Hunt Little Wolf: The Aurora Marelup Series

by Serenity Rayne

  Elena finally speaks, "We are first cousins with Vladimir. I swear, we are only loyal to you." Elena drops to her hands and knees, exposing her throat to me. My eyes narrow as I stare at her, and my hand lands on my father's arm.

  “I think this is the news that got Andre killed. If I’m correct, either one of the Lupi’s—Elena or Sebastian—ordered the hit or the real puppet master did.” I don’t bother turning to look at my father. I feel the rage building within him. It’s quite interesting that her herbs are tainted, and that she’s dating my father and I’m mated to her son. My eyes move to Dimitri, and he notices that they have swirled to liquid mercury. He gives me a nod of understanding. He knows I’m talking to my father and that he will be filled in eventually.

  I openly pose a question, “Can a mating bond be faked or forced with herbs and magic?” Elena’s head whips up and her face turns as white as snow.

  "Yes, daughter, it can. It’s how the alpha tricked your mother into being his mate. The elder dame made the drink and casted the spell.” Dimitri’s and my animal begin to growl. I want to destroy, and I don’t care about the repercussions. My eyes land on Elena next. Her life hangs in the balance at this point.

  “Was the tea you had given Andre for me laced with anything besides the sleeping tonic? Choose your words wisely.” I can hear the guys yelling for me to stop, don’t do it! I’m not a pawn or a plaything. Elena is sobbing loudly, her tears falling to the floor. Her cries don’t move me or stir any kind of emotion from me. The door behind Dimitri flies open, and the guys scream for me to listen to them. My arms and hands shift to armored gauntlets as I stare down at the woman I once called mother. “Did you force the bond between Sebastian and I?” I practically roar out the sentence. My heart is aching with the knowledge that perhaps what we have isn’t real. The guys all freeze as what I said dawns on them.

  Sebastian is the only one let past Dimitri. He’s hesitant as he kneels next to his mother. He wraps his arms around her then looks up to me. The pain in his eyes almost cracks my resolve.

  “They have my brother. We thought if I was mated to you...” He’s frustrated and hurting, but how can I forgive this betrayal? “If I knew then what I know now, I would have asked for help.” My eyes remain narrowed on Sebastian. His mother is crying and he’s showing the appropriate emotions. He’s trying to console her as he looks up at me, hoping for forgiveness.

  “Dimitri, was there a brother when you took care of me as a baby?” I can tell when Dimitri begins searching his memory because he starts to bite his lower lip. Damn this fucking heat; I love and hate when he does that.

  “I remember a wee little one running around, but I'm not sure if he was introduced as Sebastian's brother or not.” Dimitri tilts his head to the side after he finishes speaking, letting me pass judgement.

  My eyes fall on my father. He’s clearly upset by this new information. If he’s anything like me, he feels used. Slowly, my father moves closer to me and rests his hand on the back of my neck.

  “Daughter, I don’t know what to tell you to do. If you suspect them, don’t let on that you do. We can use your leniency to our advantage in the long run. They are related to the old alpha. Who knows if they believe as he did.” I take his words into consideration before I look back to Elena and Sebastian. I step away from my father and glance at the twins. I know they will stand by me no matter my decision. My eyes fall to Dimitri, who nods and brings his fist over his heart.

  “I have come to a decision.” Heeding my father’s words, I calm myself down and shift my hands and arms back to human. “For the sake of appearances, Sebastian, you can remain in the Alpha House. You are stripped of the title of First Mate. By rights, it’s now Dom’s proper title.” I watch as Sebastian’s beast flairs up in his eyes, turning them the white blue of his wolf. “Go ahead, Sebastian, challenge me! Your wolf is pissed and rightfully so. Though, he should be pissed at you for forging a false bond.” Sebastian’s eyes return to his normal baby blue. “I’m hurt, I won’t lie about that. I never would have thought the two of you would sink so low. I have a lot to sort through mentally and emotionally.” I feel the prince’s scale warm up on my chest, and my hand absently reaches up to touch it. My eyes return to Sebastian, and they flicker between human and the mercury of my beast. “You robbed me of the possibility of a true lycan mate.” I shake my head at him and move toward Dimitri, letting him hold me as I start to cry. My father chose this time to shove everyone out of the house, except the twins. I feel both their hands on my back as they try to soothe my pain away. I lift my head up and turn in Dimitri’s arms to look at them.

  “Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I’m just very lost at the moment. I mean, my true mate is out there somewhere and because of Sebastian, I’ll never meet him.” I sigh softly and lower my head. Dom reaches up, gently grips my chin, and raises my head until he can look me in the eye.

  “Princess, we love you and will support you in whatever you desire to do. As for your true lycan mate, Who knows? He might be able to break the magic placed over you. Honestly, I don't know how that shit works. I hope, for your sake, we can break it.” As Dom kisses my lips, Jayce’s phone starts ringing. Dom and I both look at Jayce and he starts laughing.

  “The prince is threatening to fly down here and burn the village to the ground. Nico, would you mind speaking to him?” My father takes the phone from Jayce and walks out the room.

  “As much as I hate to kick you out, I’m having problems keeping urges under control.” Quickly, I kiss both boys on the lips and Dimitri ushers them out of the room. Once the guys clear the front door, I walk over to my father while he video chats with the prince. I just can't help myself. I walk around the table to stand behind my father, and rest my forearms on his shoulders to see Alaric myself. Dare I say, he’s a beautiful man. He’s rugged and handsome, and his beard definitely works with that viking look he’s got going on. I lower my head to be even with my father’s and stare at Alaric. He blushes for a moment then clears his throat. I watch his almost golden eyes look back and forth between my father and I.

  “I assume your beauty comes from your mother, princess?” He smiles and starts to laugh with my father.

  “Yeah, I guess so. I never had the pleasure of meeting my mother. Apparently, I was the reason she died.” I drop my eyes quickly, and my father leans the phone against the napkin holder to embrace me. Alaric, realizing his folly, clears his throat again. Smoke rings come out his nostrils. This catches my attention and I raise my head up, watching him intently.

  “My mother is a gold dragon. I have her fire as well as my father's resistance to ice and cold.” Alaric feels compelled to explain what happened. “As for your mom, I met her several times. She was very beautiful and highly intelligent. She was a very fair leader, unlike most of the lycans at the time.” Alaric looks down then back up at me. “I just needed to know you were okay. I mean, I feel the turmoil.” He opens his shirt to reveal my scale. He rubs it gently, and it feels like he’s touching me. I look down at his scale and watch it change from golden to white. I smile, realizing the connection. I lightly touch his scale and rub it in return. His smile broadens when he feels my touch. My father starts laughing his ass off.

  “Silly kids, wait until after you mate! You think that feeling is intense? It gets stronger! Only downside: Aurora’s dragon half may get stronger than her wolven half.” Nico looks between the two of us then stands to leave. “I’ll let you two talk for a bit. I’ll be on the porch if you need me, baby girl.” With that, my father leaves. My father's antics make me laugh. In the background, I hear Alaric say “breathtaking.”

  “What, you act as if you've never witnessed a woman laugh before?” He smiles and shakes his head at me, refusing to speak. “I get it, it's the mate attraction. I honestly can’t wait to see your dragon in all his glory. If he’s anything like his human half, he must be magnificent.” As soon as I call his dragon magnificent, he flares to the surface. Alaric’s eyes turn the silver gold o
f his dragon. “Ah, there you are. Hello, handsome. Will you take me flying?” The slits in Alaric’s eyes dilate several times. “I guess I pleased him.” I couldn't help but smile at the thought. I pleased a Dragon Prince and I haven't even touched him yet.

  “I was concerned that perhaps my dragon would frighten you. I’m so happy you wish to meet him and go for a flight. A mating flight is a dragon tradition, you know?” Alaric states it as a question and I shake my head no at him. He sits back, looking shocked for a moment. “Oh! Well, um, that's a conversation for when we are able to sit side by side. This isn't the proper way to discuss such a serious conversation. I should go, my love. Rest well. Tomorrow we will be another day that we’re closer together.” He kisses his fingertips and presses it to my scale. I sigh at the warmth I feel.

  “Sleep well, my prince. Dream of me?” I tear up a little at the thought. I smile before I kiss my fingertips and press them to his scale. I watch him smile as he mouths, Always, before ending the call. I hate to admit I stare at the blank phone screen longer than I should have. Slowly, I stand up and walk outside to return the phone to my father.

  "Please return this to Jayce for me. I'm going to try to sleep." I kiss the top of my father's head and wave to Dimitri as he returns. I head back to Andre's room and curl up in his bed. This is going to be the longest three days ever.

  The revelations that have been made in the last twenty-four hours are borderline insane. First, we discover that Sebastian tricked Aurora into a mating. Elena more than likely doesn't love me and she's been faking it all this time. Plus, we managed to solve Dimitri's aging problem. That, in itself, is a miracle.

  I managed to get the alpha of the German lycan pack’s number from Elena. I call him and request that he sends me six of his strongest warriors that he trusts the most with guarding Aurora's life. I hope this will help cut down the possible threats to my daughter's life in the future. Who knows, with any luck, one of the six that he sends to us might be her true mate, and we can get rid of this Sebastian bastard. I can't believe, in all these years, someone of her kind would stoop so low as to force a mating, just like old Alpha Vladimir. You better bet that I'm going to do everything within my power, with the last dying breath I hold in my chest, to take care of and protect my daughter. I wait for confirmation of the tickets that will send the lycans here straight from Germany. I now have to entrust the pickup of these young men to Dominik, since he and Jayce seem to be the only true mates that my daughter has.

  The fate of our world as we know it is hanging in the balance. People we thought we could trust are now held as suspects in the back of my mind. Days like today make me regret my decision to trust the old alpha. We allowed him to live past the night he decided to curse us all and perform blood magic on us. Here we are, almost 230 years later, and the repercussions of his poor choices are still felt today.

  Now, I watch the American lycan pack move amongst each other. Each one, in my mind, could possibly be a threat to my child. I am fully prepared to turn this entire compound to nothing but a sea of ice. Hell hath no fury like a Dragon King scorned. I watch Dimitri approach slowly, his great, hulking forum exuding nothing but the primal confidence of his bear. It's nice to see my old friend back in his prime, ready to go to battle and destroy the enemies before him. As Dimitri gets closer, I see that he's smiling. I wonder what the old bear’s been up while we were separated.

  "Dimitri, old friend, where did you manage to get yourself off to."

  "Nico, I was checking on the training. Dominik and Jayce have really stepped up. Those two are really trying to pick up the slack Sebastian's absence caused. I'm sure if Sebastian is up to something we should know shortly. I can't see him sitting there on his hands waiting for Aurora to pass judgment on whether he lives or dies." Dimitri's observation is solid. I just hope he isn't right.

  "That's fine with me. Let him stew. I'm not concerned at all about this whelp, who would have been king." I tap my fingers on the arm of the rocking chair. I’m still watching out over the compound, ever vigilant for any signs of deception. Aurora still slumbers, though her sleep has not been peaceful at all. She woke up several times last night, crying in her sleep, upset over Sebastian's betrayal. The deception he carried on for all this time has been eating at her something horrible. One of two things is going to happen: either her wolf is going to lash out and destroy everything in its path or, hopefully, if the dragon side of her nature is stronger, she'll bide her time and exact her revenge.

  I rise from the rocking chair and lean on the rail of the porch, still keeping my eyes on the training circle as Dominik manhandles the American lycans. Nothing more interesting than watching a dire wolf fighting to prove his position within the pack. He’s proving that he’s the true first mate of the princess, my daughter. Jayce is off to the side doing what he does best: keeping records. He observes everybody's movements and interactions, taking note of anything that may or may not be important. He is the one who’s organizing the flights for the lycans when they arrive from Germany. I can't wait until they get here.

  "Dimitri, what do you think we should do with Sebastian and his mother? I mean, honestly, I don't think we can trust them any further."

  "I'm not sure Nicodeamus, but I believe our best course of action is to wait for Aurora’s heat to end then have her come out and pass judgement." He crosses his thick arms over his barrel chest, looking like a mountain of muscle. I can understand now why the great bears of the past invoke such stories of fear when they were angry. The sheer size of him is quite imposing.

  "You're right, old friend. I know I shouldn't be trying to make all these decisions for Aurora. After all, he is technically still her mate, and they are still bound until a real, true mate is found or until he dies." I give Dimitri a Cheshire Cat grin that I've become so famous for. Yes, in the back of my mind, I definitely want to rip that boy apart for the pain that he's causing my daughter. But, in one sense, I almost hope that his feelings for her are true, and that the bond actually did some good and forged a true relationship for the two of them.

  I remember looking at the picture of Sebastian holding Aurora as a wee baby—something I didn't get the chance to do. At that point, the look of amazement and infatuation on his face didn’t seem forced. Perhaps, his wolf had fallen in love with her, but may not have been a true mate like the stories they originally told. Perhaps, his wolf was more in love with the idea of having a pup around versus thinking of her as a potential mate. There's too many factors involved for me to make a logical decision on the topic of Aurora and Sebastian. The whole thing is too fucking frustrating for me at this point.

  I let out a soft growl and grip the railing a little too tightly. The wood beneath my hand splinters and cracks. A gentle touch is laid upon my shoulder. Slowly, I turn and see Aurora smiling at me.

  "Daddy, you worry too much." Aurora looks past me to the training ring, I watch her eyes churn liquid mercury. "I can't wait until the day death and betrayal doesn't hang over our heads." She sighs softly then caresses the scale on her chest. Her connection to Alaric seems to have gotten stronger. In times of stress, she reaches out to him the only way she can.

  "Little one, do you feel better today? I mean emotionally." I gently wrap my arm around Aurora, offering her the comfort only a father can provide. Aurora snuggles in closely and rests her head on my chest. I feel her body relax as she holds onto me.

  “Physically, yes. Emotionally, I feel gutted. How could he be so cruel? A true mate is a blessing, a gift. He betrayed that sacred covenant. How can I ever trust him again, dad?” Aurora looks up to me, her sadness evident on her face. My powerful daughter is suffering from heartbreak.

  “Little one, if Dimitri or I could bear this pain for you we would do it gladly.” Dimitri moves closer to us the moment I mention his name and rests his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.

  “Pup, all will be well. I will do everything possible to make sure all your dreams come true.” Dimitri leans down and kis
ses Aurora’s cheek then rests his forehead against her temple for several moments before moving away. “I’m sorry, my king. I should remain outside for now on.” His eyes change to the brilliant gold of his bear then back to his normal hazel. Hmm, interesting. My daughter’s heat calls to him. Perhaps, her wolf wasn’t off base with Dimitri. Aurora pulls away from me and heads back to the cabin door.

  “Prepare the troops. Once my heat is over, we leave for Alaska. No more waiting, no more stalling. If, by accident, several traitors don’t make it, oh well. Not my circus, not my monkeys.” Aurora’s animal surges to the surface, and the wave of power that comes off her is impressive. The fighting stops in the ring and everyone turns to face the cabin. Aurora shifts quickly and lets out her death howl, its tone haunting and summoning. Every wolven being within earshot of her was forced to shift by the power of her will alone. She stands there for several seconds before shifting back and walking into the house. My eyes pass over all the wolves now as they prowl the compound. I'm not sure what's more frightening: the power my daughter wields or the fact she can wield it.

  ~Later that night~

  Dominik returns to the compound with the six lycan warriors from the German pack. These men are stout, unlike the American lycans who still do physical work. Dimitri is the first to greet them and catches them up on what has been going on. Then, I notice the alpha’s sons, Klaus and Kaden. Another set of twins have arrived. It would be comical as fuck if my daughter started a collection of twins.

  Klaus is the first to approach me. Instinctively, I hold out my right forearm to show him the brand of the royal house. Klaus, in turn, shows me the brand of his father’s pack. Once our identities are confirmed, we embraced briefly then head toward the cabin Aurora’s staying in. Risky, yes, but I need to have them meet so he sees who his people are fighting for.