FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

It has been over a month since I last saw Ania. It's crazy that we were in the same castle but so far apart. This morning, however, we bumped into each other by the staircase. We were so close, yet so out of reach. I could have forgiven her for all of her other atrocities, but killing my friend and ripping out her unborn child from the womb was unforgivable. Pregnant women were always off-limits, even for animals like us who could prey or be preyed upon. It was insane to think that my mate was a murderer and a baby killer. I was even glad that I didn't mark her when we mated the other time.

Rina had gone to visit some alpha whom she claimed was her mate, even though I always thought Dwight was her mate.

As I sat by the fire with a glass in my hand, I looked over my shoulder when the door opened. It was Dwight, and he glared at the glass in my hand, but he knew better than to say anything. "Ania finally came out of the room," he told me as he sat across from me.

"Good for her." I said simply before bringing my glass to my lips and draining the last remnants. Dwight sighed and stood back up when I held the glass out to him. He moved toward the bar area and poured another glass before handing it back to me.

"Do you plan on just drowning out the bond that unfortunately formed?" he asked. I hummed, and he snarled at me. His aura slipped out in anger, although it had no effect on me.

"You have already destroyed her bond with you," Dwight spat, as if I wasn't aware of that.

"If only I were so lucky to have it break," I told him, earning another growl.

"You're a f*****g idiot. There are no second chance mates like with werewolves; Lycans don't get those. Nor can you reject her. Maybe she dies, or do you want to bring Ivan back from the dead to do the needful? The bond won't sever for you, Arman. It will always be there, so why do you choose to ignore it?" he asked. "Because I can." I replied.

"If that were true, why do you always have a drink in your hand every time I see you?" he asked, glaring at my glass of whiskey. He shook his head, clutching his hair in frustration as he paced in front of the fireplace.

"I drink because I enjoy it," I told him, taking a sip and relishing the flavor as it coated my tongue.

"My relationship with Ania is none of your business, so please leave it," I told him, not caring for his input.

"She is my Queen," he bellowed, his face turning red with anger as his claws slipped out. He fisted his hands and took a deep breath, closing his eyes before dropping back into the seat across from me.

"She is your mate or Queen. She should be ruling alongside you, not wasting away alone in a room," he snarled.

"And what good is her being Queen when she can't even shift? I can't even change her now, so there's no point in getting attached to her when she'll be dead in fifty years, anyway. Then what, Dwight? You seem to think you know everything?" I asked him.

"She can shift; you just severed the bond, forcing her wolf side to go dormant. You know as well as I do that if you spent time with her, you could lure it back out," he fumed, while I scoffed.

"We don't know that. Ania was a rogue for so long; that is probably why she can't shift," I objected.

"Then mark her!" he bellowed at me. I shook my head at his words.

"You are making a mistake, Arman. She may not accept you back if you wait too long. You could ruin any future you thought you would have with her," Dwight said.

"She isn't going anywhere; I am not stupid. Do you think I would let her leave the castle or me and weaken me?" I snarled.

"You're being selfish, Arman. You can't expect Ania to wait around for the day you change your mind. Don't be cruel. You can't live without her. You'll grow weak, and her inability to shift puts her at risk. Not only will her werewolf side remain dormant, but the bond could sever completely. She'll feel nothing towards you. What then? A few years down the line, you pull your head out of your a*s, and you think she'll just take you back?" Dwight asked.

"If that were to happen, which it won't, she wouldn't have a choice. I'll force her or use the calling on her," I replied.

"You disgust me," he spat at me, and I shrugged. "I'm the King. I can do as I please with my mate," I chimed.

"Then do the right thing. You're better than this, and we both know Ania is innocent. Damn! Why do I feel like I've said the exact same words before?" Dwight snarled.

"What if I'm not better than this?" I asked him as he turned to leave. I watched as he stopped by the door.

"Then you're not my King," he said before yanking the door open and walking out of my room. I glared at the burning fire, angry that it had to be this way. Ania didn't even react when I saw her that morning. I expected some emotion, anything, but all I got was a blank stare from her. Although the bond and pull to her had only grown stronger, I could hardly feel her anymore. It crushed my chest and heart more with each passing day. With that, I got up and poured myself another drink, trying to drown the ache caused by the bond.

When the alcohol could no longer satiate my urge, I did what I did every night and went to sit by her door. It was the only thing that drove the pain away. I walked towards her room and peered inside, only to find that all the lights were still on. I checked the closet, but she wasn't there, nor in any of the rooms adjacent to the main one. My brows furrowed as I noticed that her guard was also missing. I had told him to remain unnoticed while up here, but that didn't mean hiding from me.

"Desmond, where are you?" I asked through the mind-link.

"I'm in Gamma Gary's quarters, my King. Ania has gone into Rina's room. She hasn't come out for a while," he answered, and I sighed with relief. At least she was with Rina.

"I take it Rina has returned from visiting her mate in town?" I asked him.

"No, my King. I peered into the room before she fell asleep on Rina's bed. Dwight has also just left to go find Rina," Desmond informed me. I chewed my lip. Dwight had taken the news pretty badly. He had fallen hard for the girl, which was surprising. Dwight wasn't one for feelings and hardly left his station, but I had noticed that he followed Rina everywhere when he wasn't busy. I always caught him wherever she was, though she was oblivious to him shadowing her. I could have sworn he was Rina's mate.

Rina appeared excited to have found her mate, but I couldn't help but worry about what would happen when the Alpha left to return to his pack. Our group didn't typically associate with Packs, but the Alpha had always been helpful with hunters and rogue issues, and we considered him an ally. While he undoubtedly wanted to remain in my good graces, it was always good to have allies among the werewolf packs. Although they obeyed orders, only a few would go out of their way to seek me out and offer assistance.

Dwight had already expressed concern for Rina, as he too worried about her leaving with the Alpha. However, if Rina asked, I couldn't deny her. Mate bonds were not to be ignored if both parties wanted the same thing, so I would tell her yes if she asked.

However, I was aware that Alpha Kelly had a reputation for being promiscuous, and I knew he was already married, although he had not marked his mate. He had three children with his mate and had countless other women on the side. Dwight had tried to tell Rina this, but she refused to believe him.

The mate bond had a strong hold on Rina, and she refused to see the Alpha in any other way than the bond allowed. Who knows what he had told her. If she decided to leave with him, she would see for herself. Yet, I also wondered how Ania would react to the news. The Alpha was scheduled to leave in a couple of days, if not sooner, as he was visiting for benchmarking before returning to his pack.

Not realizing that I had left the mind-link open, I jumped when I heard Desmond's voice flit through my head. "Is that all, my King?" he asked.

"Yes, and you can leave your station. Gary will probably be down there soon, and I am on my way anyway," I told him.

"I don't mind staying," he said. Of course, he didn't. He would lay his life down for her over the pact my main five guards made.

"You can go. I am only a few minutes away," I told him, cutting the link.

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕:

Rina had not returned, and I woke up feeling cold and shivering, even though the room wasn't cold, and I was bundled beneath the blankets. I wondered why I was awake at such an early hour and feeling so cold. I pushed the blankets back and got up.

It was still dark outside, and I couldn't find Rina. I decided to check if she had fallen asleep in the servant's rooms downstairs. As I stretched and yawned, I rubbed my arms to warm them up. When I tried to open the door, I realized that there was someone leaning against it, and it flew open suddenly, causing me to jump back. I saw that it was the King who had been leaning against the door, and he had fallen to the floor. He opened his eyes and growled at me before freezing when he realized it was me.

As I took a step back, I wondered why he was leaning against the door or why he was down there in the first place. Was he looking for Rina? And if so, why? The possibilities made my stomach sink, and before I could stop it, a whimper slipped past my lips. The King stood abruptly, scrubbed his hand down his face, and then looked out into the hall before returning his gaze to me.

"Have you seen Dwight?" he growled, looking away from me again. My brows furrowed, and I pointed to the door across from Rina's. He looked at it and nodded before walking over to it, but his heartbeat gave him away. I knew he had lied; he wasn't down there because of Dwight.

"Were you asleep?" I blurted out, and he stopped just as he was about to grip Dwight's door handle. He didn't answer for a second, and I stepped out of Rina's door into the hall, finding it empty.

"You aren't supposed to be at this end of the castle. Stay on your side," the King said before twisting the handle to Dwight's room.

"I was only looking for Rina," I told him, turning to head back to my room. Halfway down the corridor, he called out.

"Ania," he said, and I stopped, turning to face him. He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders before tugging it closed. I just stared at him, unsure of what to make of his strange behavior. He nodded at me before taking a step back and clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Go back to your room," he said, dismissing me. Feeling confused, I turned on my heel and left. I searched the servants' quarters but couldn't find Rina. There was no sign of her in the bathrooms either. I even asked some guards, but they shook their heads, so I returned to my large room. Pushing the door open, I shivered at how cold it was. The fire had gone out, so I flicked on a light before wandering around to look for matches and kindling.

My hands shook as I attempted to light the match and use it to ignite the scrunched-up pieces of paper, which burned out before the wood caught. With a sigh, I went to find a guard to ask them to light it for me, as I was having no luck getting it to catch. Stepping out of the room, I navigated my way back through the halls and walked toward the stairs, only to see the King walking up towards me.

"Why aren't you in your room? Were you trying to leave?" he snarled, his eyes flickering black. I gasped and took a step back, wondering why he was suddenly angry.

"My king, I was just..." I started, but he commanded me to go back into my room. Unable to resist the command, I went back inside and waited.

Later on, Rina came and told me about her new mate, Alpha Kelly. "He's great, but he's asked me to leave with him. I just need to get permission from the king," she said sadly.

"You're leaving?" I asked, surprised. Rina nodded and said, "Yes, in a few days. But I have a plan. Come with me?"

"I'll try to convince my mate to help us get you out. We can come up with a meeting spot. You don't deserve this kind of treatment from the king," Rina said, clutching my hands.

"I don't think he'll go against the king," I told Rina, shaking my head. She insisted, "I will convince him. You'll see. He will let you come with me." I hoped she was right, as I didn't want to be left behind without her.

Over the next two days, Rina spent most of her time with her mate, which was understandable given her anxiety about leaving. Meanwhile, the king's behavior was becoming increasingly strange. Each night, I would wake up to find him asleep in my room, but by morning, he would be gone.

At first, I thought I was imagining things, but the king's erratic behavior was starting to take a toll on me. If he didn't want me, he needed to leave me alone. His presence was driving me insane.

He never said a word and would only stare at me if I accidentally woke him up. Other times, he would completely ignore me. It was a painful experience, and I prayed that Rina would be able to convince her mate to let me go. I couldn't go on like this, with the king's scent haunting me every night. I needed to be released from my misery.