Hunt Little Wolf: The Aurora Marelup Series

by Serenity Rayne

  Aurora and Dominik walk onto the front porch to send off the hunters tonight. It is tradition that the stag head is returned to the alpha in offering. This kind of tradition is right up Aurora’s alley, especially with her impressive skull collection. Aurora and Dominik share a look, then lean their heads back and howl, signaling the start of the hunt. The pack splits into three teams and runs off in different directions. Both of them watch as the last of the pack members disappear from sight. Aurora stops moving rather suddenly and looks at Dominik. In the distance, the sound of a car crash can be heard. Smoke rises up into the sky, marking the area of the crash.

  “Jayce!” Aurora screams before shifting to her wolf to run toward the accident.

  The sudden burst of adrenaline that sets my blood on fire is unlike anything I have ever felt before. One minute I’m appreciating the beautiful sunset with Dom, the next I’m running as fast as my wolven form can carry me. My shift came so quickly, for the fear for my mate overtook any sense of self preservation that I had. Anger begins to flood my thoughts. The fucking bears, they had to have set this up as a last ditch effort to please the strigoi. As I get closer, I see the strigoi and bears circling Jayce. Oh yes, all those fuckers are going to die. Quickly, I break through their ranks, using my talons to rend flesh from their bones as I pass.

  Dom, Elena, and several other lycans are in the distance. I lay a taloned hand on Jayce’s side before I start freezing the ground around us. Jayce leaps up onto the hood of the car as the ice spreads, rooting some of the strigoi in place. Through the bond, I warn Dom not to get too close. He obeys and steers Elena and the other lycans to fight on the edge of the group. After I make sure Jayce is safe, I begin to systematically shred and rip the head off the strigoi closest to me. I’m in a rage, betrayed by the bear clan after swearing a blood bond. There would be no bears left standing after tonight. This, I swear on the blood of my mother. I know Jayce is injured from the accident. I watch his jerky movements out of the corner of my eye.

  With most of the strigoi dead, I move on to the bears. The largest black bear charges at me—a fatal mistake. I know this one is the leader, but if he’s here, where is Sebastian? When the leader gets close enough, I sink my talons into his pelt and encase him in ice. I need him alive for now. Once he’s neutralized, I move on to the next bear. He charges as well; yet another idiot in the group. I show no mercy, and sink my talons deep into his chest and wrap my fingers around his beating heart. The bear is clawing at me, fighting for his life as I stare into his eyes. Slowly, I tighten my grip on his heart, making it harder for the muscle to beat. Blood pumps out around my arm and down to my elbow before dropping onto the ground. The light in his eyes slowly fade away as the blood pumps out of the hole in his chest. Violently, I rip the still beating heart from his chest and drop it to the ground.

  Several bears still live, but not for long. Jayce is off the car now and fighting a bear with his brother, Dom. It's interesting to watch the two of them fight together. A second bear joins their fight, and now I see the change in Jayce: toxin drips green from his canines as he charges the bear. Because I’m distracted from watching the twins, I get blindsided by another bear. This fucker is going to die.

  I roll onto my feet and remain low with my hands flat on the ground. The bear attempts to circle me, but I mirror his movements easily. I watch how he favors his one foreleg, and I realize he has a weakness on his right side. He goes to charge and I leap out of the way only to land on his back. I sink my talons deep into his pelt until I feel his ribs. One by one, I start snapping them. I feel no remorse as it becomes harder for him to breathe. My wolven muzzle comes down and clamps onto the back of the bear’s neck, applying as much pressure as I can. I listen to the tendons snap and bones crack under the pressure I’m exerting. A quick twist of my head snaps the bear’s neck. I call it a mercy killing.

  My eyes turn back to the leader, who—in his only smart move—had shifted back to his human form. Jayce, Dom, and Elena have him surrounded. I shift back to my human form with every step in his direction. I leave only my hands and forearms shifted, so my gauntlets and talons are at my disposal.

  “Where is my mate?” I practically growl in his face as I press the tip of my talon into the soft flesh under his chin.

  “He’s safe, I swear! I have him knocked out and tied up in a cave near our den.” The leader of the bears looks at me, fear radiating off him like a bad cologne. I tilt my head left and right, studying him. I know my silence is only frightening him more.

  “You swear? That’s fucking funny. You swore a blood oath, yet here we are!” I dramatically throw my arms out to encompass the remnants of the battle. “You attacked two of my mates, and one you actually tried to kill. If Sebastian is dead...” I laugh, it's a borderline unhinged kind of laugh. Am I crazy? Maybe just a touch. “If Sebastian is dead, you will know exactly what Hell on Earth is. You will be begging for me to take your life.” I pull my hand toward me, slicing my talons through the soft flesh under his chin. His ice prison starts melting around him. “Start walking. If there’s even the slightest hint of a trap, you die. And know this: at the end of tonight, none of your clan will be left alive. I cannot take the chance of them betraying me again.” The color drains from his face as he finally realizes he just caused the extinction of his people. I’m not joking, nor am I one to play games or make empty threats. Betrayal isn’t something to be overlooked. It’s not something to be forgotten or forgiven.

  The walk through the woods is in relative silence. I had shifted back to my lycan form before we entered the woods. I didn't want to be vulnerable just in case this is a trap. Jayce and Dom flank my sides as we move deeper into unfamiliar territory. Part of me wants to call my lycan pack to join in the hunt for Sebastian. The other part doesn’t want the pack to watch what I feel I need to do.

  In the distance, the cave in question comes into view. Elena prepares to bolt toward the cave, but at my command, Dom and Jayce move to block her path. I give her a short growl to warn her of the possible danger that lies within the cave. As we get closer, the first scent I pick up is blood and Sebastian. A menacing growl escapes my lips, and my hackles stand on end as I stare at the bear’s leader. My lips are curled back, exposing my long canines and sharp teeth. I motion for the guys to investigate the cavern since dire wolves can see in the dark better than lycans.

  Dom’s voice appears in my head though the bond, “He’s ok. He’s bound and gagged, and it seems like he’s been drugged. The blood isn’t his; he must have killed the three bears in here before the drugs kicked in. Jayce and I will get him out of here.” I’m relieved that Sebastian is safe and sound. I am, however, still royally pissed off at the bear’s leader. He knows he’s in deep shit. I don’t even bother looking at him yet.

  I shift back to my human form to address my mother-in-law, “Elena, I need you and Jayce to take Sebastian home and make sure he’s really ok. Dom and I have matters that need attending to.” My voice is as cold as ice and as harsh as a hurricane. There will be no mercy; only women and children will survive this. Any threat to my people is a direct threat to the throne, and I must deal with it as such.

  Dom and Jayce walk out with Sebastian in their arms. I quickly create an ice prison for the bear’s leader before I look Sebastian over. Slowly, I walk around the guys, looking at every inch of him. There’s barely a bruise on his body; in that sense, I’m pleased.

  “Lay him down and elevate his head.” Carefully, Dom and Jayce lay Sebastian down with his head on Jayce’s lap. My beast is out for blood after seeing her mate defenceless. “Tilt his head back and open his mouth.” I watch as Jayce does as I’ve instructed. When Sebastian is positioned correctly, I bite my forearm, allowing my canines to elongate and pierce my own flesh and muscle. Rich, sanguine fluid drops slowly into Sebastian’s mouth. My theory is, since I heal faster than the guys, perhaps my blood will help remove the sedative from Sebastian’s system. I watch the rivulets of blood slowly drip onto my mate�
�s tongue, turning it vermillion. I observe as he slowly swallows the first gulp of my blood. My hand tightens its grip on the other to squeeze more blood out and into his mouth. Sebastian’s color slowly improves, and eventually his eyes open. He reaches up with shaky hands and grips my bleeding arm He gently licks my self inflicted wounds, healing me. A soft “thank you” echoes in my head from Sebastian. I kiss his lips softly and lock eyes with Jayce.

  “Get him and Elena home safely. Your word is my law. Anyone questions it, fucking bite them and let the toxins take them.” Jayce simply nods. No words are needed at this point. My eyes move to Dom. He knows what I have planned and he’s completely on board. Without warning, I partially shift my arms. Thick, sharp, white dragon scales create gauntlets on my forearms and down my fingers to the long, hooked talons on my finger tips. I look over my weapons as I defrost the ice prison that’s holding the bear’s leader. He’s begging for his life, begging for mercy. His pleas are falling on deaf ears, and I’m past the point of accepting any sorries from him.

  I stand directly in front of him, my eyes turning the liquid mercury of my beast. My left hand grips his throat and both of his hands fly up, trying to loosen my hold on him. What he doesn't notice is that my right hand is aimed at his upper stomach. I slowly press my talons to his flesh about five inches above his navel. The skin bends and flexes only so much before my talons pierce through his flesh, then through the thick muscle layer of his abdomen. His eyes lock with mine, shock starting to set in. I continue to press deeper, feeling his intestines slide along the back of my hand. I sense Sebastian shuffling behind me. I keep pressing until my talons touch the muscle of his diaphragm. His blood is slowly running down my forearm, leaving streaks of crimson along my scales.

  I pause in my forward movement to watch the blood trickle along the various scale plates. It's almost a work of art. Then again, death can be beautiful if done properly. I look over my shoulder at Sebastian and smile at him. I’m happy to see him standing up. His hand grips my right forearm as he presses his chest to my back. Quickly, he thrusts my right arm up and through the diaphragm. I literally have the man’s heart in my hand. Sebastian places his left hand lightly around my throat and brings his full lips to my ear. His voice was low and sultry; it drips of raw, sexual power, hitting a tone that sets my blood on fire. Sebastian utters four words, and I honestly can’t help myself. “I want his heart.”

  I comply immediately. The man’s eyes go wide as I suddenly grip his heart tight and rip down. The wet, sucking noise fills the air as my arm comes free of his body. The bear’s leader drops like a ton of bricks on the forest floor before me. Slowly, I turn and offer the heart to Sebastian. He kisses me softly and takes my offering, giving me that cocky smirk of his. If he wasn't so panty-melting hot, I’d probably be pissed at him. Jayce comes up alongside Sebastian and they begin to walk home. My gaze lands on Elena next. She looks at the man’s body and begins removing his skull to add to my collection. She knows me too well. Dom places his hand on my lower back and tilts his head to the side, silently questioning what was next.

  “The bear’s main camp is to the north over this ridge. We shift and go in hot. Only sow’s with children live.” I may be heartless at times, but I refuse to kill children or leave them orphans. We shift and take off in the direction of the bear’s compound.

  It’s not as big as I initially thought it would be. We see strigoi moving about the compound, but no bears out in the open. Part of what the leader said was true. He didn’t, however, admit to the strigoi using his compound as a base. I motion for Dom and I to retreat. We need to plan this as a team, and a night time strike is not the smartest move for us to make.

  We return to the lycan compound and I send Dom off to gather the others. I call Dimitri and tell him we need my father’s wisdom. The guys all gather around as well as some of our strongest fighters. My phone rings and it’s Dimitri and my father on the other end. Dom goes through his observations from the attack and the hunt for Sebastian. Then, Sebastian fills everyone in on what he overheard before he was sedated. I notice Jayce is writing everything down in bullet points on the whiteboard, making it easier to track where the conversation is going.

  “Ok, so I’m going out on a limb here.” I stand in front of the whiteboard to look over the notes. “What if the bears have been involved since the beginning? For a group that recently arrived, the strigoi have too much knowledge to hunt my ass down. At some point, we need to make sure there are no other moles in our ranks. For now, we need to plan the attack in the morning. Put the compound on lock down. No one goes in or out until tomorrow night.” My eyes search those that are gathered; none flinch from what I just said.

  My father’s voice cuts through my thoughts, “Good idea, daughter. Only one problem: more than likely, the strigoi will have prisoners in the basements. How do you plan on handling that?” My father raises an interesting point. I ponder the idea further, then I slowly turn to Sebastian.

  He steps forward and bows his head to me, presenting his idea, “We need to evacuate as many bears as possible and burn the main buildings the strigoi are in. From what we have seen, they tend to bunch up, so I assume they do the same for sleep.” Sebastian turns on the smart TV in the office and hooks up his phone to it. I grab my phone and switch the call to video. I turn the camera to face the TV as Sebastian pulls up his map program to show the bear’s camp. “Not every house will have a basement, so we can eliminate those houses first. I suggest we wait until the sun is high in the sky before we move in. Aurora and I can rip the roof off the houses we suspect have strigoi in the basement. Worst case scenario, after that we can rip up the floorboards as well.” Sebastian keeps his back turned from the group as he explains his idea. I mean, most of it had merit.

  “Okay, so let me get this straight: I’m supposed to use precious energy to rip a house apart when we’re not even sure that the strigoi are there? Logistically, it doesn't make any sense to me at all. Dad, is there any way to track the strigoi that would make pinpointing them easier?” Who knows how old my father is? Maybe, in all his years, someone had a stroke of brilliance and figured it out. It’s a long shot, but worth asking. I watch my father pace while Dimitri rolls his eyes. I see now where my flair for the dramatic comes from.

  “Nope, no easy way to find them other than the distinct scent of sulfur and rot,” my father says like it’s nothing. Has he been hanging out with Andre too much? Everyone in the room turns to Jayce and Dom. The dires have the best nose out of all of us. After all, compared to the rest of us—especially me—they are the closest to pure wolves. Jayce and Dom look at each other, then back to me.

  Dom is the first to speak, “We’ve got this. Dimitri, have Alex send two enforcers and two wolves with toxic bite as soon as he can. We need more help here in the future.” Dimitri gives a short reply, then he ends the call. “Lets get some sleep; tomorrow is going to be a long day.” Dom immediately offers me his hand and I sigh softly, giving him a gentle kiss before hugging him tightly.

  “I need to spend time with Sebastian. He may be an ass and an arrogant fuck at times, but he's still our mate, and I’ve been spending more time with you and Jayce than him. I don’t favor anyone and I don't want anyone to feel as if they don’t matter as much as the others. Besides, if anyone is going to kick his ass first, it’s going to be me.” Dom and I share a good laugh over that before I turn and leave him behind.

  Upstairs, I find Sebastian sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. I feel the emotional rollercoaster he's on and it's partially my fault. I walk past Sebastian and into his bathroom. I decide to fill his oversized tub, and I add in different oils and herbs as the hot water begins to rise. Curiosity must have gotten the better of him because, eventually, he joins me in the bathroom. After I shut the water off, I turn to him and put a finger to his lips, asking for silence. He gives me a slow nod. Tonight is about him not me.

  Deep down, I feel like I’ve been neglecting Sebastian. He
brought some of it on himself, taunting the other mates. Sebastian always had the bad habit of trying to place himself above the others.This made me distance myself from him, mostly because I was constantly trying to reassure the other mates of their place. After thinking I lost him, I know I need to set things right tonight and spend quality time with him. My hands grip the hem of his henley and I slowly lift it above his head. I drop his shirt to the floor and lightly run my fingers over his taut muscles. With all that’s happened lately, I almost forgot what it's like to appreciate what's before me. I reign in my desire for now. I must remember to stay on task.

  I motion for Sebastian to sit on the edge of the tub. Carefully, I remove his shoes and socks, then go for his belt. Sebastian stands to help with his pants. Adonis has nothing on Sebastian’s physique. He is pure, sculpted perfection; the definition of man candy. Fuck, I got lucky in the mate department. I motion for him to get in the tub, and he gives me that look. You know, the one that makes you want to lick every inch of the person. The look that makes your insides melt and your lady bits weep with joy. Sebastian steps into the hot water and lowers himself into the tub. His moan of appreciation makes my insides clench. I try to ignore my pussy, but the bitch is screaming at me. I grab the softest washcloth I can find and load it with the body soap I keep hidden in his bathroom.

  I spent the next half hour washing every square inch of his body. My fingers trace every bump and ridge of Sebastian's muscles, his baby blue eyes locked on mine as I bathe him. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't turned on. Other females would kill to be where I am right now.

  "My love, you don't have to bathe me you know? I appreciate how thorough you're being. I'm ok, honest, Aurora." I move so I'm now straddling Sebastian's lap. My fingers roam over the rock hard muscles of his chest.

  "Sebastian, I feel like I haven't been a good mate to you. When I thought you might have died..." My words fail me as tears slowly roll down my cheeks. Sebastian's hands come up and cup my face, using the pad of his thumbs to wipe away my tears.