HUNTED-Chapter 326: Among Friends (2)

From the first time Aila met Aldric, she knew he was special among the lycans. Besides being the first to reveal he could converse with her, he also had authority over the others, yet he never argued against her. It made her wonder about his life before he’d become the beast standing tall before her.

Aila waved her hand. "Please, this is a celebration. You do not need to always be so formal with me. I’d like to think we are friends?" She leaned against the tree Aldric had ultimately been using for cover.

A low rumble in Aldric’s chest responded instinctively before he replied, "I could not dare be friends with someone of such-"

"Pfft, haha!" Aila couldn’t help but burst into laughter, eyes sparkling with unrestrained amusement. "Aldric.. I lived the life of a human six months ago. I’ve been a Queen for less than two months, six weeks of that time, I was away from my packs. Please do not put me on a pedestal. I am nothing special.

I haven’t even graduated yet."

She really needed to check to see when that was or if she’d missed her graduation as well.

Aldric shook his head and lowered to her height. "You are a gift to the people. It might not seem like it now, but change is coming, and you and Alpha Damon will be the ones to direct us into it."

This time it was Aila who shook her head. Aldric thought too much of her. It was her fault he was stuck in that form in the first place. "You saved us," he replied, making Aila realise she’d spoken aloud her thoughts. "And you’ve already shown vampires, werewolves and us that the hunters, though they’ve waged war with us for centuries, can also work on the side of the supernatural creatures.

It’s possible to work together."

"Yeah, well, I think Chase Hunt deserves more of the praise for that one.." Aila murmured.

Chase was the one who had gone up in the ranks. Sure it helped that Silas was his father, but within such a short time, he managed to find hunters that thought alike.

It was only a brief amount of time since she saw it, but the hunters followed Chase’s orders, and although they seemed wary of the supernatural creatures around them, they did not look at them with such disdain in their eyes as they’d been accustomed to.

Aldric’s chest rumbled again like he disapproved, but he must have figured out she was a lost cause. Though the way his eyes twinkled, looking at her with such hope made her chest swell and stomach twist into knots. Changing the subject quickly, Aila asked if his accommodation was okay.

"That was lame," Malia muttered. Yes, it was, but it was the best she could do. Plus, she really wanted to make sure the lycans were not without anything. Their comfort was prioritised, especially after being tortured and left in dungeons for so long. It wouldn’t make up for that, but hopefully, it would help with their recovery process, beast or not.

"I wouldn’t expect any less. If I am honest, though.." Aldric hesitated, making Aila pause the red wine glass to her lips.

Yes, she’d started drinking red wine, taking a liking to it after spending time with Cassius. It really did curb some of her cravings for blood, and possibly the drink’s colour did some trick on the mind as well. That’s what she told herself. It was delicious and warmed her up, though, as well.

"You can always be honest with me, Aldric. I want you all to feel comfortable and satisfied," Aila replied instantly.

"We appreciate everything you have done for us, your majesty. But being here.." His eyes returned to the partygoers dancing near the bonfire. But that wasn’t what he was looking at. Actually, in his beastly form, his sharp crystal blue eyes had softened, looking at two kids arguing over a toy and the parents separating them from fighting.

They squirmed in the mother and father’s arms until they were forced to apologise.

"It makes me want to return home in my normal form."

Aila watched the family a moment more before returning her attention to the large lycan. "Do you.. have a family to return to?" They hadn’t discussed his life beforehand in all the time she’d spent in the castle with him. It was sad, but now there was no threat; she could chat freely with him.

Aldric nodded. "A boy and girl, like those two. My wife.."

Wife.. Not mate? Aila didn’t ask the question. She would be too nosy to ask something so personal. But as though he had read her expression, Aldric added, "My mate is human. I didn’t understand marriage as we don’t hold such traditions.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Being mates was soul binding, but it was what my Agatha wanted."

Aila placed her hand to her heart as it swelled. "I bet you must miss her dearly. I know I did with Damon.." Her eyes roamed the woods only for a moment, looking for her mate. She knew through the bond he was safe and a little tipsy. A smile formed softly on her lips as she watched Damon, Kane and Finn chatting, joking and drinking merrily with one another.

"I do."

"I need to discuss with Damon what needs to be done next. A lot is happening right now, what with the world knowing about our existence, but I have not forgotten the promise I made. We will find a way for you to return to your human form. If someone like Harry can shift in and out of that form, then it’s definitely possible." The dig at Harry made the lycan chuckle.

"Hey, Aila. We haven’t had a chance to meet your other friends yet!" Finn called to her as the trio wandered over to the shadows where Aldric and Aila had been talking. Though her white locks and strong aura would never let her blend into the darkness. Even without the bond to the pack, Aila Cross would always be noticed.

Finn grinned more as he took in the sight of the looming lycan they’d once fought against. He was in awe of the power radiating off him and how Aila was so nonchalant with such a beast by her side.

"Oh, hey. You guys probably only met briefly, but this is Aldric. He’s been with me the entire time I was.." Aila trailed off, but she didn’t need to fill in the blanks. "Aldric, this is my mate, Alpha Damon. And Beta Kane and Delta Finn."

Aldric couldn’t mind-link with the others like it seemed Aila and the beast had been the last ten minutes standing in silence, but he bared his head at Damon and nodded at Kane and Finn. Damon slung his arm over Aila’s shoulders somewhat protectively still, though Aila nudged him in the ribs and most likely scolded him in a mind-link.

"Aldric’s going to check on some of the wounded," Aila explained as the beast went on all fours and ran off into the woods at speed similar to a vampire’s. "Where’s Ajax? I kind of miss his hi-mmph!"

Damon covered her mouth. "Don’t say it! You might conjure him up."

"Aww, don’t act like you don’t like him. It will hurt his feelings. You two got close over the last few weeks," Kane smirked. Finn snickered as his eyes searched the shapeshifter in question.

"Looks like he’s begging our Gamma for forgiveness," Finn announced, pointing his bottle of beer in the direction of the small arena set up for fighting.

"Ohh, this should be good," Kane smirked, and all of them, like-minded, without discussing it, started walking in their direction.

"What did he do this time?" Aila questioned, then gasped, jumping on the spot at Esme’s sudden appearance. She landed beside her out of nowhere.

Finn looked up at the sky, trying to see where the little she-wolf came from. She was always so agile, quiet and ready with that knife of hers. It always brought a cold sweat to the back of his neck and a shiver running down his spine.

Finally, his eyes rested on a thin branch that swayed slightly. It was higher than what was possible to leap from without injuring themselves, even for werewolves.

"Hmm, he said hello to me," Esme answered in amusement. She didn’t seem to be offended by the Gamma’s disdain for her. Maybe as a rogue, she was used to it. Or, given her attitude, she didn’t care.