Hunter

Prologue

Prologue:

*Two years earlier*

"I'm so excited to see you Claire! This is definitely going to be a party you won't forget." My best friend Ella was turning 18, and that meant a huge party. She was the Alpha's daughter from the Robertson pack, the second largest in the country. Since I was the Beta's daughter of the Highland pack, we didn't see each other very often.

It was a funny story on how we became friends. We both attended a multi-pack school for a few years, which is where we met. The cute little Ella ran up to me and immediately made fun of me.

We hated each other for the whole year.

But something happened, and we became best friends. After we finished the sixth year of pack school, Ella transferred to her pack's private school and we kept close.

Now, here we were. She was almost 18 and about to have a killer party. All of the Alpha and Beta families from our alliances would be in attendance. Most of the Superiors families had pups around the same time, so we were able to grow up together and form friendships crucial to the survival of our packs.

"Me too! I'll see you tonight!" I sighed as I laid the phone down on my nightstand. Time to get dressed.

The theme for the party was the typical masquerade ball. Almost every she-wolf had one. Ella would no doubt have the perfect dress, and I planned to be right next to her. My dress was dark pink in shade and stopped just below my knees. Black tulle flowed overtop the skirt portion and sliver sparkly detailing danced around the hem of the dress. Black pumps and diamond jewelry completed the look and my natural dark blonde hair fell in soft curls.

I'm not going to lie, I was stunning. Most werewolves are.

We had to leave a few hours earlier than normal due to travel time and clearance to enter the Robertson pack land. Even though we were one of their strongest allies, we still had to obey the rules.

Once we arrived, though, all technicalities were forgotten and the little party animal inside of me was bursting. The atmosphere was amazing! Music was blasting through the speakers, the dance floor was full, and my wolf was just letting me enjoy it all.

I was only 17 at the time, so finding my mate was not exactly at the top of my priorities. I had time for that later. Right now, I wanted to find Ella and give her a big birthday hug. After searching and pushing my way through the crowd, I finally found her with a group of her friends.

"CLAIRE!!" She squealed as soon as she saw me and engulfed me in a bone crushing hug. I just laughed at her excitement and hugged her back.

"Have you found him yet?" We both knew who I was talking about. A sad expression took over her usually cheerful face.

"No. My wolf is on edge, so he must be close. I just can't seem to find him." A single tear almost fell from her eyes.

"Oh, don't be sad! He's here! We just have to find him!" I tried to sound as comforting as possible, but we both knew the truth. Whoever he is felt the pull too, he knew his mate was here. The fact that he still hadn't made any move yet could mean he didn't want her. For once, I hoped we were both wrong and that he just hadn't come forth yet, for her sake.

Suddenly, Ella's face lit up. "He's really close. I can feel it! Claire do you smell that?!" Just then my brother, Alexander, rounded the corner. He stopped and looked around with urgency. Slowly, he turned to face us, and their eyes met.

It wasn't hard to put two and two together. They were mates. My brother was mated to my best friend. This was disgusting yet oddly cute.

Oblivious to the world around them, they slowly made their was to each other. Alex was the first to reach out. I could tell by their reactions they felt the sparks. This was great for the two. He deserved a good girl and she deserved someone who could love her like no other.

As I watched the precious first moments of finding ones mate, I could feel a pair of eyes was silently watching me. I involuntarily shivered under their strong gaze. Whoever it was, they had an effect on me. I looked around, trying to find the source of the powerful feeling, but saw no one. I pushed the event aside, and went to find my father.

"Claire, I want you to meet someone." My father was always one to make me meet every important person. Being the obedient daughter, I agreed and followed closely behind. Whoever he was taking me to was probably someone he hoped would be my mate.

My father, Bill, was the perfect image of a Beta. He always had the best interest of the pack in mind and always stood behind our Alpha, no matter what. He was strong, smart, and compassionate with everything he did. I could only hope my mate was half the man he was.

We stopped in the kitchen and the same feeling of the strong gaze returned. "This is the future alpha of the Blackwood Pack, Hunter, and his brother, Hayden, who is the future Beta. You haven't met either before, so make friends." Father nodded to the oldest, who I assumed was Hunter, and walked away.

I was never good with starting conversations with complete strangers, and the fact that my dad left me hanging made me very agitated. Both just looked at me. I was really thankful that my mask was still hiding my terror ridden face.

"I'm Hunter, and this is my brother Hayden. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Alpha Hunter." I remembered the manners my mother had taught me. Always address an Alpha by their title, especially the ones from the stronger packs. The Blackwood pack was the strongest in the country, and then came the Robertson, and then my pack, Highland.

An awkward silence followed and it was only then that I was able to truly appreciate the two wolves. Alpha Hunter was the walking definition of what an Alpha should be. Strong, broad shoulders, chiseled jaw, muscular arms. You could feel the power coming off him in waves. His eyes were hidden from view because of the mask, but they had to be gorgeous. It honestly hurt, he was that good looking.

Wouldn't you like to take him for a ride? My wolf piped up, she was always so flirty.

I pushed her back to the corners of my mind and shifted my eyes to the Alpha's brother. His brother had softer features, which made him look friendlier. While Beta Hayden was very attractive, he was no competition with his older brother.

"What is your name?" Alpha Hunter sounded slightly amused. He had caught me staring at him!

"Claire Moore, of the Highland Pack." My cheeks were sure to be bright red after the little stunt I had just pulled. I had openly checked out a superior wolf. My father would be appalled.

"Claire, what a nice name." Even though I could hear Alpha Hunter because of my wolf's heightened sense of hearing, he sounded as if he was talking more to himself than to me or Beta Hayden.

"Would you like to take a walk, Claire?" Beta Hayden sounded eager to leave the awkward conversation. A low growl sounded about the kitchen. It had my wolf purring for some odd reason.

"She will not be going anywhere with you alone." With that, Alpha Hunter quickly left the room, but not before our hands brushed. I could feel something, whether it was sparks or static electricity, I do not know.

Whatever it was, it confused me and my wolf. Multiple emotions were plaguing my mind as I wondered what the growl and command against Beta Hayden could possibly mean. Was it in mere spite of his brother that he denied a private conversation? Or was it something more?

I didn't see Alpha Hunter again that night. But his face and possessiveness never left my mind. They haunted my dreams for years after we first met. He denied the invitation to my eighteenth birthday. He never came to any more of the Superiors dinners or events.

But, still there was something about him. Something that had my wolf begging for more. Something that remains to be unseen.