FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER VENNEH LISAH

𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩:

The following morning, I was awakened by the mind-link from Lemmy, who was trying to wake Hunter, and my head was pounding. Groggily sitting up, I found Hunter fast asleep. Just then, I heard a knock on the door. I dragged myself out of bed and answered the door.

Kim stood on the other side, and I blinked up at him. "What's wrong?" I asked, before mind-linking Lemmy, "Lemmy, stop. I am up. I will wake him, but stop yelling," I told him. "I'm not yelling. Wake him up. I am downstairs, and we have an issue," he mind-linked back. I refocused on Kim, and he sniffed me.

"You've been drinking?" he asked.

"Stupidly, yes. Help me wake Hunter. Lemmy was mind-linking," I told him, pushing the door open wider and letting him in. Kim moved to the bed and shook Hunter while I took my robe, but then Kim shrieked.

Glancing at him, my eyes widened when I saw Hunter hugging him, crushing Kim against him before Kim pushed him off. "Stop. Ania," Hunter mumbled. I laughed when Hunter suddenly sniffed his hair and growled.

As his eyes flew open, Kim went flying as panic coursed through the bond and Hunter lurched upright. He looked at me, let out a breath, and noticed that I was fine before glaring at Kim. "Why the f**k were you in my bed?" Hunter snapped, rubbing his eyes.

"I was waking you, not climbing into bed with you," Kim growled, getting to his feet. He shook his head, muttering about the alpha being an idiot. Hunter glared at Kim's retreating figure.

"What's going on?" Hunter asked.

"Lemmy needs you downstairs," I told him.

"This early?" Hunter asked, scrubbing a hand down his face. "You were drinking?" I asked, looking at him. He looked wasted. Hunter shook his head. "No, you did enough of that to affect my damn bond, so thanks for the headache," Hunter said, getting to his feet.

He grabbed a shirt, pulled it on, and walked over to me. He kissed my head before grabbing the drawstring on my robe and tying it together. "Are you coming?" he asked.

"I'm allowed? I thought I would have to fight you to go down there," I teased.

"You wouldn't win," he chuckled.

"Really?" I asked.

"Mm," he said, grabbing my hand. "I reckon I could take you down before you even throw a punch," he said, kissing my lips.

"I reckon I could try," I said, and he laughed. "We can fight after you brush your teeth. You're smelling of booze," he told me, and we both brushed our teeth before he led me out of the room. He kissed the back of my hand as he led me downstairs. He yawned before shaking his head.

"I was actually having a good sleep until Kim climbed into our bed to snuggle with me," he growled at the last part.

"I did no such thing, and you're a terrible hugger," Kim said, following us from behind.

"Ania doesn't mind," Hunter said, kissing my hand again.

"Yeah, probably because you didn't crush her in your armpit as you did to me," Kim retorted.

I chuckled as they bickered when we heard a commotion outside. I could see cars lined up, and I heard Lemmy arguing with someone to get out of the car. Stepping outside, I saw Lemmy arguing with someone, but the door was blocking my view of them.

"Bloody hell, woman, how many times do I gotta tell you, I am the alpha's gamma. I live here. What do you think? I would bring you here if I didn't?" Lemmy snapped when I heard a child start crying.

"Great, now you woke him," Lemmy said standing upright, and I noticed the toddler in his arms.

"Give him to me. Give me my son!" a woman shrieked.

"No, if you want him, get out of the damn car!" Lemmy roared.

"Man, they have done nothing but b**ch and fight the entire way here from town," Stanley groaned.

"Fine, but if your alpha abuses me for trespassing, you bet your damn ass I will whoop his," the feisty woman snapped.

"Good, whoop his ass. He is right behind you. Let's see what you got, short stuff! I would love to see it," Lemmy snapped at her.

The woman turned around so fast I was surprised she didn't get whiplash, though I did as I gasped and rocked back on my heels. "What is going on?" Hunter growled.

Lemmy scrubbed a hand down his face, looking exhausted or defeated. I wasn't sure.

"Hello Hunter, this is Tracy. And Tracy, this is Alpha Hunter, the one you want to beat," Lemmy mocked. My eyes were fixed on the woman, and her eyes were on me too, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Tracy?" I choked. "Ania?" she stammered.

"What's going on?" Lemmy said, taken aback, but I was already moving towards her. "Oh my gosh, it's really you," I shrieked, throwing my arms around her. "What are you doing here?" Tracy cried, clutching me. She started crying, and I couldn't hold back my tears either. "I can't believe you're alive," I cried, holding her face in my hands. "Hang on, what's going on? Tracy, Ania?" Lemmy said, and I looked at Tracy.

"Whoa, whoa, what on earth is going on? Who is she, why is she here, and..." Hunter sighed, looking between all of us, and Lemmy was the one who answered his question.

"Tracy is a runaway lycan. I found her stranded in the woods, running away from someone who had held her hostage," Lemmy sighed, looking rather exhausted, as if he had tried to explain this story a thousand times. "She's also my mate," Lemmy said, scrubbing a hand down his face while holding the child closer and rocking him with one arm, wincing as he did so.

Hunter gaped at Lemmy in shock, unable to conceal the surprise on his face. However, it was less surprising to me that he was her mate than it was to discover that she was still alive after all that time. We used to be in the same pack. Her man at that time, who she was in a relationship with, was the son of one of the council members from some kingdom.

"I don't understand what's going on around here. Everyone seems to be finding their mates these days, even you Lemmy. You didn't strike me as a keeper," Hunter grumbled.

"Don't worry, Tracy. Welcome to the pack house. Feel free to make yourself at home," I said with a smile. Tracy looked confused and gave me a strange look, but Lemmy quickly explained that I was the Luna and very friendly. I called Valentine to help Tracy settle into the gamma quarters.

"My Alpha, we need to talk," Lemmy said, and my heart sank. Nothing good ever followed those words: "We need to talk."

"Hunter asked over his shoulder, "My love, are you coming with us, or are you going to see your friend?"

"I'm coming with you," I replied, and he nodded. Lemmy explained that Tracy's son was the council's grandson, and I knew that trouble would soon come knocking if Hunter and his men didn't find a way to deal with it soon. I didn't want anything to interfere with my plans to go to school the next day, even though I was happy that almost everyone there had found their mate.

Later that night, Hunter and I made love in every way possible until we both fell asleep, completely satisfied.

Morning had finally arrived, and it was Monday. I was feeling very positive as I got ready for school. Everyone was gathered in the dining area having breakfast when Kim approached me. Hunter seemed to be in a rush as he said, "Hey love, I'm really sorry, but I can't take you to school today. I need to deal with Kristian's 'runaway baby mama and son' issue before it becomes a bigger problem. Can you please take a cab to school? And may I go with Kim and Ben? I need all the strong warriors with me, as Kristian's son is a good fighter with a team of powerful warriors. I want to go there fully armed so that Lemmy can explain his actions." Even though my heart sank, I agreed. It was my first day back at school after a long time, and I had hoped that Hunter would accompany me. Nonetheless, I didn't want them to be outnumbered or outmatched in case a fight broke out.

Hunter was unsure of his request and asked me, "You are a powerful woman. Will you be able to take care of yourself?" I replied, "Yes, don't worry, I'll be fine."

I watched as the cars pulled out of the driveway, and then a cab arrived. I climbed in and headed straight to school, even though I was running a little late.

As soon as I stepped inside the building, I discovered that the usually pleasant and carefree atmosphere that hung around the school was no longer there. In its place was a tense and nervous air. Grabbing Rina's arm, I whispered, "Did something happen?" as we made our way to the assembly hall.

"My Luna, have you forgotten?" Her eyes widened as she spoke. I shrugged my shoulders. "We have a new principal. He has just reported to school and guess what? He is not like Mylar or the man we dined with. He is as cold as winter." She said. I didn't get a chance to reply as there was a disturbance near the doors, and learners trooped into the hall in a hurry, storming past us.

"He's coming! The new principal is coming!" Some learners hissed as the teachers also walked in hurriedly. Clearly, Richard commanded respect from both the learners and teachers alike. You couldn't compare it to Mylar's 'reign' when mostly everyone dragged their feet through every activity.

Glancing over, I saw Richard striding into the hall. My blood froze in my veins when he walked past us and shot us a glare before saying, "Better find a position to sit. It's going to be a very long talk." He walked past us, and we scrambled for some seats before listening to teacher after teacher speak. At the end, Richard introduced himself to the rest of the school, and we walked back to our classes silently when he was done talking.

Richard walked into class minutes later with an open laptop and said, "From now on, I will be taking this class through physics." He had a harsh and hard look on his face, and of all classes, he had to be teaching the one subject I was taking and couldn't do without. I felt awkward while he stood there teaching as I remembered our encounter in the hospital. The man stood in the room I was in, as the gynecologist did his thing. Never once did I think of the chances of meeting him again, but he was good because not even once did his gaze ever land on me as he took us through the physics lesson. "I want all your assignments submitted to me today before you leave," Richard said before walking out of class.

Hours passed agonizingly slowly. Finally, it was time to go home, but before that, I needed to submit my incomplete assignment to Principal Richard Avril. Carrying my paperwork, I walked towards his office. Standing in front of the door, I took several deep breaths to calm myself before tapping on the door that read "PRINCIPAL RICHARD AVRIL". However, that one simple motion seemed to have drained all the energy out of me as I wondered how I was going to explain my uncompleted assignment.

I tried to contact Hunter through our mind link, hoping to be on the same page with him in case I was asked why my assignment was undone, but he blocked me with a simple "Not now, love" and cut off the link.

"Come in," Richard invited me as I knocked on the door. I pushed the door open and entered.

"Mr. Avril, I came to submit my paperwork. Sorry, it's a little late and unfinished," I said, trying to sound apologetic.

Richard hummed in acknowledgment, not bothering to lift his head. I placed the paperwork on his desk, and even after I was done, he did not make a single sound. At that point, I was at my wit's end, so I said, "Excuse me, sir," and spun around to make my way towards the door.

As I reached for the handle of the door, a voice behind me interrupted. "Why is your work unfinished?" I turned around to see him still engrossed in whatever he was writing.

"I was absent from school for a few weeks," I explained. "Due to some family issues."

He stood up and walked towards me, a smirk playing on his lips. "But don't you have a mate to take care of things for you while you're away?"

I sensed a mocking tone in his voice, but his heartbeat remained steady. "I'll have the assignment done by tomorrow," I said quickly, hoping to avoid further questioning. He nodded, gesturing for me to leave.

As I stepped outside, heavy rain began to pour down from the sky. I had no umbrella and shifting wasn't an option for me. I tried calling Hunter and his pack, but none of them answered or responded to my mind-links. Frustrated, I decided to call a cab, but none were available due to the rush hour and the storm.

Finally, I had no choice but to cover my head with my bag and sprint towards the bus station.

I had to squeeze myself in with the other commuters at the bus stop, completely drenched. I had hoped that the rain would have stopped by then, but the storm outside blared on, showing no signs of stopping. Still unsuccessful in my futile attempt to get Hunter or his men or a cab, I had no choice but to wait by the bus stop. I wrapped my arms around my body to generate heat, wishing I could shift already, but with the ongoing hunt for our kind, I couldn't. The worry for Hunter was slowly engulfing me, and I couldn't even feel him through the bond. I was worried sick, wishing to get home and have him waiting for me by the foyer. But for once, I felt empty through the bond, as if my mate didn't exist.

On the verge of having a panic attack, a familiar voice rang before me. "I will take you home, my Luna," said Richard, who had his hand stretched out for me. "Mr. Avril, what are you doing here? Were you following me?" I asked. "We are not in school, call me Richie, please," he said. "And no, I wasn't following you, I saw you from the traffic jam" he added. "You are drenched, and the buses could be stuck in traffic. Let me take you home, Luna." Nonetheless, his powerful aura was still evidently noticeable.

"Thanks, but I couldn't possibly ask that of you, Richie. The pack house and the hotel you are lodging are in different directions. I will be inconveniencing you," I chirped. He lowered his head and stared at me, and I sensed a hint of fury, maybe because I was rejecting his aid. "Don't worry about inconveniencing me. I was moving into the pack house today, and we are actually going the same way. In fact, my bags are already there," he said. A lump formed in my throat, and I was upset that Hunter obviously knew Richie was moving into the pack house, and he didn't bother telling me or even mentioning it. So typical of him, I thought.

I followed him to a black Escalade, realizing I had no choice but to leave with him, even though I didn't want to stay there anymore. The young man who was with him at the hospital opened the door, and we slid into the back seat. Before Richie took the driver's seat, I told him, "I can't get hold of Hunter."

"Me neither, Luna," he replied casually, and bile rose in the pit of my stomach. Richie took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, he's okay. Maybe he's just still busy," he said, but his words provided me with no comfort or reassurance because I couldn't feel my mate through our bond.