FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

Ania became excited to meet up with Rina as she put on her clothes after we had showered, which made me relax a little. I had been worried that she would fret. I followed Ania down to the kitchens, where Zara was talking to some servants and giving them directions. When Zara saw Ania, she frowned.

"Ania dear, this is no place for our future Queen," Zara said. The way Ania cringed at the title did not go unnoticed by me. "The King said....." Ania started, but I growled at how she addressed my title.

"Could you rephrase that, Ania?" I asked her. I stepped closer to her until my chest brushed against her back, and she visibly relaxed. "Arman said, I could help Rina until he returns," Ania said. I kissed her cheek and nodded, confirming what she said, and Zara sighed.

"Very well, Rina is in Beta Dwight's quarters," Zara answered. Ania turned to leave, but paused halfway between me and the door, like she was indecisive whether to go to Rina or return to me. "Ania, are you okay?" I asked, debating whether to change my mind about leaving today. Ania nodded, but rushed back and hugged me, squeezing me tight. I picked her up, letting her bury her face in my neck as she stole whiffs of my scent.

As I placed her back on her feet, she looked hesitant to leave, but eventually rushed off. I turned to face Zara, who watched her with worry as she left. She smiled warmly at me, and I motioned for her to come closer.

Zara stepped nearer, and I pulled her off to the side. "I need to leave. I won't be back until late tomorrow. Could you organize a cake and dinner for Ania's birthday tomorrow?" I asked.

"I thought her birthday wasn't for a couple more weeks," she wondered.

"Dwight spoke with the matron from her old pack. Her birthday is tomorrow and Ania also gave me the dates, I want the whole castle to celebrate when I get back," I told Zara.

"Of course, my King. I would be honored. Am I right in assuming you want this to be a surprise?" she asked. I nodded. Zara knew me too well.

"I will organize something special for her then," she beamed, and I gripped her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. Turning on my heel, I left the kitchens and made my way down the corridors toward the front exit. The moment I stepped outside, my urges told me to go find my mate to make sure she was okay. Gary was waiting for me by the cars, and Beta Dwight walked over to us. I fought the urges to go back to my mate with every whim in me.

I looked back at the castle before giving Dwight a nod and climbing into the car. I trusted him with my life, so I knew I could trust him with Ania. He would keep her safe and put her life above his own, as he had done countless times for me.

The drive was long and wearisome. I hated that I had to leave home, yet I was also curious about what the matron had discovered about my little mate. I was interested in her lineage and where she came from.

I would have to remember to visit Richie and Lucy and give them a taste of their own medicine, especially Lucy, who had the whip in her hands. I knew that, because of the sire bond, Richie wouldn't do anything to harm Ania, at least not in person. Lucy would learn the error of her ways. Her back would look like Ania's by the time I was finished with her, and she would bear the same marks she had inflicted on my mate. If I were still in a good mood, I might even spare her life and refrain from killing her. But she would never again allow herself to be used as a tool of punishment.

I will see, though. I don't like making promises I can't keep, and I can't guarantee that I won't harm her. The horror stories I have heard, and even the guards have overheard, angered me. Thinking of that reminded me that I needed to deal with Janet. I want her gone from the castle and away from my Queen, I thought to myself.

Feeling the mind link open up, I wished it was Ania, but I knew she would never look for me first. Even after making love, she still seemed to fear me, or perhaps she was just reserved with me.

"Yes, Dwight," I replied when I felt his aura bleed into the link.

"Just checking in. Where are you now, and is the journey smooth?" he asked. He was always the brother I never had.

"Somewhere past the second forest. How is my mate?" I inquired.

"She's okay, helping rake leaves in the garden," he replied. I growled. I hated the idea of her working. She had done nothing but slave labor for five years, and when given a chance to do what she pleased, she resorted back to household duties. It was absurd.

"It's okay, anything else Dwight?" I asked.

"No, my king, everything's good over here. I was just worried about you," he stated.

"Why are you worried about me? I am the alpha of kings. I believe I can take care of myself, Dwight. Your concern right now is my mate," I boasted.

"Always, Arman. It's my job to worry about you. I understand why you left me with Ania, but that doesn't mean I've stopped worrying about you," he answered.

"Okay, Dwight, but I want you to check on me hourly and give me updates about my mate. Is that alright?" I told him.

"Noted, my king. I will keep in touch," he said, and I cut the mind link.

"Do you know what Mrs. Sydney wanted to see me for?" I asked Gary, and he shook his head.

"No idea, Arman. I rang her this morning, and she only said it had to do with Ania, that she thinks she found something alarming," Gary told me. I nodded, wondering why it was so secretive.

"Anything on the children yet?" I asked. I knew the pack house should be receiving new rogue children.

"No, but I believe it has something to do with that no-good son of hers," Gary answered.

"Just remain alert. I want to get back to my mate as soon as possible, so in and out. Sh*t, I also need to deal with Lucy. She will never allow Richie to use her again as a punishment tool. Did she give birth?" I asked. "Yes, sir, the pup should be a month old," Gary said, and I shook my head. "Richie will have to take her place," I said.

"I called ahead, figuring you would want to have a word with them. So our men had them strung up in the town square, waiting for you," Gary smirked. My eyes flickered with anger. She would pay for the pain she caused my mate, and she would pay dearly. However, I had a personal rule not to punish pregnant or lactating women. So I ordered that she be released and Richie be strung up in her place.

Later on, we arrived in the town square, and true to Gary's word, Richie was standing with his wrists tied above his head, shivering against the wind as Lucy wept beside him. Mrs. Sydney and her son were waiting for us, and they greeted us instantly. However, I noticed that Mrs. Sydney stepped forward first to shake my hand while her son kept his head hung low. Mrs. Sydney was dressed in an official skirt suit with her blazer undone, and her blouse was wrinkled like she had been working in it all day. She looked pristine compared to her son, who was dressed in shorts and a tank top. He was not exactly dressed for the arrival of a king, and I sneered at his bare feet. He bared his neck to me, knowing that it was a smart move not to lose my temper. I was already on edge about having to leave my mate behind and come here.

"I have tied him up as you requested, sir. May I ask what he did wrong?" one of my men asked, looking at Richie. I had started my revenge, and I was determined to make it slow and painful. Richie whimpered at his words.

"He did a lot wrong. He has caused me a great deal of pain over the years," I told the man.

"I see. If I may ask, what did my mate do to deserve this punishment? If it's about your friend, he had nothing to do with her death," Lucy said, sending a glare my way. Her fear was so potent that I could smell it.

"The punishment has already been decided, Lucy. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill Richie. But by the time I'm done with him, he will be begging for death and it still won't come. I wanted to punish him myself for all the pain he caused me, but Gary volunteered so we could get this over with more quickly. He even brought his own whip," I smiled coldly at Richie, whose face paled. I could tell he was confused, but I was in no mood for explanations.

"How many lashings did we count on the girls' backs?" I asked Gary, turning to look at him.

"Dwight and I believe around seventy on Rina's," Gary stated.

"And from what I could count, roughly 135 on Ania's, though I know that number is a lot higher, but it's hard to count when the skin is terribly marred," I growled.

"With all due respect my King, 200 lashes! he wouldn't be able to stand. He couldn't possibly heal fast enough," Lucy pleaded, and Richie whimpered.

"Quite right, we can't have that." I said. Lucy let out a sigh, and I turned to Gary; "Double the lashes, I don't want him standing at all," I told him.

Richie screamed and thrashed against his restraints.

Mrs Sydney and her son looked at me in horror, and I stepped toward them.

"Shall we get this meeting over with?" I motioned toward the pack house. They both hurried ahead, sending nervous glances at me, and halfway to the house, I stopped and turned to watch as Gary unraveled the whip he brought along with him.

"Gary?" I called to him, and his head looked up at me.

"Yes, my king?" He asked, his eyes gleaming with this revenge. He could be a twisted f****r, a crip. Then again, I suppose I could be too.

"Make sure you swap arms. I wouldn't want you to get a cramp, or tire out" I told him.

"Of course, my king," he nodded, before stalking to where the man stood cowering. I heard the swish of the whip as it sliced through the air before Richie's blood-curdling scream rang through the town square as it came down on his back. I shook my head,one lash and he was already screaming when Ania and Rina had dozens on his orders,what did he think they didn't feel it, just because they were ordered not to cry or make a sound? It was time he had a taste of his own medicine.

I climbed up the steps into the packhouse, where Mrs Sydney and her son were standing and staring out at Richie while Lucy was pleading at his feet, looking horrified.

Although I would have preferred to do it myself, I was eager to get home to Ania. So when Gary offered, I took him up on it. "My King, would you like some coffee, water, or perhaps some tea?" Mrs Sydney offered.

"Have you got any whiskey?" I asked, needing something stronger.

"Yes, of course. Please fetch some whiskey. We'll be in the basement," Mrs Sydney said to her son.

Two of my guards followed me, while another stalked ahead of Mrs Sydney and pointed to a door. Mrs Sydney nodded, and we waited until he went down and called out "clear" before I descended into the basement. The place was filled with boxes and boxes of files. In the middle of the room sat a table and a lamp, along with pictures and various documents.

"What is all this?" I asked, looking down at the table.

"I have some distressing news about Miss Ania. I pulled out her files and just realized that she was a killing machine five years ago. She was responsible for the deaths of so many people. Did you know that we recently found out that she was the one who killed King Richie's mate and their unborn child, who was your friend?" Mrs. Sydney said, handing me a picture of Ania's file. She was among the most wanted people for a massacre five years back. The file listed so many people's deaths that were associated with her or caused by her.

"What is this?" I asked, perplexed. I looked in horror at what Ania had done.

"You took away a murder weapon from us and put her in your home. Soon, you will be facing the same things we faced five years ago," Mrs. Sydney said, handing me another autopsy photograph of a man. But these pictures meant nothing to me.

"Okay," I said, stunned. I shook my head, wondering how Ania could be a killing machine. She didn't strike me as someone who could even hurt a fly, but looks could be deceiving. Could it be the reason she was declared rogue and enslaved as punishment? They were even merciful if they didn't kill her. Such a person deserved nothing but death.

Mrs. Sydney opened a clear bag she had pulled from a box. The clothes were bloody, but I noticed the hunter's insignia patch as it tipped over and fell on the table. I picked it up.

"Where did you get this?" I asked her.

"I have been trying to piece things together from where you came from because it appears you dropped from nowhere. But from my investigations, I could only come up with one thing. You are the former Alpha of this pack, Hunter Allan Augustus. But what happened to you? Were you changed by a witch? Do you remember your mate?" She questioned me, but my mind was blank.

I asked, shocked, ''Do you know what killed my mate?'' The information about me being a hunter and my former name being Hunter Allan Augustus was true. I had already been told by my old friend during my recent visit and had already shared it with my men.

''Your former mate was my daughter ,and no she is not dead,'' she dropped the bomb with a steady heart beat.

''What do you mean,my mate is dead.'' I said, peering down at all the items on the table. My stomach rolled, and I felt like throwing up. Her daughter, my former mate? It didn't even sound right to my ears.

She rummaged through some paperwork before pulling out two photographs. She handed them to me, and my blood drained from my body as I snarled.

''I take it you recognize her,'' Mrs. Sydney stated. But I shook my head, even though the woman in the pictures was drop-dead gorgeous.

''What happened to you, King Arman? Why can't you remember anything?'' she asked. She didn't seem surprised, more like she was happy I didn't.

''Who else knows about this?'' I asked, ignoring her questions

"Just you, my daughter, and I," she told me.

"Let's keep it that way. If one word gets out about me being the former alpha or your daughter being my mate, I will pull out your tongue," I warned. I didn't want to tell her about Ania being my mate . It was impossible to have two fated mates at the same time, unless somebody cheats , chooses and claim another,more or less like polygamy. The fated mate's bond was sacred. I will get to the bottom of it.

"But my king, what about Nadia?" she asked.

"Who is Nadia?" I asked.

"My daughter, your mate. I will not allow her to remain here in the pack house when you are living your best life as her mate," she said. My face dropped at her words. How could the moon goddess allow me to have two mates at the same time?

"I have heard you, but your words don't carry weight. I will conduct my own investigation, and if she is indeed my mate, I will come back for her. Right now, I have to deal with the possibility of living with a murderer in the castle," I firmly stated, and she swallowed hard.

"No, my king. My daughter will not be left behind. You will go with her," she snarled.

A glare from me and my aura rippling out was enough to earn me an apology.