FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥'S POV

As Ania and Richie walked into the house, I was helping the toddlers with their assignments at the dining table. Relief washed over Ania's face, and a kid handed me a letter from a teacher interrupting us, exclaiming, "Alpha, here's a letter from our teacher!"

As I took the envelope from the toddler, I noticed that Ania's face had turned stormy. "Here comes trouble," I thought to myself. Just then, Rina, Grace, and Tracy walked into the dining area from the recreational room.

"Luna!" Rina shrieked. She was the first to arrive from school, and I had been wondering where Ania was since I couldn't reach her through her phone or the mind-link. Rina's shriek startled the toddlers, and they ran towards Ania, hugging her tightly. I followed them and hugged my Luna.

She whispered in my ear, "I will kill you today for making me so worried," before kissing my lips. The bond flared back on like a switch. It had been dormant.

"I don't want Monday to be my death day; Friday will be proper, my love," I told her through the mind-link, and she giggled. I dipped my head on her neck, and a growl escaped me. Richie's scent was all over her. They must have spent time together. As if she read my mind, Ania told me through the mind-link, "Relax, alpha man. I rode home with him after I failed to reach you, your men, and get a cab. The storm outside was raging, and I could have been stranded if it weren't for him."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit confused by the situation. Richard was becoming too familiar with my Luna, and it had already happened twice in less than a week. However, I tried to push those thoughts aside as I extended my hand to greet Richard, who was now standing next to Grace.

"Welcome, Principal Richard. I can help you settle into your quarters," Grace offered, but Richard quickly interjected.

"No, thank you. I will be helped by my assistant, Trump," he said, gesturing to the man standing behind him.

Ania then stepped forward, taking charge of the situation. "Right side, second floor. Dinner at seven. If you're not at the table by then, you'll be sleeping on an empty stomach," she said firmly, before excusing herself and heading into the kitchen with the other women.

Richard made a comment about it being a long night, and I realized that Ania's bossy attitude was directed at me. She needed to remind me that she was in charge of the pack house affairs, no matter what I had done to warrant her assertiveness. I couldn't think of anything specific that I had done, but I decided it was best to tread carefully and show her the respect she deserved.

"Every day is drama with our alpha couple, there's never a dull moment with them," Lemmy taunted as he walked out of the kitchen, and everyone burst out laughing except for me. After chatting with Richie about his first day of school, we all went to our rooms to freshen up before coming down for dinner.

Ania walked into the bedroom just as I finished cleaning up. She silently walked into the closet, and I followed her. I watched as she removed her earrings without saying a word. She then pulled off her blouse, and we both exclaimed, "Why wasn't your mind-link working?"

"I'll go first," I said. "Why did you block our mind-link? I was worried because I couldn't feel you through the bond either."

Ania's response was strange. She explained that her mind-link wasn't working either, and even though I could feel her through the bond, there were no emotions, almost as if she wasn't conscious. Mind-links always worked, unless someone with higher power interrupted it. There were no witches in our pack, so who could have blocked our links? Or did a witch find a way to us?

Ania asked me, "What are you thinking about?" and I replied, "Nothing." My mate became upset and said, "The problem with you, Hunter, is that you always keep things from me. I hate that about you. You couldn't even tell me that our principal was moving in with us? Now I know that you are disturbed, I can feel it through the bond, but you can't tell me what's wrong? Am I really your mate?" She wrapped a towel around her chest as she spoke.

I started to purr, realizing that I couldn't tell my mate what was bothering me. I believed that a witch or someone with a higher power might be among us, but how could I share such a thought with Ania?

"I'm sorry that you feel like I didn't want to tell you about Richie. It was a decision that was reached late this evening that he should stay at the principal's quarters. When I wanted to inform you, your mind-link wasn't working," I explained.

"My phone was working, and my messages were too," she retorted as I weighed down the call.

"Don't do that. You know I hate it when you use the darn calling to avoid discussing issues with me," Ania snapped. I watched as she walked to the bathroom.

We hadn't said a word to each other since Ania started her assignments until the moment she fell asleep. We didn't even go down for dinner. I sat on the bed, unable to sleep, feeling perturbed. Something more powerful than us was hovering around, but I didn't know what or who it was. My mate's safety was my main concern, as well as the safety of everyone else there. I had locked my vampire in for so long, but if I needed to find out who or what was causing this disturbance, I had no choice but to accept both sides of myself.

Ania's presence could be felt in every corner of the room, and that was the only thing keeping me sane right then. I had a lot to deal with - I was almost going mad. The situation with Lemmy running away with Tracy and their son was also an issue, with neither Tracy nor the biological father willing to give up the child. We had spent the whole day there, but we couldn't come up with a solution.

Ania's scent perfumed the room, calming my nerves. I was on edge, but her presence helped me to stay focused. Ania was unaware that I had been watching her, as I couldn't sleep.

No matter how much I tried to avert my gaze from her sleeping form tangled in the sheets, my eyes kept returning to her, and I found myself standing over her. My senses were all over the place when it came to her. I knew that as a Luna, she had the right to know everything that was going on, but there was no need for both of us to have sleepless nights. I didn't want her to worry about anything.

However, as I looked at her, I doubted she would ever understand that I had good intentions for hiding things from her. My thoughts were interrupted when I felt the mind-link open up.

"Are you awake, my alpha?" Lemmy asked. I stared at the glass of whiskey in my hand before downing it. "You know I am, or you wouldn't be asking," I replied as I got out of bed and walked over to the bar. I poured another glass, and the door to my room opened.

Joe and Lemmy stepped in, avoiding eye contact with my mate and turning their attention towards me. Joe took a seat in the armchair while Lemmy approached her on the bed. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he simply covered her with a throw rug before sitting across from Joe. I handed them each a glass before taking my own.

"What's on your mind?" I inquired.

"I believe it's time for you to unleash your vampire. If you're going to protect your Luna and the rest of us, something suspicious is afoot," Lemmy asserted, looking over at me.

"So, the reason for your middle-of-the-night invasion of my room is to tell me to unleash my vampire?" I inquired.

"She will not love me once my vampire side is out, and I don't think I will be able to control it before it causes a rampage," I answered, feeling anger coursing through me. I wondered if humans had formed an alliance with witches to take us out, or if someone was creeping in on us.

"Do you think your lycan side can take out whatever is creeping?" Joe asked. "You better show her both your sides and let her love you for who you are. You can't keep hiding from her, and we need your vampire," he added.

"We're here because we couldn't sleep... When Rina was in school and I couldn't reach her through our mind-link and bond, I became worried. And when I couldn't reach Ania and Grace either, I knew something was amiss. I can't sleep with the knowledge that something is onto us," Joe explained to us.

"I feel the same way. It's just too much," I replied, nodding in agreement.

"How many drinks have you had?" Joe inquired, gesturing towards my glass.

"I've had a few too many," I admitted with a shrug, causing Joe to furrow his brows in concern. It was a look I had seen on his face countless times before.

"Are you sure that's wise with everything that's going on?" he asked.

"Whatever it is, we'll deal with it. Sober or not, we'll handle it. We always do," I responded, as I made my way across the room to sit on the edge of the bed facing them.

"I assume you came to see me for a better reason?" I asked them.

"Yes, my alpha. We know we agreed to leave at 6 AM back to Kristian's place, but the men are antsy since today's mind-link interruptions. We want to deal with that case, get over it, and focus on the new being among us. Plus, we beg you, we need your vampire," Joe said.

"You want to leave early?" I asked. They both nodded their heads, looking at Ania on the bed behind me.

"Do you doubt my ability to keep your Luna safe in my lycan form?" I asked them.

"Never, my alpha, but we should get ahead of whatever it is, know its intentions before it strikes out. It's the only way to keep our alpha and Luna safe, then the rest of the pack," Joe answered.

"I'm fine. I'm equally as strong as a lycan. I can keep all of you safe," I stated. It was funny how their priority was to keep me and my Luna safe while my priority was to keep my Luna and them safe.

"What about the driver?" I asked.

"He's also ready to go. We want to be back here by noon. We're worried," Lemmy said.

"Give me an hour," I answered, glancing at the clock. It was a little after 2 AM. My head turned back to them, and they were both getting to their feet.

"I want to talk to her first, at least tell her everything and show her my vampire form. She needs to understand to be vigilant when we aren't around," I said.

"Do you want me to stay?" Joe asked. I glanced at Ania before looking back at him.

"It won't be necessary. I can never hurt her even in my vampire form. And you need to tell your mates what's going on too," I told them, and they nodded before both of them took their leave. Placing the glass down, I stripped off my shorts before shifting. Twisting my neck, I cracked it. My bones had readjusted and snapped swiftly with my shift, and my vision and sense of smell adjusted as I walked toward the bed before climbing on it, but this time, I wasn't a lycan but a vampire.

I noticed Ania's back rising and falling as she breathed in and out, so I gently pulled the blankets off her. Despite the thin sheets, my claws still managed to slice through them as I removed them from her body. Ania shifted in her sleep, causing goosebumps to form on her exposed skin. As I trailed my hand up her side, I took in the scent of her neck, but I didn't want to startle her awake.

I continued to watch her, feeling a sudden desire to claim what was rightfully mine again. Without thinking, I licked her mark and sank my fangs into her, marking her again. She moaned softly in her sleep before freezing. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, like the wings of a hummingbird. I ran my tongue over the bite, licking up the blood that trailed down her shoulder blade.

"Hunter?" Ania's voice was barely audible, and I pressed my nose against her cheek. She trembled beneath me, but as I pressed my chest to her back and began to purr, her tremors subsided, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"You're safe with me, always, no matter what form I take," I purred before releasing her from my grasp. She remained still, and though I could tell she was scared, it was clear that she trusted me enough not to hurt her since she didn't try to escape. I sniffed her neck, and she turned her face slightly before I pressed my nose against hers. Her giggle made me chuckle, and I licked her lips.

"You're an ugly vampire," she chuckled, and though the beast in me tried to go wild, for the first time, I felt like I had control over it. It was as if I could tame it because it was submitting to me.

"Well then, I guess I am your beast, and you are my beauty," I snickered. I lifted my weight slightly off her when she rolled beneath me and looked up at me. Her hands shakily moved to my face before her thumb ran over one of my fangs. She jerked her hand away when it sliced the pad of her thumb, and she sucked on it.

I chuckled. ''What did you expect? Them not to be sharp?'' She pulled her thumb from her mouth and examined the slice, but I quickly licked it, letting her watch it heal. She seemed in awe as she studied the now non-existent cut. Ania took 30 minutes admiring my vampire, which was playing calm, and then we had a deep conversation. I told her about our new fears, and a few minutes later, I walked out of our room after showering and called my Luna to sleep.

𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩 :

The next morning, my phone's alarm rang on time, waking me up. Hunter had left at night, and I woke up feeling empty and cold. It didn't take long to go through my morning routine. After putting on a light layer of makeup, I headed downstairs.

As I was walking down the stairs, I smelled the delicious aroma of breakfast. Valentine was bustling around the kitchen when she noticed me. A warm smile bloomed on her face as she greeted me, "Good morning, my Luna. Come, come, have some breakfast! You didn't come down for dinner last night," she exclaimed.

"Good morning, Valentine. Thank you. Last night, we couldn't come down. We were so tired," I said.

Richard was already seated at the dining table, holding a tablet in one hand and lifting his mug with the other to take a sip. After a casual greeting, I sat down and enjoyed the breakfast that Valentine served. When I finished eating, Richie set his tablet aside and stated, "I'll ride with you to school."

"Thanks, but there's no need for that," I swiftly replied. "I'll take a cab." There was no way I was going to be seen with him in the same car, and I didn't want his scent on me. Hunter was put off by it last night. " I insist, my Luna. Why would you take a cab when I have a car we can use?" he asked, gazing at me. "I also insist," I stated, and he smirked before saying, "I hope to get you to class before I get there. I don't tolerate lateness." He stood up, and his seat scraped the floor. I was seated at my desk ten minutes before class began.

The day passed by in a blur, and for the most part, I kept to myself. I sat out on the oval with Grace and Rina, watching as students and teachers set up the training grounds after classes, preparing for physical education and training. Nausea filled me, knowing I was about to do two hours of training that I didn't want to do, but no one was an exception. I missed Hunter being the games coach, and I wondered who was going to take his place now that he was absent. I saw Richard walk onto the field with the literature teacher.

"Who is the substitute games coach now that my mate isn't here?" I asked rhetorically.

"I heard that it is Richie; the school is short-staffed at the moment," Grace said before running across the field towards the principal, clinging onto him like a leech.

"Grace is serious about having a thing with Richie. She still believes that he will choose her as his mate," Rina hissed, and I nodded.

"How old is Richie?" I asked Rina, who seemed to be informed about everything. He looked pretty young compared to all the principals I had ever seen.

"Twenty-five. He is a good principal, strict but fair. A lot better than Mylar," Rina chirped. "And how do you know? He has only been here for a day," I chimed.

"I read his resume and reviews from his former school," Rina said just as Richie looked in our direction. I dropped my head and was thankful when the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the training. Rina and I made our way back to our lockers and grabbed our gym clothes. We quickly changed in the bathroom before heading down to the field where everyone was gathered.

Richie was talking amongst a few teachers before silence suddenly fell over everyone, and people started walking off into their designated groups. I followed Rina over to our age group and was a little surprised to see Richard come over to us. Rina smiled at him when he approached.

"Hey, principal," she said, smiling brightly. Her smile was contagious.

"Hi, Rina," he replied. "Ania, you can sit out for today if you like. I have a nagging feeling that you still need some time before fully plunging into school activities, considering you had family issues to take care of."

I nodded, grateful I didn't have to start training straight away. But then the literature teacher came up behind him and said, "No, she can train like the rest of them." So much for sitting out.

"She doesn't have to. Daisy, I have excused her," Principal Avril said, and I gave the literature teacher a pleading look. She pressed her lips into a line but didn't say anything.

"Come sit on the bleachers and watch," Richie told me, and I followed him over to the bleachers before sitting down. I watched everyone train. Richie got up a few times to help some teachers and correct some students. When he came back over, though, he looked down at me.

"Have you finished my assignment and project?" he asked me.

"I've finished the assignment, but not the project. I don't have a group," I told him, not feeling very comfortable around him. I noticed Grace kept looking over at us.

"Do you train a lot with your friends? I mean, before you took a break?" he asked.

"Yes, we used to," I told him, and he nodded.

"Good, well, you can have today and tomorrow off. But then you can start training with everyone else. This time around, I will re-shuffle the groups on the field and off the field in class. Be prepared to get yourself in a group of students that you don't share the same home with," he said, and I nodded.

Grace came over and stopped in front of me. I saw the glare she gave me disappear, replaced with a smile.

"You should be training, Grace. Get back on the field," Richie snapped.

"I was just seeing if you could come and help me, Richie," she purred, displaying the crush she had on him.

"That's Principal Richard! Now get back on the field," he told her, pointing back in the direction she came. She looked down at me, her eyes narrowing before sauntering off.

"Well, I better get back out there, Ania. I'll see you around," he said, walking off towards the literature teacher who was now scolding Grace for leaving the field.

When the training session finished, my literature teacher called me over to speak with her. As she pulled me aside from others, she expressed her concern, saying, "You have a lot of unfinished assignments, yet you seem to be more interested in catching the principal's attention than going to the library to complete your work. Instead, you are spending time with the king." Although she scolded me, I couldn't help but notice that she referred to the principal as "king."

"Well, I don't see why that should be any of your concern since I am not taking any of your classes. Besides, it's not like I sought him out; he approached me," I retorted.

Attitude, young lady, I will not tolerate disrespect," she said sternly, and I rolled my eyes, immediately regretting it.

"Ania, just because you are the luna doesn't mean you can slack off. Here at school, you are a student like everyone else. Now, ten laps around the oval," she ordered.

"What? You can't be serious. The principal said I could sit this one out," I argued back, but then Richie's scent hit me. Richard walked up and stopped beside me, clearly witnessing our dispute.

"Is everything alright?" he asked the teacher. She bowed her head in respect.

"Yes, my king it will be. Now go, Ania," she said, pointing to the edge of the field. Everyone's eyes were on me, and I didn't want to set an example as a rebellious Luna. So, I took off my jumper before tossing it at her. Why was she acting like that? Why was she addressing Richard as a king, and why was she bowing to him? Was it a nickname? How did she know I was a Luna? Wasn't she human? With scent suppressant pills, it was becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between humans and supernaturals.

"Make that twenty," she called out. I groaned but went to the edge of the field, cursing her name.

"Keep going, Luna, and it will be thirty. Now start running," she buzzed in my mind-link, confirming that she wasn't human. But what kind of being was she? I rolled my eyes and started doing laps. Rina did a couple with me before getting tired and sitting down. My legs burned by the time I did fifteen, and my lungs felt like they were about to explode. I wasn't physically fit.

Stopping, I braced my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. The teacher blew her whistle, grabbing my attention, and I looked over at her.

"Five more, Ania. I didn't say stop," she shouted.

"This is bullshit," I muttered under my breath.

"You want me to add more?" she called out.

I shook my head and continued running around the oval. Principal Richard, whom I noticed in the bleachers, was watching, and by the look on his face, something had made him angry. I was angry too, as I tried to mind-link my mate, but just like the previous day, it wasn't working. By the time I finished running, my lungs were on fire.

"You are riding with me home, and you have no say, or I will carry you on my shoulder to the car," Richard mind-linked. Before I could say anything, the mind-link shut. I scanned where he was with my eyes and landed on him leaning on his car with Trump by his side. "Don't keep me waiting, or we will give this school a show," Richard threatened through the mind-link. "I don't want to be seen with you," I snapped.

"Yet, it is our collective responsibility to keep our Luna safe. So come on now," Richard said. I waited until the school was clear before climbing into his car.

The ride was silent, and as we approached the last corner to the pack house, I remembered that Richie had been addressed as "king" twice by our literature teacher. "You said you saw the newspaper article about the interview for the principal position?" I asked him.

"Yes, my Luna, why?" he asked, staring into my eyes. I controlled my gaze and heartbeat. "Nothing, just asking," I said. I knew he lied, because at no point in our conversation did we ever ask him how he had found out about the principal's vacancy at our school,but he was a master of deception because his heartbeat never gave him away, nor did his scent.