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Wooden bullets, a camouflage Hunter uniform, fingerless gloves… You checked yourself over in the reflection of the glass wall separating the row of desks from the chair circle your team had formed, your hand stroking your newly modified gun.

There were many reasons you had volunteered for this mission, one of them being wanting to prove yourself able to handle danger by yourself despite your rather passive Evol; another was that there was a slim chance that whatever beast the Hunter’s Association was intent on chasing down was like you—misunderstood and perhaps more powerful and capable of harm than they even realised.

There was so much you had yet to learn about yourself, things you couldn’t share with Tara, with Xavier, let alone Jenna. Sylus was the only one who knew—in fact, Sylus was the only one you could trust to keep your real potential a secret. For now.

“This,” Captain Jenna said, pointing at the projection on the screen, “is what we call the screamer. It’s a Protocore-powered device sending high-frequency sound waves undetectable by the human ear.”

An image of a wooden, cube-shaped contraption popped up.

“Our tech team built it using mahogany and oak. Due to its fragility and size, it will be difficult to travel with it, so we will deploy an action team to weaken the target before we can reach it with the screamer.”

“Judging by previous sightings and the state he left his battlefields in, we concluded that his Evol must be some form of Metallization. Basically, what this means is that he can either control any object made of metal, manipulate magnetic fields around him, or turn everyday objects into metal. Maybe it’s all three,” Tara explained.

There wasn’t much information to go by. The target was referred to as a beast, a creature half-man, half-wolf, a shapeshifter. You had read about them during your studies, before your final Hunter exam. They were rare—extremely rare. But they existed, more commonly known as werewolves. And as of right now, one of them was wreaking havoc across Linkon City. His motivations were, as of yet, unclear. For all you knew, he wasn’t even a true threat to the city. But after your past experiences with new types of Wanderers, caution was warranted.

Jenna nodded. “Once activated, approach with caution. At best, the screamer will force the wolf to its knees; at worst, it will briefly distract him. You might only have a small window to strike. Use that.”

You raised your hand. “I volunteer to march ahead on the frontline. If we fan out north, north-west and north-east of the no-hunt zone, we are bound to run into him sooner or later. We’ll send out flare signals as soon as we spot him.”

Jenna nodded. “Approved. We don’t need to get too close to him, merely close enough. But you’re not going alone.”

“Too many of us might give our location away. We’d make too much noise.”

“That’s true,” Tara said. “If his hearing is as good as we think it is, he’ll hear us from miles away.”

Jenna took a deep breath. “In this case, I propose a Hunter with an active Evol and hence the ability to defend themselves beyond guns and swords leads the frontline.”

The room remained silent. No one volunteered, and Xavier wasn’t present.

“Captain, I can do it,” you insisted. “If this Valko is only half as smart as we are, then he will know about our assets—minus our secret weapon, of course. He will expect someone with a high-damage Evol. We could catch him off guard and practice diplomacy. I promise I won’t try to fight him alone unless he attacks first. If he thinks I’m alone, he might be giving me intel we need. Please, Captain Jenna.”

Your supervisor sighed. “Fine. Approved. But no heroics, do you understand?”

“Understood.” No heroics. That shouldn’t be too difficult.

A twig snapped under the sole of your boot. You cursed quietly. You were close. He was close. There was a clearing opening up before you. Under different circumstances, it would have made the perfect spot for a picnic in the woods. But not today. Not right now. Not with danger lurking in the bushes.

“It’s not safe for a little bunny to be out here all by themselves… Don’t you know there are wolves in these woods?”

You froze when he stepped into view. He wasn’t fully transformed. He was…a man. A very tall, very muscled man. His red hair reflected the pale moonlight above you, peeking through the crowns of the trees, illuminating the small clearing just enough for you to spot a pair of dark wolf ears and a long, fluffy tail that was almost cute.

His yellow eyes bored into you like a hard diamond, pinning you in place as if the vines on the ground had snaked around your ankles to restrict your movement.

You couldn’t see his face, not with the snout-like mask he was wearing. Regardless, he matched the description the Hunter’s Association had briefed you on.

“Valko. That is your name, isn’t it?”

He took a step towards you, and your hand slowly wandered to the hilt of your gun—just in case.

“Who wants to know?”

“There is no need for violence. If you cooperate…”

He scoffed. “Cooperate?” Another step. But then, he paused. “Your scent…”

“My…scent?” You blinked.

“You smell…good.”

“That’s… not exactly what a sheep wants to hear from the wolf…” You muttered to yourself. You took a step back, hand tightening on your gun.

An amused smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Not a bunny? Are you a sheep?” Exceptional hearing, check.

“I’m a wolf in sheep's skin,” you retorted with all the courage you could muster. It was him; there was no doubt about it. If Tara’s research on him was true, then your weapon was useless. You’d have better chances fighting him with a wooden stick.

“A Deepspace Hunter, I take it? Your uniform and gear already gave you away. And they sent you out here, all by yourself? Alone? To capture the big bad wolf?”

“I’m just here to talk.”

Valko tilted his head. “You’re here to talk? Wolves don’t talk, bunny.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Then what do I call you? Wolfsbane? That’s a name you’ll have to earn first.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you force my hand.”

Valko chuckled. “Is that so?”

His hand barely moved, yet the invisible pull that flung your gun out of your grasp and against a tree, where it burst into dozens of pieces, was charged with so much sizzling force that your own Evol jumped, eager to dig its claws into his power and resonate with it. You could practically taste it on your tongue, like that faint flavour of metal, those times when you bit your tongue and swallowed your own blood.

Well, this was inconvenient. Those wooden bullets were utterly useless without your gun. What were you supposed to do? Bring a wooden sword? A plastic toy lightsaber? Damn it, where was your team?

He moved again, a slow step making the leaves under his boots crunch before he started at you with a speed invisible to the naked human eye. Alright. Hand-to-hand combat it was. You were strong. You trained for this. You could overpower him; you were smaller, faster…

Within the fraction of a second, he had you pinned against a tree, your right wrist trapped above your head with his hand tightly wrapped around it, and his strong, unnaturally warm body encaging you like prey.

You thrashed, bringing your knees up just in time to kick him in the chest. He let go to catch his balance, and the tree trunk behind you gave you momentum, allowing you to take a full swing at him with your clenched fist. His pained groan was all the confirmation you needed to know that the blow landed as it should have.

Valko didn’t go down, though. He lunged at you, his strong arms wrapping around your waist and swinging you across him. His boot at the back of your head and his hand around the back of your neck were the only things that kept your head from colliding with the hard forest ground.

You huffed, snaked your legs around his calves and pulled hard on his arm. He went tumbling enough for you to flip over and straddle him for another blow.

“Are you insane?” Instead of attempting to land his own attacks, however, he simply snatched your wrists with a single hand and sat up, his devilishly beautiful face only inches from yours.

That…wasn’t fair. He didn’t even give you a chance to fight him properly. Damn it, he didn’t even fight back. You were a skilled Hunter, you were trained in hand-to-hand combat, you could take him if he just—

Valko reached up with his free hand, slowly tearing the mask from his face and tossing it aside. It dematerialised before it could hit the ground.

He was… he was handsome. Both Tara and you would have given him a ten out of ten had he popped up on one of the dating apps you stalked together every now and then during girls’ night. You gnashed your teeth. You didn’t want him to be handsome.

He leaned forward, his fangs inches from your throat… You squeezed your eyes shut, but the annihilating bite never came. He stilled almost entirely, his nose pressed against the crook of your neck, inhaling as if you were the only source of oxygen left in Linkon.

Stall him. You have to stall him.

“Who…are you?”

“A wild, unbound will, surrendered only by you.” He pulled back and smirked. He smirked? Why did he look so happy all of a sudden?

“W-What?” You blinked, palms pushing against his rock-hard chest in a futile attempt at pushing him off you. Those muscles were pure heaven. What?! No, stop thinking that!

“Mine…” he growled.

“What are you talking about? Back off!” Another shove. Valko did not budge an inch, his grip around your wrists remaining one of iron. His mouth opened slightly, warm lips brushing over your skin, a hot breath ghosting over it, fangs gently chafing along your neckline.

“My mate…” he mumbled, his voice deep and…feral. You swallowed. Did he just say mate?

You twisted your left wrist in his grasp, desperate to activate your Hunter’s Watch and call for back-up—only to realise that whatever he had done to the magnetic field surrounding you had rendered your tech completely useless.

Both Xavier and Tara were on their way, and they had a whole team with them, armed with more wooden bullets along with the screamer. If you held out just a little longer, if you stalled long enough for them to reach you… wait. Could they even still see your live location?

“Your heart is pounding… are you afraid of me?”

He answered the question before a single sound could escape your lips.

“Don’t be. You’re under my protection now.”

“What are you even talking about? I don’t need protection.”

“Maybe you don’t. But I’ll give it to you anyway.”

You gasped, unable to process your world turning upside down when he jumped to his feet and threw you over his shoulder without even the hint of a stagger. Next thing you knew, you were flying. Not literally—but Valko was running through the woods so fast he might as well have been lifting off the ground.

“Let me down! Let me down right now!” Struggling against his tight grip, you flailed helplessly.

“You think I didn’t smell them? You were luring them to me, but all they would have run into is a blood bath. You should thank me, bunny. They’re your friends, aren’t they? I’m showing them more mercy than they deserve for attempting to cage me like a dog. Consider it my engagement gift to you.”

Your heart skipped a beat, a mild distraction mixing in with utter shock at how close your face was to his perky butt right now. “Your what gift?”

“Stop squirming. We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?!” Your voice cracked, a hysterical cry breaking free from your lungs when he leapt across a small cliff, up to the mouth of a dark cave. Pale moonlight reflected on the smooth stone, gravel crunching beneath his soles when he landed and hoisted you into his arms like a bride.

You peeked at your Hunter’s Watch. There was still no signal; in fact, the small screen remained black even when you shifted in his forced embrace to tap it.

Ignoring your ongoing protest, he carried you into the cave. A temporary hideaway, perhaps, but certainly not his home…right?

“Let me down,” you demanded once more. This time, he obliged.

Furs lay scattered on the cold stone ground, a fireplace with logs to sit on surrounding it near the entrance. He put you down in front of what resembled an armchair but was simply a stone carved to look like a piece of furniture with more furs draped over it.

You weren’t alone. About half a dozen yellow eyes met you with curiosity, wolf ears perked, and tails on high alert. His pack.

“Uh… hi.” They didn’t…exactly look scary. At least, not as scary as Valko.

You crossed your arms, locking your eyes on him when he turned around and took a few steps back to give you space. Damn it, it would be a lot easier to see him as the beast he had been introduced to you by the Association if he actually looked like…well, a beast! But he didn’t. You longed to scratch him behind those wolf ears and to touch that fluffy tail to test if it was as soft as it looked. And you certainly didn’t mind the idea of exploring the rest of his body either. Stop that, will you?!

“Explain.” Crossing your arms before your chest, you waited. He didn’t seem as hostile as he was when you first laid your eyes on him, less…threatening. It was almost like he completely switched up his personality and behaviour towards you as soon as he smelled your…your scent? Yeah, what the heck was that all about?

“You’re my mate,” he said as if it were obvious. The werewolves behind you gasped—and sniffed. Valko stepped in front of you. “No one touches her without my permission,” he roared. You peeked behind you just in time to see them lower their heads in respect. Wow.

“What’s a mate? And you can’t just kidnap me because you think you’ve got some wolfy claim on me, you know!” You rose, pushing him away to emphasise your words.

“I didn’t kidnap you. You were the one hunting me down, remember?”

“I’m a Deepspace Hunter! It’s what we do! It’s your fault for causing a ruckus! Are you or are you not involved with EVER?”

Valko had the audacity to sigh. “I promise, I’ll explain everything to you. Sit. Please?” He was pouting. He was actually pouting. Pressing a metaphorical slow-motion button, you sank into the soft furs, yet remained on high alert.

“How much do you know about wolves?” he began.

“So you really are a werewolf?”

Valko smirked. “What, were you all just making guesses?”

“They’re rare. Closer to a myth than based on real sightings and scientific studies.”

“Correct.”

He paused, and you stared at him. He sighed.

“Yes, I am a werewolf. No, I don’t only transform on a full moon. I have full control over my shapeshifting abilities, but I do get stronger on a full moon. My sense of smell, sight and taste is heightened, comparable to that of a real wolf; silver does not harm me, and yes, my Evol happens to be Metallization, rendering your little toy guns useless. The wooden bullets were a cute idea, though.”

“How does it work?”

“My Evol?”

“I can manipulate magnetic fields around me to bend metal objects to my command or metalise objects entirely.” Tara had been right then. It was all three.

“Werewolves are not as rare as you think. We’re simply…very good at hiding. We don’t interfere in primitive society unless it’s absolutely necessary, and if we do, we blend in.”

“Primitive society?”

He nodded, his expression dead-serious. “Your need for work, money, meaningless trinkets, this underlying sense of duty to do your part, pay your bills, then roll over and die. You know, all that.”

Shit. He had a point. “It’s not all bad,” you tried. “This system ensures—”

“…ensures that the rich stay rich? Society is a slave to politics, mostly men in power who don’t care for the well-being of their people. We do.”

You scoffed. “What, you’re saying your strict wolf hierarchy is any better?”

“It is.”

“What’s your rank then?”

“I’m an Alpha.”

You sighed. “Of course you are.”

Valko raised an eyebrow. A minute of silence followed.

“And earlier, you called me…you called me your mate.”

“You are.”

You blinked. “I’m going to need a bit more information than that.”

“Every wolf, werewolf or otherwise, has one fated mate destined to be by their side. They are ours to protect, ours to care for, and ours to serve. Few of us are lucky enough these days to ever find them. Once we find our companion, it becomes our life duty and honour to protect and care for them. It’s…tricky to explain if you’re not a wolf, but when you first meet them and pick up their scent…you just know.”

You blinked, images of his naked, sweaty body above you flashing before your inner eye. What in the…?

“How would you even know? You’ve never met me before. You don’t even know my name. And I’m not a wolf.”

Your heart almost jumped out of your chest when he stated your name in full. It rolled off his tongue like a prayer, like he was tasting the words like a sweet piece of chocolate melting in his mouth. “I keep tabs on things, you know. And I pay attention to details. And… There is one thing you need to understand, bunny. Wolves mate for life.”

Your heart jumped—and not for entirely negative reasons, which was, arguably, worse. “I never agreed to be your mate. In fact, you kidnapped me and dragged me to your cave like I’m your dinner.”

He snorted. “Don’t tempt me.”

“My colleagues are going to come look for me. You can’t keep me captive forever. They’ll hunt you down and stake you.”

“Stake me?” It was the first time he laughed. It was a pleasant sound, much to your dismay. “I’m not a vampire, bunny.”

No. But Sylus was, more or less. Where was Mephisto when you needed him to send a message?

“You’re not my captive,” he went on. “If you want to leave, I am not going to stop you. But that will not keep me away from you. I will watch over you.”

Your jaw dropped, but your Hunter’s Watch beeped before you could respond. Two messages from Tara and three from Xavier chimed in. The reception returned for a split second. Was he aware? Or had he let the messages slide through on purpose?

“I need reassurance from you.”

“Sure. About what, exactly?”

“Your involvement with EVER. I am willing to hear you out, but you, your company and your pack have been causing panic in the city. I need to know your intentions. I need to know you mean no harm to its citizens. If EVER is threatening you… We can help. We’ve dealt with them before.”

“It’s not like that.”

“And we’re quite civilised, thank you very much,” one of the werewolves cut in with a deep frown. “We’re not interested in gobbling up Little Red Riding Hoods like you.”

“Rude. I’m not even wearing red!”

“Give us some privacy, will you?” Valko said. The werewolves retreated almost immediately. Who knew how deep this cave was. “It’s true we have dealings with EVER but not in the way you think. I can’t tell you yet; it would put our entire operation at risk. But I can take you to my research facility and prove it to you.”

“When?”

“Whenever you’re ready. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week. You’re welcome in my lab anytime, bunny.”

“If I take you up on this offer, if I get clearance by the Association…” (Which you probably wouldn’t and you’d have to improvise if you wanted answers.) “Then what do I tell my colleagues?”

“Tell them you lost track of me. That’s safest for everyone. Tell them I wasn’t hostile and that I didn’t try to attack you.”

You raised an eyebrow. “But you did try to attack me.”

“You pulled a gun on me, bunny. It was self-defence. You throw a neat punch, by the way. My cheekbones still hurt.”

You scoffed. “I need to go back. They’re looking for me.” You climbed back on your feet, moving towards the mouth of the cave. Valko wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you close before you could take another step.

“I can’t let you do that.”

Your heart sank. “And why not?”

“It’s not safe.”

Valko took a deep breath. “Look, we are in this no-hunt zone because we’re tracking a rival pack. It’s too dangerous out there at night, especially not this close to a full moon.”

“I can handle myself.”

“I have no doubt you can, bunny. But these wolves are ruthless. They’d tear you to pieces long before you’d even have a chance to shoot. And once they smell that you’re mine, they’re going to hunt you too because by hurting you, they’re hurting me.”

“They’ll smell that you’re…that I’m your ‘mate’?”

“They will. Please. You’ll be safe here, I swear it. I know this is all a lot to take in, but I promise to you that I won’t let any harm come to you.” Valko offered you his hand, his grip around your waist loosening. You hesitated.

Could you trust him? Every single Hunter training you’d ever pushed through pointed to doing the opposite. But the way he’d cradled you earlier, like a cherished bride…you couldn’t believe he meant to harm you or keep you hostage to blackmail the Hunter’s Association.

His smile when you took his hand was so genuine it warmed your heart.

“I can’t just stay here without telling anyone.”

“I’ve blocked your GPS signal to hide our location. They won’t find you here.”

“That does sound like kidnapping to me, you know,” you grumbled.

“Let me finish. New plan. Contact them tomorrow. Tell them we took you in because of the hostile wolves we are chasing. Request a meeting with the chairman of EonCore Tech, and he will clear things up for you.”

“Who’s the chairman of EonCore Tech?”

Valko smirked. “Me.”

Your face fell. “You?”

“Me. I know I’m asking for a lot for very little in return, but your life will be in danger if you go back out there.”

“You have no idea what I am capable of. Besides, that is one more reason for me to go back and warn my colleagues.”

“How long will it take for them to abort the mission for tonight?”

“Midnight. The deadline is midnight. But there will be a search party out for me.”

“I know,” Valko growled. “This is a surprise for me too, bunny. I don’t know who you are, not yet. But I will know you. Your likes, your dislikes, your habits, your pet peeves, how you drink your milk tea and what food makes your mouth water. I will know everything about you.”

“And what if I don’t want that?”

Valko remained silent for a long moment. “You really think me the villain, don’t you?”

“Convince me otherwise.”

“I will.” Your lips parted when he approached and knelt before you, his hands by his side. “We have a common enemy. If you can’t trust me yet, trust that. Okay?”

“…Okay.” You weren’t entirely sure what compelled you to agree with him. But, strangely enough…you did feel safe around him. Like he would rip apart heaven, hell and Earth to keep you out of harm’s way.

He nodded. “You should get some rest now. You look exhausted.”

You eyed him, letting your gaze drift further into the pitch-black cave and then back to him.

“They will not touch you. And I’m not leaving you.”

After what felt like ten full minutes of contemplation, you finally sank onto the makeshift bed covering the ground near the wall. Hidden enough to provide protection from the wind, it was, however, way too chilly in here to even think about sleep regardless.

“I don’t usually sleep in caves,” you mumbled. It was surprisingly more comfortable than you’d expected. You leaned back, folding into what resembled a fetal position. Like hell you’d take off your armour.

“Me neither, bunny.”

You frowned.

“What, did you think I live like a wolf all the time? I have a house, you know. It’s quite spacious, actually. You should come visit.”

Valko lay down next to you, inching closer until he could drape his arm around you.

“What…do you think you’re doing?”

“You’re shivering. I’m keeping you warm.”

You blinked. You weren’t opposed to this. You weren’t opposed to this at all. But you barely knew this guy!

“You feel it too, don’t you? Somehow…”

You bit your lower lip and turned, presenting him your back. Mistake. Bad mistake. His warm breath against the back of your neck sent pleasant shivers up and down your spine.  “Fine. Just…keep your hands in appropriate places.”

You’d barely finished your half-hearted warning when he shifted even closer, nuzzling your neck and rubbing his nose over whatever bare skin he could find. You sucked in a sharp breath. The man was so big he almost enveloped you whole. Your entire body longed to lean against him, to rest your head against his chest and let him worship every inch of you. Oh, you… Snap out of it!

“There. That’ll do for now,” he said softly.

“What…was…that?” You were panting. Why were you panting?!

“I made sure to get my scent all over you. The other wolves in the area that are part of my pack will know that you’re mine, and they will protect their Alpha’s mate with their life.”

You swallowed. “I’m not…yours.” You didn’t sound convinced. Fuck, you didn’t sound convinced at all.

You could practically feel him smirk behind you. "Looks like you're a wolfsbane after all."

And yet, against all reason…you fell asleep in his arms that night.