Need

Chapter Thirty-four
Hunter’s POV
I sat behind my desk hours after the awkwardness with Faelen, my fingers tapping against the wood, as I waited for Caleb and Gaius to arrive.
Even though my mind was totally overrun by thoughts of her, the situation with Steeprock pack was pricking at me, like an itch that I couldn’t scratch.
This wasn’t just about territory or gold anymore… it was something more. I could feel it… something far more dangerous was creeping up on us.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Caleb entered first, his face hard. Then followed by Gaius, his face calmer, but it did nothing to hide the seriousness of the matter.
They both took their seats opposite me, and Caleb didn’t waste any time. “My spies have confirmed it,” he said. “The killings. It’s definitely Steeprock’s doing.”
“Of course it is.” Gaius chimed in.
I clenched my jaw. We all had thought as much, in fact if not for Caleb’s pleading for confirmation first… hence the spies… I would have retaliated already.
But hearing it out loud now only stirred the anger that had been boiling inside me. Steeprock was a small pack. They should’ve known better than to push us this far.
But something just wasn’t adding up.
“And that’s not all,” Caleb added, as if reading my thoughts. His eyes shifted between Gaius and me. “They found out something else. Something bigger.”
I leaned forward, already on edge. “What is it?”
Caleb hesitated, then locked eyes with me. “We all know Steeprock’s a small pack. Barely enough fighters to hold their land. So think about it, why are they pushing so hard for war with us?”
He paused, and I looked away, thinking hard about the matter.
Gaius cut in, his voice soft but heavy with interest. “They wouldn’t risk everything over gold and land. They know we’d crush them in a direct conflict.”
“Exactly.” Caleb answered, nodding. “It didn’t make sense to me either. Until now. And that’s why my spies think they’re being backed by another pack. A great clan.”
The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of those words hitting us all hard. A great pack backing Steeprock? That would of course change everything.
This wasn’t just some border dispute anymore. If one of the larger packs had their hand in this, we were facing something much bigger.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice low, desperate. “How well can we rely on this information?”
Caleb met my gaze firmly, like he always did when he meant something. “Hunter, you know I don’t deal in rumors. My spies and informants… they’re the best. If they’ve picked up on whispers about a great pack backing Steeprock, then it’s true.”
I sighed deeply, taking in the new nature of the situation.
“The only thing we don’t know yet is which pack.” Caleb added.
I leaned back in my chair, trying to wrap my head around it. There were several powerful packs out there who saw themselves our rivals or even enemies, each with their own agenda.
Any one of them could see an opportunity in supporting Steeprock, using them as a pawn to weaken us. But which one?
Gaius spoke again. “It makes sense that Steeprock would hide the identity of their allies. If it got out, they’d lose their leverage. But this changes everything, Hunter. We’re not just dealing with just them anymore. This appears to be a much larger threat.”
I nodded slowly, my mind racing. “They’re hiding behind a powerful pack, hoping we would retaliate quickly, underestimating them. Then they’ll meet us strongly with the help of their allies, surprising and possibly defeating us. So we need to find out who’s behind them… and soon.”
Caleb crossed his arms, his expression grim. “I’ve got my spies still digging, but Steeprock’s been careful. They haven’t let anything out yet, and whoever’s backing them knows how to stay in the shadows too. But I think it’s only a matter of time.”
Frustration stirred up inside me, and I clenched my hand resting on the desk. “We really can’t sit waiting for them to make another move. We need to do what we can now and immediately, which is strengthen our borders and prepare for the worst. If one of the great packs is involved, this could quickly go out of control.”
Gaius nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “You’re right. But we need to be immediately cautious on our part. But if we act more carefully, we could provoke them into revealing themselves. We should know though that if we wait too long, we risk losing the upper hand entirely.”
Caleb leaned forward. “So, what’s the plan, Hunter?”
I took a deep breath, the weight of being Alpha pressing down on me. This wasn’t just about protecting our borders anymore.
This was now about outsmarting an enemy we didn’t know… and one that could crush us if we weren’t careful.
“This is what will happen,” I started, “We’ll continue the work on the borders, but no more in hiding. We’ll play it smart and bravely, strengthen our defenses, be vigilant, and prepare for the worst internally.”
I turned to Caleb. “I want to know everything they do, every move they make.”
Caleb nodded. “I’ll make sure my men are watching everything going on in their territory.”
Gaius leaned back, his wise eyes meeting mine. “And if we find out who’s backing them?”
My gaze hardened. “Then we know how best to respond. We’ll show them that Howle Wulf do not back down, no matter how powerful their allies are.”
The room fell silent again in minutes, the weight of the situation sinking in. I knew that whatever was coming wouldn’t be easy.
We were facing enemies far more dangerous than we’d anticipated. But I was determined to protect my pack at all costs… even if it meant war.
After the meeting with Caleb and Gaius, my two most trusted ranks, I felt the tension building up again as I sat alone in the office.
The feeling I had was the kind that had been gathering between Faelen and me ever since that first kiss.
I tried to focus on the work in front of me, but that was impossible whenever I was alone. My mind kept going back to the way I had dismissed her earlier that day.
It felt right and wrong at the same time. The way she had answered and left, suggested how disappointed she was.
And I didn’t know why, but that bothered me.
Just like every single day I woke up now, I felt the need to see her again. Without thinking, I called the guard outside and told him to send for Faelen.
Why had I done that? What did I have in mind to do when she arrived? I couldn’t gather my thoughts together.
Minutes passed, but it felt like hours to me. I tried to concentrate on the documents scattered across my desk, but my anxiety got the better of me.
Finally, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.
The door opened, and Faelen stepped inside, then it swung back with an effort from outside as the guard pulled it shut.
I turned to Faelen, and she slowly moved towards me, her head bowed low. Her movements were graceful, but I could see the slight tremble of her body.
She was trying to hide it, but I knew she felt awkward after the encounter that morning. I could feel the same tension inside me reflected on her.
“You wanted to see me, Alpha,” she said softly.
My eyes met hers, and I could see the tension in them. Not knowing exactly what to say, I decided to follow my body’s lead.
I quickly rose up from my chair and walked up to her. Without a word, I held out my hand, slowly towards her face.
“Alpha, I…” she began, but her words went off.
I couldn’t help myself. I reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, my fingers brushing against her skin longer than necessary.
Her breath hitched, and I could see her struggling with the same feelings that were consuming me within.
“Um… sorry about earlier,” I whispered, not sure what I was supposed to say.
The pull between us was too strong to fight off. My hand cupped her cheek softly, my thumb brushing lightly against her lips.
She didn’t move or pull away, even though I could see she wanted to. Instead, she leaned into my touch, her eyes closing shut for a brief moment.
It was as if we both knew what was going to happen next, but were too caught up in the moment to stop it.
I leaned down, and her lips parted slightly. As I took them in mine, I could feel the warmth of her rushed breath against my face.
The kiss was a little fast at first, in short breaks, as if we were trying and catching our breaths. But that didn’t last long.
The hunger between us quickly grew and the kiss deepened, our mouths moving together with a desperate intensity.
Faelen’s hands found their way to my chest, digging into my shirt and pulling me closer to her. Swiftly, I backed her against the desk and lifted her easily to sit on the edge.
My hands quickly slid down her waist and gripped her hips, then moved it under her skirt against her bare thighs. Soon, my hand found its way deep between her legs.
She gasped into my mouth, and the sound sent a shiver through me. That wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed all of her.
With her legs wrapped around me, she pulled me closer as we kissed, roughly and desperately.
My fingers dug in between her thighs, making her moan and gasp for breath until there was no more air left in her lungs.
She broke the kiss, gasping for air, her head falling back and exposing the curve of her neck. Her long hair cascaded and sprawled over the documents on the desk.
I kissed the curve of her neck, trailing my lips down the sensitive skin, feeling her pulse race with the rhythm of my fingers below.
“Hunter…” she whispered my name for the first time, her voice shaky, filled with the same need that was burning through me.
Aroused just by the sight of her and sounds she made, I growled softly, biting down gently on the soft flesh of her neck.
I could feel her shudder beneath me in response, as I inserted a third finger inside her.
Her head still flung backwards, her hands clutched my shoulders, squeezing the muscles there and pulling me tighter as I dug deeper into her.
My fingers were already dripping with her juices. Faelen’s body felt like it was made for me, as I controlled every movement she made just by the motion of my fingers between her thighs.
Her moans geared from soft to hard, and then back, her fingers digging into my hair as I kissed her deeper, rougher, unable to control myself anymore.
We were both lost in it, caught up in an intense moment that neither of us had the power to stop… and didn’t want to either.
I needed her desperately. We both needed each other.