[ALPHA HUNTER’s Point-of-View]
"What’s wrong?" Weston whispered, sounding worried.
It was gone. That bewitching scent that had just distracted me disappeared, leaving me searching and craving for whoever that was. The smell was so strong that its absence suddenly created an empty space in me. It was so compelling yet perplexing.
"She’s here," I answered my Beta with my eyes still scanning the hall, trying to track that enthralling scent that hopefully would lead me to the person I had been searching for for so many years. I never felt so pressured and desperate until this moment. Weston was confused, but I couldn’t waste time anymore.
I approached Alpha Carter and didn’t care if he and his Luna were debating about something. "Alpha Carter," I uttered in a casual tone but failed to hide the eagerness in it, "I need you to gather all the female Omegas in this hall."
Alpha Carter frowned, but then he knew he couldn’t say no to me. That was when his expression softened to a hypocritical smile, and he stepped away from his she-wolf with a resting bitch face. She smiled at me as well, but I had no time for her phoney approach. That’s when I caught her scowling at me secretly from the corner of my eye.
"What’s happening, Alpha Hunter? Why are you demanding to see all of them? Is there a problem with the Omegas here?" Alpha Carter asked, looking confused but chuckling a little, but he was sounding nervous. The muscles on his face were tense.
"Just do what I say, Carter. There is something important I need to know. " I answered dismissively and then went back to my seat while I waited for him to do what I wanted him to do.
It took him half an hour to gather all the female Omegas after sending messages all over the village. My inner wolf was getting impatient at how slow it was getting. Soon, the hall was lined up with female Omegas. The only one that caught my attention was the ginger girl among the brunettes and the blondes.
"What do you think, Alpha Hunter? Is the girl you are looking for among these ladies?" Weston whispered with eagerness in his voice, realizing the whole situation.
I massaged my forehead, feeling so nauseated and outrageous. "No!" I scowled at him, my eyes glaring at the faces of the anxious and scared ladies in front of me. "This is really frustrating, Weston."
"She’s not here?" Weston seemed puzzled despite Carter’s effort.
"The pheromone they are giving off is not as strong as the one that captivated me," I uttered in exasperation. "ARE ALL FEMALE OMEGAS HERE?!" My angry voice echoed throughout the hall, making the ladies shiver in fear.
I saw the hesitation in his eyes, but Alpha Carter replied, "Yes."
I squinted my eyes in suspicion.
Alpha Carter’s Luna, whose name I had forgotten, walked towards us with annoying confidence. "There is one missing Omega here," she said with a smirk on her face while looking at the faces of the women lined up in front of us. I even saw a ginger-headed one glare at her.
"Shut up, Kaya!" Alpha Carter closed his eyes, looking so offended. He curled his lip against his teeth and glared at her as well. It seemed everyone hated that woman, and I shouldn’t be surprised.
A snarl ripped through my throat. "I don’t care what kind of stunt you two are playing, but I have no time for this, Carter. Just take me to that missing Omega RIGHT NOW!!!"
Alpha Carter tensed. He gave his Luna another threatening glare before he gestured for his men to dismiss all the Omega as he escorted us out of the hall.
***
[CASSANDRA’s Point-of-View]
My phone rang while I was busy baking chocolate chip cookies with my Nana. It was Macy, and I figured out that maybe she was just worried about why I ran away from the convention when the program hadn't finished yet. I didn't know what kind of excuse I would give her. I was a bad liar, and she knew that.
Macy, I'm sorry if I didn’t tell you—"
"Cassy! Oh, thank goddess!" Her voice was so tense and scared.
I frowned. "What? What happened?"
"I am just worried why you didn’t show up after Alpha Carter gathered all the female Omegas in the Feast Hall, and now people are looking for you!"
I was stunned. I didn’t know why I suddenly felt scared. Maybe Carter was so pissed with me that he wanted to punish me after what happened at the back of the stage? The worst punishment I knew of was banishment. And it would be ridiculous if he would banish me just because of that!
But if Kaya saw me as a threat to her position, that could be possible.
"They? Do you mean Carter and Kaya?" I asked, my hands shaking.
"No. That Alpha I told you! Alpha Hunter of the Black-Haw Pack!"
My eyes widened when Macy mentioned his name. That man… he was looking for me!
His beautiful, god-like face resurfaced in my mind, and it felt as if I could smell that wonderful scent again. But I knew the terrifying story behind that gorgeous face, and my body started to shiver, knowing that that ruthless man was looking for me all over this village!
"Cassy? Cassy?!"
I couldn’t speak. I was so terrified that I put my mobile phone down on the table and still didn’t know how I should deal with my situation right now.
"The Moon Goddess has plans for you, Cassandra." My Nana smiled at me so gently that it calmed my nerves a bit. She went to give me a tight embrace and said, "Just take it as it comes. You will be alright."
"I have to head back home," I murmured, and she nodded at me, giving me small pats on my forearm with a smile.
After giving Nana one last embrace, I ran back to our house to talk to Dad. I had to tell him what was going on. The night was cold, but my forehead was beaded with sweat, and my hands were still trembling. No! There would be no way I would ever go with that man! They couldn’t force me!
"Dad!? Dad!" I yelled as soon as I got in the house, looking for my Dad. He immediately emerged from the kitchen and walked fast, his face full of worry as he hugged me tight.
"Where were you!? Troy and I have been looking for you!" he scolded me, but he looked more relieved than angry.
"I went straight to Nana after I found out you weren’t home!," I cried to him, and then dread appeared in my eyes once again. "Dad! Macy called me! She told me—"
"I know, I know... there’s no way I would let them take you away from us!"
That’s when Dad and I saw a squad of men appear at the front door.
"Sir Xanthros Clark! We came here for an important matter! Open your door so we can talk!"
Dad’s brows furrowed, but I understood that he couldn’t defy an Alpha’s words. I could see the weight of it on his face, and that’s when he let out a sigh of exasperation as he let go of me and went to open the door to negotiate with them.
But as soon as the door got opened, I sniffed the fresh air and was greatly enamoured by that smooth, sexy scent of lavender with a touch of vanilla that captivated my whole being until I saw him—that white-haired devil with pale, glasslike skin who captivated my heart in a second. I never expected I would experience this terrifying feeling in a person I have just met my whole life.
His stoic amber eyes caught mine, and our eyes locked and my heart went wild.
G*dd*mnit, he was really my fated mate!
"Take her."
"No!"
One of them dragged me away from my Dad. I screamed as I struggled to free myself from their painful grip. I couldn’t believe they disrespected my father’s authority in his own house!
"You can’t take my daughter away from me!" My father angrily yelled at the men wearing black suits.
My brother, Troy, who had just arrived, rushed towards us. His face was bewildered as he saw the commotion happening in the receiving area of the house. But when he saw me being dragged away from Dad, he didn’t think twice and lunged at one of the guards and punched him straight in the face until the others pulled him away from the bleeding man and restrained him.
"What is happening here?! Where are you taking my sister?!" he snarled against the Alpha.
Alpha Hunter’s face hardened. He didn’t like what Troy did to one of his men, "This is not a negotiation, Mr. Clark. I want your daughter to go with me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t sign the truce agreement and won’t mind if I declare another war with the Midnight Pack."
I gasped, breathing hard, as I looked at Dad and Troy’s faces turning pale; both were looking helpless in front of a powerful Alpha. He’s not serious. He couldn’t be serious about that!
"No, you can’t do that!" I snarled at Alpha Hunter, feeling so enraged by how he blackmailed my family.
Alpha Hunter raised an eyebrow at me with a contemptuous smile on his face. "You want to try me?"
Another man stepped in. Among these people, he only had a gentle look on his face; his eyes were pleading to my Dad, "Sir Clark, let me introduce myself. I am Weston and I am Alpha Hunter’s Beta," he politely uttered, and Alpha Hunter didn’t stop him despite the impatience on his face, "I need you to understand that our Alpha would never think twice about doing that if you fail to submit to his demands. You have to surrender your daughter if you don’t want to be a sinner, sacrificing your pack to a new war.”
My Dad was silenced, and I looked at him and couldn’t believe that he was even considering the Beta’s words. Even Troy was in a dilemma as well.
I couldn’t let them bear this heavy ordeal that fell on their shoulders.
My chest was tight and heavy. I was scared. I wasn’t sure what will happen to me. But I have to do it. "I’ll go with you! Only if you allow me to visit my family and continue college—"
"That’s settled then." Alpha Hunter uttered dismissively and gestured for his men to drag me with them.
"What? Wait! I haven’t said goodbye to my Dad—"
They forced me to get inside the sleek black car, and I shivered when I had to sit between the Alpha’s two bodyguards wearing black suits. I was so angry and scared, and I felt like I was going to explode.
There would be no way I would let myself fall for someone as cruel as him. I promised he would regret that he dragged me out of my Dad’s house because I would never submit to him, even if he killed me!
[CASSANDRA’s Point-of-View] I bet I looked horrible with my face stained with the mixture of tears and mascara smeared all over my eyes. I wanted to make them see a raccoon rather than a Luna! I wanted all of them to see that their Alpha had chosen the wrong person. That I was not a great candidate as Luna for their pack. I wanted all of them to realize that it was a huge mistake so that I could go back to my Dad. But it had been hours, and I had no idea how far the territory of the Black-Haw Pack was. I wished I could have looked outside the window to see what kind of place it was. But I was sitting in the middle of two huge men wearing black suits, there was no way I would know where these people would take me. I hadn’t been anywhere other than the Midnight Pack Territory. Once I got to Alpha Hunter’s territory, I would never know how to get back. I wasn’t in Alpha Hunter’s convoy, and that’s the only thing that gave me relief. "Ye keep watch fur th' outcast rogues! They scound
It had been two days, and I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. We had been running inside this fr*aking forest, hoping that we would find the way toward the highway. If we got lucky, we could ask some strangers to drive us back to the Midnight Pack’s territory, where Monica and I could get help from my dad. Staying in the forest was not easy for us both. Good thing Monica was so knowledgeable about the fruits that were safe to eat and the rivers were fresh and clean for us to quench the thirst of finding our way to a safer place the whole day. I was not the best in our fighting lessons in the pack, but my senses were strong enough to avoid wild animals and any suspicious places that Alpha Hunter and his men were staying as they hunted for the both of us. I looked at Monica, who was sleeping soundly underneath an old tree, enjoying its cool shade as if it were the most pleasant thing in the world. I wondered what kind of life she had before. She seldom talked, only when her opin
[ALPHA HUNTER’s Point-of-View] I gave Xanthros Clark one last warning look as he glared at me full of hate. I knew I did something horrible, but nothing could stop me now as I finally had the woman who I had been waiting for. Emotions mixed in me while I watched Cassandra Clark pout her pinkish lips, making my heart beat in an irregular, nervous rhythm. "Are you not going to make her sit with you, Alpha Hunter?" Weston asked, a little surprised when I started to walk towards the front of the convoy, leaving Cassandra with Brochan and two bodyguards. "There’s nothin' here to worry about. Th' lassie wull be safe wi' me," Brochan reassured me and Weston, then nodded his head to get into their convoy. I answered Weston with confidence, "The road would be tough back to the ridge. It would be safer for her to stay at the back of the convoy with Brochan. He was an elite guard." Weston had no idea that it took me a lot of self-restraint not to grab Cassandra and force her to sit with me
[CASSANDRA’s Point-of-View] I still couldn’t believe that all my effort was just a joke to these people, and Alpha Hunter played me in the palm of his hand. Our convoy made a short stop in a motel that stood in the middle of the empty road, and I wondered if they had been here ages ago because the owner immediately served them like VIPs. "Here is the contract you need to sign." Alpha Hunter tossed me a bunch of clipped papers before he left the small room I was assigned, "I just want to remind you that there is no alteration." He was only desperate to have a child as I scanned the contract, and that’s the miserable fact I needed to remind my inner wolf who got too upset about her mate’s affection. Alpha Hunter was a ruthless man who only cared for himself and no one else. I cried my eyes out, not even touching the paper scattered on the floor. I never wanted to see any of them, or even touch that d*mned thing. Suddenly I heard the door open. Beta and Monica entered my room with ca
[ALPHA HUNTER’s Point-of-View]There was no denying that, no matter how much I got annoyed with that woman. I hate to admit that I still missed her so badly, especially when I got so busy dealing with official business that I failed to attend during my visit to Midnight Territory.It was a mistake that I got too impatient. My curiosity and my desire to see her again led me to her room. As soon as I got inside, I was welcomed by the smell of water coming from the bathroom shower. The fragrant lemon myrtle scent of the soap she was using encouraged me to go inside and make my first move, which got my inner wolf to shudder with excitement.And I was blown away when I saw how gorgeous her shape was. My sharp eyes caught the alluring sight of her curves, her wide hips, and the delighting roundness of her br**sts that made me so hard in seconds. She gave me that surprised look on her face, like a small deer dazzled by headlights. The fear in her eyes turned me on so badly that I wanted to g
[CASSY’s Point-of-View] It had been days since the night Alpha Hunter entered my room like a predator hunting its prey. Something had been keeping him busy for the past few days. I could tell by the number of people that kept coming down the hallways towards the room, which apparently was his office. My maidservants didn’t like that I was too intrigued by that part of the hallway and checking what was happening. Screw them, though. I had been in this castle without any news from their Alpha. What caught most of my attention was a tall, strange man with a huge scar on his right eye who has been in and out of that same room lately. I caught him looking at me several times before. He looked ragged and scary, and I supposed he was one of the Zetas in this pack. The kinds that looked like spies or agents. He had that kind of aura about him. Sometimes, Alpha Hunter and I came across the porch. I just hated that I was always taken by surprise, and he acted as if I was nothing to him. He
"Hunter, wait!"I admit I found his small outrage of jealousy a little cute, but I didn’t do anything wrong! My brain told me to stop chasing him and just leave him salty. I couldn’t understand why I felt so bad that his night seemed ruined. It was too hard to squeeze between the dancing people and make sure to keep my eyes on Alpha Hunter; I was too scared I would get lost in this place. But then I could feel my patience slowly slipping to its limit."I said stop! What’s wrong with you!? Are you not getting tired of collecting women just to abuse them?! "Alpha Hunter stopped and glared at me as a low snarl ripped into his throat. He was clearly overreacting, wanting me to feel as if I had done the worst thing to him!But I was not scared of him anymore.From the crystal glass window peeked the silver full moon, cascading its brightness upon Alpha Hunter like a spotlight on him. His silver hair glowed, and his eyes glinted scarlet as he raised his head and smirked. His razor-sharp te
My head was spinning.My baffled mind failed to take in what happened between me, Alpha Hunter, and that blonde lady. It felt like a bleary nightmare. When I tried to recall what happened, my head just went spinning. Like, part of my memories were too blurry and painful to remember.It was so hard to move. Every inch of me was aching. But I doubt anything happened between me and Alpha Hunter because his attention was all caught by that blonde girl who never left his side until both of them decided to leave. I saw both of them walking towards the door before I fell unconscious. And that monster didn’t even give me a single glance.My heart shattered into millions of pieces. I wanted to scream at him to come back. But I was too weak to speak. Only tears fell from my face until I came to the realization that I was just nothing to him but part of his entertainment.I could hear my shallow breathing as I squinted at the light that scattered in the small room when someone turned on the swit