ππ‘ππ'π¦ π£π’π©:
I had no idea how long it had been since I shifted. Occasionally, I would slip in and out of slumber, hearing my alpha and someone else talk about me, where I came from, and how I was a vae-wolf, before I completely blacked out when he started purring.
I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings, and was surprised to find myself in our bedroom back at the pack house. I had no clue of how or when we had gotten back. I had spent most of the day asleep, waking up in the late afternoon. I felt unusually exhausted, and it was a struggle for me to keep my eyes open as I grabbed the first things my hands landed on after showering. I didn't care what I looked like; my hair looked like that of a madwoman when I looked in the mirror.
Who would have thought shifting could be so exhausting? I hoped it wouldn't be like that every time. Grabbing my phone, I tried calling Rina, but she didn't answer. I threw the phone on the bed and pulled my hair into a messy bun, deciding to look for Hunter. I hoped he hadn't gone to train the learners at the school. As I stepped out of the room, I saw a man waiting by the door. I remembered him from Devonshire and wondered what he was doing there.
"Good Morning," I greeted acknowledging his presence.
He giggled and replied, "You mean afternoon, my Luna, the Princess of Devonshire.
I am Kim, sent from Devonshire to be your guard." I furrowed my brows as I looked out the window, seeing the sun casting a colorful glow over the sky. I sighed, realizing he had addressed me as a princess. But I didn't think much of it, assuming he must have confused my title with someone else's. He seemed friendly enough, with a welcoming smile that made me feel at ease around him.
"Have you seen the alpha?"
"He is in his office, my Luna," replied Kim.
"Enough with the Luna stuff. Call me Ania," I told him, and he nodded.
I only liked it when Hunter called me Luna; the rest, Ania, was just fine.
"Come on then, let's find this alpha of mine," I told him before stalking off down the hall. Kim rushed ahead, opening doors. My mind travelled to my wolf, who was telling me about how she wanted to go for a run in the wild after seeing our mate. Kim opened the last door, and I went in blindly, smacking into the alpha's chest. Air expelled from my lungs. It was like running into a brick wall. I stumbled back, but Kim gripped my arm to steady me.
"And where are you off to in such a hurry, my Luna?" Hunter asked, staring down at me. He had an amused smile on his face as he looked at us before kissing me softly on my lips, melting me in his arms. I pulled away.
"We were looking for you," I groaned.
"Well, you found me," he laughed, and I slapped his chest, forgetting how much stronger and quicker I was now that I had shifted, resulting in me hurting my own hand. Hunter shook his head, draped his arm over my shoulder, tugged me against him, and walked me back the way we came, toward the stairs leading back up to our floor. "I want to go for a run in my wolf form. Would you please come with me?" I asked him, wanting to make our bond stronger and choosing to believe him over Sky's words that they slept together.
"You need rest, my Luna. You have been exhausted by your shift and must prepare for the heat. Once it has come and gone, we can run," he said, rubbing his palm against my skin.
Just as we were about to ascend the steps, Joe called out to the alpha from down the corridor, causing us to stop. He leaned down and pressed his lips to my head, and I pursed my lips. "Go ahead, I'll be up soon," he murmured before walking off towards his Beta.
"Is something going on?" I asked Kim, staring after the alpha. Kim said nothing, and I looked over at him.
"You're not allowed to tell me, are you?" I said, realizing that Kim wouldn't reveal anything.
"The alpha has everything under control," Kim replied. I bit the inside of my lip, contemplating whether the alpha's mysterious disappearance was related to the recent murders and if he had any leads.
Feeling curious, I walked back towards his office, only to hear arguing from inside. Kim gripped my hand and attempted to steer me towards the stairs, but I kept looking over my shoulder.
"The alpha doesn't want you in there right now, my Luna," Kim said, trying to dissuade me.
"It's Ania," I corrected him, determined to find out what was happening. When I heard something smash in the office, I jerked my arm free from Kim's grasp and shoved the door open. Inside, I found the alpha furious, with Joe pinned on the desk, while Lemmy picked himself up off the floor, bleeding from his lip. It appeared as though they had been fighting.
Joe snarled and shoved the alpha before swinging at him, only for Hunter to punch him and send Joe to the ground. The pungent aroma of alcohol emanating from Joe told me he was drunk. He growled and tried to get up, but stumbled. Lemmy moved to intervene, but Hunter glared at him and Lemmy backed away with his hands up.
"Stand down. Stop this. It's too early to declare her missing. I know you like her, but there is a protocol to be followed," the alpha ordered Joe.
"This is unacceptable, and you know it," Joe snapped at Hunter.
"My hands are tied, you know this. We can only pronounce a person missing after 72 hours," Hunter replied, letting go of Joe and glaring down at him.
"You're the alpha, for Christ's sake. You can make the announcement anytime you want."
"I wonder what Ania would say to that. Would you give her the same excuse?" Joe sneered at Hunter.
"If I knew what?" I asked, stepping through the gap in the door where Hunter could see me.
"Nothing, Ania. Go back to our room, Love," Hunter said before glaring at Kim behind me.
"Please don't glare at him. I want to know what's going on and why you're all fighting," I demanded.
Joe began to say something, but Hunter growled furiously. Nevertheless, Joe's expression suggested that he didn't care about the consequences of speaking out, or perhaps he was too intoxicated to realize the trouble he was getting into.
"Hunter, please don't," I pleaded, but he snapped, "Kim, get her out of here and make sure she stays out!" Kim grabbed my arm and tried to pull me out of the room, but I stopped when Joe spoke.
"My Luna, your best friend Rina is missing. She was last seen on her way to school when we left for Devonshire," Joe said. My heart sank at his words. I turned to face him, but Kim tried to yank me out. I shoved him off, feeling terrible when he smacked into the wall. I then turned to Hunter, wanting to know what Joe was talking about. However, the alpha snarled, pivoted, and punched Joe so hard that it knocked him out cold. I gasped, my hands covering my mouth as Joe was suddenly sprawled on the floor.
"Ania, get out!" Hunter commanded.
"Where is Rina, Hunter?" I asked. My shock turned into anger.
"With her mate where she chose to be!" Hunter exclaimed. My eyebrows furrowed, and I looked at Joe, who was on the floor.
"Then what is Joe talking about?" I asked him.
"It doesn't matter," the alpha said.
"You're lying," I shouted.
"Excuse me?" he asked, shocked at my outburst.
"I said you're lying. Now, where is Rina?"
"Go back to the room, and do not make me order you, Ania," he bellowed.
"Then answer the f*****g question!" I snapped. My mind frantically raced as I tried to figure out what was going on, weighing between Hunter and Joe to determine who was telling the truth.
Hunter said, "Rina is with her mate," and my eyes darted to Joe.
"If I find out you're lying to me...?" I started, but he interrupted me.
"What will you do, Ania? I would advise you not to finish that sentence, Love," Hunter said, walking around his desk to stand in front of me. He folded his arms across his chest. I glared at him, despite the tremble in my hands, which didn't go unnoticed by him. But that was Rina, my best friend.
"Don't forget, Hunter, I am a vae-wolf. I can hear your heartbeat right from where I am, and I can tell you are lying. My alpha, don't make me go out looking for her. You know I am good at escaping from this wall and running," I snarled at him.
"Excuse me Ania!" Hunter questioned
We stood staring at each other, neither of us willing to back down, and I saw the muscle in his jaw clench. Though I was fearful of him using the calling or ordering me, since I wasn't even sure how to fight his aura. It hit me why Hunter had put me out for the whole journey back. He didn't want me to know Rina was missing because she was the first person I was expecting to meet and show her my wolf.
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Ania was furious, and I could feel Lemmy sneaking closer, worried that I would lose control. Honestly, I was on the verge of snapping and dragging her back to the room, and her following words nearly made me.
"Don't forget, Hunter, I am a vae-wolf. I can hear your heartbeat right from where I am, and I can tell you are lying. My alpha, don't make me go out looking for her. You know I am good at escaping from these perimeter walls and running," Ania snarled at me.
Her words made me growl; how dare she think she could threaten me, threaten to leave me over something that was out of my control? I was not there when she went missing. I cannot pronounce her missing until 72 hours have passed.
"Excuse me, Ania?" I growled, trying to keep my blistering fiery rage under control.
"Try me alpha, if you don't make that announcement immediately, it will not be only Rina you will be looking for, you will add me to the growing list of missing persons as I will also be seeking out for her," she spat at me. The words rolling off her tongue were pure venom. Her anger was nearly as hot as mine as she glared at me.
"Is that so Ania, Luna of the Mooncrest pack?" I asked her through clenched teeth. My entire body trembling, and I was on serious verge of shifting.
"Do you want to bet your ass on it?" she snapped at me, and I lunged at her, trying to grab her, while Kim stood horrified behind her. Suddenly, Lemmy ripped her back just as I shifted, losing complete control.
How dare she challenge an Alpha vae-wolf, her Alpha! Instead of grabbing her, my hand gripped Kim's shirt, and I felt my nostrils flare as I panted, trying to regain some form of control. Kim remained utterly unmoving, and I felt Lemmy's hand fall on my shoulder while I heard Joe groan behind me.
"Let him go, Hunter; you're hurting him," she snapped at me, her hand gripping my wrist. I could feel the tremble in it, making me look at her. Her eyes were blazing with fury. Looking at her then, with her eyes burning with so much anger and fear, she honestly looked like a royal vae-wolf, her eyes changing their hues, blending with the colors in my office.
"I'll speak to you in the room. Now, please go," I told her.
But she persisted, demanding to know the truth about Rina's whereabouts.
"Room. Now!" I commanded, cutting her off. I immediately regretted my tone as her anger washed over me like a cold, cutting knife. However, she still couldn't resist my Alpha aura, as evidenced by her growl before she reluctantly turned around and stormed off to our room.
It wasn't until I heard Kim wheezing that I realized I had been choking him with his uniform. I released my grip, allowing him to gasp for air.
"Where are you supposed to be?" I asked Kim, and he quickly went after my luna.
Turning back to my office, Lemmy took a step back just as Joe groaned and stood up. Moving around the desk, I grabbed him and shook him.
"Do you realize what you've just done?" I snarled.
"She had the right to know," Joe growled back.
"That may be true, but now you've just given me a huge headache. I didn't want to deal with this right now, especially since she's so close to going into heat and the bond has just formed. You disobeyed a direct order; I told you not to involve her, I had to give her the command," I snapped at him.
"You didn't have to do anything, Alpha. You chose to command her because you don't like being challenged, so don't blame that on me," Joe spat at me. All the while, I was wondering how Mylar was handling the issue back in school. Lemmy asked me to leave them and said that he would take care of Joe. I excused myself and left.
As I walked back to my bedroom, I growled at Kim, who was standing guard for no reason. The room was silent as I approached, and I should have been warier of that as I entered. I didn't see her until I shut the door and turned around, only to have her hand connect with my face. Her claws slashed at me, and I clutched my face as her claws tore into my leathery Lycan skin like a hot knife through butter.
Blood gushed from my face and sprayed across the door behind me.
"You commanded me! You said you were never going to command me again," she snarled at me while I clutched my cheek and eye, my eye patch ripped out. My body rippled and my hands clenched. "Make the announcement and let the search begin," she growled, and I pulled my hand from my face to look at her. She took a step back at the sight of what she had done. My face wasn't healing quickly either; it stung and burned.
Her worry hit me like a tidal wave at what she had done and the fear of how I would react. She looked at her fingertips, her claws still extended, coated with so much of my blood that it dripped from her fingertips.
"I didn't mean it," she went to apologize before her anger returned.
"You should have told me about Rina as soon as you found out, and you should have made the freaking announcement," she said as I blinked, trying to clear my vision and keep my cool. Ignoring her ranting, I walked to the bathroom, grabbed a face towel, and wetted it to dab at the gashes that were bleeding everywhere. Even though I forced myself to shift back, my wounds didn't heal. Damn!
Ania followed me into the bathroom and gasped at the sight of my face. Her claws were still extended, and I knew she didn't know how to retract them. It was difficult to do when you're angry, and until she calmed down, I doubted they would retract. Her body was foreign to her, and her lack of control over that form seemed as bad as mine.
I told her to get out, and when she tried to say something, I said, "Ania, go! Let me calm down. I don't want to hurt you, so please go back to the room," as I sat at the edge of the bathtub.
She growled in response, but eventually walked out and closed the door. I had a feeling that Rina's issue was about to cause chaos between us. However, at that moment, we both needed to calm down before we did something irreversible. I wasn't willing to risk our bond when I had just gotten it back.