“Bullshit,” Rosie spat, glaring daggers.
“It’s okay,” June wheezed, looking away from Kade to her only ally. “I think I’m past the point being fixed.”
Rosie stayed silence. They bother knew she was right.
The room was stayed quiet for a minute before Kade took a sidestep away from the door, announcing, “The alpha is on his way.”
June’s back seized as a shudder traveled down her spine. She had never met an alpha. However, every history book on hunting stated the same thing. Alphas were the leaders of hybrid packs. Rumor said that they were descendants of the first shifters that were once able to change into actual wolves. An alpha’s raw strength and aggressive nature made them impossible to take down without a small army.
Turning to Rosie, June rushed to say, “Let them know you aren’t an active hunter but a secretary. When they ask a question, answer it honestly. If the alpha knows you’re innocent he might let you go home.”
Doubt clouded Rosie’s face but before she could respond, the office door opened. June forced her face to be stoic as a curvy, dark-skinned woman walked through the door. She was decked out in combat gear consisting of tight black pants, boots, and a thick vest. The color contrasted against her platinum hair that was shaved on the sides and styled in a fauxhawk. Following close behind her was a tall man with bulging muscles that looked borderline grotesque. His blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
While power rolled off the two in waves, June knew that neither was the alpha. Something told her that their leader’s presence wouldn’t be questionable, and she would just know who it was.
Kade lowered his eyes, craning his neck to the side as he greeted, “Beta Thalia. Gamma Creed.”
The woman, Thalia, nodded to Kade as she sat down on the corner of the desk. Her eyes landed on June and she scowled. “Goddess, Dani sure did a number on her. Donovan is going to be pissed if she dies in his office.”
Creed leered and kicked the edge of the couch so hard that it shook. “Let her, actually, let both of them. A little blood won’t ruin the leather.”
Up until now, June hadn’t had enough in her to converse. However, his words had her saying, “Only me.”
The gamma turned his blazing eyes on her. “Excuse me? No one gave you permission to talk, bitch.”
A dry laugh left June as she stared at the hybrid glaring down at her. Her lips twitched and she retorted, “Rosie isn’t a hunter, dog boy. She’s a secretary and if you’re smart, you’ll tell your alpha to let her live. She knows everything about the hunters. Rosie’s worth more than your weight in gold.”
June would admit, if asked, that ‘dog boy’ wasn’t her best insult but it did get a reaction out of Creed. His cold eyes flashed gold and his lips pulled back, revealing his sharp canines. She didn’t flinch when his hand lashed out, wrapping around her neck, squeezing tight but not enough so that she couldn’t draw in air.
“Creed! Let the hunter go!” Thalia shouted, yet stayed put on the edge of the desk, watching with curiosity.
From the corner of her eye, June watched Rosie flinch. She tried to give the woman a reassuring smile, but it probably came out wrong because the older woman’s face drained of all color.
The gamma face leaned in so close that their noses nearly touched. “I wonder how mad the alpha would be if I snapped your neck. Probably not much since he was planning on doing it himself.”
“Go ahead because you won’t be getting another chance,” June taunted, feeling energized for the first time since waking up in the prison. She stared into the hybrid’s eyes, confessing, “I’m not scared of death and I’m certainly not scared of an oversized man child. If I make it out of here, the next time we meet, your ass will be on the ground.”
Creed’s grip tightened. She could see the wheels in his mind start to turn. For a moment, she was certain he was going to kill her, end it all right there, and then the door opened. A wave of energy washed over the room. Magnetically, her eyes looked right and then, reality, or rather June, paused. She forgot about the hand around her neck as she stared at the god of a man standing in the doorway.
He was shorter than gamma by a few inches but that did nothing to underplay the power rolling off of him. Whereas Creed’s and Thalia’s power had come in waves, his presence was an entire ocean slamming against the atmosphere over and over again. Thick, curly hair so dark that it looked blue, framed his face. June ached to run her fingers through it, over his narrow nose, and along his sharp jawline. Under thick brows, his eyes, light blue, would have pinned her in place if Creed’s hand wasn’t already doing so.
As if on their thoughts were on the same wavelength as her, his eyes snapped to the hand around her neck. Pure rage washed over the man’s face as his canines broke through his gums. His hand shifted into claws and his eyes were a beacon of iridescent blue as changed from man to beast.
A snarl bounced off the walls as he crossed the room in two strides. June’s brain didn’t even process that Creed’s hand was gone until the gamma was slammed into the closest bookshelf. She watched, stunned along with the rest of the room, as the larger of the two men arched his neck in submission.
June shrunk back into the couch cushions as the alpha turned his attention to her. Instead of a hostile expression, she was met with a soft, withering gaze that pierced her soul. For the life of her, she couldn’t explain the warmth that flooded her system.
The alpha was still staring at her when he spoke, uttering only a single word, “Mine.”
Vaguely, she heard someone curse as he closed the space between them. Without warning, June was pulled off the couch. She landed against his chest, eyes rolling with black spots dotting her vision.
When she went limp, the alpha tensed. His grip wavered as he pulled away. The hand he had pressed against her should was coated in fresh blood. His tone was frantic as he addressed the room with a growl, “What happened to her?”
Rosie, who had been quite for a long time, spoke up, “She was shot, and your people wouldn’t help her.”
“Because of your order,” Thalia intervened tersely. “You told us to not to interact with the hunters without direct instructions from you, Alpha.”
June limbs started to tingle. She rested her head against the alpha’s chest and closed her eyes. At the moment, she could care less that he was her enemy. The warmth radiating off him distracted her from the inevitable black steadily approaching.
“Creed stop laying there and go get the pack doctor! Now!” the alpha shouted. “Thalia, take the woman and leave. You know where to bring her.”
Nearby, a door opened and closed before June heard his voice again. Gone was the harsh tone as warm hands cradled her face as he begged, “Stay with me, baby. Just hang on a little bit longer. Open your eyes, please. Please.”
June wanted to ask why he was calling her baby but couldn’t find the words as her mind disconnected from her body. The last thing she felt were tears that weren’t hers rolling down her face.
/CHAPTER ELEVEN/
June Gilley was certain she was dead.
It was the only explanation for the warmth surrounding her from all sides and why her body no longer ached. Her shoulder felt fine, if not a little sore, and her limbs weren’t shaking from a fever anymore. The only issue was the voice in the back of her head that told her something was off.
Intent on shutting it up, eyes still closed, June reached out for a pillow to cuddle so she could fall back asleep. Her hand crossed silk sheets before landing on a surface that was smooth and warm. Under her palm, it moved up and down, keeping a steady pace.
The fog clouding June’s mind instantly dissipated, and her eyes snapped open. The first thing she noticed about the man was his intense expression. On instinct, June moved away only to realize she was stuck in place. Looking down, her face grew hot at the sight of his toned arm wrapped around her waist, his hand hovering above her hip.
As they stared at each othe
r, the events of the office resurfaced. She remembered being taken there with Rosie, Creed’s hand around her neck, the man who burst through the door, and then passing out in his arms.
She certainly hadn’t intended to do that, much less wake up in bed with the alpha. Her stomach dropped as the severity of her situation sunk in. None of her training had covered what to do in this type of predicament.
Swallowing hard, she slowly asked, “Can you let me go?”
June yelped as the beast growled and tugged her forward so that her upper body rested on his chest. She froze when one of his hands slipped under her shirt and pressed against the center of her back. Unexpectedly, a soft sigh escaped her at the sensation of sparks that danced across her skin where they touched. Against her will, her body relaxed, muscles melting like snow in the spring sunshine.
“Resurrecto ut luna,” the alpha hummed. “Do you know what that means?”
“Are you going to kill me if I answer wrong?” she asked and then regretted it when the hybrid squeezed her tighter to his body whilst growling. Idly, June wondered if he even knew what he was doing. Any sane alpha would never let a hunter sleep beside them.
“It means rebirth of the moon,” he said. “A hundred years ago, the goddess predicted that a war was brewing. The only one who could save us from extinction would be a luna unlike any other. To ensure the True Luna’s legacy, Nyx took mates away from all her alphas so that they would never question her champions identity.”
Between what he was saying and how he was looking at her, dread filled her. “Why are you telling me this?”
His eyes didn’t stray from June’s as he gently eased her off his chest. Before he could grab her again, she quickly put distance between them. She moved to the edge of the bed and placed her back to the headboard.
The alpha didn’t say anything, just arched a brow at her as he sat up, too. The sheet that had been covering him slipped, revealing a broad chest lightly covered in dark hair.
It definitely wasn’t the right moment, but suddenly all June could think about was how Jace couldn’t grow chest hair. It had never repulsed her or anything but faced with…this, June wondered how she had never noticed that her ex had been lacking in some departments.
“Keep staring at me like that and I might never respond.”
June shivered at the low octave his voice had adopted. She forced her eyes off his chest, feeling like a teenager as she stuttered, “S-sorry.”
His eyes sparked, embers of a dying fire. “Baby, you don’t have to apologize for staring at what’s yours.”
Not sure how to respond to his comment, June shook her head to clear it before commanding, “Answer my question.”
The alpha flashed her a smile, not commenting on her shift in tone. Simply, as if talking about the weather, he remarked, “You and I are mates.”
It took a moment for her to process what he was saying and when it clicked, she laughed. The alpha reared back and opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to the punch. “Nah. Thanks for the offer, really I’m flattered, but I’m good.”
He blinked in confusion, sputtering, “What do you mean you’re good?”
“Look, pal, you’re hot and all, but I’m going to pass,” June stated. “I just got out of a relationship for starters. Second, if you haven’t noticed, I’m not a…I’m not like you. And third, I have absolutely no interest in being your messiah or savior or luna.”
“Donovan. My name is Donovan Holloway,” the alpha disclosed, “and whether we like it or not, neither of us have a choice. Do you think I want to be mated to a hunter?”
“So don’t. I’ll just go on my merry way and we can pretend none of this ever happened.”
“It’s not that simple. I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” Donovan argued, “the goddess has brought us together.”
June narrowed her eyes. “No, my deranged cousin kidnapped me and for the record, I’m an atheist.”
Donovan’s calm façade cracked a tad as he pinched the bridge of his nose. June watched with a smirk as he took a deep breath. Before he could get too comfortable, she stood up and stretched her arms over her head. The alpha’s eyes moved off her face to her chest.
Biting her lower lip, June fought the urge to laugh. Men, whether hybrid or human, were the same. It was too easy to play them and should be illegal to take advantage of their raging hormones.
Putting on a sultry smile, June put one knee on the bed and slowly made her way over to Donovan. He was barely breathing as she placed her hands on his shoulders. There was no space between them, her chests against his, as she leaned in, whispering in his ear, “I’m really sorry about this.”
The alpha’s brows furrowed. “Sorry for what—”
His words transformed into a wheeze as June’s knee slammed into his groin. She pulled away as he fell sideways, one hand reaching for her while the other cupped his middle.
Sliding backwards off the bed, June went to the door. She pulled it open and then winced and looked over shoulder. “Again, I’m so sorry.”
Before she could see if he accepted her apology, she fled. In hostage situations, a hunter was supposed to apprehend the hybrid. She doubted kneeing one was an efficient method, especially since the beasts could heal fast, and it was better than starting a fight she wouldn’t win.
By now, the complex would think she was dead. More importantly, her dad would think she was dead. June couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was going through.
Shaking off the thought, June focused on escaping. She had no idea how many other hybrids were in the house and mentally prepared herself for battle. Keeping her feet light, she raced to the end of the hall. She practically flew down the stairs, skidding to a stop in a rustic themed living room.
June briefly admired the beige couches and hardwood floors as she started towards the front door. Barely three steps in, she froze when a deep voice jeered from behind, “What the hell are you doing?”
Quietly cursing, she spun on her heel. Of all the hybrids in this atrocious place, she wasn’t surprised to be faced with Creed. After all, the universe was making it pretty clear that it was against her these days.
“I’m leaving,” she supplied with a glare. Her neck ached with phantom pain and she had to actively resist enacting her revenge.
“Then you’re more stupid than I thought,” Creed chided.
“Excuse me?”
The hybrid rolled his eyes, exasperated as he tapped the side of his head. “Donovan’s not an idiot. He’s already contacted patrol to be looking for you via mind link. If you walk out the front door, the enforcers will find you in seconds.”
“I’m not staying here—” June started.
“Goddess no,” Creed snorted. “I’m simply suggesting you use the backdoor.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why? What do you get out of helping me? Is this a trick so you can try to kill me again?”
“I could give no shits if you live or die. All I know is that a hunter could never be a luna,” he stated, “prophecy or not, I’m not going to let you damn my pack.”
June was about to point out that his kind was already cursed when a roar filled the house. She jumped back into action, pining Creed with a glare. “Exit?”
He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the open doorway behind him. “I suggest leaving through the back and if I were you, I’d hurry. It sounds like you pissed him off.”
She heard Creed follow behind her as she stepped into the kitchen. There, right in front of her face, was the backdoor. Her hand brushed against the bronze knob and she was about to open it but stopped. As much as she wanted to leave, there was something she had to do first. So, facing Creed again, June summoned her best impression of Dale, admitting proudly, “I kicked him in the balls, which reminds me of the promise I made to you.”
Creed’s eyes went wide, and he stepped back, looking ready to flee.
The pieces fell into place and June realized something. She put her theory to the
test, smugly asking, “He said you can’t touch me. Am I right?”
“Yes,” Creed answered warily, “why does it matter? You’re leaving.”
One thing June had learned in school was how intense hybrids were when it came to their partners. They reacted like animals, especially the alphas. Given his reaction in the office, June had no reason to doubt that Donovan followed by those rules. It didn’t matter that she had rejected him ten minutes prior. It seemed he wasn’t going to relent anytime tonight.
Despite this, she had an obligation towards those less capable of ass kicking than her.
“In a minute,” June said, stepping towards the gamma. Satisfaction burned her blood when he moved away, pressing his back into the corner of the refrigerator. She didn’t stop her pursuit until they were almost touching chests and grabbed the collar of his shirt, yanking him down to her level. In a soft voice, she vowed, “If you ever lay another hand on me or anyone else be it man, woman, or child, I will end you with a smile on my face. Understand?”
Creed nodded mutely and she let go of his shirt once she felt like the message had been clearly received. Leaving him where he stood, June went back to the door. She stepped out and managed to get one quick look at the moon and stars before she was pulled backwards by the sleeve of her shirt. The room spun as she was turned around with her back to the exit. A familiar arm reached over her shoulder, slamming the door shut.
Glaring up at Donovan, June shoved his chest to push him away from her route, but he didn’t budge. She dug her heels in the ground, throwing all her weight against him, shouting, “Go away!”
“Are you serious? I’m not going to let you leave,” he chided.
June poked him in the chest. “You will if I knee you in the balls again.”
Donovan’s smile fell and his voice was hard as he warned, “Do it and I’ll lock you away in my bedroom.”
Genesis: (Book One of the True Luna Series) Page 9