Prince Reagan Xavier Aldrich

Time: 3:00 p.m. (Same day Ellie runs away.)

I watch with a bored look on my face as the Alpha of Earthlight pack, along with his beta, gets into a heated argument with head hunter Stanley Bane and his deputy, Brennon Silver. Yeah, werewolf hunters love their surname to mean something lethal to us beasts. And even though some of them, like silver, can't actually hurt us, they still use them.

All other officials from both the Earthlight pack and the hunters also join the arguments, not even considering that royalty was in their midst. I want to snap all of their necks and toss their bodies in some river somewhere. But even though I can in just a few seconds, I know that I'll never hear the end of it from my father, king of all beasts, and my brother, the first Prince. Especially since my brother's mate is an ex-hunter. Man, their love story was one hell of a storm.

I would love to be anywhere else than here right now, but father has made it clear that I must deal with all of this shit as soon as possible. Earthlight pack claims a group of rogue werewolves infiltrated their pack and killed some of their best warriors using arrows belonging to werewolf hunters, before kidnapping some of their unmated she-wolves. Earthlight pack is a small pack located in the deep woods of Idyllwild. Just like Red Moon Pack in Oakland and numerous others, they prefer to remain in isolation.

In killing a werewolf or weaken them - Wolf's bane is the right element for the job. But for us Lycans, it does nothing, very much like a mosquito bite to a human, just an annoying itch that eventually goes away. The hunters know this, and it makes them all the more cautious of us.

Werewolf hunters' are, however, aware of what it can do to an average werewolf, and they poison their arrows with this stuff. Still, they have codes that they all must abide by. Only werewolves who cause harm of any form to humans are hunted by them. They act as the intermediaries between the humans and beast, claiming to be protectors. But to me, they're just another set of pesky humans, trying to act smarter than us by putting us in check.

If it were up to me, I would have gotten rid of every single one of them. And I think every werewolf feels the same.

They like to meddle a lot in affairs that don't concern them, and it only irritates me a lot. Any relationship between beasts and humans is monitored strictly by them, and sometimes, they get too demanding in wanting their own way.

But if I even so much as lay a finger on them, my father would have my neck, literally.

Earthlight pack believes the hunters to be in cahoots with the rogues because their arrows were used in the ambush. The hunters deny these allegations, and here we are, in the Alpha's office of Earthlight pack.

"...you can't outsmart us in this. These arrows hold your crest!" Maverick, their Alpha, bellows as he holds up an arrow brought from the fighting scene as evidence.

True, the arrow does have the symbol of a wolf's bane at its fletching. That's their stupid crest, a flower. I snicker in my mind, wondering whoever came up with that idea.

"Just because it has our crest doesn't mean we attacked your sorry excuse of a pack." Stanley, the head hunter, retorts with a sneer. This elicits a set of growls from the werewolves in the room, and Maverick's beta, Aaron, pushes forward to snarl at the hunter.

"Enough!" I growl loudly, already aggravated at their childish banter, and my patience lost already. The werewolves in the room move back and bare their necks open in a sign of submission. But the hunters don't bulge much as my aura rarely affects them. That's the thing with humans. They are hard to control.

I have this nagging feeling, though, that something isn't right. And my beast prancing about in my head isn't helping. It's been just a few hours since I last saw my mate, and I'm already feeling restless.

Ah...my sweet Ellie. Such an innocent thing she is. She doesn't even know the act of kissing, but I'm willing to teach her everything she needs to know, everything she needs to please me, and?only?me. She is like a ripe fruit, ready to be plucked but oh so high up in the tree. I can't reach for her with my hand, but I could entice her to come to me willingly.

I couldn't wait to sink my aching fangs into her sweet neck as I make slow delicious love to her. Okay, maybe I won't be so slow.

The problem is that damn Alpha mutt she thought is her mate. If only I could get rid of him without anyone's knowledge. His existence alone is making it hard for Ellie to see and accept me as her mate. He is a little thorn in my path, a tiny wood splinter in my thumb.

But not to worry, I just need him to slip up a little, for him to give me a chance to end him, and I won't hesitate to take it. This is one of the reasons I'm allowing my Ellie freedom to go to school. If that damned Alpha mutt so much as makes a move on her, I'll just put an end to his miserable life, and no one would challenge me since I have the right to. Anyone who tries to steal a mate from another, usually, is given severe punishment. The mate bond is considered sacred and taken very seriously.

Right now, though, I have this slight ache in my chest that's causing me to feel uneasy. I need to see my Ellie or at least hear she's safe, or I'll go crazy thinking about her. I just need to get out of this excuse for a meeting first. I have some of my men watching her, so she'll be safe and can't go anywhere without my knowledge.

Exasperated, I sigh and glower at everything breathing in the room, making them all shuffle uncomfortably on their feet. Even the hunters feel intimidated now and can't look me back in the eye.

"It seems you guys love to waste my time, but unfortunately for you all, I don't have that time to waste." I slowly stand to my feet, looking down on all of them. They dare disregard my presence to banter like fools. Oh, how my beast craves for every drop of their blood.

"This meeting is adjoined until further notice," I announce, causing the werewolves to stare stunned at me.

"B...but your Highness," Stanley dares to speak up, "They attacked us..."

"This same disrespect is what's made me postpone this meeting. You'll do well to keep quiet and only speak when spoken to." My eyes are dead set on him, and I notice his Adam's apple bob before he looks away. Even though he looks older than me, I still have more power and years. I only seem this young because of Lycan genes.

"I will notify you when the next meeting's date is set. In the meantime, you all should reflect on the bad manners you displayed today. Because next time, I won't be so forgiving regardless of who you are." I pin my gaze on the hunters, so they would understand I also meant them. Fear is good, and I need them to always have that when they see me. This way, they won't be able to disrespect me ever again.

I'm glad when I notice the sweat forming on their foreheads before turning towards the door. I signal for my bodyguard, Adrian, to follow me as I walk out. He's always so silent, and one could even forget he's in the room in the first place. I honestly could do without him, but once more, my father must have his way. He has been appointed to me right from when I was a kid and hasn't left my side since then, and he is only a few years older than me. And just like me, he's a Lycan, so he also ages very slowly.

I pull out my phone to call my cousin, Lexi, first. She's at Ellie's college too, so she must know where she is.

She picks on the second ring, "H..hey, Reagan. How's it going?"

I frown as she never stutters, only when she has done something awfully wrong. "What's wrong?" I deadpan, navigating my way through the packhouse before arriving at the front door. I ignore the stares I receive on the way and the flirty eyes of the she-wolves. None was as beautiful and innocent as my sweet Ellie.

"What? Why would you think..."

"Where is she?" I cut her off to ask. She knows who I'm talking about, and my fear increases as she doesn't answer quickly.

Fear.?When last had I felt that? This she-wolf was turning me into something else.

I hop into the passenger's seat of my Porsche as Adrian takes the driver's side and revs up the engine.

"Okay, Reagan..."

"Answer the damn question, Alexia." I let out a dangerous growl, my beast threatening to come out. It's a two-hour drive back to Los Angeles. What if something really bad happens before I get there?

"Calm down first, will you." She tells me, but I only growl louder at her. "Okay, fine. I've been looking for her for about an hour now, and she's nowhere to be found. Some kids said they saw her and her former mate's mate, Stacy, I think, behind the school building. But after that, they haven't seen her since."

I clench my jaw as I listen to her, and I'm sure my eyes were already glowing bright gold. I knew it. I should have taken care of the Alpha mutt and his mate. She shouldn't be able to hurt my Ellie as her wolf was getting stronger by the day, but what if that bitch had brought back up.

Ellie's wolf was going through some transformation right now, preparing to be marked by me, and that's why she would be stronger, faster, and better than an average werewolf. She might even be able to take on an Alpha right now. When the transformation is complete, my beast would be able to mark her in her beast form, turning her fully into a Lycan.

I can feel the excitement of my beast at the thought of that. He can't wait to claim what was his. If Ellie had been a Lycan, he would have been able to mark her wolf right away. But unfortunately, she wasn't. So he had to wait.

I inhaled in a large amount of breath to calm my beast, "Have you checked her dormitory?" I calmly ask, even though I was seething inside.

"Oh, right. I haven't. I'll do that right away." She assures before hanging up. I dial the numbers of my spies right away, hoping they hadn't lost her also.

"Boss." I hear the gruff voice of Damien, one of my best spies.

"Where is she?" I calmly ask, but the icy tone I used probably sends shivers down his spine.

"She went into her school dormitory a few hours ago, and she hasn't come out since then." He explains, and I feel a rush of relief cloud me then. I order him to keep on watching her before ending the call.

But very soon my ringtone blares inside the car, and before I could even pick it, I felt a wave of exhaustion cloud my senses. My heart tugs painfully in my chest, and my breathing gets erratic. My beast is howling in pain in my head, and a wave of nausea hits me.

"Are you alright, boss," Adrian asks, worriedly looking at me.

"Step on it, Adrian!" I order with a loud bark, and he obliges without another question. I already know what I'm about to hear when I pick up the phone. This feeling was caused by only one thing.

"She isn't here anymore, Reagan."