HUNTED

Looking out at the window, a small town came into view. The car\'s headlights shone on the signpost that read, Welcome to Silver Thorn Town. Aila\'s eyes widened; Silver Thorn was where she grew up, with her birth parents before Mandy and Andy took her away at the age of eight, it was thirty minutes away from Oakton, and she never visited since. For some unknown reason, she did not put two and two together that the Silver Crescent Pack would be taking her back to where her parents were murdered.

A shiver went down her spine, causing goosebumps on her skin under the hoody she wore. Instincts or not, she still needed to be wary about this Alpha sitting next to her; this pack was the reason for her parents\' death. But she could not delve into that right now; she just needed to do one thing. Survive.

If she can survive being in the presence of a psychopath such as Connor, then an Alpha werewolf was no problem, surely?

The car followed the seven SUVs in front; after a minor wait of queuing behind one another, the car she sat in began to move again. Once it was around the corner, Aila stifled a gasp at what she saw. A mansion the size of a castle lit up from behind some guarded gates. They drove through behind the other cars and went down the driveway, passing by the trees lined beside the path. As they continued towards the mansion, two fountains on either side of the drive were lit up in a marvellous display.

Only one other car stopped in front of the building entrance; the others drove off down another path towards a smaller building nearby. The car Aila sat in stopped, and she felt her breath stop with it; she looked outside Alpha Damon\'s window and could not believe her eyes. This was the place she grew up in, where her parents lived and died. If it weren\'t for the sudden slam of the front car door, she would have stayed seated in a daze.

Climbing out of the car, she rounded the boot with her hands in her front pocket, eyeing the building. Her eyes then glanced back down as the double doors opened, revealing Mandy and Andy, who walked out; Aila immediately sprinted forwards and jumped into her father\'s open arms. She felt her mother\'s arms come around her from behind also. Nothing could beat a bear hug from her father; he gave the best ones, what with being 6ft2 and built.

"So glad you are safe, kiddo," He croaked; she looked up and saw tears in his eyes.

"Don\'t cry, dad. Otherwise, you\'ll make mum cry, and then I\'ll cry. We can\'t have that now, can we?" She shifted her attention to her mum, who was already silently crying, her eyes already red and puffy.

"I\'m here. I am fine now," Aila consoled her mum, who softly brought her hand to Aila\'s face.

"I wish I could have prevented it," Her mum\'s voice came out brittle as she looked down.

"It\'s no one\'s fault but my own. But, mum, dad," She gained their attention, looking from each of their faces, "we seriously need to talk. You have a lot of explaining-"

"Aila!"

Aila tensed as her eyes went round in shock. She recognised that voice, turning her head to the side; she gasped and immediately stepped aside from her parents and ran towards two figures in front of the blacked-out SUVs. She leapt up and flung her arms around the two towering men before her. They laughed and caught her, bringing their arms around her. She sobbed in their arms, in Ajax and Finn\'s arms.

"I thought you were dead!" Her muffled voice somehow came out through Finn\'s now damp top. Their arms tightened around her, comforting her.

After a while, Aila felt someone\'s eyes on her; ignoring it, she held the men a little while longer until all three of them suddenly looked up after hearing a growl rumble across the ground from behind her. Aila glanced back and locked gazes with Alpha Damon, who stood there, all 6ft4 of him, hands fisted by his sides. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end at the tension between them, but she forced her eyes away after feeling Finn shift uncomfortably behind her. She eyed Finn, who kept his gaze down; her attention then went to Ajax, who smirked down at her, his eyes gleaming, as though he knew something she did not.

Tilting her head, she wondered what that was about, but her confusion only made Ajax smile more broadly. Ignoring the Alpha behind her and the apparent inside joke that was only meant for Ajax, she stepped closer to them again and slapped both men simultaneously on the cheeks. It was not hard, but enough to jerk their heads slightly. Both men looked down at her in shock.

"That\'s for making me think you were dead!" She pointed her finger at both of them.

Finn lowered his head in shame and apologised like a naughty school kid, whereas Ajax chuckled.

"You can\'t get rid of me that easy, doll." He winked before bringing her in for another hug as he looked at the Alpha behind her, who crossed his arms, watching them.

Removing herself from his embrace, her brows pulled together as she realised something, spinning around; she looked for Gabriel but could not find him.

"Where is Gabriel?" Concern etched her soft voice.

Silence ascended, she turned back around to face the guys. Ajax scratched the back of his unkempt hair, and Finn kept his gaze down, neither answering her.

"Look at me. Where is he?" She demanded.

Finn immediately looked up, his eyes glowing again, "The last I saw of him, he disappeared into the forest."

His eyes went back to normal while he gasped for air, body relaxing. He acted as though he was forced to speak. But before Aila could question further about his reaction and about Gabriel\'s whereabouts, Ajax spoke up,

"He left the moment the wolves arrived." Aila parted her lips, a look of confusion on her face, "Vampires and werewolves.. kind of natural enemies. It made sense for him to disappear. He knew we would be fine." He continued.

Aila frowned at the new information and turned her head to look into the distance; trees among more trees surrounded the mansion amidst the vast land, showing how grand the estate truly was. She was lost in thought as she glanced up at the moon behind the clouds and trees. Although she did not know these guys for very long, she felt very much connected to them, as though they were family now. The thought of Gabriel on the run in the forest near that place made her shiver.

"He will be okay, Aila." Ajax put her hand in both of his, his cat eyes staring earnestly at her.

"How do you know?" She questioned, but her attention shifted slightly after feeling an overpowering presence standing behind her; knowing already who it was, she ignored him again.

"He\'s lived for more than 500 years. I think he can handle himself." Ajax smiled down at her then looked back up, his smile broadening to the man behind her.

"We have not met. I\'m Ajax" He held his hand out for Alpha Damon to take, who disregarded it and kept his eyes trained on Aila as he spoke gruffly,

"Alpha Damon. Aila, you need to get some rest. I will show you to your rooms."

He turned abruptly, expecting them to follow, and like obedient pooches, they did. Aila returned to her parents, who hugged her once again before following in behind her. When she walked through the double doors, her head tilted up slightly at the grand hallway, a chandelier hung from the high ceiling, pieces of modern art decorated the walls and straight ahead stood a stylish staircase, wide enough to fit six people on one step. The stairs led to a landing separated into two different sides of the mansion. A nudge from behind her snapped her out of her trance, and she continued forwards.

Climbing the stairs, Aila started to feel déjà vu as she stared at the wall-length windows and how light the surroundings were; everything was modern and stylish. It was still the same place she grew up in but with a few differences. When they made it to the landing, her parents hugged her tightly; her mum pulled back and held her face gently,

"We will talk tomorrow. For now, get some rest. You look terrible." Her voice cracked at the end as tears escaped her eyes.

Aila smiled in return, wiping her mother\'s tears away, "I am fine. Don\'t worry, I will see you in the morning."

They walked off to the other side of the landing, passing a few doors and disappeared around a corner near another floor-length window. Aila turned around to see Ajax, Finn and Alpha Damon waiting patiently for her on the other end of the hallway, giving the family some much-needed space. She caught up to them, and Alpha Damon showed the guys their rooms; their eyes lit up when they saw the canopy double beds, TV and an ensuite bathroom. Aila giggled and left them to explore the luxurious rooms they could call their own for the night.

When she turned around, she walked quietly by Alpha Damon\'s side; he led her to the other side of the mansion. Her brows furrowed together in confusion.

"Where is my room?" She asked.

"I am showing you to it." Came his husky reply.

"Why is it not with the others?"

He stopped walking and turned to look down at her. He towered over her, his muscular body, making hers feel small in comparison; she tilted her head up so her eyes would find his. A cold stare locked her in place as the muscles in his jaw ticked.

"You will be near me. NOT with them. By my side is the safest place for you to be."

Her heart skipped a beat at the words \'by my side\', but she kept her face composed as she nodded her head in understanding. He blinked in surprise at her obedience, but without another word said, he turned and continued on. Once they were at the far end of the hall, Alpha Damon opened a door for her, revealing an enormous room with a double canopy bed, settee, TV and an ensuite bathroom.

Aila walked to the other side of the room to the wall-length window, revealing the gardens behind it in the dark night. A few long, lost memories flashed before her eyes; one, in particular, lingered in her mind. Two children, herself and a dark-haired boy, ran across the field of a garden playing tag, their childish laughter filling the air. But as quick as the memory came to life, it faded as her attention went back to the present day. Shaking her head, she turned around to see Alpha Damon standing in the room, watching her.

He crossed his arms, making Aila glance at his bulging biceps briefly before gazing into his silver eyes. With their eyes locked at each other, the air in the room thinned, the tension became palpable as the seconds ticked by.

"There is a lot to discuss tomorrow. A lot of pack politics to go through. We will speak tomorrow." His husky voice resonated through the room.

With one lingering look between them, he inhaled deeply while his eyes glowed and his hands began to shake by his side. Aila found herself almost in a trance as she took a step towards him, his scent filling her nose from where he stood. His chest began to heave as he continued to keep her trapped in his molten silver eyes, but as quick as a rubber band snapping, he abruptly turned and left the room. Slamming the door behind him.

Aila released a breath she did not know she was holding in and blinked profusely at what just happened. Not only did she feel like running after him, but she was also very confused by her own reaction to a man she barely knew. However, her body inched closer to the bed as it seemed to almost scream at her to jump under the luxurious silk covers. She caved in immediately, already dismissing her thoughts about Alpha Damon while she removed her trainers and collapsed on top of the bed. The sweet bliss of darkness engulfed her almost instantly as she conked out from the world before even climbing under the covers.