Chapter Four
Alexia grudgingly stepped into the white flame packhouse as her huntress senses were immediately activated. She scanned the ballroom where everyone was gathered wining and dining like it was some big feast when they were running away from their worst nightmare.
She was amazed at how big this place was and how it contained everyone from different clans easily. She didn't know that there was a packhouse like this in America.
The mere thought of this place housing so many people who hated each other for over a century was marvelous but it didn't intrigue her, what made her blood sing with joy was the fact that she had come to the lair of her enemies.
She could wander around and scope out this place while keeping her eyes open for any small opening so when she would strike she would be very much accustomed to the environment.
“Quit smirking like a fool, you're attracting attention.”
Her mom’s voice cut through her and brought her back to reality.
“I'm not smirking, just making plans for the future,” she giggled.
The excitement made her giddy with joy as she glanced at her father who stared at her and chuckled. She followed his eyes to the place where three people were backing them.
He headed toward them and she followed closely behind her mother. They arrived just in time for her to hear a woman snarling at the witches.
Her father joined in the conversation and she rolled her eyes. She didn't pay attention to them until she heard the typical Alpha growl and his cry for his mate.
At first, she wanted nothing more than to focus on her scan of the house but when saw all eyes in the ballroom on her including that of her parents she frowned.
“What?” she asked her mom who was closest to her.
“Mine!” the werewolf growled again and this time it was closer to her. She looked around and saw the werewolf staring at her along with other people in the ballroom.
Alexia chuckled then hardened her gaze as she glared at the sexy hunk of a guy. “Fuck off!”
He was sexy and handsome no doubt but it didn't stop her from seeing him as a monster.
Audible gasps were heard after her outburst and she wondered why. Her mother gripped her hand and made to drag her out of the ballroom when someone snarled behind them.
She turned and saw her father standing beside the werewolf placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Step back, Hayden. That's my daughter.”
Alexia saw the wolfie’s expression change like he's been slapped in the face.
“Honey, you can't have a mate talk more of it being a hunter’s daughter,” the girl from earlier who was challenging the witches said, placing a hand on his chest.
A lot of people had gathered around them at this point and they were beginning to attract attention.
“This is why I didn't want us all to be in the same room,” a vampire chuckled.
Alexia stared at them. “Is he saying that I'm his mate?”
Her mother nodded and her dad shrugged.
“That's impossible. There's no way I can be his mate when I’m a huntress, not a werewolf.”
Alexia was well acquainted with every leader of the clan so she wasn't surprised when Malfoy and Thaddius came forward to offer their ancient knowledge or so they said.
Thaddius began, “Well, Hayden, it seems like you have a second-chance mate—”
Malfoy cut in, “And if he has a second-chance mate, that means it’s he and Hunter-Girl in the prophecy.”
Alexia could see the floozie on the Alpha’s arm turning red and becoming angrier, before she suddenly burst out, “Hayden cannot have a mate. His mate died some years back so I’m to be his Luna now.”
Hayden made a sound of disagreement in his throat, and Clara looked hurt.
Alexia leered, “Chill, bitch. No one’s sharing Wolfie Boy with you. I am not his mate, and I don’t want to be, so you can have him all to yourself.”
Clara bared her teeth, enraged. Her canines elongated and her eyes turned black, which meant that her wolf had taken over. She lunged at Alexia. Alexia smirked, and shifted to the side on one foot, allowing Clara to miss her by just a hair’s breadth.
She stretched out her foot and tripped her, so she fell face first.
Clara recovered quickly, still fuelled by her wolf’s rage.
“You mongrel!” she growled before attacking Alexia again.
By now, the crowd had stepped back, leaving a large area in the middle of the ballroom for the two ladies to fight. Alexia searched for her father’s face in the crowd. When they made eye contact, he gave a very small nod. She smiled. This bitch was going down.
Alexia dodged the punch that Clara threw to her face, and punched her in the abdomen, knocking the breath out of her. However, she grabbed Alexia’s shoulders and attempted to smash her knee into Alexia's face, but the huntress grabbed her waist and threw her over her shoulders. Clara landed on her back, wheezing. Alexia turned and faced Clara again, resting on one foot and waiting for her opponent’s next move.
Her eyes widened when she heard the sound of bones cracking and clothes tearing. Clara was shifting! Shit! Her fighting weapons were not with her.
Fear crept into her stance, but she held her ground, just as Clara’s transformation was complete. The small brown wolf that was Clara snarled, and leapt at Alexia. Alexia anticipated that the wolf’s front paws would land on her shoulders, leaving the vulnerable underside exposed.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath just as she felt the wolf’s hot breath. Before the weight of the wolf could rest on her shoulders, a huge, warm body slid between them and grabbed its front paws. Her eyes flickered open. She shifted to the side and saw that it was Hayden. She rolled her eyes and scoffed.
Hayden looked the wolf in its eyes and snarled, “Down now!” before releasing its paws. The wolf whimpered and tucked its tail between its legs before running out of the ballroom.
Everywhere was deadly silent as Hayden spun to face Alexia. He stared at her directly in the eyes and reached for her hands. The eye contact was intense and Alexia could feel something rising inside her. Her heart sped up and she swallowed.
“Are you hurt?,” he asked her softly.
Alexia managed to shift her gaze, and she snatched her hands from his hold, “I am fine, Wolfie Boy. Get your hands off me,” she snapped.
She turned and started walking out of the ballroom. The crowd parted for her as people saw the deadly fury in her eyes.
“Alexia”, someone called out.
She paused, recognizing her father’s voice.
“Turn around and come back here, right now,” he ordered.
Reluctantly, Alexia turned around, not wanting to incur her father’s wrath.
When she got back to where her father was, she stood defiantly and crossed her arms, huffing. Arthur placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulder reassuringly, before turning to address the clan leaders.
“Malfoy, Thaddius, Hayden, and Alexia, let us have this discussion in the Alpha’s office,” then he raised his voice, “Everyone, please continue to make merry. You are all safe here, so there is no cause for alarm.”
“Hayden, lead the way”, instructed Arthur.
He kissed his wife’s cheek and whispered something in her ear. Then, he grabbed Alexia’s hand and started following Hayden, with Thaddius and Malfoy close behind. They walked out of the ballroom to end up in a staircase. Hayden climbed the stairs and they all followed him.
A flight of stairs later, the staircase opened into a wide, well-lit hallway with 3 doors. Two doors were on the left side, and one lone door was on the right side. Hayden opened the first door on the left, and it swung open to reveal a large office that was tastefully furnished.
Alexia nodded in appreciation as she entered the office, “You have a nice office for a monster,” she quipped and rested against the wall.
Hayden beamed, “I am going to ignore the last comment and accept your compliment, so thank you.”
Alexia snorted in disdain.
Hayden took his seat behind his desk while Alexia remained standing. Thaddius and Malfoy sat on the couch adjacent to Hayden’s desk, while Arthur sat down on a chair directly opposite Hayden.
“So, your daughter is my mate,” Hayden began, “My second-chance mate, as Thaddius and Malfoy put it. What is the significance of that?”
“What it means is that you and Alexia are the ones to fulfil the prophecy of the Sisters of Light,” Thaddius said gravely, “I should have known that the prophecy is about to reveal itself. The four clans are at war against something unknown, how did I not know that?” he mumbled half to himself.
“What is the prophecy of the Sisters of Light and how does it relate to this conundrum I find myself in with this guy?” Alexia asked, jabbing her finger in Hayden’s direction.
The three clan leaders looked at each other, and Arthur nodded grimly. The warlock and the vampire sighed, and Arthur levelled Hayden with a penetrative stare, “We need to see your father. The prophecy has to come from all four of us; the clan leaders.”
Alexia and Hayden shared an unconscious glance filled with apprehension. The situation was starting to be larger, and more serious than they thought. Their lives were about to change, and they had no say in it.