Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas-Chapter 171: Rael Meets Neil

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~Spring's POV~

I caught her wrist midair in my iron grip. Her eyes widened in shock. And before she could even blink, my palm connected sharply against her cheek.

The sound echoed louder than the alarms had.

Her friends gasped, and Yvonne staggered a step as her hand flew to her face with eyes going wide in disbelief.

I leaned in just enough to whisper, "Don't test me again, Yvonne. I've watched tougher wolves beg for mercy, but if you mess with me again… I'll make legends of your screams."

And then I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving her standing there, trembling with rage and humiliation.

Jade purred inside me, satisfied. "Finally."

I did not care about what my mates thought about this; I was relieved generally to be done with Yvonne.

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~Rael's POV~

Her words stopped me cold.

"I've watched tougher wolves beg for mercy. Mess with me again… I'll make legends of your screams."

The moment Spring hissed that into Yvonne's face, my body wasn't on that tour anymore.

I was back in another time, my past life.

The clash of steel rang in my ears as the scent of blood filled the air.

A young woman stood before a rogue attacker, dressed in her warrior's garb, blades flashing in her hands.

Her eyes burned with a dark, unflinching glint, one that made even the bravest men hesitate.

I remembered the way the people around her trembled, some with awe, others with fear.

She had been a princess, yes, draped in silks and jewels when the ceremony demanded it, but even then, no one mistook her for something fragile. She was grace wrapped in armour, and whenever she spoke, truth fell from her lips.

And when someone dared her the wrong way, whether she was wearing a crown or carrying steel, she would whisper those same chilling words.

"I've watched tougher wolves beg for mercy. Mess with me again, and I'll make legends of your screams."

Solstice.

That was her name then. My fiancé and the woman of my dreams. My ruin and my salvation.

And now… ever since I transmigrated to this time frame, Spring had been the one bringing back those memories.

It made me wonder if she was the same person or not.

The first time I heard her speak like Solstice in this lifetime was when she stood up to Serissa, spitting those words with the same venom, the same fire. I'd thought it was a coincidence then, some trick of memory. But now?

Now I wasn't so sure anymore.

Spring wasn't Solstice. Not in look or voice or eyes exactly, but her aura, her defiance, that dangerous gleam when she was pushed too far, how caring she could be—it was all the same.

And if she truly was the reincarnation of my Solstice, if fate had seen fit to throw her back into my life, then I needed to know.

"I really need to do something about this," I muttered under my breath. My fingers twitched. "I need to find out if Spring is Solstice. This is why I must get closer to her."

Closer, no matter the cost.

Just then, I caught sight of her. Spring brushed past Yvonne with her head held high like a queen walking away from a conquered foe.

I didn't even think before moving to follow, ready to slip into a role of "friend and admirer."

Just the harmless friend she barely spoke to, but was very curious. It was the perfect disguise.

But then I felt stares aimed at me like four blades pressed against the back of my neck.

I turned just in time to see Storm, Tyrion, Jace and Kael before they looked away.

But given the eyes they gave me, I knew that wasn't the case.

All four of them stood like an unmovable wall, their cold, deadly gazes pinning me in place.

If it had been a lesser man, he would've frozen.

Instead, I smirked. "Now that's one hell of a protective barrier," I mused silently, tucking my hands into my pockets. "Guess I'll have to work harder to slip through the cracks."

I gave them my sweetest smile, the kind that had charmed enemies into letting their guard down before I slit their throats.

Then, still smiling, I turned on my heel and walked away, but the moment I rounded the corner, my mask slipped into that cold, daunting expression.

My phone buzzed signalling an incoming call.

I took it out and made a stop to check the caller. The name flashing across the screen made me pause before answering.

"Apex," I muttered, sliding my thumb across the glass. "You'd better have something for me."

The voice on the other end was crisp, respectful, and loyal. "Good day, Young Master."

I shut my eyes briefly, leaning against the wall. "Yes, Apex. What have you found concerning my attacker?"

A short silence fell. "So far, not much. However, we've confirmed from the scent you described and the traces we collected that he is a human, not a werewolf or a vampire. And a special kind of human."

I froze. My jaw clenched as a low growl slipped through my teeth. "The fuck? A human?!" I hissed sharply.

"I apologize, Young Master," Apex said quickly, "but it would seem so. His scent was well mixed…"

I pushed off the wall, interjecting as I paced now, my hand tightening around the phone. "How the fuck did a fucking human attack me, Apex? Just who the hell is he, and what does he know?"

There was hesitation on the line, then, "I apologise, Young Master," Apex said quickly, "but his scent was well mixed… deliberately disguised. Whoever this attacker is, he's no ordinary human."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean by 'no ordinary human'? Spit it out, Apex."

There was a pause, and then Apex lowered his voice, like even through the line he feared someone might overhear.

"He carries a scent I've only come across twice in my entire career… and both times, it ended in massacres. He smells… neutral."

I pushed off the wall, my grip tightening on the phone. "Neutral?"

"Yes," Apex confirmed. "Not human, not supernatural… nothing. It's as though his body doesn't register with our senses the way it should. No heartbeat detectable beyond the human norm, but his scent is faint, metallic, with an undertone of cedar and crushed onyx." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

I stilled. Crushed onyx. That was a rare aromatic powder used only by one kind of person.

"You're saying he's a hunter," I said flatly.

"Not just any hunter," Apex murmured gravely. "A vampire hunter, Young Master. One of those from the ancient bloodline."

I drew in a slow, sharp breath, the memories stirring like snakes in a pit. "I thought they were extinct," I hissed.

"So did everyone."

For a moment, there was silence. My mind raced, pulling up fragments of forbidden histories whispered across campfires centuries ago.

Hunters, the ones who walked among humans unnoticed but carried within their blood a binding curse and blessing—immune to vampiric allure, immune to supernatural compulsion, trained to kill anything that wasn't normal.

But their scent… that was their giveaway. A chemical fusion of iron and earth, masked under natural perfumes so subtle that only the oldest predators ever picked it up.

I'd smelled it once before. The night my cousin's clan was wiped out.

My jaw locked, and I shoved my free hand into my pocket to keep from punching the glass. "How sure are you?"

"One hundred percent," Apex assured me. "He's a trained hunter. And… there's something more."

I turned, scanning the hallway as if expecting someone to leap out of the shadows. "What is it?"

Apex hesitated, which was rare for him. "This isn't just any hunter. I traced his movements before the attack. He's not affiliated with any of the known hunter guilds. He's a rogue—self-trained or trained off the books. That makes him twice as dangerous, Young Master. Without a code, without rules…"

"…he's unpredictable," I finished grimly.

"Yes." Apex paused again, then added, "From the way he moves, how precise he was, and how clean he got away, I'd wager he's killed dozens like you before."

I felt my fangs graze my lip as my jaw tensed. "And yet he didn't finish me off. Why?"

"That," Apex replied, "is what troubles me. Hunters don't usually leave their prey alive. He wanted you alive, Young Master. That makes this personal."

Personal. The word burned like acid down my spine. I didn't like not knowing why someone wanted me alive—or dead.

But the truth was, he wanted me dead. And he had succeeded in killing this body's owner. However, my soul got transmigrated into this body.

But I couldn't tell Apex that, not yet at least.

My gaze drifted to the large glass window across the hall. My reflection glared back at me, eyes glowing crimson, fangs bared.

Rage boiled through me.

"What do we know so far?"

"From the camera footage… the man was about six feet tall. White. Blonde hair. The footage wasn't clear enough for facial ID."

"Not enough," I snapped. My fist slammed lightly against the wall I had moved to, not hard enough to draw attention, but enough to bleed my anger.

"Keep digging, Apex," I ordered. "Track his scent. Track his history. I want everything on him—names, associates, family, every breath he's taken since he was born. If he sneezed three years ago, I want to know about it. I expect a full report by Monday."

"Yes, Young Master. Consider it done."

"And Apex…" I hesitated, my voice dropping to a near-growl. "If you so much as think he's within a mile of me again, I want to know before he exhales."