Hunted by Love: Path to Destiny, #3

By Freya LeCrow

Nix never dreamed that her father would push her to perform an out-dated custom. Instead of deal with it, Nix ran. When she ran in to the arms of a werewolf, she changed and then forgot most of her life. She found a home as a dog. Never in her life did she expect to come out of that with a normal human life. After dealing with his mother appearing again, Aarshon found a woman he would love no matter what. Wen she vanished, he hunted her down. Little did he know that doing so would change their lives. As a couple, Nix and Aarshon have to figure out how to deal with her world and his. The fact that the Fae needs him doesn't escape her notice, but she has to deal with her over-bearing father who wants to force her back.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Freya LeCrow
• Release date: Jun 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223764144

Book preview

Chapter 1

The hunt would happen no matter how much she fought against the pack. Being the princess of the pack sucked big balls.  Her father’s ranch in Illinois was large enough that no one around would hear the howls or screams that happened during the hunt. Tonight, Nix would try again to get through to her father so he would see her point of view.  He hadn’t run down her mother to claim her.  No one wanted to go against her father to have the reward of the Alpha’s daughter.  That would mean they would be the next alpha or so they thought. Nix wasn’t that lucky it would seem. The pack had at least six men that happen to be Alpha enough to take her down, but not enough to take on her father. Nix took a deep breath before she entered her father’s office.  The carpet ended at the door , her shoes squeaked when she moved across the wood floor. The leather smell never left the room, it was a comforting smell for her.  It had always meant she was home.

Nix you really should be getting your rest for the hunt. Why did he want her to go through such a horrible tradition?  Nix put all the steel she could in her back when she spoke.

I won’t go through with this hunt, she felt a slight quiver in her words.  It wouldn’t work she already knew she had failed yet again.  This man wouldn’t take a woman’s word over tradition even if that tradition might kill Nix.  Women didn’t have a place in the pack; they were brood mares to a man’s world, a way to further the pack.

You will do as I tell you to do.  Don’t think you are big enough to take me on. Russell had a booming voice, that echoed through the room.

When her father stood up, she looked him in the eyes. Lower status shifters didn’t look alphas in the eyes, it was a sign of disrespect to their Alpha.  Nix had to do something to get him to understand that she wouldn’t go through with this.  Her mother had told her over and over to leave it alone. That her father knew what he was talking about.  Easy for her to say when she didn’t have to go through being attacked by more than one man.

I won’t do it! Nix put all her strength into the words, but they still had a slight waver.  She didn’t back down when he came at her.  The hand on her throat was nothing new these last few weeks.  She had been beaten like bread dough.  Her skin was black and blue from the beating. Some nights she had to shift to heal faster.  The smack came a moment later; making her lip split open. The taste of blood was copper over the drink she had drank.  Nix didn’t waver however; her father expected her to give in.  No tears appeared on her face this time, shock ran through her being. Nix was over the beatings and the way her father thought he could tell her how to live. When she didn’t start to cry or fight, he took a step away from her. 

You are tougher than I believed; you have grown into an Alpha in your own right. Those words coming out of her father didn’t seem right to her ears.

It was a shock to hear him say those words, but it was nice as well. Nix took a step away from him to look out at the night. Stars twinkled down at her telling her that her life was about to change in a big way. The large pane windows that looked out over the back yard always let the moon light in. Being an alpha helped her to shift faster into more animals.  Most of the pack took on the husky for their form of choice.  It was the alpha’s call on which animal they shifted into.  Most packs allowed for more than one, but not Russell.  

You can beat me as much as you want.  I won’t go into the hunt.  You will lose me as a daughter first. Nix spun around leaving him to think over what she had said.  The truth was she expected him to come after her. 

Nix sighed when she entered her bedroom.  The cream carpet had spots of blood all over it now.  Her father had followed her a week ago and beat her almost to death.  Most of the photos had survived his rampage. The nightstand had been ruined along with her camera.  The one item she had treasured above everything else.  He had told her that he would order her another, but it wouldn’t happen now. This had been her refugee from all the hate of the pack, the fighting when the pups would try to take on her dad.  When her mother couldn’t deal with her father. Now it only felt like a cage. No note to tell her pack where she would go.  They wanted her but not for the right reasons.  This was her prison not her home any longer.

Nix made up her mind in that instant that she wouldn’t stay with the pack.  The need to run free ran through her blood.  It took her a few moments to hit the back porch then shift.  Her clothes were left in ribbons.  Nix didn’t look back at the house; she knew where she wanted to go.  Away from this hell hole she called home. The plan had been set and she would go with that.

Twenty minutes later she was wishing she had packed a bag.  To shift now would leave her nude.  Lord knew what others would think of her if she walked about naked.  Nix found herself ten miles away from the farm, a deep hate weeded its way into her heart.  The trees in this area weren’t as dense as she would have liked them to be.  When she heard a twig snap behind her Nix turned to see wolf eyes looking back at her.  Nix had taken on the dog form of her pack.  Most of the time she could take on many different animals, but this was the one most of the pack took.  In a split second she took in the scent to know that the wolf was a werewolf.  When he came toward her Nix didn’t bow down to him.  The wolf seemed at odds with what to do with her.  In the wild the wolf might kill her.  He might even mate with her, but he knew that she had a human side.

In a flash he stood naked in front of her.  Nix shifted to be able to speak with him, it was the polite thing to do.  The naked flesh didn’t enter the equation. Most shifters and werewolves didn’t see the nude flesh.  It was not a problem for them.

You are very lost puppy. The man started with a slight timber to his voice.  Nix wanted to smack him for calling her a puppy.

Yea well I have that right, this area isn’t owned by any pack. Nix told him looking him in the eyes.  He stood a good six foot five, a giant of a man.  Muscles on top of muscles told her that he worked out a great deal.  Though most werewolves were strong.  They didn’t have to really work out to have muscles. Nix could feel his eyes on her, but she stood her ground.

Your right about that puppy, but that doesn’t mean a lone wolf won’t eat you up. Those words would have had a submissive on the ground trying to get him to leave them alone, but Nix didn’t give him the pleasure.

The words hung in the air making it tense.  Nix saw him calculating the way he could take her down to the ground. Instead of waiting on him to come for her, she moved, punching him in the gut.  A solid punch that made her hand vibrate with pain.  When he doubled over in pain Nix let her elbow come down between his shoulders.  He went to his knees, bringing a smile to Nix’s face.

I told you to be here two hours ago you stupid wolf. Nix laughed when she helped him up off the ground.  The man glared at her with deep chocolate eyes. 

You didn’t tell me that your pack would be on the hunt already. He told her when he stood.  With both hands he brushed the dirt off his knees. 

They hunt already?  Damn I’d hoped to get at least a day ahead of them. Nix turned looking around to see if any dogs had appeared.  To her senses no one else was in the area.  When she turned back to the wolf man she laughed. He was rubbing his stomach where she had punched him. 

I have been covering your trial so to speak.  They are all going nuts with the scent of the wolf over your puppy scent. He laughed at the fact that he had made her whole pack go nuts because of the scents mixing. Everything was falling apart. Nix would end up having to go back before she even felt freedom.

They will think I was taken by the wolf pack.  A civil war will break out.  That isn’t what I wanted. Nix almost growled at him when she heard him laughing.  What the hell was so funny?

The moon isn’t full they should know better than to think a wolf pack snagged you.  Only alphas and lone wolves can shift without the moon. Sebastian looked at her with those enticing eyes. Nix thought she would be lost forever to this man.  She crossed over to where he stood looking into those eyes.  In the next moment she felt his hands on her flesh sending heat through her body.  It stirred something else that Nix didn’t want to admit to.

Sebastian we can’t do this right now.  I want you so much but with my pack on my back this can’t go any further. Nix tried to push away from him only to find her body pressed against his.  The way his flesh made her sizzle with need.  Nix was so weak for this man that she almost wrapped her legs around him.  Nix pulled away from his embrace with a slight quiver.  Sebastian knew how to push her buttons, but they had to get away from here.  

Did you bring your truck and clothes? She finally seemed to be able to speak.  They really did need to get moving. Sebastian nodded at her then shifted again, Nix took on the female wolf form to run with him.  The two seemed to be in sync when he moved, she moved.  They reached the road which was more a gravel path. Sebastian walked around to make sure no one had touched the truck.  Sebastian was back in human form pulling on jeans that he had pulled out of the passenger side seat. Nix shifted back then laughed when he threw a shirt at her. Nix slipped the shirt over her head letting it fall to right above her knees. His shirt was a dress on her.

Awe the big bad wolf can’t handle a naked girl. She was teasing him to see if she could get a rise out of him.  It worked because he came at her a split second later.  Nix wrapped her arms then her legs around his frame.  The tree bark bit into her back through the T-shirt she had slipped on.

Careful puppy, I might have to take you right here against this tree. Sebastian growled into her ear then nibbled at her neck.  Nix groaned at the feel of his teeth sinking into her flesh.  They didn’t need to leave a trail.  Nix pushed him away slightly.

Not here! Nix moaned out at him when he stepped away from the tree taking her with him.  The way his body moved under hers had her groaning in need.

You keep making those sounds and I won’t care if we leave your scent on that tree. Sebastian let her slide down his body.  Nix kept her groan in this time but heard his slip through his clinched teeth.  His hard body was pushing hers into overdrive.

Oh stop being the big bad wolf, take me to the cabin. I am sure we can think up a few things that we can do.  Nix climbed into the passenger seat of the truck.  Sebastian took the driver’s seat, Nix really had no idea how to get out of this area. When the truck roared to life she hoped that the pack was far enough away to miss the sound. Most non humans had amazing hearing, and eyesight at night.

They broke from the trees a few moments later; the truck took the trail like it was made for it.  The Mickey Thompson tires he had on the beast of a truck ate up the dirt. The sounds changed when he turned onto the black top two lane road.  Nix was lost in her thoughts on the journey away from the only home she had known.  The trip took about an hour.  The house Sebastian owned was a small ranch house.  Nix loved it the moment she looked at it.  The small yard would be perfect for a family.  Nix had to shake the images out of her mind because she would never have children.  It wasn’t a part of her life that she wanted to think about ever.  When Sebastian shut the truck off it was silent. 

Nix hated the silent night, so she opened the truck door to let the night sounds in.  A bat hunted for food by the dusk to dawn light, Nix could hear its chirps.  The cat hunting in the trees behind the house ran when the scent of wolf wafted through the air.  It was when she stepped out of the truck that Nix really understood what she had done.  Running from her pack would cause so much trouble.  Would she ever find a time to be herself again? This would end badly no matter what she did. 

She moved like a robot into the house not noticing the things around her.  The look Sebastian was giving her was missed as well.  Once in the house Nix collapsed on the floor, tears streaming down her face.  Warmth wrapped around her shaking body the scent of wolf pressed into her scenes.  How could she have run away?  Her father would never stop looking for her.  Nix could feel Sebastian lift her off the floor.  The couch soon hugged her body to his.  He didn’t rush her to calm down, nor did he try to push her into doing something else.  Sebastian just held her to his body.  Soon Nix noticed that Sebastian was pushing her hair out of her face to see her eyes.  Her pale blue eyes seemed to pierce through to his soul.

Better? he asked when he kissed her cheek then the other.  A slight salty flavor when he licked his lips after.  Nix  hiccuped when he kissed her forehead. I figured you would fall apart at some point.

I think I have cried myself out. Nix felt his lips trail down to her lips, the kiss started out sweet.  The tension in the room seemed to flow away from her when he turned her toward him.  Her knees hugged his thighs, the T-shirt rose up enough to almost show her naked body.  Strong hands lifted the shirt over her head then onto the floor.  Sebastian ran his hands down her back stopping at her thighs.  He pulled her closer lay against his body.  Nix groaned at the feel of his clothed body against her nude body.  The roughness on her thighs seemed to turn her on.  Nix ran her hands down his chest, then back up.  The second time she ran her hands down his chest she dug her nails into his skin.  Sebastian hissed out digging his fingers into her thighs.  Sebastian’s head fell back onto the couch, he groaned when she ran her fingers up his shirt digging her nails into his flesh.  Nix loved having this power over a man like this.  She didn’t understand the power surge that went through her.  She made quick work of his shirt throwing it on the floor.

Oh god yes! Nix was lost in this man. It was letting her forget what was going on in her life.

The feel of skin on skin made Nix recall that she had never been with a man before. Did she want to give this to him? It wasn’t love but she did care a great deal for him and it felt amazing. When he leaned into her kissing her lips she returned to the kiss. She kissed her way down to his neck then to his chest.

Sebastian...I’m so hot.

Nix, baby...I have to have you.

Nix groaned when he moved slightly under her. She wasn’t giving up control. 

I have to tell you something.

Anything. He pulled her close again kissing her neck then biting her neck.

Nix groaned and wasn’t sure she would get a word out.

I haven’t been with a man. Nix told him and felt him still under her.

What? Sebastian pushed her away for a moment with shock in his eyes. 

You heard me.

Nix didn’t give him a