FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗩:

As I walked back to my class, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. Going to a location so far away from the pack house without any backup was risky, especially considering the recent increase in rogue activity and the presence of a being with a higher power among us. However, I knew I couldn't let my grades suffer because of Richie's unreasonable demands.

I took a cab home to the pack house and slumped against the soft sofa in my bedroom. My muscles were aching terribly, likely from yesterday's run. I wanted to freshen up and leave a message for Hunter to let him know where I would be and why in case he got home before I did.

Closing my eyes for a power nap before taking a bath, I suddenly heard someone approaching me. I sat up in a fluster and caught sight of Hunter walking into the bedroom.

Hunter was wearing a casual grey sweatpants and a t-shirt, outlining his perfectly sculpted body, instead of his usual formal suit.

"Why are you back so early today?" I asked, surprised to see Hunter at that time of day. He threw a returning glance at me and said, "I missed my mate," before kissing me passionately. I melted into his embrace as he pulled me onto his lap, and the kiss didn't stop until he had ravaged my body on the sofa. I loved the way Hunter made love to me and claimed my body, the sound of our bodies connecting together filling the room with our moans. After our orgasms, I realized that Hunter hadn't knotted me.

Hunter looked at me with a pensive expression after showering together and said calmly, "Lemmy told me the food is ready. Let's go down and eat." We then descended the stairs hand in hand. Richie was not at the table, and I didn't bother asking where he was. But Hunter asked and was told that Richie had stayed back at school.

"What are you thinking about?" Hunter's mellow voice sounded out from beside me. I jolted back to my senses, smiled, and murmured, "It's nothing, apart from the fact that Richie told me he found out about the vacancy through the newspaper article." Hunter's reaction was as expected; his heartbeat was chaotic, but he didn't say anything. I was getting used to his silence, knowing that it was his way of telling me that something was a big deal and not to worry about it.

Suddenly remembering something I had to do, I said, "My Alpha, I'm going to Uplands Estate to work on my project. The groups have been reshuffled, so I won't be working with Rina or Grace anymore. But I'm not feeling comfortable about it."

"It's okay, love, just go. It's a great way to socialize and make new friends," replied Hunter. After a while, he added, "I'm free, so I can drop you off and pick you up when you're done."

Stunned, I blurted out, "There's no need for that. I don't think the special treatment is sitting well with a lot of people. I'll take a cab, and I don't want to go with a guard. What's the worst that can happen? I'll be with my fellow students. I know you have a lot on your plate." Hunter raised his eyebrows in suspicion.

Realizing that my reaction seemed slightly inappropriate, I felt embarrassed and said, "I'll be fine, I promise. If anything happens, I'll call, text, or mind-link you if it's working." He smiled and said, "In case of anything, fight like you'll never fight again until I get there." He chuckled. "And before you go, I want to know who your group members are." He added.

I decided to reach out to some friends in the pack who lived closer to the project location, hoping they would be willing to form a group with me. Luckily, they welcomed me into their WhatsApp group and I shared their names and contacts with my mate.

I grabbed my laptop bag and project materials and joined Hunter in his car. He insisted on dropping me off at Ivan's Residence, as he knew the place through his friend and as an alpha of the neighboring pack. "What time should I pick you up?" my mate asked. I told him that since I didn't know how long it would take, I would just take a cab back. He kissed me goodbye and drove off.

As I watched his car disappear, a lady wearing a bright yellow dress rushed happily towards me. I recognized her as my course mate, but I didn't know her name.

"Ania, you've finally arrived!" the lady exclaimed, grabbing my hands in hers. Flashing a bright smile at me, she added, "Come in quickly. I want to introduce you to everyone, especially my mate who is around. He is the prince of the Avril Kingdom. I'm glad you're doing the project with us. You don't know me, but I'm Luna Quinn."

I swallowed nervously. The mention of the Kingdom of Avril caught my attention, as I knew that kingdoms were usually named after their kings. It seemed like more than a coincidence, especially since I had just realized that there was another pack with another Luna in the same class as me. I would have never known if I hadn't joined the project group, which was a plus.

Luna Quinn excitedly led me into the massive house, explaining the hierarchy of the various kingdoms. "The top three kingdoms are the Devonshire's, who lead at the top, the Augustus' kingdom, though they fell, but till now the name sends chills to anyone, and they are only second because we all know the Devonshire's cheat. And the Avril's, who have only recently shot up to be the third powerful kingdom, but by the look of things, they will soon be at the top when we conquer the humans," Luna told me. I nodded along, realizing that I didn't know much about kingdoms.

She went on to explain that her mate was the son of the late king of the Avril's family. He had studied abroad for a long time and had only come to the city to find their mates, him, together with his elder brother, who was the king after his father was killed by hunters that had raided their kingdom.

As we entered the living room, a tall and lean man was sitting on the couch with his back facing us. Quinn eagerly dragged me over, introducing me as her course mate to Oliver. "She's is the Luna of the Mooncrest pack. I have known it for a while and was waiting for her to know me too, but here is a chance," Quinn said, her voice full of excitement.

"Oliver, this is Luna Ania Talia, and Ania, this is Oliver Avril, the prince of the Avril kingdom and the alpha of our pack," Quinn stated. My mind was buzzing with questions. How many more packs were still out there? I had thought that humans were outnumbering us, but by the look of things, we were many, just camouflaging amongst them.

As I raised my head, I saw a man smiling at me before he spoke. "Oh! I didn't expect someone I already know to be the new addition to the group," he said, shaking my hand. "Do I know you from somewhere?" I asked, and he shook his head. "No, Princess Devonshire. We haven't met before. I just know you," he stated, causing Quinn and Oliver to exchange a mind-linked conversation, evident by their wide eyes and glazed-over expressions.

Quinn finally spoke up, "Let's go to the study room, Princess. Our maids will bring coffee and everything there. The rest of the group members are already working." We excused ourselves from Prince Oliver, who said he was also leaving.

Although it wasn't easy working with strangers at first, we eventually found our groove and were able to complete the project on time. As a bonus, I had the opportunity to make new friends from the neighboring pack. Relief washed over me as we completed our project almost at 1 AM. We made our way to the living room as everyone excused themselves to leave. I watched as all the other group members got into their cars and drove off, while I waited for my cab driver who I had already texted.

"Ania, where is your car? I didn't see you packing as you came in earlier," Quinn asked as she peered through the curtains. "I don't have a car. I am waiting for a cab. My mate could have picked me up, but he's handling something," I truthfully told her. When Hunter left me, he headed to the county government offices for an impromptu meeting with the mayor and was still held up. He had mind-linked to tell me as we continued with our project.

"It appears as though your mate is poor if he can't afford to buy you your own car and get you enough men to keep you safe. My prince just bought me the latest BMW," she flexed.

"He must be really nice to you, but I'm content with the way things are," I replied. It was obvious that she didn't know that Hunter was Augustus. He was popularly known as Hunter Allan.

I mind-linked Hunter, telling him I was done. I didn't want to be there any longer. My cab driver also said he would be late.

"Just stay there. I am coming to pick you up," was Hunter's reply.

"What are you doing with a man who can't make you comfortable? Running an orphanage in the name of a pack house is even low for a princess like you," Quinn said, and someone snapped from behind.

"That's enough, Quinn!" I shrieked, turning to see a lady walking down to where we were. "Forgive my daughter's behavior. My name is Elena, the Luna of this pack. My daughter prefers to call herself Luna, but she will have to wait until I die. My mate, Ivan, the Alpha, would be here, but he is in town with your mate, meeting with the mayor," she spoke, while I looked at Quinn in disbelief. "Do you have a means of going back home, or would you love to spend the night, Luna Ania Talia?" she offered, and I lied to her that I was leaving and my cab was waiting outside. She walked me to the gates after she dismissed her daughter, and I watched as Quinn also drove off.

"She lives with her mate now," Elena answered the question that was lingering in my mind, telling me how her daughter really wanted to be Luna and Oliver, the Alpha of our pack. Her worry was that Oliver was in a rush to take over the pack, and she wasn't sure if he was with her daughter because of love or her position. She went further to tell me they were chosen mates, not fated, and I only listened, not sure what to tell her.

We had been chatting for a while before Elena went back inside. Hunter was talking longer than usual, so I stood outside the gates. I pulled out my phone to call Hunter again, but cursed when I realized my phone was out of juice. I strolled down the road with the hope of meeting with Hunter. I couldn't keep standing there like a pole.

The night was getting colder and the frosty breeze blew right through my body. A shiver went down my spine, and I pulled my cardigan tighter around my body as I continued walking. But as I made my way down the road, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. I saw glowing eyes in the dark; I knew they were werewolves. It was then that I heard the sound of footsteps behind me.

I turned around to see a group of rogues approaching me. My heart raced, and my first instinct was to reach out to Hunter via the mind link, but once again, the connection was low. I knew I had to act fast. I took a deep breath and summoned my inner wolf, ready to defend myself. I watched as the rogues circled me, snarling and baring their canines at me.

My heart rate quickened as I hoped that Hunter would sense my distress wherever he was. I shifted into my lycan form and let out a loud howl, which was the fastest way to reach my pack. Each howl was unique to its mate and pack members. I knew I was outnumbered and outmatched, so I shifted from my lycan to my vampire form, contemplating which form was my strongest. I burned with rage, knowing I had power I didn't know how to use, and all I could do was howl like a mad dog.

Suddenly, a lycan sprang forward, its dark eyes fixed on me with its claws gleaming in the light. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain, but it never came. Instead, I heard whimpers, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Hunter leading the pack warriors in their lycan form. The rogues were running away, whimpering under Hunter's aura, which was filled with a fierce determination.

"I got your message, Luna," he said, pulling me into a tight embrace. My skin brushed against his fur as he hoisted me up in his arms, and I buried my face in his thick fur, sighing heavily. "I'll never let anything happen to you," he hissed.

As we departed, I noticed a lurking shadow emerging from a dark corner along the empty road. Richard stood there, watching us under the lonely street light post. I shook my head and closed my eyes before opening them again. He was still there, his eyes glowing red as if he could shift anytime, but I didn't care. I was with my man, who could protect me as he ran back to the pack house, carrying me in his beastly form. I snuggled up to him and realized that I had underestimated the dangers of going to a faraway location without any backup. But I also knew that with Hunter by my side, we could face anything that came our way.

After the incident with the rogues, Hunter and I sat down to discuss our next move. It was clear that I couldn't go to the project location alone, and forming a group with my friends from the pack house was no longer an option.

We decided to reach out to our group and find a location that was favourable for all of us, and we decided the town hall would be our meeting place for future projects together. I told him about Oliver and how he was a prince sharing the same surname as Avril. I also mentioned our principal being referred to as a king, but I didn't mention that I had seen him tonight by the road because I wasn't sure if it was him. Valentine had told me through the mind-link that Richie had not left since returning from school. It could have been a fragment of my imagination. Hunter kept quiet, deep in thought, and I gave him time to think about it.

As I looked back on the experience, I realized that it had taught me a valuable lesson. As Luna, I had often relied on my position and status to get things done. But in the outside world, I was just like everyone else, and I needed to learn to work with others and rely on them for support.

As for Hunter, he once again proved to me that he was not only my mate but also my partner and protector. Together, we were a formidable team, and I knew that with him by my side, we could face any challenge that came our way. I couldn't help but wonder if there were any other surprises waiting for me down the road of life, but as a team, we would face them together as we always did.

The following day, Hunter received a call from Ivan inviting us to visit his pack and discuss a potential alliance between our packs. The project I was working on in Uplands was proving to be more fruitful than just a passing grade.

Hunter was thrilled about the opportunity to strengthen our pack's alliances and immediately made arrangements for us to visit Ivan's pack.

We arrived at his place, where we were greeted by Alpha Ivan and a group of his pack members. They were friendly and welcoming, and I could tell that Alpha Ivan had a deep respect for Hunter. Luna Elena and I excused ourselves and went to the garden for a little talk, while the gentlemen had their own. We had juice, and Luna Elena shared her experience as a Luna and a mother to young adults. I learned a lot about how to be a mother in the pack house.

After some small talk, Alpha Ivan suggested that we take a walk along the border and discuss the potential for a pack alliance. Hunter and Alpha Ivan talked about their pack's strengths and weaknesses, and I listened intently, taking mental notes as we walked by their side.

Eventually, we came across a group of rogue wolves who were attempting to cross the border. Hunter and Ivan quickly sprang into action, fighting off the rogues with ease. I admired their prowess and how they knew how to use their power, shift and hold their form as they fought to protect us and their packs.

After the skirmish, Ivan turned to Hunter and told him that he was impressed by his combat skills and that he would be honored to form an alliance with our pack.

After making our way back to our own pack's territory, Hunter and I discussed the importance of forming alliances with other packs. We realized that we couldn't do everything on our own and that having allies was crucial to our pack's survival. With this in mind, we returned to our pack's territory feeling stronger and more united than ever before.