HUNTED-Chapter 334: Beast No More

Aila repressed a sigh from leaving her lips. She was disappointed, but she couldn’t let Aldric see how much by. They had been talking for a while, going through his burdens, guilt towards his family, self-loathing about what he’d become and burning hatred towards the hunters.

Chase left a while back after his presence kept distracting Aldric. The lycan was aware the hunter was a good guy but it didn’t matter right then. Especially when they were discussing such personal matters. It was incredible in itself that Aldric didn’t mind expressing himself.

Once Aila explained the research papers’ findings, he was more than happy to try. It seemed so simple to them all. It shouldn’t have been so surprising to Aila that he didn’t mind expressing his thoughts. He had a family to return to that he missed.

But Aila’s eagerness and positive outlook on it kept the pair going until they found themselves on the ground of his back garden. She was between Damon’s legs, and Aldric, in his beastly form, was crouched over. His large state still had the Luna looking up at him as they spoke.

Hours had passed, and Aila was beginning to get cold. She pushed herself up from Damon’s knees and smiled at the lycan. "We will get there, alright? I can keep coming to see you.. I just.. hope you start believing what you tell me.

I think once you and your wolf start accepting what you are without despising yourself, you’ll be able to shift.

"See how Harry doesn’t give a damn. Yeah, he might be a little awful, but he can shift to and from his forms. I’m not pressuring you. I know how much you want to return to being human. I just want you to be happy."

Aldric sighed loudly in frustration and nodded silently. She could tell he was frustrated but maybe he needed some time. A few hours of talking about feelings was not going to magically help someone. Even if she had thought it so earlier when Chase explained it.

After that, the days went by with many different tasks to complete for the pack. Aila left Aldric to his thoughts, knowing there was only so much she could do. It was down to the lycan now. In fact, Aila had also spoken to a few other lycans who had remained in their beastly forms. After a few hours or a day later, they transformed into their human forms.

It was overly satisfying to see and see what they looked like when they weren’t 8ft tall. A few of them had left in search of their mates, still thankful to Aila, but a lot of them ended up staying. Aila and Damon were happy to let them stay, and they were moved on to houses further into the estate.

The surrounding pack members grew used to seeing the lycans among them, and they, too, started joining training sessions.

Any who went against them lost in most of the sparring due to their power and speed, but the werewolves’ moves and strength improved by fighting them. Even Damon fought them, though he won, barely scraping through. The lycans were making the pack stronger, which they would not complain about.

On the sofa in the living room, Aila lay down beside Damon, the news playing on the tv as they snuggled together. Finn sat on one of the armchairs while Ajax and Chiara shared another, and Kane and Nairi snuggled too cutely on the floor. Esme and Harry were out doing whatever it was rogues seemed to do when the sun was down, along with Esme’s little security team.

The only one looking lost among the group was Davian.

He hadn’t spoken much since arriving, and Aila had caught him looking lost in thought while walking through the mansion. It was once his home before, but it seemed the memories of his past kept him from residing at the packhouse. Though that didn’t stop him from wandering into the library and through the secret passageways.

Aila watched him for a moment longer before Damon’s kiss on her cheek distracted her. They were waiting for Chase’s statement and to see the reaction of the public. While they did, the sounds of bare feet hitting the marble floor brought Aila’s attention from Damon and to the tall, bare-chested, overly hench man with tattoos across his chest and shoulders.

His black hair was long and freshly washed, with a scruffy beard partially covering a scar on his left cheek. Aila sat up, staring at the man, feeling somewhat familiar with him though she did not recognise him. Damon shot up and partially blocked her body from him protectively.

"It is disturbing that he managed to get through the security of this place," Damon grumbled in a mind-link. He then glared at Finn, who stood abruptly, slowly approaching the man from the side, wary.

"Unless he is one of the lycans," Aila replied and placed her hand on Damon’s arm, stepping around him as she observed the man. His brown eyes were so dark, almost matching the colour of his hair.

"I did not mean to startle you, my queen." He bared his neck to her, and she instantly knew who this was.

A broad grin spread across her lips. "Aldric?"

He nodded, and Aila instantly rushed to him with a hug. She moved from side to side, forcing Aldric to do the same with his big physique. He laughed heartily at her happy dance. He wasn’t in his lycan form anymore, but Aldric was still a beast. The same height and rock-hard muscles as Damon. Though maybe a little too muscular for her tastes.

"That’s because Damon is the only one for us," Malia sighed dreamily.

Aldric was older, maybe mid-thirties, but from all the wise advice he had given her in the last month or so, she expected him to at least be in his fifties. It was surprising to see a rugged, handsome man under all that beard and all that fur.

Damon cleared his throat, and Aila instantly pulled away from Aldric, smiling up at him. Aldric raised his hand towards Damon, and he shook it. "I wanted to come and thank you for your help. I want to stay, but.."

"Go be with your mate and children. You’ve been away from them long enough. But.." Aila held her hands up, hoping he wouldn’t take offence. "Is the hair and beard your usual style or…"

Aldric shook his head. "No. I do not plan on looking like a castaway."

"There are some spare razors in the downstairs bathroom. A lot of the lycans leaving have been taking them," Damon said. It was an odd thing to have a lot, but they supplied the pack with necessities like hygiene products. They were normally stashed away in their storage room, but they left a few out for those leaving their territory and wanting to clean up.

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"Go find Bren as well. He will cut and style your hair as well," Aila added.

She still couldn’t believe this was Aldric standing before her. She’d grown used to arching her neck so far back to his grand height and the long black fur and blue eyes.

"Thanks again."

"Don’t leave without saying bye!" Aila shouted after him as he went down the hallway to rid his face of that awful beard.

Damon slid his arm over Aila. She felt like a mother bird, and her chick was leaving the nest. That was outrageous, though. Aldric was older, wiser and already had a family. One that was waiting for him.

"He’ll be fine," Damon whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

Before Aila could respond, Chase’s face appeared on the tv screen. He stood before a podium with two microphones, speaking into them about the recent findings of the supernatural creatures and the footage that had been shared from Cassius’ castle and the night prior to it. Chase looked smart in a black suit with a black roll-neck beneath it, his golden locks slicked back neatly.

Aila assumed he would either be in his hunters’ uniform or wearing a shirt and tie. Still, he looked great without appearing like a politician. Maybe that was why.

Below him on the screen, it read: Secret organisation named the Hunters Association kept these creatures a secret for centuries.

"Are you saying these creatures have been living among us for years? And your organisation has been protecting humankind from them? Does that mean they are a danger to us?" A reporter asked.

Chase was in the middle of drinking from a glass of water before he replied calmly. "My ancestors created this organisation to protect us from supernatural creatures, but that does not mean they are a threat to us. We have been working in the shadows, more-like policing them so they will not do any harm to anyone. We are nothing more than law enforcement."

"Why have they been kept a secret until now? What has changed?" Another reporter asked.

"That.." Chase began. "Is not something I can answer. It was entirely up to them whether they remained a secret or not." A slight lie, the hunters also wanted the supernatural creatures to stay hidden so there was no chaos.

"Why are we not hearing from them then? People are out in the streets looking for those living among us," the first reporter asked. The woman seemed to have a lot of questions, but Chase seemed so natural to be answering so calmly.

"We are in the middle of finding the best solution to this. For now, please be patient. It is all new to not only humans but to the supernatural creatures that have been in hiding for so long."