Thank you for waiting! I tried to write and ended up with 1300+ words. :DD Please forgive me if this one is short! I'll try to right as soon as possible! I'm just really busy! Piles and piles of schoolwork! So please! Understand! 

Chapter 34

Akira stared at Bradley incredulously as the wolves at her sides began growling at him cautiously. Ann’s grip around her waist tightened and she hid behind the girl’s back. He held a shotgun over his shoulder with the same sickly sweet smile he usually wore. Too bad. He’s even handsome.

      ‘Akira!’ Adam’s pouty voice echoed inside her head. ‘I’m your mate! Damn it!’

      ‘What the—‘ She stopped short as she mentally communicated with him. ‘What are you doing listening to my thoughts? You were listening the whole time?’

      ‘I did tell you I’ll protect you.’ He answered. ‘I won’t lose track of you even for a second.’

      ‘Shut up.’ Akira harshly whispered inside her mind.

      ‘Anyway, that bastard came for you? Just wait a damn minute and I’ll come for you.’

      ‘No! Focus on your battle. Trust me and your pack-members. We’ll handle ourselves just fine.’

      There was a moment of silence between the two of them as Akira exchanged burning glares with Bradley, who looked at her with an equally intense stare.

      ‘I’ll come for you if things get worse. That guy is no ordinary hunter. He’s one of the Elites. I won’t just leave you there alone.’

      ‘The Elites?’

      ‘A band of hunters composed of nothing but the best.’ Adam replied. ‘Be careful, Akira. You’re hurt, too.’

      ‘I can handle bastards like him.’ She said. ‘Leave it to me.’

      ‘I won’t be sure about that, Akira.’

      ‘What? You don’t trust me?’

      ‘It’s not that. I’m your mate and I can’t help but worry.’

      ‘Is that the only reason you can give me?’

      ‘I love you.’

      They both went silent.

      ‘Then trust me on this.’

      She didn’t listen to him any further and instead focused on the current situation at hand.

      ‘Dan,’ Adam said, channeling his voice to Dan’s thoughts alone. ‘It’s best if you don’t attack. Get out of there now. And don’t tell this to Akira. She’ll kill me.’

      ‘Will do, Alpha!’

      “What are you doing here, Bradley? Didn’t I already say I come with my mother? I’m no longer on my father’s side.” She said. “And there’s no way in hell I’m coming back.”

      “But we can’t exactly have that, princess.” He said. “It’s not only your father who wants you back, you see.”

      “Not only—what do you mean?”

      “Sir Michael is not the leader of the organization—he may have been the one before, but the current one holding the position is your Aunt, Ms. Martins.”

      “Auntie?” She asked.

      “And as you know, your aunt doesn’t have any children. That means that the next leader of the hunters is you, Akira.”

      “To hell with that!” She growled.

      “Ah, snappy.” He sighed. “Like I said, if we don’t have someone to step as our next leader, the organization will fall apart. And when that happens, we lose our purpose. And do you know what happens next? When a hunter loses his purpose, he dies.”

      She stared at him challengingly. “That can’t be true.”

      ‘Don’t listen to him, Luna!’ Dan yelled inside her mind.

      “You can get a new leader for all I care.” She said in a monotone voice.

      “Ah, but it’s not that easy.” He answered. “The only one powerful enough to rule all hunters is a descendant of the Martins. Your eyes are a mark of your blood. No one else but you.”

      “That’s bullcrap. Make my auntie marry someone or something.”

      “Unfortunately, she’s infertile.”

      She stopped. She didn’t even know that. She just thought her aunt didn’t prefer to marry. “No matter what, I won’t become the leader of the hunters.”

      “Then, why don’t we make a deal?”

      “What deal?” She asked.

      “Your first child.” He said. “Give us your first child in exchange. If you want, I can even help you procreate.”

      ‘Why that bastard! If I was there I’ll rip his head off! No one’s stopping me!’ Adam screamed inside her head.

      “No way in hell! That’s not happening ever! My child’s mine to keep if I ever have one. Now get the damn outta here!”

      “So you’re not agreeing to anything?” He asked.

      “I sure as hell am not! And don’t expect me to!”

      “Then, I’ll just have to take you by force.”

      He then moved calmly from his spot, causing the wolves around her to back off cautiously. They pulled their lips back and snarled at him. When he didn’t look intimidate at all by their warning, the first wolf on Akira’s right leaped and lunged for his throat.

      ‘Hunter, no!’ Dan yelled. ‘That’s stupid! Don’t attack!’

      Bradley sidestepped casually, letting the first wolf, whose name was Hunter, land on nothing but ground. He pointed his shotgun at the wolf’s direction without looking at his direction and shot him right on the leg. Hunter fell whimpering until another shot came and landed on his side, causing him to lie flat on the ground, bleeding.

      “Hunter!” Ann screeched. “No!”

      ‘Hunter! Damn that bastard!’ A voice, who apparently belonged to Kyler, mentally growled.

      ‘No one rush in!’ Dan ordered. ‘This guy is more dangerous than we know. He’s one of the Elites. It won’t work if we attack.’

      ‘Zeta, I think it’s best if you leave.’ Hunter suggested.

      ‘But we can’t leave you alone!’ Sam said.

      ‘In a battle, sacrifices ought to be made. Now go. I’ll try to keep him busy.’

      In the corner of Akira’s eyes, she saw Hunter trying to get up, but tried not to look at him so as to not blow his cover. Akira was screaming inside. She didn’t want things to go this way.

      Ann whimpered. “Dan, you can’t be thinking that, right?”

      ‘I’m sorry, Ann. But he’s right. Everyone, we move out! Hunter.’ Dan made eye-contact with Hunter. ‘You’re an honorable guy. You’re getting out of this alive and we’ll drink on the pub later, ya hear?’

      ‘I won’t guarantee anything.’ Hunter chuckled, his knees trembling as he tried to bring himself up to his feet.

      ‘Hunter,’ Adam’s voice echoed inside Akira’s mind, but she wasn’t quite sure if the others heard it. ‘I’ll make sure you get a promotion later, so don’t die. You hear me?’

      She heard Hunter laughing. ‘I will, Alpha!’

      ‘Adam . . .’ Akira almost smiled.

      After Hunter successfully got to his feet, he leaped on Bradley and pinned him to the ground. He ripped the gun out of his hands, snapping the thing between his teeth before harshly biting the guy on the shoulder. Bradley yowled in pain and started to struggle.

      “Get off me, you filthy mutt!”

      ‘Now! Everyone! Make a run for it!’ Dan ordered, and with a flash, they dashed away.

      “Ah!” Akira grunted as the burning pain on her shoulder throbbed painfully.

      ‘Please hold on, Luna.’ Dan said. ‘We cannot go back to the direction of the battlefield. Please bear with the pain.’

      “Are you hurt, Akira?”

      “It’s killing me.” She muttered. “Not to mention I have the wound and this stupid mark.”

      ‘It wouldn’t hurt if you gave in to me in the first place.’ Adam remarked.

      ‘Shut up, you pervert!’

      Akira felt the throbbing get worse. The burning pain was scorching her flesh that she wanted to scratch it off. The pain was too much for her to handle.

      ‘Akira! Hold on! I’ll try to go near you!’ Adam said.

      ‘Oh no, you don’t! You stay right there!’

      Akira leaned over and clutched her shoulder, closing her eyes in attempt to block the pain. At first, it was only the mark. But now, her whole body felt like it was set on blazing fire—literally.

      ‘We can’t go any further. More would hurt the Luna.’

      ‘We have to hide somewhere.’

      ‘How about that cave?’

      ‘Perfect! We’ll take shelter in there for a while. We’ll wait for the Alpha to get to us. He’ll know where we are.’

      ‘But what if that Bradley guy finds us first?’

      ‘Then we fight.’

      Akira didn’t want to see that happening anytime soon.

-*-

I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will be more exciting! So don't worry!