Hunter and hunted

What happened before

~flashback~

~17 years prior~

Lori Ann P.O.V

I've been sleeping in a room on the first floor, not understanding what Nicholas, my mate has told me, I moved out two days before against his wishes. The people from the council haven't shown up yet, I am afraid for my baby, afraid of what could happen. I take a shower get changed and go to the kitchen where I see everyone, sitting and eating, talking amongst themselves, as soon as they see me they go silent. Lisa comes to me and embraces me in a hug. "They are almost here." She whispers to me. After eating what I could with my stomach in knots we hear a line of cars pull up, I feel as if I'm going to vomit. *Knock knock knock* someone rapping on the screen door and everyone freezes. One of our omegas goes and answers the door, inviting someone in, the Omega comes back into the kitchen and whispers to Nicholas. "Well the council is in the meeting room, shall we go? They don't like to wait."

As all of us enter the meeting room we see five people sitting, three men and two women , a small man standing in front of them, he turns as we walk in, in a gruff voice he introduced the council "may I introduce the imperial council, here for judgment on this pack." The imperial council? This must be serious, I just don't know why, no one will tell me anything. Everyone bows to the council, apparently their titles are higher than a pack Alpha. Nicholas speaks with a type of reverence I've never heard, in a language I've never heard, after a while one of the women stands and walks to me, her eyes as red as blood, skin white as porcelain, she is nothing like I've ever seen before. She goes to put her hands on me, one on my head and one on my stomach where my child is growing. I shudder at her touch, cold as the morning dew. She leans down and whispers into my ear.

"I have seen your past, present, and future my child, the road will be tough but you have a decision to make, you can either give birth or not, if you do we have a stipulation for this child to live, if not then we can take care of her right now. You cannot tell anyone what I have just said." A girl? She just said I am having a girl, "I will wait for your…" before she could finish her sentence I shout "KEEP!!!" I lean in embarrassed a bit about my shouting " I will give birth to her my lady." She smiles and turns nodding to the rest of the council. One of the men stands speaking in the same unrecognizable language. Nicholas turns to me with doubt, not understanding what is going on he turns and walks out of the front door. I follow as we all are being corralled out side, in the front of the house there is another man building something, it looks like a door frame but with chains on top hanging down. Nicholas walks to the structure as the man finishes the final touches, the small man walks to him with a step stool of sorts and starts fastening his wrists to it, the structure starts to raise and lift Nicholas, to my horror he hangs, one of the men walks to him stabbing him with a needle into his thigh, Nicholas winces but shows no emotions.

Lisa comes to me holding my hand, "you will need to help him in this next week after he comes down we will discuss what happens next." A saddened look in her eyes. She hands me a bucket of water and a chair. "A body can survive three weeks without food but only three days without water, if you truly love your mate, you will make sure he lives, no matter what he says you cannot leave him." She says in my ear. I turn to her "what do you mean no matter what he says to me?" A sad expression on her face "he will say the worse things imaginable to you, this is one of the trials the twoof you must preform." I walk over to Nicholas and set the chair by him. His eyes go black as a moonless night "GET AWAY FROM ME YOU w***e!" I am taken aback and look at Lisa, she shakes her head as if saying I need to stay there. "WHY DID THE MOON GODDESS HAVE TO PAIR ME WITH THE LIKES OF YOU, YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME, YOU CHEATED, KNOWING FULL WELL THIS WOULD HAPPEN, NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO PASS THAT CHILD OFF AS MINE?! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, I'M GOING TO JUST FORGIVE YOU AND KEEP THE TWO OF YOU?!" tears fill my eyes and climb onto the chair pouring the water on his head with the ladle, with tears falling down my face a make him drink and climb down. He starts shouting again "OH SOME WATER, THAT WILL MAKE ME BELIEVE YOU, DO YOU THINK ILL FORGET THIS?! For six days this went on, him berating me, calling me a w***e, but I never falterd, staying beside him just as a mate should, I know he would do the same, day after day the council would come out injecting him with some substance, and day after day I took his verbal abuse, knowing it wasn't actually him saying these things.

The final day no one from the council came out, Nicholas had no more voice to yell. As the sun set tears started flowing down his face, not being able to look at me. I climbed up, pouring water on his head again and had him drink, the sorrow in his eyes was more than I could bare, I've stayed here for the last week, only leaving to use the bathroom, I ate very little as he didn't eat, I drank from the same bucket, he didn't really believe I slept with someone else, I could see it in his eyes. He believed me and in me and I say the same for him. Finally when it was dark the little man came out and lowered the structure, Nicholas crumpled under his own weight. His beta came running out and picked him up as well as one of the council members, in a loud voice "the first of three trials is finished, we shall continue tomorrow." I was relieved to this news, his beta carried Nicholas up to the room on the third floor, we enter and nothing is the same, there is a different bed, and decor. His beta placed him on the bed and I climbed in with him, my head on his chest his arms wrapped around me and we drifted off to sleep.

I awoke the next morning to an empty bed, I change from the night before and head downstairs, everyone is eating, Nicholas sees me and slowly walks over. His voice raspy from the last week of screaming at me " I am so sorry for doubting you my love, and for not telling you about not being able to mate." A shock to my brain "why is it you cannot mate?" I question "it happened a long time ago, I've only half a soul and the council is worried that with me having only half that any child I father will turn evil, it is a very old law but a law that is followed to the letter." Lisa speaks up "then that would mean someone knew of this law and is trying to make it so you will be removed as Alpha?" Nicholas nods, "how could they have your looks and your smell? Isn't the sent unique to each of us?"

"That is what has us thinking for the past week." Says the woman council member I turn and see her in the door way in pajamas with little bats on them with googly eyes, I chuckle at the sight of her, pajamas and curlers in her hair I couldn't help but snicker, "yes I know, people usually don't get to see us in a vulernable state, but we do sleep just like you." She giggled, so they are really just like us, not just a supernatural being, she walks over and grabs a cup pouring herself some coffee. The rest of the council comes out yawning and getting coffee for themselves, "so we haven't thought of a second trial for the two of you." She continues "forbidden mates usually don't make it passed the first. Love for your mate" The others nod in agreement. It will have to take a bit of time but we do know if you make it passed the second then sadly to say the third trial will be the worst.

"Can we just skip to the third" I hear from behind me, Lisa stands, "I will take the second trial for them after you think of it, we just have to get passed it." The council look at each other apparently mind linking with each other. The woman looks at her suspiciously "you do realize what you're asking right?" Lisa nods and one of the men speaks up "the second trial has been passed." Everyone looks in confusion. "Love from your family weather they are blood or not family isn't who you are born with they can be who excepts you for who you are, the second trial is to see if anyone will step up to protect the forbidden mates." I run over and hug Lisa with everything I have, both of us balling our eyes out. We shall eat and then take our leave, the last trial will take place a month after the child is born." Everyone finishes eating and cars are pulled around they pack their bags and leave, the woman hugging me and hurrying to her car.

~ 7 months later ~

I get out of bed feeling as big as a whale, Nicholas smiles at me as I waddle to the restroom. I use the bathroom showering , coming out and changing, I head to the door and hear his voice closely behind me, "what's your rush my love?" I chuckle "Lisa promised me muffins." I continue out of our bedroom to the stairs before he could kiss me on my neck and inticing me, I get to the top and that's when I feel it, liquid running down the inside of my leg, " I just peed" I thought to myself, Nicholas rushes out of the room, "what was that?" He asks, a questioning look on my face, I almost topple over when I feel the first contractions, Nicholas grabs me , picking me up bridal style and practically running down the stairs three at a time. Running through the kitchen and out the back door Lisa only had time to see his back, and she dropped the muffin out of her mouth letting it hit the floor. She squeeled with excitement, running upstairs to grab my hospital bag. She is at the hospital within ten minutes.

Nicholas gets me to a doctor, he may look calm but I know on the inside he is freaking out, he looks at her and all he can say is "liquid" the doctor seems to understand, laughing a bit "follow me alpha" at a quickened pace she shows us to a room and he puts me down on the bed, as he turns a bag flies into his face, Lisa standing in the doorway laughing. "The look on your face will never get old" Nicholas growls annoyed, after a while the contractions come again very frequent. Hours upon hours labor finally starts.

After what seems like days she is finally born, they clean her and I hear the most precious sound in the world, her cry, they wrap her and give her to me she is a carbon copy of me and her father, as soon as I hold her I see that I would do anything and everything in my power to protect her, Nicholas looks at us with pride, how could this little being caused so much trouble I think to myself with a smile. One of the nurses comes back in and takes her from me to go do some tests and weigh her. Nicholas comes and wraps me in the most loving hug and kisses my forehead. After a while another nurse comes in saying she was here to take the baby to do her tests, we both look at this nurse with confusion. "There was already a nurse that came and got her for tests" Nicholas replied. Again confused looks go from me to Nicholas and then to the nurse, "umm alpha, I'm the only nurse in today that does the tests, I came in especially for this birth."

Nicholas P.O.V

I look at my mate when those last words come out of the nurses mouth and horror and realization that our child has been stolen spreads from one side of her face to the other. I run out of the room and down the hall, dodging doctors left and right, mind linking my beta to meet me in the front of the house, then mind linking Lisa telling her to get with Amanda, both comply. I get to the front of the house just as my beta comes out, him saying Lisa already left to be with her friend. I explain what has happened, I mind link my worriors that are on patrol giving them a description of the nurse that took our child, "Alpha Nicholas, I saw a woman with that description leave our border around thirty minutes ago."

I fall to my knees and start balling after a moment my beta picks me up and smacks me across the face. "Get ahold of yourself man! Let's go get my niece!" He really is my best friend, he should have been named alpha instead of me, we may act like brothers but my father definitely should have chosen him to lead instead of me, I'll make it right after we get home. The border guard says he saw her running south, so that's what way we will go, he also said she wasn't trying to be discreet since she had a baby with her, our doctors and nurses are free to go in and out of our lands and everyone knows this, as other packs need help. We run fast shifting into our wolves, a half hour head start is a good chunk of time to be ahead but I think we can catch up to her.

We make it to the main road and look impatiently, then a sent fills my nostrils. My eyes darken, and I start running the same direction the sent is coming from, lilacs… why am I smelling lilacs, that's Amanda's sent but she's back in the room still. Then it hit me, my daughter has the same sent, the sent to find her, at first yes I doubted that she was actually mine, but having her mothers sent only have me the confidence that she is really mine. I take off with my beta in tow keeping up as much as possible, my alpha speed is much faster than anything out there, the sent is getting stronger the closer I get, miles and miles from where we started, what is it 20? 50? 100 miles away from the pack house? I look using my perfect vision but seeing no one, the sent is strong but I am not seeing anything. I continue looking frantically, then off in the distance I see them, the two smaller men that came with the council, one holding my daughter, the other with a blade above his head.

I run as fast as my legs can carry me. Tackling the one holding the blade, my beta tackles the one holding her on the rocks. The first one rolls and gets up, the other one runs to his twin and begins to change, after a moment they start to flow and they meld together making one regular person. Eyes golden, hair white as freshly fallen snow, complection a blueish tint, face ugly as if it was in a battle that lasted years. I've seen this type of creature before, not remembering what he is but knowing they are very reliant on magic, I growl using my alpha Aura, my beta backing away from me yet keeping his eyes on the being. "Who are you, what do you want with my daughter!?" A smile spreads across it's distorted face "we are they, we are them, we are what goes bump in the night!" A voice so shrill not sounding like it's coming from one but multiple beings three different voices coming from one being. My beta mind linking me "this could be the third trial." I look at him for a moment, "she was just born, they said a month." I look back as they speak again in it's erie tone "we must stop the prophecy, she must die!"

They rush us, I jump out of the way but my beta stands his ground, protecting my daughter, I jump on its back sinking my claws and teeth into it. It screeches in pain but not before throwing me off, I land ten feet away and run back after it, the creature slashes the air as my beta jumps at it, this creature is quick, slicing my beta across the chest. He falls to the ground, bloody from a gaping wound, they walk over to my daughter and raise it's blade, before it could bring the knife down I catch it's arm, dropping the knife, using the momentum I throw this blue bastard. "WHAT PROPHECY!?" a grin can be seen.

"Twenty years after they find each other, a combination of two souls, a daughter of forbidden mates and son of one who intends to kill, peace across the land, will combine all hearts, minds, and bodies coming into fruition after an unknowing mother returns."

I look at it questioning, another smile on its face, "we intend to make sure this dose not come to pass, you see we magi have been hired and promised many things to make sure this does not happen, it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but remember, we will have our day Alpha!" and with that they disappear with a puff of smoke like substance I shift back to my human form and check my daughter, a few bumps and scrapes but nothing that will be permanent. I try to mind link the pack but to no avail I cannot reach them, we must be to far out, I thank my wolf Daniel shift back after making something to carry her, my beta strapping the new carrier to me, thankfully Amanda is asleep. My beta shifts back and we trot back to our land. A lone car is driving slowly on this stretch of road, the vehicle stops and I see one of the omegas, she jumps out unties Lori Ann from my back places her into a car seat as we shift back and put on shorts. We climb in and head home.

~one month later~

Amanda P.O.V

Almost loosing my baby scared the hell out of me, I couldn't sleep, scared that those magi would come back to kill her, I stayed up all night, silver sword in hand, watching over her day in and day out, every so often I'd be woken up still in my rocking chair, sometimes with her screaming her head off needing changed, I have some omegas to help me but for the most part I was taking care of her, I am relieved of my duties so I can go eat, shower and use the bathroom every so often. Today my little Amanda is a month old, exactly one month, a car pulls in front of the house and my heart sinks, it was that woman, and this wasn't a social visit. I walk to the door, dread in my eyes and heart. "Hello Lori Ann" she says in a sorrowful way, " today is the day of the third trial." Sighing. Today you show how much you love her, your mate and your pack.

I nod, "I know this will not be easy," she holds my hands "but you have to believe she will be taken care of" she repeats the prophecy that the magi had recited to Nicholas. But I didn't understand nor did I want to. " For the third trial…" a tear falls from her face, the color of blood, "you must leave this place, leave everything you know, everyone you love" shocked I ask "what do you mean everyone?" More tears fall, "I mean everyone, your friends, your mate, your…" I start shaking my head "no no no" she nods " I am so sorry, I asked the rest of the council to reconsider, but I was out voted 3-2 I did everything in my power to convince them that they needed to choose a different trial but to no avail once a trial has been chosen there's no going back, it's law."

I cry for what seems like eternity she wraps my in a surprisingly warm embrace, and I sob, after a while Nicholas comes rushing in. "What happened" he asked before realizing that she was there. The color drains from his face, "hello council woman." She bows her head as he bows with less reverence as last time. I go and explain what she has said, his eyes go midnight black as he starts throwing things, chairs, a table, lamps, by the time he is done it looks like a bomb had go off in the living room. "I tried alpha" she starts to explain with respect to him "I was able to get the rest of the council to agree to some terms" she turns to me, "if at anytime you feel her in serious trouble, on the verge of death, you may return, you may stay within two hundred miles of the borders, your mate may help you financially, you may only correspond with him and lastly you may have this." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a piece of onyx, it is in the shape of a diamond, "all you do is say your daughters name and it will show you her location, sadly I wish there was more I could do for you but under the surcomstanses I think I've done all that I could do."

" You have until tomorrow morning to leave, I shall leave with you, and I take it as my personal responsibility to make sure you are dropped of at the right place." I listen to her finish give her a giant hug and go to walk up stairs but something stops me " so I never found out, how is it I had gotten pregnant when Nicholas wasn't here?" She looks at me with a serious tone "the Magi, they are very powerful beings, they can shift into anyone they have come into contact with before, somehow the one that was with us had hidden their true nature so I could not sense them, once shifted whoever they are the magi have their DNA, sent, all the way down to the reproductive glands." I nod and go upstairs, I pack two weeks worth of cloths and shoes, Nicholas comes in with an envelope that he sticks into my bag I pretended not to see him do this, we pack the onyx stone, one of the omegas brings Amanda into our room, I take her and lay on the bed with her, of course she's asleep Nicholas comes and lays next to us, stroking my hair, staring into each other's eyes, I hear wailing coming from downstairs.

"Well I guess Lisa just found out" I half heartdly joke as it gets louder and I know she's coming up the stairs. I mind link her stating if she wakes up Amanda I am going to ring her neck with a chuckle. She stops sobbing so loud, her mascara running, she wipes her nose on her sleeve and crawls into bed behind me embracing me, not letting me go quietly sobbing into my back, she is ten years my senior but is acting as if I'm the older one. Nicholas takes Amanda as I turn towards her, I give her a kiss on her forehead "you know, she will need her god mother right?" With everything going on we never told her that we wanted her to be Amanda's God mother. Lisa looks at me, tears filling her eyes again "OH MY GODDESS REALLY?!" I nod my head smiling. She hugs me again "thank you, I will do everything in my power to keep her safe" she whispers.

After a while we all get up and go downstairs for lunch. The biggest grin on Lisa's face, "ALRIGHT EVERYONE OUT OF THE WAY, BEST FRIEND AND GOD DAUGHTER COMING THROUGH!" I laugh behind her. Nicholas walks over to his beta and leans down whispering something into his ear. Shock and confusion comes over his face, and then he jumps up hugging Nicholas, tears running down his face. I turn to Lisa "well he either told him he's Amanda's God father or the surprise we have been waiting to tell him." Lisa looks at me with both confusion and curiosity. Nicholas mind links the whole pack letting them know that there will be a ceremony tonight, in both our minds we hear a smattering of "yes alpha."

~ A few hours later~

It starts getting dusk, I get Lisa ready in a beautiful blue and silver dress, she still has no idea of what is going on, we go to our ceremonial stage which has been rebuilt blue and white flowers all over it the woman standing in the center of the stage. Confusion still on the face of Lisa as we wait for our mates just outside the front door, Nicholas and his beta come to meet us arms interlocked we go for the ceremony. Nicholas and beta on one side, myself and Lisa on the other, the woman announces, "As you all know tomorrow morning you will not have Lori Ann as your Luna any more." The harsh reality starts to set in, tears start flowing from the crowd, as it's their turn to be confused. "An alpha is only as good for his or her pack as their mate is good for them, so tonight we are having a very unorthodox ceremony, alpha Nicholas and I have discussed it and I have placed a call to the other members of the council and they agreed that snow moon pack needs both an alpha and a Luna, alpha please your hand." Nicholas gives the council woman his hand and she cuts his palm. Nicholas speaks "I alpha Nicholas being of sound mind, following the great alphas of our past, pass the title of Alpha to my beta, my best friend, and brother Lorin" everyone in the pack felt Nicholas' link break from them, with the same blade she cuts the others palm and he speaks "I Lorin being sound mind gladly receive the title of Alpha from my best friend and brother Nicholas, I swear to do everything in my power to protect each member of this pack weather we grow or not." The link and power of all the alphas that came before Lorin was creating the bond in him.

The council woman then turns to us "Lori Ann please step forward." I walk towards the council woman and she asks for my palm which I give. "Sadly this is part of the job I really hate, I with the power of the council renounce your position in this pack, but when you return you will be welcomed back with open arms." She then cuts my palm and I could feel my link to the pack fade. "Lisa if you would" holding her hand out for Lisa, her jaw drops but she walks forward giving her hand to the council woman. "By the power vested in me by the council, the former Alpha and the new alpha your mate, I ask you, will you swear your alligence to your pack and to your Alpha never waivring , from the trust that has been instilled to you and to your Alpha?" Lisa was speechless it takes a minute for everything to process, she then kneels at their feet and says "I Lisa daughter of the moon Goddess swear to never put the welfare of myself above neither my pack nor my Alpha." As she stands all of the power of Luna's before her is creating the Luna bond.

She then turns to Nicholas, " and now after speaking to now Alpha Lorin about who his beta shall be I concur with his decision and will turn this honor over to him." She hands Lorin the blade as he steps forward, myself and Nicholas turn to leave as he begins to speak. "Nicholas I didn't say for you to leave." A smile spreads across my face, "do you Nicholas swear your feilty to me and except the roll as my beta, never putting your welfare above any member of the pack?" Nicholas turns with a glint of pride in his eye, "I swear it" Nicholas responds, a smile across Lorin's face he cuts the same spots on their palms which had just finished healing, they shake hands and the bond is complete. "Well I don't know about all of you " Alpha Lorin says " I think it's time to celebrate " music starts and food is brought out everyone hugs and leaves the stage, we all start eating and dancing, toasting each other, late into the night, when the party was over we all head back to the pack house to to our rooms and sleep.

I barely slept, after we got inside Lorin said he'll wait until I've gone to start moving everything around, we all wake up mid morning due to all the drinking and partying and such which was bitter sweet for me and Nicholas, I go downstairs and make my specialty, stuffed french toast, everyone finally comes down from their rooms for breakfast. No one speaking while they ate, the council woman's car was pulled around with my bag already loaded. It was finally time to say goodbye. My daughter in Nicholas' arms Lisa balling her eyes out she hugs me, I couldn't control myself anymore and I break down crying. After a while she lets go of me, Lorin hugs me but I can see hurt in his eyes, and then Nicholas, I kiss him a deep pationate kiss, I kiss Amanda on the head, her still sleeping, I don't think I could handle it if she was awake looking at me with her deep green eyes, I start down the stairs and get into the car. "Ready?" She asks with a sorrowful tone. All I could do was nod, "don't worry sweetheart, twenty years isn't really a long time." She says as she pulls away. She drives to the edge of our territory and my heart stops for a moment, I let out a long sigh, she turns and drives down the highway.

~flashback ends~

And that my lovelies is why I am no longer a member of the pack.