FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕

"Dwight, don't," I responded when he tried to talk to me.

"I am fine. I will take care of it," I assured him.

Richie, as he was commonly known among our peers, was a real jerk - ruthless and merciless. I knew he didn't like the fact that I was in control as the alpha of Kings, since I had won the trials against him. There were rumors that he had been receiving help from the council over the years to find a way to discredit me, and this could be it. He had his reasons now.

I wondered why the council was still protecting him. Perhaps it was because he was providing side-funding to them. I always upheld integrity and hated corruption. Richie had a heart of a monster. I still remembered when he killed his own fated mate for disagreeing with him. His fated mate was a friend I had met during one of my tours in packs, and we had become close within a year. She was like a sister to me. A year later, she became Richie's mate, and I couldn't do anything to stop him from claiming her.

I never forgave myself for leaving my friend that day. I had a bad feeling about it from the morning, and I knew that something was wrong. My friend's death anniversary was approaching, which coincided with the day I stopped feeling my mate through the bond. I marked it as her 'death-day.'

My friend was aware of the threats that Richie had made towards her, almost two years ago. She had called me to resolve a dispute between her and Richie. I watched as Richie swore that he would one day kill her, simply because she didn't want him to cheat and stop his brutal and corrupt ways.

I suggested to my friend that we leave and return to Arman kingdom, but she refused. She didn't want to appear as though she had failed in their relationship. I informed her about everything I knew regarding Richie and insisted that she walked away, but she stubbornly refused. She couldn't even fight back, nor could she shift to protect herself and her unborn child.

I went to town that morning for a meeting, even though I didn't want to leave her. But my friend insisted that I go and reassured me that Avril couldn't harm her because she was pregnant.

I ignored the stirring feeling in my stomach and left to visit a pack in town for a meeting before returning to her place. I would never forgive myself for leaving her alone. When I came back, I found my friend dead. One of Avril's servants had waited for me to leave and plunged a silver dagger into her chest while she slept. The servant turned rogue and vanished before I could catch them.

Although Richie denied having anything to do with the assassination, I believed that the servant worked under his instructions. Two months later, he had chosen another mate.

"You will get your revenge for everything he has done to you and us, for every loss," Dwight assured me. I nodded, standing in my bar downing liquor, trying to reduce my burning anger to a simmer as it burned through my system. I tried to forget the past, as nothing good ever came from dragging it into the present.

"Now, how is your mate?" Dwight asked, changing the subject.

"We don't know if she is," I told him, and he chuckled.

"Well, we don't know for sure anyway," I said.

"Are you trying to convince yourself or me that she isn't your mate? You have never shown interest in any woman but her since the death of your mate, bless her soul. Or is she that mate we were made to forget about? I have seen how you look at her; I know she is your mate. It's either the one you were compelled to forget or a new one. I have seen the reaction you have to her, almost like you are about to jump out of your skin and mate her on the spot," Dwight commented.

I rolled my eyes; the man was too observant.

"I know you, Arman, so where is she?" he asked, giggling, and I groaned.

"Room across from mine," I told him, my lips tugging up. F**k, he was right. It was the only thing that explained the weird pull towards her and the familiarity I felt for her.

"And you say she's not your mate, yet you have her sleeping in your quarters. Not even Janet was allowed to stay up there, hmm," he told me.

"Fine, say she is. We don't have any information on her. She's a common rogue and a slave," I said.

"And you're the king. No one will say sh*t to you about her being a rogue and a slave. But if she is, and I know she is, she's in danger with Richard putting a target on her back," Dwight told me.

"What are you trying to say? Just say it," I urged him.

"I'm suggesting that you keep Ania close to you. She needs training to protect herself, and being around you will help forge a stronger bond between you two. Even though she may not know who you are to her, the more time you spend with her, the stronger your bond will become. It will also make you stronger, as vae-wolves aren't supposed to go without their mates once they're found," Dwight explained.

"I know that, but she's just across the hall, and even that feels too far away," I admitted, and he chuckled softly.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything. Gary may have already figured it out, but I've told him to keep it to himself," Dwight assured me.

"Good, let's keep it that way. I want Ania to figure it out on her own," I replied.

"Gary and I have cancelled all of your appointments for this week and next, my King. You have the next two weeks off to be with your mate. Additionally, we do not know what Richard is planning with his allegations. While you are the most powerful king now, even you, as the alpha of kings, are not above the council's law. Therefore, we want to ensure your safety, as well as that of our Queen's. We strongly advise against leaving the castle," Dwight advised.

I replied, "Please keep my local appointments. They can come to the castle instead. I will go crazy without work; I always need a distraction, especially at this time of the year."

Dwight responded, "You have a perfect distraction in the room across from you, but as you wish. We cannot afford any risks. Early morning meetings will be the only exception. The advisors agree with this decision, as the risk is too high for you to be out and about."

"Yes, and I also don't want to leave her on her own," Dwight chuckled, but he didn't comment on my obsession with my mate.

"I will have a guard stationed on this floor at all times and one watching over Ania when you aren't with her," Dwight explained, and I nodded.

"I want her watched at all times, Dwight. I won't risk any harm coming to her," I told him firmly.

"As you wish, my King," he said, bowing his head.

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The past two days had been a disaster. Janet kept sabotaging me and trying to get me into trouble. I had already been reprimanded by Zara, a cook, and now I stared down at the broken vase Janet had deliberately shattered. To make matters worse, I had a fever and my back was likely infected. I fought back tears as I retrieved my dustpan and broom and started sweeping up the mess. She wasn't even supposed to be up here, but I always caught her. She waited to see my reaction before darting off, and now there were shattered glasses everywhere.

I wondered how expensive it was and knew I was going to be in so much trouble. As I heard voices on the stairs, my breathing hitched, and I started grabbing the big chunks and dropping them in the bin. While doing so, I accidentally sliced my index finger, causing me to hiss in pain. I was tired of all the injuries. Being here was worse than being at the pack house. I swear my ribs were broken on my left side, as the bruising was now deep, dark purple with yellowing around the edges from when Janet tripped me on the stairs.

Although someone had given me thick socks for which I was grateful, my new shoes were giving me hell. I had also received a king's blanket, which I suspected was from him, since I woke up with it draped over me one morning. I had placed it back in his room, only to find it tossed over me again the following day, so I kept it ever since. However, I noticed that the king had been on edge and hadn't been working or leaving his room much. I also saw him snap at a few guards, and I had smelled liquor on him when I brought him dinner. Sometimes I even found him following me around, which was terrifying. I couldn't think with his constant stares, and I kept making mistakes.

Sweeping quickly, I heard voices getting closer, and I could tell it was the king. A piece of glass went scooting across the floor as I swept before the guard's foot stopped it. I blinked, wondering if I had imagined it. He bent down, picked it up, and tossed it into my bin before winking at me.

He used to guard the stairs and door on the level below, but he had been stationed up there for the last two days. That was the first time I had seen him move. At one point, I had thought he was a statue, but now I had proof that he was a living, breathing being.

"Thank you," I whispered to him, and he nodded before staring straight ahead again. I hissed, clutching my ribs as I bent to scoop up the last of the shattered glass with the dustpan just as King Arman and Beta Dwight turned into the corridor.

"Oh, for f**k's sake, what did you break this time?" King Arman groaned while shaking his head. I dropped my eyes to the floor and swallowed. That was it. I had done it now; I wondered how many lashings I would get for it.

"I'm sorry, Sir," I told him.

The King turned slightly and faced his Beta, observing me getting scolded by the King.

"I will see you later, Dwight," King Arman told his Beta before walking into his bedroom.

"Ania, come in here and shut the door behind you," the King called out, and I paused at my task.

"Oh no, please don't be too angry. Sh*t!" I mouthed to myself before grabbing the bin and broom and placing them next to the door. Staring at the ceiling and blinking back tears, I clenched my fists a few times, trying to build up the courage to walk in and face the King. He had been in a terrible mood for the last couple of days. I had seen many sides of him in two days, witnessed his anger and noticed his stress as he paced his room, forgetting I was there while muttering to himself.

Zara had mentioned that an anniversary was coming up, but she wouldn't tell me what the anniversary was. She had warned me to expect outbursts and to try to steer clear of him. But it was hard when he sometimes followed me to ensure I did my job correctly, always hovering.

"Ania, now!" King Arman yelled out again, his tone sounding annoyed. I stepped in, shut the door, and found him rummaging through a box while sitting on the edge of his bed. My stomach dropped. What was he going to do to me?

"What took you so long? Come here," he said, pointing in front of him. I looked at the space where he wanted me to stand before looking at him, only to find him watching me again.

"Do I need to drag you over here? Ania, my patience is running low," he snapped. I walked up to him, only leaving a step between us. He had a box and he opened it.

Looking down, I realized he had medical supplies in the box, and I stepped back, only for him to pull me back in front of him.

"You haven't changed your dressing in two days. Zara said she sent you to the infirmary yesterday, but the nurse said she never saw you and that you never went to see her. Why is that?" he asked.

He was correct; I knew that my back was getting infected. But if the nurse saw the bruises and my ribs, she might have put me off work. And if I couldn't work, what good was I? They would probably kill me if I didn't earn my keep. This wasn't a packhouse. Of all the people, I was expected to work for the King.

"No, I didn't go to the nurse. It's all better now," I told him. But my words did nothing but earn me a glare.

"Don't lie to me. I can smell it in your bloodstream. Don't forget what I am, Ania. My senses are stronger than yours, with the power of the Alpha Kings running through me. Now remove the uniform and don't lie to me again," he said. I shook my head, trying to step back, but he held me in place.

"Ania, take off your uniform, or I will do it for you," he warned. My lip quivered, and I gripped the buttons, not wanting to remove the dress.

"I will go see the nurse now," I blurted out, and he growled at me, making me shake like a leaf. He reached for the buttons of my dress, and I slapped his hand, trying to pull away from him before realizing what I had done. I froze, nibbling on my bottom lip to stop it from quivering and suppressed a whimper at the look he gave me. How could I be so stupid to slap the king away?

"Did you just slap—" He didn't finish his sentence, shaking his head before reaching for my buttons again. My eyes burned with tears that wanted to spill over, but I forced myself not to react and just block it out.

"Please stop shaking. Why do you smell of fear? Have I hurt you?" He asked, spilling out the questions. I shook my head as he stared at me.

"If I was going to hurt you, I would have done it already. I could have punished you multiple times over the last two days for your mistakes and also for the vase, but I haven't. What is wrong with you and Rina? You are so skittish, and it infuriates me," he growled.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I will do better," I told him, clutching the front of my dress.

"Arman, my name is Arman, and don't apologize. It's just annoying that you get scared so easily," he said, reaching for my buttons again but stopping when he noticed I was holding onto them. He grabbed my arms and pried them away from my dress. He placed my hands on his legs. When I moved them off his thighs, he growled, making me place them back.

"I won't hurt you," he assured me as he undid the last of the buttons on my dress. I had already told him I would go to the nurse, but he seemed insistent on helping me. He carefully removed the clip holding the bandage in place, his attention focused on the task.

"Turn around now," he instructed. I turned away from him, grateful that I wouldn't have to look at his face while he tended to me. He pulled the dress off my shoulders and motioned for me to sit on the edge of his bed, between his legs. His hands were warm and firm as he gently guided me into position.