The Hunted Wolf – Chapter 21

ADIRA I hovered over my empty suitcase, unsure of what to pack exactly. It was only an hour to my hometown, but I didn’t know how long I would be there. I wanted to pack extra just in case, but I imagined it being just a day trip. I wasn’t sure if my mother would even agree to see me, and if she did, I couldn’t imagine being there for very long. I knew this was something I had to do.

“Are you ready?” Mark asked, entering the room.

“Not yet,” I said. I hadn’t even started getting ready.

Mark approached me and then looked at the empty suitcase before looking back at me. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

I took a deep breath and shook my head. “No. I can do it. It’s time I faced my parents.”

That word felt strange in my mouth. Parents. Alpha Lyna may not have been my b***d-related father, but he still raised me. He was a father to me for most of my life, and I still had plenty of good memories of him. I remembered going on runs with him in wolf form late at night when I was supposed to be in bed, him taking me out for ice cream when I got good grades, him reading bedtime stories to me when I was having a hard time going to sleep.

He was strict at times, but he was a good father all the way up to the point where he turned his back on me for something that wasn’t in my control. He betrayed our relationship and left me on my own, and my mother let him. I didn’t want to run away anymore though. I wanted to show them I was plenty capable without them in my life.

Mark wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing the top of my head. “I will be right by your side the entire time, and if you change your mind anytime between now and at the doorstep, we will turn around immediately.”

I placed my hands on top of Mark’s hands and leaned into him. “Are you sure you can leave the pack to go with me?”

“Scythe and Rie assured me they have things under control. Darian will be running the patrol himself, and if anything happens, we won’t be that far away,” Mark said. “The pack should be fine for a day. I think you need me more for today.”

“Good. I’m glad you’ll be with me.” I turned my head and kissed Mark.

His hands automatically started running up and down my body, and I could feel the moment growing more intense. I pulled away, knowing if I didn’t stop things now, they could easily lead to too much time spent in bed, and today was not the day for that. Mark pouted his l*p as my body separated from his.

I poked his nose. “I’ll be ready in five minutes. Meet you by the front door?”

“You know, there’s something else we could do in five minutes.” Mark raised his eyes up.

I shook my head with a smile. It would be a lie to say I didn’t have the same thought. “You know very well what five minutes can turn into with us, and I don’t want to show up to Pack Lyna’s house too late.”

Mark sighed. “Fine. I’ll just have to wait until this evening to do what I was thinking to you.” He winked as he left me in the bedroom.

Mark and I were still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship. We couldn’t get enough of each other, and if it wasn’t for all of our responsibilities, it would have been easy to stay in bed together for weeks, doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company. I loved the feeling, and I never wanted it to go away. I feared that moment. I didn’t want to fall into a boring routine where we were just going through the motions of being a couple. I wanted to always appreciate Mark and the love I felt for him.

I wanted to be one of those old couples who still held each other’s hands and always made sure to k**s each other goodbye. A giddy smile danced on my lips at the thought of growing old with Mark. I didn’t need an extravagant life, just a happy one with him would be enough for me.

I finished packing, not wanting to leave Mark waiting for longer than I told him. I didn’t pack much, just a spare change of clothes and a few bathroom necessities, just in case the day trip was extended for whatever reason. Packing didn’t take long, but before I left the room, I grabbed a piece of paper and started writing a note.

While I was hoping my mother could confirm Cain’s story and maybe help me out a little, I knew I would need even more help, especially if Cain was telling the truth. I wasn’t about to leave Mark, and if this council was after me, I would need another sorcerer who could help me figure out how to handle it.

Dear Ginger, I hope you have been well. Mark and I are settled into our new home, but there has been chaos ever since we got here, so I apologize for not writing you sooner. I don’t have time to go into the details, but it appears the Council of Magic wants me dead after finding out about my true nature. I need your help. I know this is a lot to ask, but if you can come to our pack, I will give you all of the details.

Sincerely, Adira I folded the note up and slipped it into an envelope. I pulled out a small bottle Ginger had given to me after we defeated Theron. I unscrewed the lid and pulled out the dropper lid. The liquid was thick and blue. I held it over the envelope and carefully dropped a single drop onto the paper, making sure to have the intention of sending the letter to Ginger.

This was a potion she had created herself to help us keep in touch. It essentially shifted small objects to the location the user intends when touching the liquid onto the object. We had been sending letters to each other back and forth this way. She gave a similar bottle to Daniel, and I knew they kept their correspondence up better than I did.

When that was done, I made my way to the front door. I was surprised when I got there and Mark wasn’t waiting for me, since I was sure I had taken longer than five minutes to finish everything.

Where are you? I linked to him.

I’ll be there in just a moment. Darian had to go over a last-minute plan with me. Go ahead and go to the car, and I’ll meet you there, Mark explained.

I grabbed the keys and went to the car, putting my stuff in the trunk. I leaned against the door, wondering what was taking Mark so long. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying not to overthink what was coming. No matter what happened, I knew I would be able to figure things out. I had always figured out how to survive, and this would be no different. I would find a way to defeat the council and figure out who this Son of B***d and Magic was. I knew what kind of life I wanted with Mark, and I was prepared to fight for it.

The front door opened, and I looked up, expecting Mark to walk through the door. I was surprised to see Rie running towards me.

“Oh good, I’m glad I caught you before you left,” Rie said, slightly out of breath when she stopped in front of me.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked. I was suddenly worried there was an issue with the pack.

“Wipe that stressed look off your face. I promise it’s not a bad thing,” Rie said.

I felt relieved hearing that. I wasn’t sure how many more fires I could handle trying to put out. “Oh good. What’s up then?”

“I know you have a lot going on right now, but I still want to take you dress shopping for your luna ceremony,” Rie said. “You’ll be back tomorrow, right?”

I frowned. “I really don’t think the luna ceremony is a good idea right now,” I said.

“Don’t waste your energy on fighting this, because I promise it’s not going to work. Don’t worry. Scythe and I are handling everything, and we are keeping it a small ceremony. However, you are our luna, and we plan on making it official as soon as possible so we can all link with you. Besides, we need a little good in all of this chaos.” Rie gave me a wink, smiling brightly as ever.

“It would be nice to communicate with the pack,” I admitted. “Do we have to go dress shopping, though? I have plenty of dresses to wear, and going shopping right now seems almost wrong.”

“You most definitely need a new dress, but I’ll tell you what. While you’re gone today, I will go shopping for you. I know your size and style, and I’ll pick out a few dresses for you to choose from. How does that sound?”

“That sounds great,” I said with a laugh of relief.

“Perfect. Now, I hope your trip goes smoothly, and if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call, okay?” Rie wrapped me into a big hug.

I hugged her back, tension leaving my body. “I won’t. Thanks.”

The front door opened again, and this time it was Mark who came out of the house. He stopped in front of me. “Sorry about that. Ready?”

I nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Rie skipped into the house, waving goodbye to us as we got into the car. Mark automatically got into the driver’s seat, and I was grateful for that. I wasn’t sure how well I would be able to concentrate on the road with my nerves creeping in. The drive went surprisingly fast, and it wasn’t long before we were entering my hometown.

We finally made it to the front of the pack house I grew up in. I didn’t move from the seat in the car, giving myself a moment to prepare myself. I hadn’t seen my mother in almost five years, and I was expecting this interaction to go the worst way possible, which made it even more difficult to move.

Mark grabbed my hand and squeezed. “I’ll be right here next to you the entire time, and no matter what happens, just remember that I love you and you are my family.”

I looked at Mark and smiled. Leaning in, I gave him a small k**s. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”

I got out of the car and started walking to the front door, Mark just a step behind me. I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Footsteps approached the door before it opened slowly, revealing a familiar face.

–

CAIN “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” I said, sitting down at the table. The man across from me looked less than pleased.

“I still don’t understand who you are or why you would come to me,” he said. He was leaning back in his chair, completely uninterested in what I had to say. I was a little surprised he even agreed to meet me with the attitude on his face.

“Let’s just say you and I have a mutual interest in common. I need your help, and I can help you get what you want.” I didn’t like going this route, but I felt like I didn’t have a choice. It was clear based on my conversation with Adira that she would never be willing to leave her mate, and I had to do something about it. Even if her mother confirms my story, Adira would be in great danger if she didn’t agree to come with me.

The man scoffed. “And how do you know what I’m interested in?”

“I have been watching you. I know who your enemies are, and I know what happened to you. You want revenge on this man, right?” I slid a picture over to the man across from me.

The man grabbed the picture, and his demeanor completely changed when he looked at it. He sat up in his chair and even leaned forward. “You have my interest. What do you want from me, and how do you plan on helping me get what I want?”

“I need you to help me keep my daughter safe. You do that, and I will make sure you get what you want.”

The man smirked and held out his hand to me. “You have a deal.”