FATED TO ALPHA HUNTER BY VENNEH LISAH

𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩:

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask - is Kellen your escort or were you in a relationship. Or are you still together?" I inquired from Hunter, hoping to clear up the confusion.

"She's not an escort, she's my ex," Hunter replied, his tone slightly menacing. Ben and Kellen's mother then began to argue, with Ben ultimately baring his neck to me in submission.

"I'm sorry, but I'm a bit lost here. That wasn't at all what I was expecting," Kim admitted. "For a moment there, I thought Willie was your son and that you didn't know." He told Ben.

"Can someone please explain what's going on?" I demanded, feeling caught up in the drama. I started to move toward Ben, but Hunter's arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him.

"No, you will remain by my side. I won't take any chances with your life again," he whispered. Ben glared at the woman on the small veranda as she spoke, stepping down the steps and onto the grass.

"Ben has been one of my daughter's top and frequent clients for ages now, and so has your mate, the alpha," she said. Hunter looked at Ben, who nodded.

"How?" was all Hunter said. I was no fool, they had clearly been licking from the same honey pot, without each other's knowledge. Kellen had done a good job if neither of them had their scent on her or marked her, which made me wonder who was using whom.

"She has been my escort for years, and when my wife died, I continued a secret affair with her," Ben said, glaring at the alpha.

"She is my woman, Hunter! I just want to know who Willie's father is. That's why I am here. Kellen never mentioned anything about having a child. She said she had one nephew who she loved the most, who was living with her parents, but they weren't treating him right. She said if we ever got married, he would come to stay with us. I am only here for answers. That little prick could be my son," Ben snarled.

"I wouldn't be an arrogant little piece of shit if I were you. I would have beaten that attitude out of you. How dare you come in here mouthing off and demanding answers we don't have! We don't see Kellen anymore, and she has nothing to do with us," the man sneered.

"And where is Kellen? Does anyone know?" I asked. The couple looked at each other, but both shrugged.

" Find Kellen and bring her to the pack house," Hunter ordered Lemmy via the mind-link. However, something else was playing on my mind. Why didn't they come looking for Willie? Did they care so little for him? Didn't they treat him right, just like Ben said? Could Hunter also be the father? Vampires know family by scent, so how come they didn't discover it until then? Could it be that Willie was on scent suppressant pills? A lot was floating through my mind at that moment.

I placed my hand on Hunter's chest and looked at him, and he sighed.

"My mate wants to ask you both some questions, but now I have a few of my own," Hunter said, looking at Ben.

"I will put on a pot of tea, my alpha," the woman said.

"Kim will make it. I don't trust you," I told them. They looked outraged at my words.

"I suppose that is understandable after what that mutt did," the man said, and I raised an eyebrow at his words. Mutt? He would call his grandson a mutt?

"Collins, quiet! Go clean yourself up," the woman hissed at him, and he growled at her but stormed inside. Kim followed him. "Hands to yourselves in there," Hunter snarled out the order, his aura erupting out, and his grip on me tightened when I nearly gave way under it, not expecting it.

The woman across from us crumpled under its weight, brought to her knees. The man dropped in the doorway of his house. Kim growled and gritted his teeth. He nodded, and Hunter released some of his aura, allowing Kim to walk inside. I knew he wanted them to submit to him, to ensure they were on the same page. Someone who could turn on their own family was dangerous. Additionally, I didn't trust him after hearing him call Willie names.

"Don't you collapse on me, neither on my side nor at my feet," Hunter growled, kissing my temple and holding me tighter. The man was defiant, prompting Hunter to increase the weight of his aura. He screamed, rolling onto his back.

"Submit, Collins, you old fossil," Hunter growled. Collins whimpered, then yelped before finally giving in to the order.

Hunter released the woman, and she panted for air while lying on the ground. She then bared her neck to Hunter, who growled but ultimately let her get up. She dusted her hands off on her brown apron.

Meanwhile, Collins sat up and leaned against the doorframe, attempting to catch his breath. "You're a prick, just like your father, King Augustus," he said.

"You're wrong, Collins. I am so much worse than him. Test me again, and you'll find out just how much worse!" Hunter snarled, leading me out to the verandah.

"I'm Teddy, dear. It's lovely to finally put a face to the name," the woman said to me as she showed us to a small outside seating area. I went to sit down when Hunter tugged me onto his lap, further away from the couple as they took their seats.

"Why didn't you come looking for Willie?" I asked.

"He got himself in trouble. He broke the law and went against everything we believed in before he ran away," Collins said, nodding to Hunter.

"The boy broke sacred laws, a few of them in fact here in Devonshire. Therefore, I accept the fate that's coming to him," Collins said. Teddy looked at her hand but said nothing.

"I asked, 'You would let him die?'"

"Yep! I'd kill the little piece of shit myself if the alpha asked," Collins stated.

"I can handle the boy myself," Hunter said, and Collins nodded once. I swallowed. It sounded so cruel. Would no one fight for him? Though the woman's eyes were glassy, she remained quiet and submissive to her mate.

"And Ben? Is he Willie's father, or is it Hunter, or who is he?" I asked just as Ben came out.

"I also want to know because at one point, Kellen told me she went abroad to work for a whole year. During that time, she never even posted anything on social media. Could she have been hiding the pregnancy and child from me, from us? Or did she not know who the father was? That whore of a woman, despite everything I did for her, she couldn't stay off the streets. Whoring runs deep in her blood?" Ben snarled, while Kim placed a tray on the table. Collins growled, his eyes glaring daggers at Ben.

"Watch your tongue, boy!" he sneered.

"Why? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Her mother was an escort, that's how you met her. That's what Kellen told me, and years later, Kellen became one too. Did you teach her?" Ben said, and I felt uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going.

"Enough." Hunter warned, and Ben pressed his lips together.

"Oh, will you stop it? She never wanted you. She chose Hunter over you. Get over it. She was young and stupid, yet you still blame her. You were not her mate. What did you expect? For her to be loyal to you?" Teddy said, feeling frustrated.

Wow, I thought. This woman was a piece of work. Ben shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"You are pathetic!" Ben spat at her.

𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩:

Everything was slipping out of my control. We received little information from Kellen's parents who had no idea who fathered Willie. They explained that he was dropped on their doorstep with a letter from Kellen, instructing them to look after him. Ania remained quiet during the trip home, and I had no idea what she was hoping to find by going there. We left with more questions, and Ben glared out the window while Lemmy searched everywhere for Kellen. It had been a long time since anyone had seen her, but news travelled fast, and I knew she would soon hear about what was happening.

As the gates came into view, Ania turned to look at me. She knew that his grandparents had sealed his fate, although why she wanted to save him after what he did was not comprehensible to me. When we arrived back at the pack house, I asked Kim to take Ania back to our room. She glanced at me, but didn't fight me. Usually, she would. Her eyes searched mine for a second as if she was trying to read me, but I was prepared for that, so I blocked her out. I could see that she wanted to ask questions, but she remained tight-lipped and opened the door. Ben moved to get out of the car, and I looked at him, my hand gripping his shoulder.

"Stay where you are," I told him, watching out the window to make sure Kim and Ania were gone. When they were, I let him go.

"When were you last with Kellen before she left for the year?" I asked him.

"How long ago was that?" I asked again when he remained quiet.

"Nearly 13 years ago," he said. Relief washed over me. Kellen had been my escort for years before we got into a relationship, but that was like seven years ago since I first met her, so there was no way Willie could be my son.

"Is it possible that Willie's father was from Devonshire?" I asked Ben, but he said nothing.

"Was she with anyone when she was with you?" I asked.

"She is a whore. It's obvious she didn't even say when she got pregnant. She might not even know who the father is," Ben snarled.

"You know I plan on killing Willie, right? Will that cause issues between you and me?" I asked Ben, and he shook his head.

"If you want, I will do it for you," he said, his eyes cold.

"And Kellen?" I asked.

"It's Willie we are having issues with, not her," he said, gritting his teeth.

"I want Willie out of the picture, and I feel Ania will fight me on it. Kim has taken her to our room. Will you have the stomach for it, or should I ask Joe?"

"As I said, I will do it for you," Ben answered, as if killing Willie was nothing to him, even if there were chances he could be his son. Yet, the same thing still gnawed beneath my skin.

"Good, because we are going to the dungeons while Kim distracts Ania," I told him. Ben nodded, not that it would change my decision. As long as he didn't outright state it, I hadn't broken any laws.

"One last question," I said as he opened the door. Ben paused and looked at me.

"Is Willie your son?" I asked.

"No, no, no. That's what I thought, but thinking about it now, no," he said.

"Is there a chance I will be committing treason?" I asked him.

"With Kellen, there is always that chance. She was or is a high-end escort to kings, princes, you never know," he said, the words rolling off his tongue venomously. I knew Willie wasn't mine. What could I have done if he was mine? I wondered.

Willie's paternity was bothersome. We could tell by scent when we were related but with the introduction of scent suppressant pills it was hard to tell ,I told Ben the same and he rubbed me off saying he wasn't his son.

We climbed out of the car, as I approached the pack house, I could hear arguing in the corridor. It was Ania, and she turned her glare on me the moment I entered the hall.

"No! You think I can't feel your intentions, alpha Hunter, Allan Augustus? We need to speak to kellen first. I won't let you hurt him." she snarled and I stopped; she couldn't be serious? That boy killed our baby.

"I wasn't asking for your permission. I told you nothing would get in the way of me killing him," I replied firmly, cutting off the other person's objection.

"He's just a boy! Kellen should..." she started to say before I interrupted her, "Kellen isn't here, so she doesn't get a say."

I then turned to Joe and instructed him, "Grab him and bring him to me." Joe quickly rushed off to do as I asked, and I turned my attention back to Kim.

"Lock her in the room and wait until Joe returns. Then come down..." I started to say, but Ania interrupted me, "What? No! I won't let you do this!" I stepped away from Kim as he tried to grab her, and I instructed Ania, "Go to the room."

But Ania shook her head and avoided Kim's reaching hands. "No!" she exclaimed, slapping away Kim's hands. I nodded to Kim, and he grabbed her, tossing her over his shoulder.

"Put me down! You're my guard, brought from Devonshire, our home! You vowed to protect me, not him, Kim!" Ania screamed, hitting him and palming him in the head.

"I vowed to protect you. And you don't want to witness his death," Kim explained to her.

She thrashed on his shoulder as he began walking towards our staircase, just before Valentine stepped out of a room on the side and saw him storm past her.

"Hunter, please! He's just a boy," Valentine murmured, rushing over to me.

"What's with you and her defending him?" I snarled.

"Because no one else is. Not even his family. No one," Valentine said.

I snapped at her, "He killed my baby, and nearly killed my mate! Your Luna." She flinched just as Joe came out of the kitchen down the hall. Kim turned toward the stairs, but not fast enough before she saw him.

"Please! Please Luna Ania, I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" Willie cried, dragging his feet and thrashing. Joe snarled and I heard Kim grunt before Ania lunged at Joe, but Kim grabbed her around the waist, ripping her back.

"Please don't, please my alpha," she wailed. What was wrong with her? This monster killed her baby, and she will fight for him?

'"Please rethink this, Hunter," Valentine begged beside me, and I glared at her, making her quiet only for a blazing fury to erupt from Ania. It was like a shockwave, and it made me shiver.

I felt her order from the end of the corridor, like a shockwave as it burst from her. "Let me go," she commanded, and Kim did, dropping her under the command.

"You will not kill him! Not until I have spoken to Kellen. Unhand him, Beta!" she ordered. Joe groaned and fought against her command, but she ultimately took him down from even that distance. I gritted my teeth; this was the last thing I needed - for her to find her darn power.

Willie tried to run, but I gripped the back of his shirt and pulled him towards me. He screamed, and the sound hurt my ears. Valentine whimpered, as did the security guards and staff present, as I tossed Willie out the doors. He hit the ground and slid across it before getting to his feet and running.

"Freeze!" I ordered, and he obeyed instantly, straining against the command as I moved towards him.

"I warned you, Ania, that I was going to do this. So if you want to watch it, so be it," I told her, stalking towards Willie.

Ania ran towards me, her hands grasping me as she clutched my arms. I spun around and held her face in my hands. Her face was drenched in tears, her desperation shining back at me. "He killed our baby. He almost killed you," I told her, and her eyes flicked to him. Her vampire side flickered, her eyes burning brighter before dimming in defeat.

"Please don't make me do this. Don't make me put you to sleep," I whispered.

"I'm not making you do anything," she hissed back.

"Just go inside," I told her. She shook her head.

"We lost our baby," she said, and I nodded, closing my eyes.

"That doesn't mean we should lose ourselves. We aren't child killers. We aren't monsters. Kellen should be able to say goodbye at the very least," she whispered. How could she say that? Willie never gave her that opportunity. My eyes opened, and her lip quivered as more tears spilled over. I wiped them away with my thumbs and kissed her forehead. She whimpered, knowing she wasn't changing my mind.

"Go inside, love," I told her, letting her go, and she crumpled to the ground.

"No! No, no, no, please! Please!" begged Willie, but he was frozen under my command. Suddenly, a scream pierced through the air, and I turned to see if it was Ania. She was still on the ground, sobbing, while her head turned to the side.

"Mum!" screamed Willie. I followed his gaze and saw Kellen at the gates, looking at Ania. "Get her!" I ordered.

Lemmy rushed out of the doors with a ferocious growl, and Kellen jumped as Ania stood up with surprising speed. I was surprised she didn't faint from the sudden motion. She threw her hand in Lemmy's direction, and her command and power blasted out of her.

"Stop!" she roared, and Lemmy was thrown back against the doors as if hit with the weight of a force field. Her command sent shock waves through me. If it were directed at me, she would have dropped me. Her eyes glowed brighter than ever, taking on an eerie look, an almost white light. They burned so brightly that it hurt my eyes to look at her.

Lemmy smashed against the doors, ripping one door off by the hinges completely as it crashed down beneath him. He grunted. I was shocked. I knew the Devonshires were powerful. I had seen the way her father cheated in the trials. His command had the power to kill, and she had now just awoken it.

One thing that terrified me the most was that she had finally realized what I was hiding from her. Her gaze went to mine, just as Kellen dropped to her knees at her feet. I swallowed guiltily, but she didn't take her eyes off me, not even as Kellen begged.

"Please, it's not his fault. Kill me instead. Please, let me take his place," Kellen pleaded, and Ania pulled her gaze away from me. She was furious, her entire body trembling with anger so hot that I worried she would set the pack house on fire with it.

I had to take care of Willie quickly before she turned her anger on me. If she shifted, she would struggle to hold the power long enough to contain my beast, so I gave in to it and let that side take control. My claws slashed down Willie's face. Kellen screamed, and I moved to break his neck. My fingers wrapped around his throat when Kellen's words stopped me, and so did Ania's command.

"He is a Devonshire," Kellen screamed simultaneously as Ania ordered me to stop. However, her shock caused her to drop the command momentarily, and I tightened my grip on his throat before I was frozen under it again. My head was pounding with the force of it as I tried to fight it, knowing she could overthrow me. However, she was using power that she had no idea how to wield, and it would be straining on her until she learned to harness it correctly.

I growled and turned to Kellen, "He has immunity! He is King Devonshire's son!" Kellen cried and clutched onto Ania's pants. "Please! From what I hear, you too could be King Devonshire's lost daughter. It means he is your brother! He's your half-brother, please!" she begged. I swallowed and looked down at Willie, my hands trembling as I squeezed his neck.

"Let him go," Ania said, her voice trembling. Her eyes flicked toward me. I growled at her, and her eyes blazed with anger. Her next words slammed against me with the force of a freight train.

"Let him go. I have lost my child, and I will not witness another woman lose hers! Let him go!" she commanded, tears trekking down her face. Yet her words were clear and unwavering.

To be continued....