Chapter 68: Chapter 68
/Aiden’s POV/
Ordinarily, I would be filled with something akin to excitement and anticipation at the thought of a hunting party. Still, oddly enough, this arrangement seemed to leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Also, why did my father arrange it out of the blue? He did not even bother to consult me on the matter. What was going on with him?
My eyes fixated on Rose wedged between Caden and the omega trainer, Ellen, with a bright smile on her face. When did they get so close? The coat he lent her last night would have been an indication of his intention. How could he act so callous towards a mated omega?
An ugly feeling bubbled in the pit of my stomach at that.
I thought about the incident this morning while remembering it only stirred up memories of the shock coursed through my body. Rose maintained her facade the entire time she handed me all the bags and phone. It grated my nerves knowing that the omega did not care for those things anymore.
And whose fault it is? A voice mocked inside me, irritating, settling in between my lungs.
Dammit! Why does she affect me so much? I murmured a curse, raking a hand through my hair in exasperation. All she had to do was give me a look with those eyes of hers, and I was haunted for the entire day like a fool.
Someone nudged my side, jolting me out of the daydreams. Turning my head around, I saw that it was Ria, a smile plastered on her lips.
“Are you excited about the hunting party?”
I nodded my head.
She curled her lips around, plopping on the nearest couch as the members began registering their names. A loud sigh escaped the beta. “You could at least pretend to be excited. We will hunt together after a long time, Aiden.”
“Do you want to scream and shout to show my excitement now?”
Ria made a face, slumping back in her seat, hands crossed together. “You are no fun.”
“That’s something we can agree on.”
From the corner of my eyes, I caught Rose rush along with two other members to register her name. Never did I imagine the omega to be interested in such things. Maybe I had a lot to learn about her.
***
A week passed by with the hunting party's preparations, the training getting intense with each passing day. The past few days, I barely managed to see Rose in the cabin, as she spent most of her days with Ellen or Beth. It was clear that the omega was trying to put distance between us.
An uneasy feeling sprouted inside me, growing each day at not seeing my mate around. I blamed my Alpha for the cause, having grown attached to her. Each day I was away without seeing her or inhaling that familiar, warm scent, my instincts went a little crazy—a burn in my stomach that I couldn’t get rid of, a constant itch.
Just the other day, I lost control of my wolf and almost snapped the opponent's neck. Fortunately, Caden was there to handle the situation and pull me back at the last moment. A shudder ran through me as I thought back to the day.
***
Finally, it was the day of the hunting party, and everyone gathered around in the woods by the dusk. As wolves rarely bear the heat of the sun, these parties are arranged at an odd time. Also, we had to hunt within pack boundaries for the starting round.
Rose was standing with few other omegas, her lips in between her teeth as she kept staring sideways. My heart throbbed, thumping against my ribcage so hard I could feel it reverberate through my chest. I breathed in through my nose, smelling damp grass and soil and wet.
Following her line of vision, I saw Caden giving a broad smile, his eyes crinkling by the sides. I huffed under my breath. It was pathetic watching him act in this manner.
“The sound of a howl will signal the end of the party.” My father cleared his throat, standing against the branch of the tree. “You have to hunt as many animals as you can to be a winner. Mark your preys after you attack. Does anyone have any questions?”
I focused on Rose; the omega had a small duffel bag along with her, no doubt an extra pair of clothes inside. She was standing rigid, a ball of nervous energy.
The Pack Alpha raised his chin, scanning the area and all the members standing in groups. “Good luck then!”
With that said, he threw his head back and let out a howl that reverberated around. The omegas were the first to rush, gathering in circles, chanting the familiar verse of the pack before they shifted. I watched, transfixed, as Rose transformed into a wolf, her head held high, her ears twitching and thick fur catching several eyes. She was majestic, well-groomed, with tiny paws and a bushy tail.
My Alpha growled internally, the urge to claim her rising. I quelled my desires instead of focusing on the task ahead.
“Don’t turn off your mind link.” I urged the group of Alphas.
More often than not, hunting parties turned grim, with one or two wolves getting injured deep inside the woods and left there for several hours. Once the betas started shifting as well, we waited for our turn.
***
Turning away, I watched as a group of Alphas manoeuvred their way through the busy path, their heads held high, breath noisy and fanning the dead leaves on the ground. Once in my wolf form, I found myself jumping and tumbling over large, broken trees and protruding roots. Small, spiky burs were sticking to my fur, making me grunt a few times.
We separated after strolling for a while, relying on the scents we got from around the woods.
My wolf took off in a slow walk as I squinted down at the ground, the dark of my eyes searching for any footprints or a trail behind. On the way, I noticed a few paw prints and hoof indents in the mud, but there were no signs of an animal to be found anywhere.
I stopped and rested on the haunches, eyes scanning the dark woods around him. It was turning darker and growing colder every second, leaving me to feel isolated and trapped within the trees around. A twig snapped to my left, the sound of it almost echoing in the silence that surrounded me. I snapped my head in the direction of it, body froze in time as I tried my best to zone into the area.
Holding my breath, I squinted my eyes to take a good look. It was a deer. My tail automatically brushed along the ground, a low whine escaping past my Alpha.
About time! I thought to myself.
My nose scrunched up in a cringing expression as I caught a glimpse of my bloodied paws. They smelled of a metallic scent, almost like rust, and burned my nose ever so often. The crimson liquid that stuck on the edges of my fur and snout was now a darker brown, having been dried up, making the flesh padding of my paw itchy and cracking under the substance.
Before I realised it, hours passed by, and we heard a second howl. In the allotted time, I caught a deer, one rabbit and two rodents. With victory rushing through my body, I ran back to the site.
***
“You are an idiot,” Liam remarked as my eyes were fixed on Caden and Rose, who emerged out of the woods to stand opposite me. Their sides were pressed together, the omega still covered in blood but sporting a grin.
My fingers curled around the palm, nearly breaking my nails in my fury as I watched Rose accept the tissue and laugh with that Alpha. The omega never laughed in my company, I thought bitterly and yet here she was mindlessly laughing and chatting though she didn’t have a care in the world.
Liam cast a sidelong glance at me, nudging my elbow. “You choose to push her away with petty things and being as obnoxious as possible. Then get jealous if she talks with Caden. Is this how you are going to win her heart?”
“I am not trying to win anything,” I snapped at him. “Don’t you have anything else to do besides trying to annoy me?”
My best friend shamelessly shook his head, and before I could say something, the Pack Alpha called for attention. I turned my head towards my father, gulping loudly. For a second, I peeked at Caden, aware that he had skills to match up to my kill. What if he won?
“Hope you all had fun.” The Pack Alpha smiled. “Now it’s time to announce winners in each category.”