NB: Sorry this took a bit longer to post! It's quite content laden so it took me awhile to write. I know some of you have been asking me what a Hunter is... so I have given more info in this chapter to aid your understanding. Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. I did take them into consideration and I hope you all like this chapter!
***
Anya had been at the MacFarlane compound for almost three days now. She knew that her sister and father would be getting worried about her. But she had a job to do and it was getting harder by the day. She was held captive in her room; always someone standing watch outside her door and below her window. The only times she was able to go out was to the toilet and to eat downstairs with Lilith.
She had not seen Logan at all for the past two days. In fact, he had not come to her room at all since the other night and she was washed with mixed feelings of relief and longing. She longed to feel his hands on her again, even when she chided herself for wanting him so much.
Trying to put her thoughts aside, Anya began to plan her escape. She was a powerful Hunter; the best the organization has. How difficult could it be to fool a bunch of Beta wolves guarding her room? After that, she was going to take down the main Alpha. That would be enough, she hoped. She would try to reason with the Order and ask them to send reinforcements if they seek to continue with the mission. She was aware that killing the Alpha male would shatter the whole pack; Lilith would probably never forgive her for it and Logan... would he still consider her as his mate?
Mate. Everyone on the compound knew she was Logan's mate. They accorded her with such deference that she herself was starting to accept the fact that they were mates. Anya sighed. Was this longing for Logan a sign of weakness? Did the Order fail in their breeding project?
She had been taught since young that when the organization first bred their kind known as Hunters, they had made sure that only the most powerful genes and strengths were incorporated. The Hunters did not need to feed on blood like the Vampires, nor do they need to seek a mate like Werewolves. They were immune to attacks from both species but because they were engineered hybrids, it meant that they could not inflict mortal damage to either species. As such, they had been trained in the art of stealth and surprise attacks aided by their genes that ensured they possessed no scent because of their lack of pheromones. Pheromones were the key essential ingredient responsible for triggering a response specific only to one's mate.
But didn't she produce a scent after having sex the other day? And how could Logan know that she was his mate when he could not smell her before? Anya felt a small headache building in her mind. She could heal it away but somehow she liked its' lingering feeling. It made her feel almost human... and not some superhuman prototype that she truly was.
Anya was enjoying her headache so much that she forgot about her initial plans to escape. It was then that Lilith barged into her room, sounding frantic.
"Anya! Anya! Oh please help me..." she cried. Anya snapped from her headache and immediately focused on the blue eyed woman in front of her.
"What's wrong Lilith?"
"Oh, it's terrible... it's terrible!" she cried, coming closer towards Anya and resting her head on her shoulders.
"You've got to tell me what's wrong Lilith or I can't help you..." Anya said patiently.
"It's Leon... He's been missing since that night you came here... He didn't tell me where he went or left a message for anyone. Logan went to look for him but neither he nor Leon has been back since. I'm worried Anya. The other wolves are getting uneasy and restless."
"Have any of the Betas been dispatched to search for them?"
"Yes, I've sent four of them this morning on a search. But my instincts tell me that something is really wrong Anya. Oh Anya... I'm really sorry to ask you this... but... is there anyone else hiding in our compound that you did not mention? Is there someone who might want to hurt my Leon?" she asked between sobs.
Anya was at a loss. She couldn't bring herself to say that she had intended to kill Leon and possibly Lilith and Logan as well. But at the same time, she was aware that the Order would sometimes send another recon and, or rescue Hunter if they felt that the mission had been compromised.
"I'll tell you what Lilith... I need you to trust me to get out of this house so that I can have a better sense if there has been any chase or killings done nearby."
Lilith looked into Anya's eyes and said,
"I trust you..."
Anya closed her eyes and for the first time felt her heart breaking for this woman.
Lilith stood at the door as Anya was let out of the house. Anya's first instinct was to run but somehow she felt tied to this family of wolves in ways she could not explain. Instead, she looked around, sensing the movements in the trees and straining her ears to listen for the breath and heartbeats around her.
"Where did the Betas lose track of the scent?" she asked.
"It's about 20miles from here. I'll get the car."
Lilith was a terrific hell driver, Anya mused. Maybe she'll ask if she'd like to have a race with her someday. They reached the location in under fifteen minutes and when Anya got out, she immediately scanned the area.
Nothing seemed out of place; but to a trained eye, one would be able to spot the small broken twigs on the ground; a lack of vehicle tracks and most important of all, hardly any scent of an intruder.
Anya followed the broken twigs down a barely visible trodden path that lead towards a small creek. She made sure that she was walking slowly to allow Lilith to follow her. The Alpha was already in her wolf form when she caught up beside Anya.
"Do you see this?" she pointed to some prints in the soil. "This one looks deeper than the other beside it. I am guessing that one of them must have been carrying the other or something heavy before jumping into the water."
"Can you tell if Leon was injured? I don't smell blood," said Lilith. Although Anya had not mentioned the identity from the other footprint, Lilith understood that it belonged to one of her kind for there was only Leon's scent left in the air.
"No he's not. I don't smell blood either but the water could have washed any wound clean without leaving any traces too. Your Betas weren't able to get far either because the water will obscure the scent considerably. Furthermore, this creek leads out towards the sea doesn't it?"
Lilith looked at Anya and nodded.
"Do you want to follow me, Lilith?" she asked. The wolf did not answer but was already jumping on the rocks in the creek in the direction of the sea. Anya smiled and followed suit. Just for accompanionment sake, Anya took on her wolf form as well, much to the surprise and delight of Lilith, who had stopped to turn and look.
Anya had taken the form of a white wolf with a coat that literally shone under the moonlight. Lilith stood transfixed.
"You are very beautiful, my child... You don't know how happy it makes me, knowing that my son has mated. Oh, my heart feels much lighter now. Thank you..." she said, as they continued their way. Anya couldn't even begin to explain her circumstances. The lesser Lilith knew the better.
However, it made her tingle slightly with pleasure at the thought that Lilith approved of her mating with Logan. The thought of his name made her smile, before it turned into a frown remembering that he was missing.
The two female wolves continued down the creek, aware that the water was getting deeper now and there were fewer rocks to step on.
"The trail ends here... I'm sure you can tell that his scent is gone."
"What does that mean, Anya?"
Anya paused for a moment and tried to think.
"It is possible that he was loaded onto a sort of boat. The water here is deep enough for a small boat to maneuver fairly well. He was caged... no... hidden in the galleys...where the scent of food would indefinitely mask his. I'm sorry Lilith, there is no use heading upstream now."
"But I will still send the Betas to check it out, to be safe."
"You do that. For now, we need to get back."
Once they were back in the compound, Anya found herself giving orders to the Beta wolves on possible locations to search. Lilith had gone inside, possibly mulling over the information she had just learnt from her search with Anya earlier.
When she entered the kitchen, Lilith was slouched over a cup of tea.
"They're tearing my family apart... first Lycia, now Leon and Logan. But that's not the worst part. Whoever's doing this knows that removing the Alphas would break up the pack. That's a political motive and I'm trying my best not to vent all my anger on you."
Anya kept silent at the gravity of Lilith's words. This woman was deserving of her Alpha status, she noted. She was perceptive, intelligent and a natural born analyst.
"Lilith..."
"I know what you're going to say. I'm going to let you."
"Why?"
"Because I need to trust that you'd get my son back at least, if you can't get my mate back. Leon's nobody to you but your instincts will ensure that you fight all out to retrieve Logan."
Anya sighed and placed her palm on Lilith's.
"Lilith... you've been most kind to me. But I am not the person you think I am. I am a vicious, cold hearted killer. Those are my instincts."
"No they are not. In time you will see that I am right... You'd better go now my child. I hope that we will see each other soon," she said pulling Anya for a fierce hug.
Anya had taken one of the cars loaned to her and sped off towards home. Leaving the compound didn't give her the sense of freedom she'd thought she'd feel but instead, she felt more lost and unsure of where her loyalty pointed to.
***
Richard was tired. His head was full of worry for his daughters. Connor had given a week for his daughters to return- dead or alive, before he would arrange for a meeting to pass an ultimatum.
Even as he closed his eyes, he faintly heard the revving of a car engine coming up his driveway. His frown eased a little as a smile danced upon his face slightly. He waited a heartbeat before opening the main door and saw Anya striding towards him.
