Hunters of the Gods 3_Pride of a Princess Read online

  “Strong spirited? How about stubborn, bullheaded, recalcitrant. Hell, I could go on, and I’ve only known her and conversed with her for a day,” Corporal stated.

  “Well, there’s more we could do right now, like maybe talk to those men next door. Find out exactly what organization they work for and what our mate’s role in it is.”

  “You think they’ll talk to us?”

  “I think we can get them to talk to us.”

  “And who will watch over Luna?”

  “She isn’t going to leave here, and even if she does sneak out, she won’t go off the property. She wants to see Alexandra. I think that will open up more information for all of us, and perhaps allow Luna to let down her guard and let us in sooner rather than later,” Lodge added.

  “Like our mate has a choice once we start hitting her with the mating musk.”

  “Oh, she’ll fight it. I know she will.”

  “I think I might like a little resistance from her in bed,” Corporal said and gave his brother a wink.

  “We shall see. Let’s go talk to those wolves, and maybe get some info for ourselves and to understand Luna’s state of mind.”

  * * * *

  “Warriors to the gods?” Lodge asked one of the men. They weren’t cooperative at first, but the one guy, Ronan, had a change of heart when they informed him that they were Luna’s mates.

  “This is shocking,” Ronan said to him.

  “Why is that?”

  “She’s special, that’s all,” he replied.

  Lodge narrowed his eyes and felt a little jealous. It was instant, and it seemed that Toby did, too, as he sat forward.

  “Obviously she is special. We’ll figure out in what ways soon enough. Our question for you and your men is what was her role in all of this? Why was she a warrior for the gods?” he asked.

  “She still is a warrior. One of the best, most impressive strategists ever. We’ve worked with her for the past two years. On and off when she was providing protection to the Saint Alphas’ mate, Alexandra.”

  “What exactly were your missions?” Corporal asked.

  “I’m not at liberty to say, Corporal, but what I can tell you is that her kindness and empathy toward families being separated by violence is immeasurable. She has brought together many children and parents separated by the violence running more and more rampant each day across this realm.”

  “So that’s your job, to try to infiltrate holding facilities where these weres could be held against their will and free them?” Toby asked.

  “More than that. It depends on the circumstances. The gods have information, and they give us orders to help ensure that things happen. Hence how you were able to find your brother, Toby. Luna risked her life to locate Toby, as well as Lucienne, and you see how important that is to all were packs.”

  Lodge was shocked and so was Toby as they went over how Luna risked her life.

  “We’ll need to discuss this with her when she awakes,” Lodge said to Toby and Corporal.

  Ronan leaned back and smiled, then looked at the other men.

  “If she’s still here. She has the tendency to disappear, especially after a mission is complete. I can’t see her accepting being held down. Not when there seems to be something she’s working toward accomplishing.”

  “Great,” Toby said and stood up. Lodge shook the wolf’s hand. “We appreciate the information. Hopefully we can show Luna that she is safe with us, and that this is her destiny.”

  * * * *

  Luna debated leaving the house. She knew the men left her alone to rest and she was shocked. She had heard Toby. He was ready to claim her, to just take from her body because she was his mate. She was a wolf and understood that was how it worked. That many wolves died before even finding their mates. She didn’t want to take this for granted, yet the burning in her heart and her mind to seek her revenge, to find her mother and brother, was so strong. It was what she lived for and fought for. Well, she also fought to remain hidden as the princess to the Limorte pack. No one was aware that Capella had chosen her replacement on the throne. Nor did they expect the infiltration of the pack by rogue wolves, and its slow self-destruction. There was a lot to fight for, and the only things she had to go by were her instincts, the orders from the gods and the Circle, and of course Alexandra and what she may foresee. After all, Luna left Italy and was assigned watching over Alexandra for some time. Was it just to gain knowledge on Saint and Keuric packs, or more? She was leaning toward more after this series of events.

  She sighed, feeling antsy, and decided she wouldn’t just lie here. She wanted answers. Some signs of a direction and an idea of what to do next, how to handle these men, and where she was needed most to serve the Circle as they needed.

  She got dressed and snuck out of the house. It was easy and she was good at that. Got out of several tricky, sticky situations by the skin of her tail sometimes, but when would that luck run out? Why was she second-guessing her capabilities suddenly? Did it have to do with having mates? Having these three particular wolves as her mates? They were so damn authoritative, bossy, and huge. It was intimidating, and she wasn’t stupid. She couldn’t fight wolves like them. Not that she wanted to. Hell, they were good looking, had great bodies, too, and she wouldn’t mind rolling around and playing a little hard to get.

  She was shocked at her own thoughts. She was pretty sure she was the one who’d sent them on their way and told them to leave her alone. Told them no marking her or having sex. That she didn’t know them and it wasn’t going to happen. Her body felt aroused, and she knew she would want to have them. It was natural being their mate. Wolves were sexual creatures, and over the years, she had yet to find any wolf or man she was willing to spread her legs for. That in itself said a lot.

  She felt bad for sneaking out on them. They would definitely be furious, but she was so confused right now and didn’t know what was right and what was wrong. Her energy had been on securing Merker pack members and making sure the women and children were safe and taken care of. It would mean a lot for the futures of Keuric pack and Saint pack, and building up both of them with loyal wolves as support. Maybe it was significant for her to be mated to Alphas of Keuric pack. They were related to Saint pack, and both packs could fight together if need be. Was that what this was all about? Creating an army of loyal followers so one day if the battle came to their doorsteps, they would win?

  She felt even more confused. She wondered what the Alphas would do when they saw she was gone.

  Her soldier friends would keep the men busy while she ran across the way to meet up with Alexandra. The moment Alexandra saw her, they embraced, and Luna noticed the multiple wolves on guard and of course Alexandra’s Alphas, who came over to greet her, too.

  “I know it’s late, Alphas. I’m sorry for the intrusion.” She bowed her head.

  “No need to apologize. Alex knew you would want to meet immediately. How are you feeling?” Preston asked her.

  “A lot better. I plan on letting my wolf run free and getting rid of the last aches and pains.”

  “You set out this way alone?” he asked.

  “No need to worry. I’m certain I won’t be alone for long,” she said. Alexandra chuckled, then took her arm.

  “We’re going to go talk over here,” she said to Preston, and he nodded and then walked back toward the house and the porch.

  Alexandra and Luna sat down.

  “So, Lodge, Corporal, and Toby? Now that is something else.”

  “Something else?” Luna said. She ran her fingers through her hair and fell back against the lounge chair. “I’m totally freaking out. You know this can’t happen. Not now. Not when the gods have a plan for me.”

  “And perhaps this is all part of it. You do realize, more than anyone, about the violence and the forced matings occurring across the land.”

  “I can’t let them mark me, Alex.” Alexandra squinted, and Luna exhaled and then sat forward. She took Alex’s hands. “It was an
honor to protect you until your mates came onto the scene. Your safety, like Alyssa’s, is crucial to maintaining power here in the states. I have personal family obligations back in Italy.”

  “I know what you have there. An uncle who has not exactly been following the rules and remaining loyal to the Circle.”

  Luna nodded. “I had a feeling eventually he would cave, but then there was word that my mother and brother are alive.”

  “Do you know where? When did you find out?”

  “I don’t know, and that’s what I’ve been working on. Apparently, the gods don’t feel it’s necessary for me to know right now. I’m at my wit’s end, and especially with my mates appearing like this. I couldn’t escape this time.”

  “You mean you knew that Toby, Corporal, and Lodge were your mates before this?”

  “Yes, I disappeared both times. Once when they showed up as we were rescuing the prisoners from the warehouse and a second time when we were rescuing Galvin and Lucienne. That was more difficult to escape from. You know it was my intel that located Toby and got that information to his brothers.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “Then I did my job well. Now, what am I going to do about Lodge, Corporal, and Toby?” She leaned back against the lounge chair once again. She was looking up at the stars when Alex spoke to her.

  “Do you not find them attractive?”

  She tilted her head up at Alexandra and raised her eyebrows. “You didn’t just ask me that.”

  Alex chuckled. “Sure did, and I want to know what you think.”

  Luna took a deep breath, and then as she spoke, she sat up and ranted. Just ranted. “Well, let’s see. They are typical Alpha males. Throw in their expertise in being Hunters of the gods, plus their military commando abilities and attitudes, and they are pompous to boot. You should have heard that one Toby. He was all demanding and ordering me around. I swear I was waiting for him to storm into the bathroom while I was soaking in the tub and tell me to get into bed and spread my legs,” she said, and Alexandra laughed.

  Luna swung around to look at her with her hands on her hips and her body shaking. “Don’t you dare laugh at me. As I recall, you freaked out when you met your mates and you snuck out of the bar.”

  Alexandra nodded and patted the seat cushion.

  “You’re right, I did. Now come sit down and tell me what you think about their looks, and how your body reacts.”

  Luna growled low and then plopped down onto the cushioned chair. It lifted up and she nearly fell, which got them both laughing. Then Luna got quiet and she stared at Alexandra.

  “My body knows. My wolf knows she has found her mates, and she wants them close.”

  “That’s a good thing, and you can’t fight it.”

  “It isn’t good timing.”

  “Because of your need to find your mom and brother? I think they will help you.”

  She shook her head. “I must do this alone.”

  “Why?”

  Tears stung her eyes as she revealed part of the truth to Alexandra. “The one who killed my father, who more than likely knows where my mother and brother are, must be dealt with by me and only me, as I will be responsible for my actions.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He is going to want to meet me. I’m going to demand my mother and brother be set free. He may say he is going to do that, but there will be requirements.”

  “Requirements?” she asked, and then Alexandra stared off and it was obvious she could see something in Luna’s mind. A vision of some sort.

  “No, Luna. You can’t do this alone. Your mates will help you. I will help you, too.”

  “He must die, Alexandra. He is responsible for so many women’s and children’s deaths, and my father’s, too. The evidence is piling up, and it will be enough for the Circle of Elders to issue the order. It will be me who takes his life. He won’t succeed in taking over what is left of my pack, of the throne.”

  “He is in Italy, this man. Why didn’t you do something to him then?”

  “The time wasn’t right. The Merker pack members needed to be freed. Next time I go, it will be to avenge my father’s death.”

  Alexandra just looked at her.

  “Do you think that is the path the gods have chosen for you?”

  Luna’s heart pounded inside of her chest.

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. What I do know is that there is no one, if not me, to find my mother and brother and save them. No one. How can I turn my back on them? Allow them to be killed? Just because the circumstances recently have led to me finding my mates doesn’t necessarily mean that I must drop everything and serve them, like they seem to want a mate of theirs to do.”

  “You like them and find them attractive.”

  “What’s not to find attractive about them?”

  “Then see this for what it really could be. Your destiny, your security, and your own army to avenge your father’s death, and to bring your mom and brother home safely. Think about it. We are all one, working toward the same goals. We want pack freedom, to live, to expand and to keep an order, with laws, rules, and regulations by the Circle of Elders and the gods. The ones responsible could all be connected. Even this one wolf who killed your father. What if he knows who the main leader of this destruction is? What if he was sent out to destroy your family just as other cells we have found have been doing to others?” Alexandra asked Luna.

  “You’re right. There is a connection, but why can’t it just be revealed so I don’t feel so confused? I’m caught between what I have worked so hard on, fought for and even against these last two years, and what is expected of me as a mate to Alpha wolves as powerful and important as Lodge, Corporal, and Toby. It isn’t fair to be forced to decide between saving my mother and brother, and accepting mates.”

  “Luna, who is to say that you are choosing between those two things? Perhaps by accepting this mating, this combination between Keuric pack and your family, it will bring the power, the support you need to find your mom and brother.”

  “Or it could mean their deaths,” Luna said. She was royalty. Alexandra didn’t understand that or its importance because no one knew that Luna was a princess. Costaldo might know, and if her uncle was weak or was forced into accepting Costaldo’s help in keeping the pack alive and strong, then he could have knowledge that she was a princess, too. Only the gods had the answers. Keuric pack and Saint pack knew nothing of her family or their importance and how Capella died and left the power and reign to Luna. When they found out, it could change everything. She just didn’t understand in what ways.

  “Why do you say that?” Alexandra asked.

  “Forget it. It doesn’t matter. I’ll figure things out and make a decision.”

  “Honey, they are your mates. They’re more than likely looking for you as we speak, and angry that you disappeared. Take it from me—it’s useless to resist the mating bond or the mating musk.”

  “I’ll try for as long as I can.”

  They talked a little longer, and then Luna set out across the fields of grass and gardens. Her wolf was restless, and she was still so sore. The decision to shift came quickly. Her body transformed with ease as she leaped into the air over the high set of bushes right into her form. When her legs hit the ground, she stopped short and shook her body, letting the fur fluff fully. She inhaled deeply, deciding which scents to follow, and which she could ignore. She pranced along the grass, and then began to run. She headed to the creek and stopped to take a drink. It was beautiful here, and wolves who were part of Keuric and Saint packs truly had a wonderful setting to explore and relax in. She was curious about how many acres of land were here just as she caught the scent. Her shackles rose at first as she wondered if the wolf she sensed was foe, not friend, but then came the aroma and her wolf knew it was one of her mates. Corporal. It had to be Corporal.

  Well, she wasn’t going to just stand here and get caught. The need to run, to be chased and escape, fil
led her insides and she took off, through the bushes and into the thick trees. She felt him getting closer. He was good and he was fast, a warrior and Alpha wolf, but she wasn’t giving up easy. She zigged and zagged, her wolf excited, actually aroused by this. When she got to the end of the woods, she figured she would jump to the right, go back into the clearing and then over the creek, maybe submerge into the water so he would lose her scent before she scrambled over dirt and mud to throw him off.

  “Grrr.” The growl shocked her as Toby tackled her to the ground, and they rolled and flipped, both using their momentum to turn the other until she wound up above him. Their gazes locked. He was a brilliant black wolf, shiny, exotic, and his eyes—oh, his eyes—were the deepest blue ever. Caught up in his gaze, she wasn’t prepared for the second wolf to mount her from behind. To nip at her neck, which she turned to the side in offering to the more dominant Alpha wolves. Their growls were low, deep, and her wolf submitted. It knew they were superior and that they were her mates. There wasn’t fear in her heart but instead a trust, a knowing sensation that had her submitting to their control. Corporal was just as huge as Toby, and both towered above her in size. Lodge took position beside her and sniffed at her, then locked gazes with her. It was incredible, how much more intense the attraction felt as her body reacted in wolf form. She wasn’t ready for that and decided to handle this first time in human form, not as a wolf.

  She began to shift, and they followed. Before she could move her arms, Toby rolled her to her back and pressed his thick, hard body between her legs and against her. He held her arms above her head and stared down at her nakedness.

  “Why is it you find it necessary to disappear and to resist what’s meant to be?” he asked.

  His chest heaved as they each eyed her over with hunger. Lodge licked his lips. Corporal stood there with his hands on his hips, his body filled with muscles and his long, thick cock tapping against his belly. Her pussy clenched, and the three men closed their eyes and inhaled.