Hunters of the Gods_Protecting Their Heir Read online

  “But how can this be? Our cousins are Keuric. They should know of him. This changes everything. Who was it? Who is her mate?” Preston asked.

  “Galvan,” Alexandra said and hugged Brock to her, and then pulled her sister close and hugged her, too. Alyssa closed her eyes, and Alex felt her sadness. She closed her eyes, too, willed protection over her sister and nephew, and then spoke to her mates.

  “The gods say it isn’t time for them to be revealed to the family. Galvin is still alive,” Alexandra said to them.

  “Alex, are you serious? Are you sure? How do you know?” Alyssa asked, as tears fell. She cupped her cheek and willed the sensation through to her.

  “By the gods, is it true, Alex? Is it?” she asked.

  “He lives, and I’m afraid I have nothing more to share but to tell you to continue to remain in hiding. No one can know about Alyssa and Brock. No one,” she said to them.

  * * * *

  Alyssa watched her sister with her mates. Even the vampire acted so differently than how she recalled. Cab was intense to say the least, and Alex’s mates were just as intense and big. Like six feet four big. She was surprised by the resemblances between the brothers and Galvin, their cousin. She didn’t know much about the Keuric pack, only because she refused to learn anything about them. Her main concern was for Brock, and now sitting here at the table surrounded by Alpha wolves who kept staring at her son, she knew that things were happening and changing. Brock was her priority.

  As Brock left the room, Alex and she got up to walk into the kitchen, leaving Grandma with the Alphas and Cab.

  “You look happy, Alex,” Alyssa said to her.

  “I am very happy.”

  “Still sporting those bruises though.”

  “I need to. We can’t let on to who I am, and to the powers I have.”

  Alyssa swallowed and looked away, toward Brock who was in the living room playing with his toys. She could see him from where she stood. She couldn’t help but be envious of Alexandra.

  “You will have your happy ending, too, Alyssa. Mark my words.”

  She looked at Alex. “My hope is dwindling each day, Alex. I live for Brock, and nothing more.” Alex reached out and took her hand. Alyssa looked into her eyes.

  “Do not lose faith, Alyssa. The gods know what they are doing. I know you resist the information Grandma gives you, and I can understand the sadness you feel and how much you love Galvan and miss him, but there is a bigger picture here.”

  “That’s easier for you to look at and to approach in that mindset but not me. I’ve lost more than four years of my life. One day I am in love, the next pregnant, worried about finishing school, being a good mother to Brock. Galvan eased those worries, and then he disappeared. He was my everything. The only man I will ever love, and who will ever have my heart.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you, Alex? You have four mates. Alphas who are here with you. You can be close to them, touch them, make love to them. Every day that has passed since Galvan disappeared, a part of me dwindles to nothing. I live for Brock only, and some days the pain I feel in my heart, my soul is so deep, I want to die and end it, but I can’t. Brock needs me.”

  “You are right. He does need you, but so do the packs. This test is against how strong you are, and how strong you think you are or want to believe. You are special, just as I am. I do not know in what ways or what powers, but it will be revealed to you, and when that revelation comes, you’ll know what your job is. You’ll understand why so much was sacrificed. These individuals who are killing, forcing mating, abducting young Alphas from packs, and even forcing them to mate to become part of these rogue packs, have to be stopped, but first we need to identify them and gain our own powers. Right now there are only four packs both within the Keuric and Saint families that have not been penetrated by the evildoers. We are all fighting too while trying to identify the enemy.”

  “You haven’t visited in a while. Is Brock in danger because of this?”

  “You both are,” Cab said, joining them in the kitchen. He went right to Alexandra and stood beside her.

  “With your son, the only heir to the Keuric pack right now, he is of great importance. Not only because he has been the only male born for over several generations, but because he has special abilities of his own.”

  “He does?” Alyssa asked.

  “As you do, Alyssa,” Alex added.

  She swallowed hard.

  “You are both in danger, and you must be diligent in keeping your eyes on things and following your gut and your instincts. The best place for you to be right now is here and in hiding amongst the humans,” Cab said to her.

  “What choice do I have? As you say, the gods have plans for us. I have nothing without Galvan and Brock. Nothing,” Alyssa said. Brock came into the room, and Alyssa picked him up and hugged him tight. She locked gazes with her sister who smiled softly.

  “It will all work out. You’ll see. It will be just fine.”

  * * * *

  Puello walked out of the estate. He thought coming home, being back on pack territory, would ease his mind, his fears, and that emptiness he felt, but it didn’t. He was the leader of his team, his brothers. Even though they were equal, he made the final decisions or ran the operations. They were fine with that. Ross and Stark were fighters, warriors, and a bit hard around the edges like him. They didn’t like having to communicate and talk things out. Hell, he didn’t either, but he could do it when necessary, which made him a good Alpha. This yearning inside of him was getting worse. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly, except that he knew he lost any peace of mind or contentedness since Galvan disappeared. Being as close as they all were as brothers, they knew immediately that they would make a great team of fighters. When the gods, the elders of the circle, assigned them the responsibility of being Hunters of the Gods, it was an honor bestowed upon the Keuric family. One their fathers and their mother could be proud of.

  Their parents also hoped that the four wolves would find their mate along the way and continue to expand their pack and be the next in line to lead. That was the last thing on Puello’s mind or his brothers’ minds when they left. Even now, he couldn’t think about that. There were wolves dying, his own brother missing, and word was, Galvin was alive. Why he ran off before they needed to leave, he didn’t know, yet it felt like that was significant in some way.

  He could remember that day clearly, and he thought of it as he drove the SUV farther and farther from pack territory, just needing to go for a ride and to try and clear his head.

  They were younger, pompous, caught up in their abilities and how efficient they each were in mock fights with other weres from the packs, even Alphas. There was no question whether they would lead or not. They knew they were capable and thought of heading out and being Hunters of the Gods as a freedom to run, explore, be wild, and not have many responsibilities like they were going to have when they were set to be Alphas to the pack.

  How wrong they were. How unaware of the violence, the brutality of individuals outside of the pack territory. He wondered if Galvan had seen all that and determined he didn’t want it, even though Puello’s gut told him there was more to him disappearing. It was like Galvan had another life. He shook his head. Puello would yell at him constantly when he would disappear. Reprimand him about the importance of them being a team and building that support and respect as well as the bond that would come in handy protecting each of them in battle. But Galvan fought it in a way. He made excuses, until that first attack on their mother four years ago. That was when things changed, and when the danger began to get closer and closer. It wasn’t long after that when Galvin and they fought in a battle against a group of rogue wolves who killed off the only four women of age to be taken as potential mates to the pack. It was a decision no one wanted to make, and even Puello and his brothers and Galvin were resistant to forcing a bond to a woman who wasn’t their mate in order to expand the pack. The gods intended for t
hem to have mates in order to expand. It was then that they found out about these rogues purposely killing women and children of packs to destroy them from within. The fight emerged. They were ordered to set out and locate each of these rogues and find out who was their leader, or to kill them.

  Galvan hadn’t been right that afternoon. He was antsy as he returned from being out, and guards on the perimeters found some rogues watching the estate. As Puello, Ross, and Stark prepared to leave to destroy these rogues and their agenda, Galvan disappeared for hours. When he returned, he looked worse than ever, but the gods had ordered them to do their jobs in order to keep the pack alive and striving. Off they went and it wasn’t until a year after, and during one of their battles in Louisiana, that Galvan disappeared.

  Puello pulled the SUV into a parking lot by some park. He couldn’t drive anymore. His mind was on his brother and what went wrong. Ross and Stark heard from their uncle, who at the time feared that Galvan gave up and was too weak to continue to fight and wasn’t set out to be an Alpha to the pack. Puello knew differently. Something went wrong, or changed between the time they were inducted into their positions as Hunters of the Gods, and the night they were set to leave for battle. What it was he didn’t know, but it burned him inside.

  He looked through the windshield and out toward the fields. Kids were playing soccer, others playing basketball, parents walking around, and a lake in the center with a bunch of trees before a football field.

  That sensation in his gut grew stronger. His thoughts were on Galvin, and how in a matter of a few days they would set out again and look for him in one of the locations Toby had mentioned. As Toby recovered, his mind gave more details about where he had been taken, what he remembered about his abductors, and what they said they were after. Perhaps that was why he was so uneasy.

  Puello got out of the SUV, inhaling the scents of the outdoors as well as humans. This was human territory, no wolves. He walked along the path knowing he couldn’t shift to enjoy the scene as a wolf, but yet something told him it wasn’t why he was here. He needed peace of mind. He needed to calm the intense feelings he had and the anger, the hatred toward the rogues and those they had been hunting for years. He almost felt like he missed home and wanted to just live life on the pack territory, but he couldn’t do that. Without Galvan, they weren’t complete.

  He continued along the path by the lake and watched the children playing football. As the wind blew a gentle breeze, his nostrils tightened. He felt a stinging sensation and stopped short. What is that? He walked on, inhaled deeper, his senses kicking in. No, it couldn’t be. By the gods, it can’t be.

  He saw the platinum-blonde hair, blowing gently in the breeze. Her shapely hips, the tight blue jeans, sneakers, a sweatshirt in baby blue. He walked closer, and his wolf knew immediately who she was. My mate.

  His heart pounded inside of his chest, and his throat felt like it dried up. He had to force his wolf down, to not howl a claim to all who could hear. Then she turned, her eyes landing on him, so bold and green. Her lips parted, and she abruptly turned around and walked back in front of the tree. She leaned against it, and he stepped forward, inhaled as he got closer, and closer. He felt confused. A human? Something strange and different attacked his senses, and then she looked up at him, looking scared out of her mind. Hell, he towered over her. She was small, feminine, and so incredibly gorgeous he felt pride, excitement, and nearly grinned.

  If she were human, perhaps she didn’t know about wolves. By the gods, what do I do? How do I handle this? She stared at him strangely.

  “Can I help you?” she asked him. Her scent aroused his wolf.

  “Uhm, I think you can. I’m Puello, and you are?” he asked and reached his hand out for her to shake as he inhaled. She caught him doing that and stepped away from the tree, pulled her backpack onto her shoulder.

  “Not interested. Leave me alone.” She started to walk away. He heard a whistle blow and then kids laughing.

  “Don’t go,” he said and touched her arm and froze. She stared up at him, and he licked his lips. “You feel it, don’t you? Despite being human.” She shook her head fast, too fast.

  “Don’t deny it. Just tell me your name,” he said in a commanding tone. She squinted at him.

  “I’m married. I know what you think you might smell or whatever, and you’re way off. There are humans around here, too, so don’t go making a scene. I’m married,” she repeated, and he was shocked. She was his mate. Who the fuck was she married to? A fucking human? Are you kidding me? She was his mate, maybe even his brothers’ mate, and—

  “Mommy, Mommy, did you see me?”

  She bent down as a little boy with wavy blondish-brown hair to his shoulders jumped into her embrace. The wind blew, and he was shocked. That was Keuric scent on him. He had Keuric blood in him. Galvan’s.

  He narrowed his eyes, completely confused, and they started to move.

  “Who is this?” the little boy asked.

  “No one. Just a stranger. Let’s go now,” his mother said to him.

  He couldn’t let them leave. What the fuck was going on here?

  “Wait, don’t go. I need to know who you are, and who his father is.”

  She stepped closer and clenched her teeth. “You stay away from us. I don’t know who you are, but if you come near us ever again, you will regret it,” she said, and her all-consuming scent attacked his senses. He grabbed her and inhaled against her neck. She gasped.

  “Mommy!” The boy yelled, and then Puello felt the kick to his leg. The kid was punching him, and it was hard. It hurt. He pulled back.

  “No, child, I’m not going to hurt her,” he said, bending down, gripping the kid’s arms. He looked into his eyes. Puello was shocked, and the boy froze and stared right back at him and inhaled. “Galvan,” Puello whispered, and then the mother gasped, covered her mouth, and tears filled her eyes. She grabbed onto her son.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  He stared at her. If she gave birth to Galvan’s son, why hadn’t Galvan marked her, or told him and the others about her?

  He saw the emotion, and then the kid sniffled.

  “I think it’s okay.” She pulled the boy back.

  “I’m Galvan’s brother. The boy has his scent all over him, and his eyes, by the gods, his eyes are identical to his father’s,” he said.

  He didn’t know what to do as she squeezed her son to her and stared at him. The boy stared up as well but hugged his mother tightly around the waist. He didn’t think twice and pulled them both into his arms and hugged them.

  “I don’t know what happened, what went wrong, or what is going on, but I’m here now. Your family, and we’ll figure it out together.”

  * * * *

  Alyssa called her grandmother while the man, Puello, stood outside of the car where she sat with Brock.

  “Let him follow you home. Tell him to be sure no one is tailing him.”

  “But, Grandma, can we trust him?”

  “He is who he says he is, and if he caught your scent, despite the spell—”

  “No. No, it is wrong.”

  “Just get here,” she said to her.

  Alyssa swallowed hard and then got out of the car. She stared way up at the six-foot-four huge man, with the light beard, wavy hair, and huge muscles. His dark blue eyes roamed over her body, and it came alive, shocking her. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “We shouldn’t talk here. There’s a safe place to go. Where I can explain things, but you have to be sure we aren’t followed.”

  He squinted at her and then at Brock. “Are you in hiding? Is someone trying to hurt you?”

  She swallowed again and stared at him.

  “I’m as shocked as you are, and I’m not here to hurt you.”

  “Then please, be sure we aren’t followed.” She got back into the car, waited for him to get into his large black SUV, and then she headed to Grandmother’s place.

  As she drove she thought a
bout him being Galvan’s brother. They didn’t really look alike though. There was going to be anger about them keeping Brock a secret. Would he want to take Brock from her or order her to live elsewhere and be forced aside so some female wolf could help raise a future Alpha king? She was getting angrier and angrier. This was her life and her son, Galvan’s brother or not. She didn’t know if they would try to take him from her or what. It was crazy, but at least she had her grandmother and hopefully backup. This man was an Alpha wolf. He was able to catch her scent despite the spell. Something was going on here. Plus, he was intimidating, as well.

  As they pulled into the long dirt driveway off the road, she looked into the rearview mirror and watched him following her. She continued along the path and finally to the back part of the property where her grandmother’s house was. Who she hadn’t expected to be standing there with her grandmother, was Cable’t. This could be a situation simply because he was a vampire.

  She parked the car and got out then helped Brock.

  He ran right to her grandmother and to Cable’t. Alyssa looked at Puello, who squinted and then shook his head.

  “How?” he asked, and Cab walked closer and reached out his hand for Puello to shake.

  “You two know one another?” she asked.

  “Family friends,” Cable’t replied.

  “That’s on the down low, and only when our fathers don’t piss you off,” Puello said to him.

  “I don’t understand how you can be out here in the sunlight,” Puello asked, in a tone that was very commanding and deep. Earlier she thought he was giving her an attitude and acting all Alpha, but perhaps this was his normal tone. He looked rough, but was attractive. That annoyed her that she even thought that. She loved Galvan. There would never be anyone but him. She turned as her grandmother interrupted.

  “We’ll explain inside,” her grandmother, said and they headed toward the house, Brock already inside washing up. As they got to the stairs, she felt the hand at her lower back and a sting of attraction.