The Alpha's Hunter

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Chase

I looked over at Hailey, trying to figure out where we should even begin. I had just nearly killed her for fuck's sake! What is wrong with me, trying to kill my own mate?

She turned to look at me, her eyes watering, but my gaze was focused on her bruised neck, "I'm sorry, Chase. I know I said I was done hunting but, I couldn't not kill that wolf. They expected to see the great and powerful Artemis, and if I didn't they would have all turned against me and it would've been so bad, Chase..."

"Hey it's okay," I whispered, pulling her in and wrapping my arms around her. "If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. I completely overreacted and it was a rogue, not even a member of my pack. I was in the wrong here, Hailey, not you."

She gripped my shirt tightly in both hands, sobbing, "I didn't want to kill that wolf, Chase. All I could think of the whole time is how much you would hate me for it, and I was right."

Grabbing her wrists lightly, I pulled back and lifted her chin to look into my eyes. Even with tears running down her face and makeup smudged under her eyes, she was still absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, "Hailey listen to me. I could never hate you. Ever. What I just did to you was absolutely out of line and I swear to you it will never happen again. I don't ever want to hurt you."

Taking me by surprise, she leaned up and kissed me, wrapping her arms around my neck. It was soft and gentle, but it meant the world.

It meant forgiveness and trust; the beginning of a new relationship between us, stronger than it was before.

"I promise I won't kill any more wolves," she whispered, her forehead pressed against mine.

I smiled, "And I promise I won't ever let anyone hurt you-- including myself."

She let out a light laugh and sniffled, tear stains running down her cheeks. I wiped them away the best I could with my thumbs, taking in her beauty as I did so. How on earth did I get so lucky to have this specimen of perfection as a mate? Honestly, it was almost cruel to give me someone so amazing and, well, pure. Even if she had red in her ledger, her heart was pure and that's all that matters to me.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, curiosity etched on my face.

Tilting my head, I smiled, "Just wondering how a guy like me got so lucky with a girl like you."

"If anyone's the lucky one here, it's me," she shook her head while smiling. The smile slowly slipped off her face. "You helped me see the truth, Chase. If it wasn't for you, I would still be a murderer right now, killing innocent werewolves-- innocent people. I don't know how I could've been so blind before you."

"You weren't blind, Hails," I whispered, circling around so I was kneeling in front of her, holding both of her hands in my own, "You just had your eyes closed and when we met, they started to open."

She nodded, "They're wide open now."

I leaned forward, pressing my lips against her forehead, "Come on, let's go downstairs and get something to eat. We can come up with a plan later."

I made my way down to the kitchen, Hailey in tow, only to find Lily waiting with an angry expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" I questioned.

She rolled her eyes, "You're the alpha of this pack and you don't even know yet? Some helicopter just landed in Hailey's backyard. The hunters were making a huge deal out of it and some guy got out and they were all bowing to him. They all looked scared shitless."

"First of all," I started, "Why the hell were you out in the woods? I called for a lockdown! Second of all, Hailey, any ideas?"

Hailey nodded, biting her lip as she thought and if I didn't have as much self control as I do I would have taken her right there, "It's the Chief, it has to be. The big boss that no one really thinks is real."

"He had a scar," Lily piped up, "Three claw marks running down the side of his face."

"Let's make it six," I growled out.

"I have to go back," Hailey stated, earning a second growl from my chest, to which she huffed. "Listen, I can get more information, I know I can, I just need to go back!"

"You can't, it'll be too suspicious," Lily chimed in once more. "They were all spooked about the disaster you two made in your room. Half of them think you're dead. The other half think we're using you as leverage."

I mused over this information. She couldn't go back, that much was clear, but we needed to know when they would come. We have to be ready when they do.

"I'll call Luke. Hailey, you need to tell us everything you know about the hunter's. When you think they'll attack, where they'll do it and what we can do to win," I walked over to her, cupping her bruised cheek in my hand, guilt washing over me again as I took in the injuries that I inflicted.

Hailey frowned, "Well that's the easy part. They'll strike as soon as possible, and now that the chief is here and I'm missing, they won't wait or hesitate."

"So what are you saying?" Lily asked. I couldn't stomach verbalizing the question myself.

"I'm saying, they'll come tonight."

Luke stormed into the house, immediately finding us in the kitchen, "If they're coming tonight, we're in deep shit."

I ignored his negative input, "Where?"

She sighed, "I mapped out some areas before. They'll go there, where they know, and they'll use every advantage they can get."

"Come on," I motioned to all of them to follow me upstairs and into my office where I pulled out maps of our territory, laying them flat on my desk, "Which areas did you map out?"

Taking the red marker from my hand, she circled three distinct spots on the map. They were heavily wooded areas with flat ground.

"They'll hide in the trees, try to take you out using arrows and guns first. Then, when they weed out enough, they'll scale down and take out their knives and even swords. It's medieval and brute, nothing nice about it. They'll try and take most of you out tonight and wait a couple days for you to lick your wounds," she spoke with such confidence, I could understand why the moon goddess would destine her to be my Luna. "Then they'll strike again. They'll strike so hard there'll be nothing left except smoke and ash and bones."

"That's not going to happen," I growled out, and Luke and Lily both growled as well, nodding in fierce agreement.

Hailey smiled, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, "I know. We just need to come up with a plan now."

Luke stepped in, a calculating look on his face, "I might have an idea."

~
A/N: just gonna casually leave this here and pretend it hasn't been months since I last updated. :)

QOTC: what do you think their plan is?