The Alpha's Assassin

The Beginning

Epilogue from Kiera’s POV

Blood splattered my face as the body fell to the floor. That wasn't much of a challenge. Jarod always hired rogues to do his dirty work for him. I told him when he threatened me I would find him. He killed my parents, tortured me throughout my childhood, and then sold me. I wasn’t about to let him get away with kidnapping my mate. Using him to leverage my skills for his benefit.

The pack house was eerily quiet. Where is he? I opened every door I came upon. Hunter was nowhere to be seen. Just the occasional rogue Jarod had standing guard. Hoping to throw me off, I am sure. He should know better though. He knows how well I am trained. “Astrid, I can’t pick up the scent! Are you sure Hunter is here?” Her link with Oz was strong. If Hunter is unconscious she will still be able to mind link Oz.

“Yes, they are fading so we must hurry, but I can still sense Oz.” My pace quickened. My heart started racing. I had to keep my head. My skills may be unmatched by rogues but Jarod knew me well. He will know I am on the way. I will not have the element of surprise. 

The pack house is big. I don’t want to waste anymore time. I can’t. I can’t lose Hunter. “Astrid, upstairs or the basement?” I sniffed the air trying to pick up Hunter’s scent. It was there. So faint I almost missed it.

“Basement!” She almost roared in my head. She wanted out. She wanted to rip Jarod’s throat out. She wasn’t as calculated as I am though. I needed to keep my cool. She would have to wait. When the time came she would get her wish. We would make him pay.  I descended the stairs. Stepping lightly. 

Kiera’s POV

    When I was small my family were alone. Not belonging to any pack. We traveled often. Never staying in any one place very long. We weren't at the little cabin, well more like a shack, very long at all. That night some men wearing all black broke into the cabin. They slaughtered my mother and father. I could hear them screaming from the bed my mother had made me in the small closet. I wanted to help, to shout for help, but I was too scared to move. With my head hidden under my blankets I could hear them searching. One of them, the leader I assumed, kept repeating “Grab anything of value and lets go!”  Finally the door flung open and there stood my captor. A huge frightening man wearing a mask. I never did get to see his face. “Ah, what’s this?” His gruff voice grated as he spoke. 

   He scooped me up roughly. My screaming and thrashing didn't seem to phase him at all. He just shouted at the rest of the men to go back to the pack house. He tied a rope around my tiny hands and feet. Then they shifted. Letting out a piercing howl. The leader then lifted me by my night clothes in his large mouth and began to run. I don’t remember anything after that. Everything went black. 

    Since that day my life has been one long nightmare. He kept me locked in this room. I only ever get out to shower, train, and exercise. Except when he sends me on missions.  Jarod, he is the Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack. He tells me I should feel grateful to him. He says he found me when I was small. That he could have killed me but instead he kept me. Showed me mercy. I don’t know how merciful it is to train a child to be a killer. 

  He dislikes when people disrespect him. He is a power hungry man. So when he needs someone taken out he sends me. Like an assassin. He makes sure I am always a step ahead of the enemy, always training, always learning.  When I was younger I had a teacher. He would train me how to fight. How to kill. How to beat any opponent, how to blend in, and how to be a lady so that no one would know what I was. A lethal killing machine.

 Failing was never tolerated. I would be punished unmercifully. Once I was starved for weeks because I missed a target. Another time I was beat with silver chains till near death. Each time the punishment was cruel and unrelenting. It was always doled out by Jarod. He never let any other pack members near me. He took special enjoyment in punishing me.   

   One day, when I was about 13, my trainer came in with an odd expression on his face. I liked him. He was the only interaction I had with any one other than Jarod at the time. He started the lesson. I remember it was etiquette that day. He kept eyeing the door. Then he leaned in very close to me and started to speak very quickly.

“Kiera, Jarod has been lying to you. He is the one…” he never got to finish. The door flew open and he was dragged out by two large brown wolves.   

After that I didn’t have a trainer for awhile. Jarod would come in and bark out orders and if i didn’t quite get it right he would beat me with this leather strap he carried around. That continued for quite some time. Then I guess he grew tired of trying to teach me etiquette. Understandably, he was a foul man with no manners. Then it became training with him to fight and he hired a mute, sour looking woman to teach me. She was almost as cruel as he. Any time I so much as spilled a drop of tea she would smack me with her wooden spoon. 

Since then I have been waiting. Biding my time. I plan to escape. Jarod is going to send me on a mission and I am just not going to return. He sometimes goes with me, however of late he has been sending me alone. That will be perfect. I don’t bother trying to pack anything. I don’t have anything of value to me. Clothes, that is it. 

Keys rattling outside the door suggest Jarod is here to tell me about my next mission. I void my face of any emotion and wait for him to enter.

"Tomorrow is your birthday. I assume you know that"  he growled.

"I am aware" I reply a bit snidely. I can see he wants to lash out at my tone but he holds his composure. 

"Tomorrow you will be sold. The Alpha of the Blood Moon pack has offered a handsome price for you to wed his son. They will come to get you tomorrow afternoon. You will be on your best behavior. The Alpha will not tolerate any insolence and neither will I. If you choose to act out or misbehave you will be killed on sight. He is a friend and knows what you are. You will serve him the same as you serve me. Get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day" he said all this so nonchalantly. I couldn't believe it. I didn’t like this, but my plans were going to unfold even better than I had thought. Once I was sold it would be easier to escape. That Alpha doesn’t know me. He only knows what Jarod has told him.

    I paced around my room for most of the day unsure of what the Blood Moon pack was going to be like, but I had to plan. I had to be ready for the opportune moment. I didn’t want to have to wait till I was married to flee. I wanted to make sure I was out long before then.

"What if we find our mate out there?" Astrid asked me. It had been awhile since we had spoken so I was a little shocked. 

  "So what? I don’t want to be a slave any longer" I snipped at her a bit rudely.

"I know you don’t, I don’t either. We can’t deny the bond though. We would die. Do you want to have lived through all of this misery to die of a broken heart?" Disgust dripped from her words. 

“We are stronger than that. Besides, it wouldn’t matter. Were being sold to be someone's wife. Even if we found our mate we won’t be able to have him. Best to push those thoughts aside Astrid.” My words were soft. I know she feels very strongly about finding our mate. It’s something we’ve talked about often. 

. 

Hunter's POV

"How can you possibly expect me to marry someone that's not my mate!" My words dripped with disdain and anger. My father didn't seem to care that I wouldn't be happy. He only cared that I could finally take over as Alpha and he could retire. In the Blood Moon pack the heir had to be mated before the Alpha could step down and pass the title.

  "Hunter, you are 25 years old. You should have found your mate already and became Alpha. I am tired of waiting. I have found a bride for you. The Alpha of the Dark Moon pack has a daughter. She has Alpha blood so she is strong and suitable for Luna. This isn't open for discussion any more. I've given you 7 years to find your mate and you havent. You will marry her this evening." With that my father stormed off to meet with my mother, the current pack Luna, to make sure all arrangements had been made. 

I could not believe my father. All of the importance he always placed on finding your mate, and now he's taking that away from me. Why would he buy someone, let alone someone from the Dark Moon pack! What the hell was he getting me into? 

"Maybe she will be our mate?" Muttered my wolf, Oz. Of late he has been a little more optimistic than I have been. 

"I doubt it. Anything father has arranged can only end in misery." I growled in response. With everything going on I needed to clear my head. So without a word to anyone in the pack house I slipped out the backdoor and through the broken part of the gate into the woods. I stripped my clothes off and shifted.  Soon as I did I took off running. I ran and ran. I hadn't run like this in ages. Pretty soon I came upon a familiar place. A small waterfall and pool I had not visited since the night before my 18th birthday. Being a future Alpha I was stronger than most and had shifted early. I used to go on nightly runs and I always ended up here for a swim. 

   I hadn’t realised how late it was getting while swimming. I happened to look up while floating, seeing the sky darkening. I jumped out of the water a little worried my mother was losing her s**t looking for me. I shifted and ran back home.

 Slipping on my clothes before going back through the gate. I could hear my mother ordering the omegas around. Making sure the ceremony was perfect. She was never harsh, but she was a perfectionist. I was headed up the stairs to my room to change before my mother saw me when the most wonderful scent filled my nose. It was like sweet jasmine after the rain. Oz was pacing inside my head. Howling and crying out. He wanted me to follow it. Figure out what it was. I knew I should be upstairs getting ready but I couldn't help myself. I followed the scent to the basement. Guards were everywhere. Suddenly I arrived in front of a door. The scent was so strong. 

"Break it down! Mate! Mate is in there!" Oz roared! I couldn't focus on anything with him howling in my head. I needed to be in that room. 

"Step aside!" I growled at the guards.

"Sorry sir, Alphas orders.  Noone goes in or out till the ceremony. Just as I was about to wolf out and break the door down my mothers voice came firmly from behind me. 

"Hunter what are you doing! You get upstairs and prepare right now! The ceremony starts in less than an hour! You will see her then!" I knew there was no arguing with my mother. I glared once more at the guards and headed back upstairs to change. 

I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Who was that? It had to be my mate. My wolf was going crazy. Is she my bride-to-be? My mind was swirling. 

“We have to go back! That was mate!” Oz was pacing in my mind. It was my mate! She had the most magnificent scent. 

“We need to get ready. I think she’s our bride. So if we just get ready we should see her.” Hearing she may be our bride, Oz calmed down. I couldn’t believe it. Out of all the women in the world my dad just happened to buy my mate! It almost seems too good to be true. 

Kiera's POV

I was waiting. I hated waiting. After Jarod told me I was to be sold my mind hadn’t stopped. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I was trying to think of every possibility to escape and everything that could go wrong. One thing I learned in my training was to think ahead. To make sure I thought of everything. 

When the guard came to get me I was ready. Thinking I might possibly just knock him out and run from here, yet there he was. Smiling with his blackened teeth. Jarod. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. 

“Don’t try anything funny. Just stand up and turn around.” Jarod started toward me after I stood and turned. Leaning in really close to me. His body pressed against mine, his hot breath smelled of rot and whiskey. 

“Too bad that Alpha requested you to remain chaste. I would have liked to enjoy you at least once now that you are of age.” I could hear the smile on his face and feel him grow while he pressed himself against my ass. I had to fight my body's urge to gag.  He pulled away and jerked my arms behind me. Putting the silver cuffs on and then the shackles. I was used to the searing pain of the silver so it didn’t really affect me too much. With a jerk he turned me to face him, gave me a wink that made me wanna hurl, and then pulled me along as he turned to walk out the door. 

We walked along the corridors of the basement and then up the stairs to the main house. I was still calculating my escape in my head. Having Jarod with me the whole time would make this a lot harder. The cuffs and shackles didn’t help either. We walked through the front door. There waiting for us was a single SUV. The door opened and out stepped a large man. Steel grey eyes, his dark hair was greying, and a stern look on his face. He must be the Alpha. Why would he be here to collect me? Didn’t Alpha’s have their subordinates do that kind of thing?

“Alpha Markus, what a pleasant surprise. I thought I was to deliver the girl?” Jarod seemed genuinely shocked at his presence. I must admit I hadn’t calculated this in either. 

“Well, Alpha Jarod, I wanted to meet her before the wedding. Since the wedding will take place this evening this was my only chance. You don’t mind if I transport my future daughter-in-law, do you?” A sly grin played at the corner of his mouth.

“Not at all!  That will free up my afternoon.” I could tell by the sound of his voice he wasn’t happy. I am sure he wanted to use the ride there to torture me somehow. I was glad he would be staying. It would be a lot easier to escape from someone that doesn’t know me. Jarod walked me to the SUV and shoved me in. With one last look he said “If you even try to escape I’ll find you b***h” then he shut the door and turned to speak to Alpha Markus. The two men were turned away from me so I had no chance to read their lips. No matter the conversation was over in seconds. With a quick handshake the Alpha turned and slid into the SUV. 

The ride to the Blood Moon territory was a lengthy one. Once, a few years ago, Jarod sent me on a mission to take out a member of the pack. No one to high up. Just someone that had pissed him off. I sat in silence. Looking out the window. As the SUV rolled down the driveway towards the road I was turning over ideas to escape. I had to rethink my plans. 

We had been driving for about an hour when the cuffs started to burn a bit and the shackles were itching. I started to adjust myself in the seat. Fidgeting about I noticed the Alpha was watching me. 

“Those things can’t be comfortable. Here let me unlock them. I don’t want you to have awful sores on your wrists when you get married.” As he spoke he reached into his pocket producing a key. Unlocking my cuffs, then my shackles I winced with the pain from where the silver had already started to blister. Good thing I would heal quickly. One of the perks of being a werewolf. 

“Now that I have released you I expect you not to try to run. I know that an arranged marriage isn’t what any girl wants. I am sure you are worried about what kind of man you are marrying. My son is a good man. He can be stubborn, but he is kind. You needn’t be scared. You will be taking the place as Luna in our pack so I’ll expect you to act accordingly. I have heard rumors about you. The Alpha Jarod kept you prisoner. That you weren’t treated in any way like you should have been. I want to assure you that you will be treated as a Luna should. I don’t know all the details from your life. I only know what I have heard.” As he spoke a light clicked in my head. Luna. That is why Jarod was alright with selling me. I was unsure why he would want to sell me. He spent so much time carving me into the perfect weapon. Why would he give that up, but now I understand. If they make me Luna, Jarod thinks he will be able to use me to gain power. I don’t plan on being there long enough. This man is kind. I almost feel bad for wanting to run, but I can’t let this play out. Not if Jarod plans to use me like I think he will. “Do you have any questions? Anything you want to talk about?” I just shook my head. I was used to doing without question. I didn’t want to get attached to anyone. I just wanted out. As fast as possible. 

We drove in silence the rest of the way. We turned off the main road and soon came to a large iron gate with a bright red crescent moon right in the middle. As we approached the gate slowly swung open. As we made our way up the driveway  the largest house I had ever seen came slowly into view. It was magnificent. The pack house at Dark Moon was large but it was also dismal and, well, dark. This was just the opposite. It was a beautiful white mansion. With balconies on the top floor, and a large wrap around, covered porch. Gardens, I saw ponds in the yard, and a magical looking fountain. People were bustling about everywhere looking completely elated. Some were even in their wolf form. It was the happiest looking place I had ever seen. We passed so many people. All of them turned to take a quick glance at the SUV and then turned away to whisper to each other. I am assuming to gossip about who they think is in the SUV. We pulled up around the back of the house. 

“Where here.” Alpha Markus stretched out his large figure. The man had to be 6’4” at least. “So when we get out we’re just going to go straight in, down the stairs to the basement. I know, it feels like we're keeping you prisoner but I promise I just want my son to be surprised. You are more beautiful than I had imagined. Please try not to engage with any one. I don’t want any of them to spoil the surprise.” With that he opened the door and stepped out. If I thought it was a visually pleasing place, the smells were even better. I could smell delicious food being prepared, all the flowers were in bloom, and there was something else. Something I couldn’t quite place. It smelled of chocolate and spice. The smell was so intoxicating I could hardly think. We walked in the door and the smell was still there. It was everywhere it seemed and nowhere at the same time. 

“Astrid, what is that smell?” My wolf often knew more than I.

“It’s not a what, it’s a who darling and we need to find them!”

“Dammit, I would like to know who it is now. It is killing me!” I was feeling anxious about this. I didn’t want to get married before I found who that heavenly smell belonged to. As I pondered on who that scent was coming from I was absentmindedly following the Alpha down the stairs and through a door. Suddenly, after I realized where I was, I started to panic. I looked around and noticed he had brought me to what looked like a dungeon. How could a house this beautiful have a fuckin dungeon?! Through one more door we had made it to a dark room. I could see nothing in it at all. It smelt cold and damp. Not grotesque so my nerves calmed slightly. Still on edge I waited for the Alpha to say something.

“Sorry for the secrecy, and the small dark accommodations. My wife will be down to collect you shortly. The light is out, unfortunately, and all the other rooms are full due to the wedding. It won’t be long before Marsha is here for you. Please just relax.” With that he strode out the door. I heard it lock behind him. Listening for any sound I also heard his voice and the voice of another man. Had he really locked me in here? Tricked me into thinking I would just be waiting and instead has me locked in the dark room. This felt worse than being in my cell at home. At least there I knew what was going to happen to me. Here everything was so uncertain. I had almost completely forgotten my plan to escape. I was so focused on that intoxicating smell I didn’t pay attention to how I got down here. So even if I had a chance to escape I wouldn’t know where to go. 

As I was sitting there in the dark room I heard someone growl from the other side of the door. Then that scent hit me hard. Chocolate and spice. What is that! Who was that?! How can I smell it way down here? I crawled cautiously over to where I thought the door was.  I pressed my ear up to the door when I felt the doorknob. I could hear a woman telling someone to head back upstairs and get prepared. 

   "Mate! That was mate! We cannot marry not with our mate right here!" Astrid was going nuts inside my head. I've never heard her act like this before. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t think I would find my mate here! Truthfully I didn’t really want a mate. Especially right now! I needed to escape. I needed to be free. How could I be free if my mate was here? Would they come with me? Ugh, of course this would happen. The one thing I hadn’t planned on was finding my mate!