Chapter 6: Chapter 6 - Surprise

…ALPHA HUNTER…

I gloomily trudged back to the pack house, sensing the loss of my mate that walked in the other direction. How had I been blessed with her as my mate? The more time I spend with her, the more I realise she was here for the girl only - so my tie to her was insignificant. I had to come up with a plan, a reason for her to stay. Maybe for her to see me as more than just the murderous Alpha of this pack... or find a way to let go.

She had been so certain, so desperate that this girl was here and I had hoped this was not all in vain. War was looming and my pack was unsettled, rightfully so, I also believed the pack had an inkling as to who she was to me - but none of us knew about elven life or how their relationships worked.

The timing was unfortunate but there was nothing I could do about it. What if she chose to reject me? How would I be able to carry on?

Just then, Max and Ryka almost ran into me when they saw me ascending the back steps. “Alpha, we’re sorry, that she-devil…”

“Is my mate.” I blocked their sentence with a warning.

“You’re… what… is happening?” Max was lacking the ability to decipher as Ryka’s eyes mimicked saucers.

“Can you… mate… with a?”

“I don’t know how?”

“But she’s a… a…”

“You fell asleep - on duty - you’re lucky she told me what she did.” They both flopped their heads forward understanding the enormity of their mistake, yet, they seemed happy she had told me and not allowed them to be thrown under the bus.

“She told you the truth?”

“She did,” they looked at each other and smiled.

“Sorry Alpha,” they bowed and disappeared in a flash. I just rolled my eyes, young wolves.

The sun began to fall as I waited in my office for her to return. I mind linked Val, Marcus, Oscar and Jeremy and also requested a plate be brought up for Drea, who still was not back yet. We sat, discussing battle plans and strategies as the sun sunk deeper. I glanced at her plate of food that sat beside me untouched when soft knuckles wrapped at the door and the distinct smell of honeysuckle drifted in.

“Come in,” I answered the soft knock, taking pleasure in my senses being overloaded with her delectable scent.

“Am I late?” She smiled.

“Almost, the sun is just about out, did you find your answers?” She nodded vigorously, “are you sharing?”

“Of course, I would not lock you out now,” she swallowed hard as she looked at me, it was frustrating not knowing what she’s thinking.

“Princess?” Val had vacated his chair and offered for her to sit, she bowed and graciously took the seat while I handed her the plate piled high with food.

“Thank you, Beta, but it’s just Drea.” He tipped his head to the side, “thank you, Hunter, I’m famished.” She began to eat slowly and delicately, I zoned in on the way her mouth moved, those luscious lips, so full, pink and just like that, I felt my heart pattering away - I had to focus.

“Continue, while Drea eats,” she watched me curiously as her eyes flashed pink. This time, I didn’t mention it but I could see she felt it as she shook her head, blinking furiously.

“We know they are trying to break the barrier, we know that they saw her breach the protection grid.” Oscar motions to Drea as she scrutinized our meeting with avid interest, “we still don’t know what their plans are…”

Just then there’s a knock at the door, interrupting us. “Enter,” I spoke, we all looked at the door to see who the intruder was.

“Hunter baby, I’m lonely without you.”

“What the hell?” I threw out.

Fuck, Scarlet knew exactly what she was doing when she walked in with practically nothing on, just an orange G-string and a matching crop top, my fists clenched so hard my knuckles turned white. She was flaunting herself in front of my mate, hoping for a rise, to prove she would make a better Luna but all she was doing was making me angry.

“Boys, you don’t mind if I steal him for some between the sheets fun, do you?” She purrs with daggers at Drea.

“How dare you?” I was mortified.

They all snapped their heads towards my mate, sitting there, undeterred by Scarlets presence. She glanced up to see everyone’s widened eyes on her and she was taken aback, “what?” she gasped out, uncomfortably shifting in her seat.

“It’s Alpha to you Scarlet, Beta, remove that thing.” My tone was dangerous as poured out through gritted teeth. I was furious that she had blatantly disrespected my mate and me. My orders were clear months ago, I would engage with no one - I was waiting for my match. I would have to deal with her later, right now, I was worried about my mate.

“I-I I’m sorry,” she locked eyes with mine as I walked around my desk to kneel before of her, showing submission and concern.

“Sorry?” She shook her head in confused question, thank god, she hadn’t realised what Scarlet had done. “That’s the same woman, isn’t it? From this morning? She gave me a scathing look when you grabbed my hand, is she your girlfriend?”

“Nnnnnooooo.” I threw back quickly shaking my head from side to side.

“Do your females usually walk around basically naked? Is it a werewolf thing?” The wolves chuckled and I released a low curt growl, warning them to cut it out.

“No, just promiscuous ones.” My hands trembled awaiting her reply, I was agitated.

“Oh, we have them too… free spirits,” she smiled to herself and continued eating as I blew out the breath I’d been holding between my teeth. This glorious woman had no idea just how close I came to killing my own pack member in front of her and yet, she continued on without judgement or offence.

This was definitely bothersome, I was completely enamoured with her and as I glanced at the reaction of the men in the room, they were floored to see no spark of insecurity. A she-wolf had obviously challenged her to claim me as her own and Drea had brushed her off as if she was nothing more than a comical clown putting on a performance. Eleczonjdrea was quintessential.

I moved back and rested against my desk as Val rejoined us, I still furrowed my brow, unsure on what this all meant but decided to push forward. “So Drea, I have informed these men of our young girl, would you mind telling us what happened?” She placed her plate back on my desk and finished her goblet of juice.

“Very well,” she nodded. “There is an empty shack hidden deep in the forest of your territory, from the images I received, it looks fairly beaten down and from the outside looks unliveable. I think that is where I will find her. I will be leaving first thing in the morning, because of the dense terrain, I have to leave Sudryl here - if that’s okay? It will be about a day and a half’s walk, I will travel faster without Max and Ryka, quite frankly, I don’t think they can handle missing another night’s sleep,” she giggled to herself.

I thought for a moment, “Oscar, Jeremy, Max and Ryka will go with us while Val and Marcus take care of everything else.”

“Us?” She stands to her feet.

“Yes us… do you honestly think I would let you go without adequate protection?”

“You are the Alpha, you can’t leave to go with me,” she spoke with an incredulous face.

“You’re right, I am Alpha. I can just leave and I will - my pack is well taken care of.”

“War is at your doorstep, you can’t just…”

Before she had time to argue, her body sunken inward, like her lungs had just collapsed and her eyes swirled into silver pools that shone bright, rendering her completely frozen, until she dropped to the floor, heaving and struggling for breath. “They’ve broken... through the barrier... north side,” she choked out as we stilled, attempting to process what just happened.

She scrambles to her feet with an irritated huff, pushing me aside and jumping over my desk to grasp the flail. “I’m sorry,” she offers before moving quickly to the window, kicking it open, gripping the curtain rack and swinging out straight out, sprinting along the roof.

“Fuck move,” I screamed, phasing into my Alpha wolf and following her right out the window.

She kicked off the end of the roof and flew through the air like she was about to dive into a pool, when she tucked in and rolled, just before she hit the ground, continuing her ridiculously fast run heading north without the slightest bit of fear or reluctance.

I followed closely behind in wolf form as she whistles - and out of nowhere - her horse comes galloping swiftly up, pausing briefly in front of her as she jumped on his back from behind and they both bolt off, like a bullet. It was as if I were watching an action movie in real life and man was I turned on.

The north side was not too far from the pack house and as we pelted as fast as we could. You could see the sparks of light flying up in the air, someone, was most definitely, attacking our grid. Three unknown wolves stood inside the barrier as more waited outside it, next to a witch. She looked young and inexperienced, scared even, hence why she could only hold it open long enough to let one in at a time.

I growled as she managed to get another one through. Drea sunk lower onto her horse as he picked up speed, forcing me to pick up my paws too, leaving the other four in our dust.

The now five unknown wolves were snarling at us, gnashing their canines together aggressively, ready to fight. Skidding to a stop, Drea leapt off her horse and swung the flail around, connecting with a light grey wolf, ripping its throat straight out while a black and brown coloured wolf jumped toward her just as I came up and dug my teeth and claws deep into his face and neck. She circled around me as I crunched down hard, crushing the wolf’s skull as another wolf was let in. My warriors joined us with a horrendous echoing of crunching, snarling, howling and whimpering all around.

“Hunter, cover me?” I heard her call as I leapt to her side. My acute hearing picks up her whisper.

“Cinta-pant.” (Small opening)

We hear the woman’s high pitched scream and a rumble blasted through the air as her body gets electrocuted against the barrier.

“Kir.” (Close or cut)

Drea touches my side as waves of bliss roll through my body, I swung my head around to look at her, her eyes widen as she stares at her hand, all while she holds a heart on the tendrils of her flail in the other, I shifted back.

“Holy shit - you ripped the heart of the witch out.”