up behind her, and she worried her lip between her teeth. However, she didn't look much better herself. Rina appeared rather pale and sickly. She let out a breath.

"You could have warned her first, instead of just going all caveman and biting into her," she blurted.

"Warn her as you did me when you bit me?" I growled. Her face heated up, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"I thought, never mind. F*****g beast men, anyone would think you were raised by cavemen," she said before her eyes went behind me. I turned to see what she was looking at and found Kelly's lifeless body lying on the grass. Rina swallowed hard, shaking her head as her eyes turned glassy.

"Can we go home now?" she asked, looking at Dwight.

"My King, we have three cars here. They are on the top road," Gary said, coming over to me with Desmond slung limply over his shoulder. I glared at him before trekking through the forest and up the vast mountain.

Stumbling across my car, I clicked my tongue.

When I reached the top, I was struggling to control myself. I felt rabid as her scent grew more potent, and even Gary glanced at me nervously as I clutched my mate closer, soaking up her scent, trying to let it calm my urges. However, once we got to the cars and headed back home, we were halfway when I smelled her scent shift with the ferocity of a tidal wave. As my mark healed her, it also completely burned out the drug in her system. My canines slipped from my gums, and my pupils dilated.

"The windows," I growled at Gary and Dwight, knowing that if I moved right now, I would lose control completely. They quickly did as I asked while Rina watched me worriedly. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Ania in my arms. She moved in her seat, reaching out to touch her, and the feral noise that escaped me made Dwight jerk her back to sit beside him.

"She is safe, but she is in heat, so stay still," Dwight whispered to her, and I watched as Rina sniffed the air slightly before wrinkling her nose. It took a few hours until we finally pulled into the horseshoe driveway.

Dwight led Rina, only to find Junior had opened the door.

"The boys?" Dwight asked.

"Zara has them. They are both tucked away in their beds, safe," Junior answered. I wanted to ask if they had been disturbed on their way, but right now, I was at war with myself and figured it could wait until I had more control.

"Arman, where do you want me to put Desmond?" Gary asked, clearing his throat. Desmond was in one of the other cars, and I knew he was awake; I could feel his pack tether was alert.

Looking down at Ania, I pressed my face into her neck and breathed in her scent.

"You know it wouldn't have been a deliberate act of putting her in harm's way," Dwight said, though I could tell he wanted to beat some sense into him.

"Just think of Ania's reaction before you act, my King. You know she won't be happy if you hurt him," Gary tried to reason.

"He needs to be punished," I told him, and Dwight nodded.

"He does, but maybe sleep on it tonight and clear your head before deciding what that punishment should be," Dwight said.

"Dungeons? Or am I sending him to his room?" Gary inquired.

"Damn it!" I muttered under my breath.

"His room. I will deal with him tomorrow," I answered, not happy, but he was right. Ania and Desmond were close.

"Okay," Gary said, holding the door open for me, but I couldn't move. I was frozen. If I moved right now, I was going to take advantage of her while she was asleep. My arousal was painfully intense, and my muscles tensed as I began to sweat.

"My King?" Gary asked, and I glared out the door.

"I can't move," I said through gritted teeth.

"Right, um... I could take her?" Gary asked, but I had endured both his and Dwight's scents switching back and forth the entire way home as they reacted to each wave, and I didn't think I could bear to smell his arousal on her skin. I swallowed, knowing I had to ask for help from the one man I wanted to kill right now.

"Please ask Desmond to come and take her," I told him.

"Do you want Desmond to take her back to her room?" he asked. I nodded, too aroused to speak.

After a few moments, Desmond cautiously stepped into the limo. I clenched my jaw, but his scent remained the same as he approached. He didn't say anything, waiting for my nod before taking her. Desmond gently lifted her out of my arms and stepped out of the limo. I waited inside, still struggling to control my urge to possess her tightly.

After about half an hour, I managed to calm down enough to exit the car without feeling the need to chase after my mate as if she were my prey. As the cool night air brushed against me and filled my lungs, I suddenly felt dizzy, and my surroundings began to spin. Taking a step toward the castle doors, my vision blurred, and a sense of delirium washed over me. Breathing became difficult, and with another step, I lost all sensation. An icy cold feeling spread over my body, which had been consumed by heat, and my heart started beating erratically in my chest. The ground rushed toward my face, but I didn't feel a thing as I hit it. I heard the air escaping from my lungs upon impact before my vision faded into darkness.

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

My nose tickled as his scent invaded my nostrils. My entire body overheated, and I wasn't sure if the heat emanated from him or me. His skin was scorching hot while my blood felt like it was boiling and surging through my veins. Lifting my head, I discovered Arman sound asleep beneath me. His intoxicating scent made my mouth water, and every point of contact between our skin tingled and buzzed like live electricity running beneath my surface. My thighs were drenched, and I groaned, realizing that I was in heat again. But why was Arman so hot? I wondered, contemplating whether to climb off him and make a dash for the bathroom to take a cold shower.

"Stay where you are. You can't move even if you wanted to," Dwight's voice interrupted, causing me to glance over my shoulder. A growl escaped me; logically, I knew it was Beta Dwight, yet my body reacted to the intruder near my nesting area. A nesting area I didn't recall building while I was asleep. The thin sheet covering me slipped slightly, and Dwight averted his gaze to the far wall, clearing his throat, prompting me to look down and realize I was completely naked. Why was I naked? And who undressed me? My eyes widened, and I scrambled to pull the sheet back to cover myself, only to feel Arman shift beneath me. No, he didn't move. I was handcuffed to him, my wrist cuffed to his. My movements caused Arman to emit a purr in his sleep while I desperately tried to piece together what had happened.

I stared at the handcuffs before glancing at Dwight. "Why am I handcuffed? Did you undress me?" I asked him, and Dwight sat back in his wooden chair, which I recognized from the small office behind the door on the far wall. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Yes, I had no choice. You're in heat! I need to talk to you, and you'll listen to me, my Queen," Dwight stated firmly, indicating that he wasn't going to leave until he had his say. I rolled my eyes, and Beta Dwight growled.

"Uncuff me," I told him, but he pressed his lips together in a determined line. "No!" he said firmly, earning a growl from me. I wanted to check on Desmond and Rina, although I wasn't sure if that would be possible because with Arman's skin touching mine, I was barely holding it together. All I wanted was to roll my hips against him and claim him.

"I've been with the King for as long as I can remember, and he can be a stubborn idiot at times. But you're just as stubborn. You put yourself in unnecessary danger and risk your life, as well as Desmond's. You put my King at risk—your mate!" he told me pointedly. I swallowed, looking down at Arman. Pulling the blanket higher, I wanted to move away from him when he spoke again.

"Remain where you are. Arman's life depends on it. You move, and he could die. I didn't carry him here and undress you for him only for him to drop dead on me now!" Dwight snapped, and I froze. "What?" I gasped, wondering what he was talking about.

"Arman asked me not to say anything, but I won't watch him die when you can save him. Both of you are too stubborn to see your own flaws or each other's side. Now you will listen to me," he snapped, and I could see his frustration clearly in the tight clench of his jaw and the whiteness of his knuckles as he gripped the armrest of the wooden chair. Dwight was usually calm, but right now, he looked murderous. I wasn't sure if he wanted to murder me or the King, maybe both? So I figured it was probably best to listen and not anger the vae-wolf who looked like he could snap us in half like twigs.

"I'm listening," I said.

"About time, my Queen. Now let's get one thing straight. Everything I do and don't do is for your and the King's safety, just like handcuffing you to him is for his safety," he stated. I sighed, wondering what he was getting at.

"You never grew up amongst vae-wolves. You are poorly educated, by no fault of your own and very young, so please do not take offense. However, there are things you now need to be made aware of in order to understand the meaning behind all of this," he said.

I felt like I was being scolded by a beta, or at least that's how I imagined it. "When Arman had your heat stopped, it didn't stop for him. Men suffer the same as women during the heat. Now, why did Arman stop your heat, Ania?" Dwight asked.

"So I wouldn't die," I stammered. Dwight nodded, leaning forward in his chair and bracing his arms on his knees.

"It's the same for us men. You denying him wasn't just killing you, it is killing the King too. Male vae-wolves' heat cannot be stopped like a woman's. Just because yours has doesn't mean it did for him, which is why he is like that," Dwight said, nodding towards Arman beneath me.

I peered down at him. His skin was scorching, and his heart was racing in his chest. I could feel it thumping beneath my palm, which rested on the center of his chest. "Right now, your skin contact is the only thing keeping him from boiling alive, so you will remain in those cuffs until he is better," he roared.

"But that means I would have to mate with him. You just said his heat won't stop even if mine does," I asked.

"Exactly," Dwight said, his eyes flickering onyx, as he swallowed before crossing his legs.

"What?" I murmured, horrified.

"I am not asking you to have s*x with him, Ania, but I am not letting you out of those cuffs until you have at least marked him, which will buy him a few more days. His life depends on it, so you need to put your issues aside and save your mate. I have watched kings and queens fall from war. I will not watch them fall from something that could be avoided, all because of a lack of communication because both of you are too stubborn to admit when you're wrong," he bellowed.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he got up. "No, you will do this. You need to realize being Queen comes with responsibilities, responsibilities you do not understand, but your King does. You will die without him, and him without you. Before you find another excuse, Rina is fine, Desmond is fine, but your mate is not. He messed up by not believing you about Rina, but he cannot make up for that mistake if he is dead. So it is time for my Queen to grow up and take responsibility for her own mistakes. You are both at fault for this, and now you need to fix it before another kingdom falls. Only this time, it would fall because of stubbornness and ego. And that is not worth dying for!" Dwight said before storming off toward the door.

"Wait!" I shrieked, scrambling to face him without exposing myself or climbing off Arman. Instead, I ended up entangling myself in the sheet. Dwight paused and turned back to face me.

My face flushed, and Dwight pursed his lips impatiently. "You don't expect me to, um... He's asleep! And I have no idea what to do!" I inquired.

Dwight sighed and glanced around, his eyes landing on the bookcase.

"Don't ignore your instincts. Your body knows what to do. It's basic instinct. Animals, we follow instincts. Listen to them. And think of it as Sleeping Beauty, you know that story?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Good, think of him as Sleeping Beastly then, but instead of kissing him, mark him. Though you can do that too, just make sure you mark him first. It will help him heal enough to complete the other part," he teased.

"So I only have to mark him, and he will wake?" I asked.

"Maybe not right away, eventually, once his temperature goes down, and the effects abate," he told me, and I sighed, looking down at Arman. My anger toward him was not worth his life; Dwight was right about that. I heard the door click shut and lock as he left.

Readjusting myself, I sat up, untangling the sheet, with my legs straddling his waist. His arm was a dead weight and bloody heavy as I moved. Using my free hand, I turned his face to the side and felt the mark on my neck, wondering if it mattered where I marked him. I already had two marks from him and could feel they overlapped each other, so I figured anywhere between the neck and shoulder must be okay. The mere thought of marking him made my gums tingle. I also thought I could overlap his first mark.

His bare chest was inviting, and I wanted to run my tongue over it. However, I reminded myself to mark him first, shaking my head. I kinda wished Dwight was in here. It was easier to keep my thoughts straight and fight the urges rolling over me.

Leaning down, his chest brushed against mine, electrifying my skin, and I couldn't help but moan at the sensation, which quickly traveled down to the core of my being. I inhaled deeply, catching his intoxicating scent, causing my mouth to water, and my canines instinctively elongated. Running my tongue over the spot I intended to mark, a buzzing sensation coursed through my canines as they grazed his flesh and pricked his skin. Unable to resist any longer, I succumbed to my primal nature and sank my teeth into his neck, intending to be gentle but unable to control the ferocity of my actions.

For a moment, doubt crossed my mind as a surge of his aura and essence overwhelmed me, permeating every fiber of my being. I could feel it ripple through me, awakening every nerve and expanding my pupils, granting me clearer vision. His life force mingled with mine, surging through my veins and forming an unbreakable bond. The sensation was so intense that I gasped and choked on his blood as it filled my mouth.

Every inch of my body buzzed and warmed as our connection solidified, and a profound sense of completeness washed over me. Slowly retracting my teeth from his neck, I gently ran my tongue over the mark, causing him to shiver but remain asleep. With a sigh, I lay down on top of him, burying my face in his neck and inhaling his captivating scent. "Please awaken," I whispered urgently.