Alpha Hunter

Chapter 4

Reyna Cruz:

I left the servant quarters and made my way to the main mansion. On my way to the foyer, I overheard two maids talking while they held a tray of sweets.

"I can't believe he's already thinking about accepting another mate," one of them said.

My body tensed, and I slowed down to eavesdrop further.

"But I think this time he'll have better luck because the mate he's considering is from an affluent family, not just some worthless omega," the other maid added.

As the other maid uttered those words, I noticed her appraising me from head to toe, raising her eyebrows. I instantly realized they were discussing Hunter. There was no way what they were saying could be true. They had never liked me from the beginning, and they seemed to be reveling in my misery.

I quickened my pace and reached the foyer, where I found Tara with my mother-in-law, who had likely returned from her vacation after hearing about the turmoil in the pack.

Mrs. Sparrow was considered a graceful lady by others, but she had always been at odds with me. She harbored a strong dislike for me, even when I single-handedly took care of all her needs, including cooking and personal care, tasks that no other Luna typically performed.

"I never liked her anyway. But it's her audacity to betray my son--she had everything, but she threw it all away for the sake of her desires," Mrs. Sparrow shook her head, and then her gaze landed on me.

"Ah! You shameless omega!" she shouted before I could even utter a word.

"I'm innocent, and she knows it," I yelled, pointing at Tara, who quickly took refuge behind Mrs. Sparrow. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Don't dare to point a finger at a gamma and an alpha's daughter. Without my son's status, you are nothing," my mother-in-law sneered, clearly relishing this moment she had been waiting for.

"You can't intimidate me on her behalf. I'm innocent, and in four months, I'll prove it," I replied calmly, avoiding raising my voice, as she was already furious, and provoking her further wouldn't help my situation.

"Huh! You're the one who'll face a grim fate. If you're willing to wait for those four months, go ahead and waste your time. My son's life won't be put on hold for you," Mrs. Sparrow seized my arm and pulled me closer, her towering figure looming over me as she issued a threat, "My son will find a new mate, one of higher rank and unwavering loyalty."

She hissed and pushed me back, nearly causing me to stumble and trip. Thankfully, I managed to regain my balance before any mishap occurred.

"You can't do this to me. He can't do this to me. He will wait for the results--," tears welled up in my eyes as I spoke, but my words were cut short when I saw Tara emerging from behind Mrs. Sparrow, wearing a smug grin on her face.

"Why not? After all, you cheated on him. He deserves someone better, someone like Tara," as soon as Mrs. Sparrow placed her hand on Tara's shoulder, everything started to fall into place.

"What?" I gasped, my hand instinctively covering my mouth in shock.

"Hunter is going to choose me," Tara said nonchalantly, a proud smile on her face, causing my heart to sink.

"That can't be true. It hasn't even been a day! How could he already be making plans to move on?" I protested, my fists clenched in frustration at the two women for their deceit.

"Because I already know what the result will be," I was taken aback by the sudden arrival of Hunter. He stood behind me, looking disheveled. His hair was tousled, and his eyes were puffy. It seemed like he had been drinking for the past few hours.

"Hunter! You'll find out in four months," my voice quivered as I looked at him, my heart heavy. How had we ended up in this situation? We were supposed to be celebrating the good news, but in just a day, my world had been turned upside down.

"And that's supposed to excuse finding you in a hotel room with a stranger?" Hunter scoffed, making it clear that he saw no way forward for us.

"Of course, she thinks she can still hold onto you somehow. But I won't let her manipulate you again. That's why I was just discussing you with Tara. She would make a better mate for you than Reyna ever was," his mother chimed in quickly because she could tell that Hunter was not listening to me. His trust in me had been severely shaken. He was convinced that I had been unfaithful with that man and that I was carrying his child.

"No! You can't just force him to accept my friend," I cried out, shouting at his mother and surprising her with my boldness.

"Why?" Hunter interjected, standing between us and clearly siding with his mother.

"Why can't I move on?" he hissed once more, his anger palpable. "You can get pregnant by someone else, but I can't even move on?" he yelled, causing me to sob and shake my head in disbelief.

What had happened to us?

Why wouldn't he listen to me? I pleaded, "Hunter! I would never cheat on you. This baby is yours, and I'm your only mate--" but my words were cut short when I placed my hands on his chest to feel his heartbeat, and he seized my wrist, violently shaking my body. His eyes bore into mine, filled with a terrifying intensity.

"No! This child is a bastard, and you are no longer my Luna," he muttered coldly, his face inches from mine. "Your punishment will be to watch me accept your friend. At least she knows how to remain loyal." He shocked me with his words, pushing me backward, not caring that I ended up on the floor.

"I once fought with you for her. I guess karma has hit me in the worst way possible. Everyone is mocking me. They're calling me a joke because I couldn't keep my Luna Queen satisfied. I'm admitting that I made a huge mistake by going against you. This time, I'll let you choose a mate for me," Hunter said as he turned to hold his mother's hands, granting her permission.

The bright smile on Tara's lips struck my heart like a dagger.

I gulped and remained seated as Hunter and his mother walked away from us.

Four months! I had asked him for that much. Couldn't he wait until then?

"You heard him," Tara snapped me back from my thoughts, leaning over me with a smirk. "Even if you can prove that this is his child, I'll make him fall so hard in four months that he'll take that baby from you and lay it in my lap," she whispered eerily.

I stared at her through my blurred vision, questioning why I had ever allowed her into my home.

"I was the one--who looked after you after your mate rejected you. How could you betray me?" I choked out, my voice almost drowned in tears.

"No! You only took care of me because you wanted to engage in charity work while flaunting your healthy and happy relationship in my face. You'd sneak out of the guestroom to spend time with your husband," she ground her teeth, her anger and resentment clear as day, directed at my right to be with my mate.

"Now, go back to your servant quarters. After four months, you're going to give me your baby, and then you'll be expelled from this pack," she shrugged, chuckling to herself.

The shock of her betrayal was so overwhelming that I couldn't even muster the strength to get up from the floor. She had walked away victorious, all because Hunter had given his mother permission to make Tara his Luna Queen.