Held Captive by the Alpha: No Escaping Destiny

Chapter 7: Colton's Counsel

HUNTER'S POV

A few hours had passed since our visit to the hospital, and I found myself back in my office, determined to tackle as much work as possible. Yet, my thoughts kept drifting back to her.

Cyrilla.

What a unique name for such a rare beauty. I remained captivated by how her brown almond eyes could be so expressive one moment and then turn completely stoic the next. It took every ounce of strength I had to conceal how entranced I felt when she finally opened her eyes.

I tried to appear disinterested, but I didn’t mean to come off as rude. I wasn’t upset by how she snapped back at me; if anything, I was impressed. Most women wouldn’t be so bold. My frustration was with Theon for being overly familiar with her, and I ended up taking my anger out on her.

How could he be so touchy with her, knowing that she's my mate?

I pulled myself away from my thoughts just in time. I have to focus. I have already asked some of my men to survey the forest areas nearby for any disturbances. I also reached out to my contacts to check if there were any reports of a missing person or an abandoned car found at the side of the road. I have yet to hear from them.

"You know what puzzles me?" Colton suddenly spoke.

I forgot that he was with me at the office, helping me with some of the paperwork. I assigned him and Theon their respective desks in my office so they could familiarize themselves with the pack's affairs. In my absence, I’m confident they will manage the pack effectively.

I lifted my gaze from the computer, intrigued by what my Beta had to say.

"There’s only one cliff that drops directly into the water, and it’s extremely high," Colton began. "The fact that a human survived the fall without any injuries is astonishing. Even if she had somehow entered the water feet first—though I highly doubt she could have managed that while unconscious—she would likely have sustained at least a few broken bones." He paused, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Are you saying she lied?" I probed.

He raised his hands in surrender. "Whoa! Let’s not jump to conclusions here. I’m just saying there’s a lot more to this," he clarified. "We already know vampires were involved, which explains her scent. But why include a human? And out of all the possible places she could have washed up, she ended up right here. It almost feels like someone deliberately brought her to you," Colton reasoned.

"Or maybe she's just hiding something," I suggested.

"Or maybe it's destiny," he countered.

I grimaced. "Oh, please. You know I don't believe that nonsense anymore, man!" I scoffed, dismissing his idea.

I couldn't believe I was hearing those words from Colton, who was usually so logical and reasonable. It felt out of character for him to entertain such whimsical ideas.

"As someone who has found a fated mate, I can assure you it's the best thing that ever happened to me. You wouldn't be paired with someone who isn't right for you," he stated with conviction, though his words still failed to sway me.

"She's human. How could she possibly be right for me?" I shot back at him.

"For one, she seemed just as short-fused and stubborn as you," he reasoned. "Second, if you're so worried about her humanity, you could always turn her. For crying out loud, you’re of royal blood. Your uncle, the King, wanted you to be his heir—if only you hadn't stubbornly refused."

It was true. Werewolves of royal bloodlines had the ability to turn humans into werewolves, granting them a form of immortality. Unlike regular werewolves, who aged slowly but eventually succumbed to death, we did not experience aging in the same way.

"We're not even sure if she's strong enough to be turned. Only a few humans survive the process. I can't take that risk," I replied, my conviction unwavering.

Colton crossed his arms over his chest, unimpressed. "Really? You still doubt her strength? She escaped death twice, and you question whether she’ll survive the transformation?" He asserted his point, a challenge glinting in his eyes.

"Can we not discuss the human right now? There are more pressing matters that need our attention. I don’t have the time for this." I pleaded because I knew I was losing this discussion.

Colton and Theon have always been my voice of reason whenever my emotions get the best of me. In contrast to my erratic behavior, Colton is calm and composed. While Theon, as rugged as he may look, knows how to lighten the mood with his wild antics.

"I'm just looking out for you, man. You can't ignore the mating bond forever. You can pretend all you want, but I know it's already messing with your head," he said coolly. "While Theon might have had his eyes on your mate earlier, mine were on you. You looked like you wanted to tear your Gamma's head off back there at the hospital," Colton added with a knowing grin.

I sighed. He just didn’t know when to stop.

"Can we not do this right now, please? I have a lot on my plate. I'm not ready to deal with this," I said, my tone bordering on pleading, hoping to silence him.

Instead of dropping it, his eyes sparkled with amusement. "What do you mean, you're not ready? Dude, you’re 942 years old, not 16," he chuckled, his laughter echoing in the office.

"F***k you, man," I snarled, waving him off dismissively.

For the rest of the day, I kept myself busy with the usual paperwork to stay occupied and avoid any further conversations with Colton. Until I felt someone trying to reach out to me through mindlink, it was one of the warriors that I sent to search the forest.

"Matt, what do you have for me?" I inquired.

"Alpha Hunter! We discovered seven dead bodies, belonging to both werewolves and vampires," Matt reported.

"I have to come see for myself. I’ll be right there," I replied, my tone shifting as the urgency of the situation hit me.

After cutting the midlink with Matt, I quickly stood up from my desk and ran out of the pack house, with Colton following close behind without needing to be told. We shifted almost simultaneously to get there faster. We crossed the river and ran up the mountain to reach the forest where it was located.

When we arrived, we were met by the sight of mangled bodies scattered everywhere. For someone who has seen so many deaths already, we were, to say the least, quite disturbed.

Exactly what I dreaded has come to pass.