FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

He patted his chest. This man was absurd to have his servant lying on him. He patted his chest again. Was he serious? If anyone walked in, I would be whipped for days if caught in that position.

"Ania." He spoke one word, but the warning in it made me comply. I settled against him, and he tugged my head down on his chest, so I heard the slow, steady rhythm of his heart beneath my ear. King Arman grabbed my hand, placing it on the center of his chest before he opened the book.

"Do you want me to read to you?" he asked again. I nodded, looking at the book.

"Good girl," he said, wrapping his arm around me to hold the book open with two hands.

He read perfectly in English, never stuttering. For a moment, I forgot he was translating it from Spanish to English for me to understand. I had always wished I knew Spanish. Why I had never taken any class for it was beyond me.

He stopped when I started yawning and placed the book down. His hand rubbed my thigh gently as he said, "We can read more tomorrow. You're tired." I nodded against his shoulder before climbing off his lap and walking towards his door, heading to my room. I already missed Rina. I hadn't seen even a glimpse of her today. She must have been worried about me; she always worried.

"Ania, where are you going?" he asked, and I froze, puzzled by his question before cursing under my breath. I turned away, realizing he hadn't dismissed me.

"I'm sorry, I thought you meant..." I didn't know what he meant. I was too tired and had walked off without his permission.

The king watched me for a moment, turning his head to the side and surveying me from head to toe.

"You may go. I will see you at breakfast," he said, dismissing me. I bowed slightly before making my exit. I hurried back to my small room, feeling relieved that I was now on my own and didn't have to worry about being observed.

It wasn't until I lay down that I realized something: the king's blanket was missing. It was the same one that I always found in my room whenever I returned it. Its absence saddened me. I had grown attached to the blanket, and the king's lingering scent on it had been a source of comfort to me.

I sighed and laid down, trying to find a comfortable position, when the door opened, and I sat upright. The king walked in with a blanket, and I was about to get up.

"Remain where you are," he said, and I bit my lip. What was he doing in here?

"I had it washed for you," he said, chucking the blanket over me. My brows furrowed when the floral scent of the soap used wafted to my nose. I sniffed the blanket and instantly realized it smelled different. I shouldn't have found that disappointing, but I did.

"You seem upset," he stated, observing me.

"No, my King. It smells different, the soap," I said. He chuckled as though my comment had amused him.

"How is it different?" he then asked, stepping further into my tiny room.

"Just different," I lied, not wanting to admit that the scent on the blanket didn't belong to him.

"Hmm, just different?" he smiled. I felt my face heat up with embarrassment as he suddenly walked out of the room, only to return with a pillow.

"I'll swap with yours," he said, making my brows furrow in confusion. I didn't understand what he meant, so he pointed to the pillow behind me.

"Pardon, sir?" I asked.

"Hand me your pillow, Ania." Oh gosh, what was he up to now? He could be so bizarre sometimes.

"Ania?" I glanced at my pillow before grabbing it and holding it. I took a whiff of it. Surely he didn't want to swap pillows. Mine would have smelled of a rogue, and I knew my scent repulsed most wolves. It was what helped differentiate between pack wolves and intruders. However, for me, everyone had their own unique scent, and I couldn't distinguish between a rogue and a pack wolf. To me, everyone smelled different.

"May I?" The king asked, reaching for the pillow I had tucked in my arms. He took it before handing me his own.

Involuntarily, I sniffed it, stopping only when I heard him laugh softly. My face flushed with embarrassment at my actions in front of him.

"Don't be embarrassed, Ania. You've been sleeping with my scent all week," he said as he tugged the corner of my blanket, well, his blanket.

"You knew?" I asked, confused.

"Who else would keep putting it in your room when you kept returning it?" he replied. The thought of him being in my room while I slept should have creeped me out, but it didn't, funnily enough. I guess I was getting used to his presence.

"It's called nesting. You are used to my scent; it will get stronger when I...," he paused, leaving the action he was going to take unfinished. Panic filled me, and my heart rate quickened at the possibilities. "Do you know what nesting is?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Okay, get some sleep," he said as he moved toward the door. He paused and looked over at me again. "If my scent goes, just grab another pillow off my bed or help yourself to my shirts. Ania, you know where everything in my room is," he stated. I wondered why he was acting strangely and suggesting that I wear his clothes.

"Or you could always sleep..." he paused again. He was having so much trouble with his words, and he never fumbled over his words this much.

"Never mind, I'll see you in the morning," he said quickly and left the room. I could vaguely hear him talking to the guard outside through the closed door. I rearranged my bed and placed the pillow down. The moment my head hit the pillow, my entire body relaxed as I was cocooned in his scent.

I woke up to a loud crashing noise, which instantly made me alert. I could hear the sound of running footsteps. I got out of bed and approached the door cautiously, peeping out, trying to determine where the noise was coming from. It seemed to be coming from the king's room.

Suddenly, the guards burst into the room, and the king started yelling at them. "Get the hell out!" he screamed, before I heard the sound of breaking glass. The guards quickly exited the room, but one of them shouted to get the king's Beta. The rest of the guards stayed in the hallway, standing guard and remaining alert. Another guard quickly ran off to fulfill the command.

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was a little after 2 AM. Something strange and dangerous was definitely happening, and I wondered what would happen next.

"What is going on?" I heard Beta Dwight demand as he stalked down the corridor in just his boxer shorts. The guards stiffened, and one stepped forward.

"The king appears to be drunk and is destroying his room," the man said. The Beta ran his hands down his face.

"You know what date it is, we are nearing, and you know what we found a few hours ago. I will deal with it and get the king's servant," he said, looking at my door where I stood watching. I froze, having been caught.

"Ania, I need your help to clean up," he said, and my hands trembled. I looked down at my clothes before nodding. Turning around, I grabbed my shoes and then spotted the blanket that was covering me. Picking it up, I sniffed it, and it was drenched in the king's scent. It was the one from his bed, the other one was gone. Had he returned it while I was asleep again?

"Ania, now please," Beta Dwight said, and I spun around to see him standing in my doorway. Hearing another cough from the room, Beta Dwight rushed in. I quickly followed, snatching up my shoes. He pushed the door open, and I gasped at the sight. The entire room was upturned and destroyed except for his bed.

As I stepped into the room, I noticed that even his precious books had been tossed around carelessly, and a mirror had been smashed. However, I soon realized that I didn't have any cleaning supplies with me. Beta Dwight was murmuring to the King in an attempt to calm him down, while he sat in the corner of the room with his head in his hands. The drapes were torn with claw marks down them.

Realizing that I needed to act fast, I rushed out of the room and hurried down the stairs. Luckily, Zara was already at the cleaning cupboard with a basket full of supplies and a broom.

"Go, go, give this to Beta Dwight or Gary. They are the only ones who can get close to him when he gets like this. Just leave it at the door and knock," she said, stuffing everything into my arms.

"Does he get like this a lot?" I asked.

"Only when it's nearing the anniversary, and information he has just received has set him off. I thought this might be the year he didn't break. Keep those supplies up there. You will need them," Zara told me. Great, I was going to be awoken every night because of some anniversary that triggered him. However, I was curious about what anniversary it was that affected him that way.

As I walked up the steps, I heard Beta Dwight's voice and the sound of growling, which sent chills down my spine. "Damn it, where did she go?" I heard him mutter.

"Arman, you need to calm down," his Beta responded, but I could hear things being thrown around in the room. I quickly rushed up the steps and knocked on the door, but before I could react, Beta Dwight flung the door open and jerked me inside.

I wasn't expecting this sudden aggression from him, and it made me uneasy, especially considering what Zara had warned me about him taking things from me and staying away from him.

The king was pacing, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. Fur was sprouting on his arms, his claws were slipping out, and he rubbed a hand down his face before coming to a stop. A deep, menacing growl emanated from him, and suddenly he shifted before turning towards me.

I screamed and jumped back, but Beta Dwight quickly intervened. ''Arman, it's just Ania, your servant. It's Ania! She's not an intruder, can't you smell her?'' he said, as he launched himself in front of me and into the king's path as he sprang towards me. My heart was beating like a drum in my chest as I clutched the broom in my shaky hands.

He pushed past his Beta and sniffed the air before stopping in front of me. His canines were protruding, and his face had lengthened into that of a wolf, showing off his sharp teeth. He was at least three feet taller than me, and I only came up to his stomach. He was so tall that he would have to duck to fit through the door. His claws were extremely long and looked deadly. He was breathing harshly, and his fur was so black that it had a blue hue under the dim lights. I couldn't move; I was petrified that he was going to eat me. I thought I was about to be ripped to pieces. He leaned down and sniffed my face. I was shaking and worried that I would wet myself. My legs trembled so badly that I thought they would give out at any second.

"Ania," his voice rumbled, and I shivered. Beta Dwight let out a breath.

"Yes, Arman. Ania. Your servant girl, remember her?" Beta Dwight came and took the broom from my hands, and my hands locked around it.

"He won't hurt you. He just has trouble recognizing people in this form; his anger sometimes blinds him to everything. Just remember not to touch him or approach him from behind, and remember he is more animal than a man in this state," he enlightened me. I had no intention of touching him at all. I didn't even want to be there right then, especially while he was in that form. He looked terrifying. Gosh, what chaos my life had turned into so suddenly.

As I reached down to grab a rubbish bag, I kept my eyes fixed on him, wary that he might attack me. Beta Dwight joined in to help me clean up, but just then, the door opened. The King reacted swiftly, grabbing me and pushing me behind him. A feral growl escaped him as I recognized the man who entered as Gary from the car.

"It's Gary, my King," he said, baring his neck in submission.

"I'm sorry, Gary," the King said, and the man let out a sigh before walking in and grabbing a bag. I found myself trapped behind the King on one side of the bed, and he was blocking my way. Would it be impolite if I walked over the top of his bed to get past him? I dismissed that thought quickly, realizing that it would certainly be rude.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, but he didn't seem to hear me over the low growling coming from him. I looked to the other two for help. The Beta was laughing at me, as I attempted to squeeze past him. No matter what, I was going to brush up against him. I hesitantly reached up and tapped his shoulder with my index finger. His reflexes were so quick that I didn't even see him move, and I stumbled over my own feet, stepping away from him as he suddenly faced me.

He blinked, cocking his head to the side, and stared at me peculiarly. His eyes reflected back at me. I swallowed, bumping into his bedside table when I took a step back.

"Um, can I pass?" I squeaked out, trying to step around him, but wherever I stepped, he blocked my path until I stepped right into him. His furry hands gripped my arms and lifted me, leaving me dangling in the air.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice deep and rough. I was surprised at how calm he sounded, given the fury in his eyes. As he lifted me off the ground, I blinked in shock. My panic intensified, and I started to hyperventilate. My vision began to tunnel, and I realized I was having a panic attack. I was terrified that he was going to eat me - his teeth looked so sharp and long. I felt like I was about to become a snack for the Lycan.

"I beg you, please don't eat me," I blurted out, trying to pull away from him. My breathing became harsher, and I started to feel dizzy as my eyes rolled back into my head, and darkness enveloped me. He could kill me now, but at least I wouldn't feel it.