Pack up

Chapter Six

Hunter’s POV

I couldn’t get her out of my head, and it pissed me off.

Faelen, I had learned was the girl’s name. The name felt wrong in my mouth, like I was choking on it. It made no sense. She was just a lowly servant, and I was the Alpha of the Howle Wulf pack.

I’d ruled this pack with an iron fist since my father’s death, and I’d never once let anyone question my authority. Women had always been easy, too easy for me, if I was being honest.

They fell at my feet, desperate even for just a glance towards them, a touch. I could have had any of them, as I have always, but not as a mate. No, that was a word I’d always despised.

And yet, this… this pull I felt toward her. It was confusing and even annoying. I’d heard the stories, the whispers of the mating bond. But I’d never believed it, not really.

It had always seemed like a weakness to me, something that would tie me down, make me vulnerable. And I didn’t do vulnerable.

But what if this was it? What if that’s what I was feeling? I asked myself. 

I growled at the mere thought of it, a deep, angry sound that echoed through my ears. The very idea that I could be mated not to anyone, but to a servant girl made my blood boil.

It was ridiculous. Impossible. I couldn’t allow it. I wouldn’t. But no matter how much I tried to shove the thought away, it kept coming back, scratching at the walls of my mind.

I paced in my room, my bare feet thudding against the cold stone floor. It had been hours since the girl left, but her presence had remained, like a scent I couldn’t shake off.

Her scent, I could still sense it. Her face, a delicately shaped oval face, and those long red strands of hair. Her face had somehow stuck in my mind. 

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t some love sick fool. I’d resisted every woman who had ever tried to get close to me. Why should she be any different?

But she was different. I knew it, and it made me sick to my core.

I needed to get out of there. I needed to clear my head. I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on, not bothering to button it. The fabric felt tight against my skin.

I had to move, had to get away from these thoughts that were driving me insane. I headed for the door, my steps hard and purposeful.

As soon as I stepped into the hallway, a guard started to follow me. I could feel him trailing behind, his footsteps fast, trying to keep up.

He was a young man, barely out of his teens, and I could smell the fear of failing in his duties rolling off him. Good. He should be afraid of me. 

“Back off!” I roared, spinning around to face him.

My voice echoed through the corridor, bouncing off the walls. The guard stumbled back, his eyes wide with terror. 

“I need to be alone.” I said. 

“Yes, Alpha,” he stammered, nearly tripping over his own feet as he backed away. I watched him go, my anger dying down just beneath the surface.

I turned back around and stormed down the hallway, my mind a storm of frustration and confusion. This couldn’t be happening. I wouldn’t let it.

There had to be a way to get rid of this… whatever it was. Maybe if I pushed myself hard enough, I could force it out of my system, burn it away until there was nothing left but the cold, hard Alpha I’d always been.

I reached the entrance to the castle and pushed the doors open, the cool evening air hitting me like a slap to the face. It was refreshing, but it did nothing to soothe the storm raging inside me.

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the scent of dust and sand, but even that was mixed with a trace of something, something I couldn’t quite name.

Damn her. I thought to myself. 

I set off walking, my feet pounding against the ground. I needed to move, to keep going until my legs gave out and my mind was too exhausted to think.

But no matter how fast I went, no matter how far I went, I knew I couldn’t escape my own thoughts. And that terrified me.

I headed out to the training field, trying to shake off the thoughts of Faelen that had been eating at me. The sight of Caleb, my Beta and closest friend standing there under a tree, was a welcome distraction.

Caleb was a few years older than me, but we had grown up together, and there was no one I trusted more. He had always been the opposite of my ruthless nature, a born strategist. 

But today, something was different. Caleb stood there, a bow in hand, aiming at a target a few paces away. I couldn’t help but scoff as I approached him.

Caleb was never one for weapons or combat. Diplomacy was his thing, which was why I had made him my second in command in the first place.

Even though I was the Alpha, I found the politics and ruling dull, but Caleb thrived in that aspect. Seeing him with a bow now was almost laughable.

“Really, Caleb? A bow and arrow?” I called out as I walked up to him. “What, are you planning to hunt rabbits now?” I jeered. 

Caleb didn’t even glance at me, his focus still on the target. “Not everything’s about fighting and killing, Hunter,” he replied in that calm, steady voice of his. “Sometimes, it’s just about the challenge and the joy in it. I’m beginning to develop a thing for the sport you know.”

I laughed, a deep, mocking sound that echoed across the training field. “Sport, huh? Since when do you care about hitting targets? I thought you left all the physical stuff to me.” I teased. 

He finally looked at me then, a small smile appearing at his lips. “Just because I’m not as bloodthirsty as you doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a little target practice, man. It’s good for the mind, sharpens your focus.” He said lowering the bow down. 

“Hmm… Focus. Right.” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t resist the urge to join in. I grabbed another bow from the rack and stretched its string with my other hand. 

“Tell you what, Cal. I’ll show you how it’s done. I bet you two hundred dollars I can hit the bull’s eye without even looking.” I said to him, boasting. 

Caleb raised an eyebrow, clearly amused but not entirely convinced. “You’re really that desperate to show off, huh?” he replied. 

“Always,” I grinned, positioning myself to shoot. 

I turned my head away from the target, confident in my abilities. I could feel Caleb’s skeptical gaze on me, and that only made me more determined to pull off the shot.

With a quick motion, I released the arrow. The arrow flew, but not right enough. It hit the target, but only inches away from the bull’s eye, a small red mark at the center of the target.

I felt my grin slip as I turned to see where it had landed. Caleb’s laughter broke the silence, a sound that bruised on my nerves.

“Not always perfect, are you?” Caleb teased, still chuckling as he prepared to take his own shot.

The irritation flared up inside me, and my smile vanished, replaced by a scowl. “Shut up,” I muttered, more out of habit than anything else.

I wasn’t used to failing, especially not in front of Caleb. But as much as it annoyed me, there was something peaceful about the moment.

Caleb had always been one of the few people who could call me out or talk to me the way he liked without any real consequences.

Still, the missed shot pricked at me. I wasn’t sure if it was the frustration from earlier, or just an off day, but I hated feeling anything less than invincible.

I wasn’t about to let Caleb see that vulnerability, though. I forced a smirk back onto my face and reached for another arrow. “Just warming up,” I said, my tone light but with a trace of seriousness.

I drew the bow again, this time with both eyes on the target, and fired. The arrow struck dead center, exactly where I wanted it.

Caleb didn’t say anything, just gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. But I could see the amusement still dancing in his eyes. For once, it didn’t bother me as much.

Maybe it was the familiarity of the routine, the banter, or maybe it was just that Caleb had always been one of the few people who could see through my tough exterior.

But even as we stood there shooting, I couldn’t shake the thoughts of Faelen. That strange pull I felt toward her was still there, tugging at the back of my mind.

It pissed me off greatly, made me feel weak in a way I didn’t understand. I tried to push it aside, focusing on the target in front of me, but it was no use. The irritation was still there, just below the surface.

I let out a slow breath, lowering the bow. “Well, let’s call it a day,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Caleb nodded, and we began to pack up.