A Hunter's Keep - #1 of "The Hunter's Series"

Derik’s POV

I sighed as I watched them outside my office window. It looked like Kevin and Jack had taken just as much a liking to the small troublemaker as I had. While Sif was soundly sleeping under Jack’s careful watch, Kevin was training with Lizzy. She was already good; good enough to have had practice before. Which of course just added to the already thick mist of mystery that surrounded her.

She seemed so strong and yet was so fragile and scared I didn’t know who to deal with it. Usually problems like these were easy to solve. One gaze and any wolf would crumble and succumb to my authority. I’d get what I need within seconds.

But with Lizzy, everything was… difficult. Earning her trust proved to be completely impossible. Yet, I found myself wanting more and more to protect her. I suspected she was falling in love with me, but I didn’t feel that. I felt protective of her, but more in a brotherly way.

I grinned thinking back how she’s been a cast away in my car. Her skill with a crowbar was astounding! She held absolutely nothing back protecting her little keep and I wholeheartedly admired her for it. The girl truly loved the little werewolf baby. Just like anyone in the pack, that came across them.

Lizzy was like a fireball of passion, commitment and fun. She definitely had enough saz to become a Luna, had she been a werewolf. She never backed down, even when she was scared, and she always cared more about the safety of others then even her own life sometimes.

I smiled. Lizzy had the potential to become a fucking queen!

But there were so may blank space. Why were hunters after them? Why did she keep insisting that Sif would only be safe here? Why did she not let us take her blood?

So many why’s…

I sat back down, finishing up the pack work, while the sun sat, and the moon took its place in the skies. I’d been asking around some of our allies to see, if any of them could be associated with Sif. A wolf could smell its family, so it was just a matter of being creative. I knew Liz was going to have my hide, once she found out, but I couldn’t make a claim on Sif, if I didn’t know her whole story…

There was a knock on the door, but before I could answer, it opened, and a huge man entered the room. I frowned. Alpha Vector! He was an ally, a little further down south, but personally I didn’t like the man. He was too self-righteous for his own good. Didn’t believe he could make mistakes, and when he did, he blamed someone else.

Perfect politician, I mentally scoffed and tuned to the alpha. He was in his late forties but looked good for his age. Mostly because everything about him was big. Big hands, big arms, big feet… Even his nose was big!

“Alpha Vector,” I said, turning to the man, not bothering to be polite, since he didn’t show any signs that he wanted to be. He frowned, when I didn’t get up and greet him like you were supposed to, but I continued, like I didn’t notice: “I didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow.”

Alpha Vector had been one of the alpha’s that I’d sent Sif’s sent to and who had responded by requesting a meeting. So far, I had a bad feeling about this.

“I couldn’t wait,” he said gruffly, taking his hand back. “Where is she?”

“They’re both asleep,” I said suspicious of his eagerness to meet Sif. My eyes glanced over the clock; it was two in the morning. Not to mention, that lifting my eyes off the clock, I noticed the two extra SUV’s parked outside. He brought enough men to start something…

“What’s the urgency?”

“My daughter, Alpha Derik,” he replied shortly, meeting my gaze. His eyes dark with hate. “Was taken by Hunters. And this!” He slammed the latter I’d set him down on the desk. “Smells like her!”

It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. If Sif smelled like his daughter, they were most likely mother and daughter. And if Sif’s mother was taken by werewolves, then how did Liz come across her? Unless Lizzy…

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, as realization slowly dawned on me.

Lizzy was a Hunter!