Jaded Anchor: The Hunter

Chapter Five - Adira

Adira blinked, you know how people do in movies when they see something or someone they aren’t entirely happy to see but have to act like they are. That was her reaction to seeing her fiancé walk up to the bar. Her eyes drifted over to Theo, the hunter whose name she now unfortunately knew. Theo hadn’t budged even though she had specifically told him to leave. Adira still couldn’t fathom what had made him think that it would be a good idea to show up at a known wolf bar in the first place. He had to be suicidal. Theo had said he came to apologize, but she was obviously wary of that answer. What if this was another trap? He seemed sincere enough but still… Freaking Luca showed up before she could find out.

“Adira, who’s your friend?” Luca questioned with more hostility than was necessary, especially considering that Luca didn’t really give two f***s about her. He only cared about the title he would gain when they married.

Adria figured, or more like hoped, that Luca would call off the agreement once he realized that he wouldn’t be the future Alpha of the WestBeach Pack. There was no WestBeach Pack anymore. With her father dead, her mother had taken Rowen up on his offer and officially merged the remainder of their pack with the Jaded Anchor Pack. Nora seemed happy to step down from her role as Alpha, she didn’t want to lead without Dean. Her mother just wanted to be close to her children and grandchildren. Adria had been so messed up after learning that her dad died that she didn’t even put up a fight. She just went along with it. Technically she could have taken over as Alpha, had she wanted to, but she didn’t. She had accepted the role as the new Beta of the Jaded Anchor pack when Alexandra offered it to her a few weeks after they officially joined her brother and sister-in-law’s pack. Luca relished in the fact that he would become the Male Beta of the largest and strongest pack in the south. So, she was stuck with him. She could have called the wedding off after her dad died, but honestly, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She owed it to her dad to keep the arrangement he had made for her.

 “Just someone ordering a drink. It’s a bar you know.” Adira answered trying to keep the sarcasm from seeping through in her answer. She slid Theo a beer and pleaded with her eyes for him to go along with her story. She didn’t know why she was still protecting his dumb ass but the idea of someone finding out that he was a hunter made her sick to her stomach.

“Uh, thanks,” Theo said putting a twenty down on the bar. His face held questions, but she tried her best to ignore them when handing him his change.

“Yeah well let one of the bartenders help him. That is their job. Not yours.” Luca nearly growled the words. Despite her best efforts, Adira rolled her eyes. Luca Baker was so much like Dean Blakesley it was almost scary. The traits she admired about her father looked awful on her betrothed. Adira had always been a daddy’s girl that she had overlooked all of her father’s flaws, seeing them on her soon to be husband made her want to gag.

“I was here, so I helped out.” Adira shrugged her shoulders as if it was an obvious answer, “I used to work here. He needed a drink, Jessica was backed up with other guests so I help. Not a big deal.”

“Whatever, Adi. You are the f*****g Beta, maybe you should start acting like it.” Luca glared at her then turned his green eyes towards Theo. “She’s mine.” It had been a threat, one that she noticed had caused Theo’s lip to curl up into a smug smirk.

“There is no way in hell a guy like you landed a woman like her. You’re clearly trying to make a scene. I would be happy to take this outside.” Theo said causing Adira’s jaw to drop. Whatever she had expected to come from his smirking lips, that certainly wasn’t it. The dude had an obvious death wish. He had to know that Luca was a wolf. She didn’t think Theo had a gun stuck down his pants, so why on earth was he trying to pick a fight? There was something sexy about the way he called Luca out though. She couldn’t deny it. Theo was an attractive guy. His blonde hair was pulled up like the first time she had seen him and once again she decided she liked it. Images of her running her fingers through it flashed in her mind. What the hell Adi! You have a death wish too, i***t!

“No need for that gentlemen. I’m leaving. Y’all can put your d***s up now, no need to have a pissing contest over me.” Adira sounded annoyed because she was. Luca had become incredibly territorial over the past two months. It was like he knew that her dad was dead and she could back out of their arrangement at any moment. The i***t should have been trying to win her over, not show her how much of a d**k he actually was. Men are idiots.

“There isn’t a contest. You are promised to me, Adi.” Luca reminded her as if she could forget.

“Promised? Like an arranged marriage? I knew a guy like you couldn’t get someone like Adira on your own.” Theo laughed, actually it was more like a snort. An incredulous snort as if he had just heard the most ridiculous thing.

“You don’t get to say her name. You’re a nobody. Drink your beer and get the hell out of here.” Luca growled out glaring down at Theo who was still seated on the barstool.

“Want to move this outside?” Theo challenged. It wasn’t until the hunter stood up that Adira noticed how big he really was. Clearly he had been trying hard to make himself seem small the last time she had run into him, and she had thought he looked tall then. Theo towered over her small frame standing several inches taller than Luca too. This close Adira could see the tight muscles under his shirt. Someone shoot me. She groaned internally.

“Stop it now!” Adria called out. This is the last thing she wanted. Theo the f*****g hunter was drawing attention to himself. Luca was about to make every eye in the bar turn their attention to them. He wouldn’t “take it outside” as Theo suggested. Luca would start the fight right here in the middle of Jaded Anchor. He craved attention. “Luca, go home. Theo, leave, please.”

“Theo? Theo!? How the hell do you know his name, Adira? I knew this prick was hitting on you when I walked up. Were you flirting back?” Luca all but accused. He had formed it as a question but she knew he wasn’t asking.

“What is going on over here?” The voice of her oldest brother caused a grown to escape her lips. Great, Rowen was here.

“Luca is over reacting, Ro. Nothing is going on.” Adira turned her blue eyes on her brother. She looked a little like him and her brother Coen, but mostly she favorited their mother. Her dark hair and bright blue eyes were the one thing all the siblings had in common.

“Well take the nothing outside. You know the alley is where all the fights happen.” He looked down at Adira with concern in his eyes, he didn’t know exactly what was going on between her and Luca, but she knew he was suspicious. They, as in her brothers, new sisters, and mother, would have never let her go through with the wedding if they knew she disliked Luca this much.

“No need to visit yours and Co’s old stomping ground. Theo was just leaving.” Adira said again, focusing her icy blue eyes on Theo. “Weren’t you?”

“Yeah. Right. I was just leaving. Thanks for the drink, Adira.” Theo said. She knew he could hear her sigh of relief. He nodded his head at her before dipping out the door. Finally, someone actually listened to her.

“Are you okay, Sis?” Rowen questioned, shooting a pointed look at Luca.

“Yeah, all is good here. I’m headed home.” Adira hugged her brother and quickly pecked Luca on the lips, she had to keep up an appearance after all.

Once she dashed out the door her eyes instantly searched the parking lot for Theo.  

“What the hell, man. Are you trying to get killed?” She huffed pulling him to the darkest part of the shadows she could find.