CHAPTER 4

VALENTINA

I tried to act like I didn't understand what my father-in-law was insinuating.

After all, he was the great Alpha Prime whom the entire werewolf world respected. Females from time immemorial had been throwing themselves at him but he didn't pick any of them.

So the very idea of him finding me attractive sounded very absurd to my ears. Plus, why would he say anything like that to his son's mate?

"I do not understand what you mean?"

Hunter looked at me and then he chuckled. The sound was so deep that it sent tingles floating in my abdomen. What was this?

‘You find him attractive,’ Martha murmured in my head. She had been quiet, only pacing and wanting to inch closer and sniff him. Quite an unusual habit for my wolf.

"What I mean is, there is nothing in it for me." Hunter's eyes stayed locked on mine. "However, I am willing to risk it all if you give yourself to me. Are you willing to do that?"

I told myself it was because of my revenge, not because I suddenly felt an urge to move closer and inhale Hunter's intoxicating cocoa scent.

"If that's what you want, then you can have me but…" I paused to make sure he understood my next word.

"It makes you no different from your son who played me."

His jaw twitched. He suddenly looked murderous and I got scared. Even Martha whimpered inside me.

"I am not my son." The words came out as a growl. "I will never be so foolish as to cheat on my mate, not to talk of someone so beautiful as you."

His eyes were turning more golden. I tried my best to ignore the compliment he had thrown at me but it was nearly impossible.

"If you truly are not like your son, Hunter, then help an aggrieved woman." Rage filled me so badly as memories of my husband and best friend in bed flashed through my mind. I couldn't even explain the rage but I will never ever forgive them.

"Help a woman who has spent three years of her marriage being fed pills by her husband. Give justice to a woman who was forced by her mother-in-law to abort her pup because she said her son informed her that he wasn't ready to be a father."

My hands were shaking, my eyes burned with unshed tears.

We just stood there as he kept looking at me and I at him.

He finally moved closer just like in the beginning. He pulled off his coat and placed it on my shoulders. The warmth of it, the scent of him, almost made me break down right there.

"I will not fight my son for a pack I gave to him." His voice was quieter now. "I have more than that now. I am the Alpha Prime, the second in command in North America."

My heart sank so badly. If he doesn't help me, who will? Who? The pack elders won't. If I go back home, my father won't accept me back since he had warned me to break the bond between Silas and I and I had refused.

The Winterfell and Stoneheart packs, where I am from, were considered to be rivals.

I had nowhere to go. No one to turn to.

"However…" Hunter's hand touched my shoulder gently. "I can empathize with you, and because of that, I will bring your case before the Werewolf King. But do you have proof of his infidelity?"

Just as quickly as my mood had soured, it turned better. Hope bloomed in my chest.

"Yes, Hunter. I have proof." I brought out my phone and showed him the pregnancy test kit I had gone back to Melissa's place and snapped.

I showed him the cars at the cabin and the pictures of them together being cozy. Then the records that Marcus had shown me.

He nodded at the evidence, scrolling through each photo carefully.

"These are enough to get Silas and that young lady in trouble. However, not Morgana." He looked up from my phone. "Do you have any evidence of Morgana's affair?"

"No, you already confirmed her cheating, shouldn't that be enough?"

He shook his head, suddenly looking his forty-five years of age.

"My words alone cannot do anything to Morgana. You need proof to have her charged, or else they would think it's because I want my son's seat, that's why I am suddenly charging her."

He nudged me towards a sofa in the hall which I was now seeing was a sitting room, but a very big version. He gently pushed me down and he took the seat opposite me.

"If I return and prepare evidence against Morgana and Dominic, will it bring them down?" Right now, I couldn't recognize myself but I wanted revenge. That's all that was running through my mind.

"It's enough but it might cost you." Hunter leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Can you bear it? Morgana, like you already know, is not a good person."

I didn't know if he was worried about me or doubting me.

"I do not mind." My voice came out firm. "Just give me the assurance and I will return to Winterfell and give you everything you need."

He arched his brow and then nodded. "Very well. You have my word. If you can provide solid evidence against Morgana, I will take them to court before the Werewolf King where they won't be able to escape."

I took a deep breath. This was it. The moment that would seal everything.

"What will you take from me? My body?" I looked him straight in the eye. "If it is, I will give it to you but in exchange, you must bring your son down on his knees before me. Will you do that, Hunter?"

He just kept looking at me and then he smiled. The smile transformed his entire face.

"I will not delude myself and say I am not attracted to you." Hunter stood up and walked to a cabinet on the far wall. "If Silas can be so stupid, then I will cherish what he won't cherish."

He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Poured them both and came back, handing one to me.

"But to answer your question, I will bring Silas to his knees for you if that's what you want."

"That's exactly what I want." The words came out as barely as a whisper.

Hunter sat back down, closer this time. "Then we have an agreement. You will return to Winterfell. Act normal. Play the perfect Luna. Get close to Morgana and gather evidence of her affair with Dominic."

I nodded, taking a sip of the whiskey. It burned going down but I welcomed it.

"How long do I have?"

"As long as it takes." Hunter took a drink from his own glass. "But be careful. Morgana is cunning. She's kept this affair hidden for twenty-five years. If she suspects anything, she'll likely end you just to keep the secret."

A chill ran down my spine but I pushed the fear away.

"I can handle it."

"I know you can." He leaned forward. "But I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If things get dangerous, if you feel threatened at all, you leave immediately. You come back here. Understood?"

The concern in his voice surprised me and it made something warm bloom in my chest.

"I promise."

"Good." He pulled out his phone and typed something. My phone buzzed a second later. "That's my number. Only use it for emergencies. It's untraceable."

I looked at the number and saved it.

"When you get evidence, don't send it through any normal channels." Hunter set his glass down. "Silas probably monitors your phone and emails. You'll need to come back here in person."

"Okay."

"You're not like them." I reached up and touched his face, maybe it was the whiskey, or maybe it was the pain. "You're nothing like your son or Morgana,” I repeated.

"You don't know that yet. I might be worse."