HUNTED

On their return, Aila and Damon seemed to release their breaths by how their pack appeared in one piece with no reports on any attacks from the hunters. Nairi and Chiara did well to keep order, and there were no complaints from their pack members. Aila was taken back by their welcoming pack members, who stood outside the front of the mansion waiting on their return.

Once Aila climbed out of the car with Finn's hand extended out to her for help, the pack roared in excitement, clapping and 'whooping' as she walked towards them. They crowded around her almost in awe, like she was a celebrity.

"I don't know why you are so surprised," Damon whispered into her ear, his hand curling around her hip, slipping her out of Finn's hold. "You saved the pack and then assisted in taking down Silas Hunt."

At his words, the pack roared again, jumping up and down on the tips of their toes. They were so excited, Aila could feel the animalistic energy radiating from them. The pack was waiting to go on a run with their Alpha and Luna.

"You can't reject them now," Malia murmured, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.. Aila felt her body shiver in anticipation and the bubbling exhilaration at being one with the pack again.

"I won't hold you back from running, Malia," Aila replied with a smile spreading on her face. Damon leaned into her and kissed her forehead, and without saying a word, the pair began stripping down to their underwear. The other pack members cheered and started running off, either shifting straight into their wolf forms, running naked or stripping as they ran.

Aila watched as the golden Beta ran off after Nairi's wolf and a black panther chased a black wolf she knew to be Chiara. Finn shifted by her side, his clothes ripping into shreds on the ground, and he jogged ahead, his ears alert as he scanned the surrounding area, stopping at a safe distance, waiting for his Alpha and Luna. Damon waved his hand, dismissing the Delta, who then sprinted off into the woods. 

But before Aila could scurry off and shift, Damon pulled her into him, his fingers threading through her hair as he crushed his lips onto hers. Aila whimpered and shivered under his touch, all thoughts altogether leaving her mind. 

Damon pulled away and smirked at her, slapping her rear for her to move. Aila giggled and started running, the grass and mud feeling amazing under her bare feet. The ripples of her body changing coursed through her, and she shifted. She could already hear Damon's shift and sprinted ahead through the trees on all fours, not waiting for her mate. 

Aila wanted to run as a wolf for a while, letting the wind flow through her fur, her senses fully alert, the sights smells and sounds of the forest a calming song awakening the wolf inside. After running around with Damon and other pack members, tumbling around making her white fur messy with mud and foliage, Aila released the reins to Malia. Simultaneously, Damon let Darius take over and, in a haze, Aila watched Darius and Malia play and hunt. She felt free, even with Malia taking control of her body.

By the time she grew tired, it was late into the evening. They did not need to feast after hunting, and so, Aila and Damon shifted, changing into the clothes from their bags left at the cars. There was only one set up of clean clothes left, and she didn't want to go back to the mansion, especially with how excited everyone seemed. And so, Aila found herself wearing a black denim mini skirt, along with a black cami top and some military boots.

She returned with Damon, who kept placing his hand on her ass and looking at her like he would devour her. Chiara and Nari were the first to pull Aila away from Damon and lead her towards the woods once more. The orange glow lit up the darkened woods, the sounds of the flickering flames and their pack chatting, and fights of wild werewolves made Aila look at her friends in surprise. A bonfire was set up in the clearing where the stalls stood tall from their previous gatherings. It truly was a welcoming party.

Aila looked behind her, meeting Damon's loving gaze, who was indifferent to the party ahead of them. Beta Kane, Ajax and Delta Finn stood by his sides, Kane's arm over his shoulder as he whispered into his friend's ears. Damon smirked, his molten silver eyes shimmering and reflecting back the orange hue from the fire. Why were his eyes so ethereal?

"Hey, we set this up for you. Stop looking at your mate who you see all the time and dance with us!" Nairi's words snapped Aila out of her reverie.

"At least you didn't drool.." Malia whispered in her mind. Aila pouted after hearing Damon's throaty laughter from behind her. But before she could check on him or reply to her wolf, Nairi was pulling her and Chiara by their hands and getting closer to the bonfire where others danced.

Nairi was the first to start swaying her hips from side to side and giggle when both Chiara and Aila stood there awkwardly watching her. "There's no music.." Aila pointed out the obvious.

Nairi released their hands and raised her own, twirling around as she looked up at the sky. "Nature is our music! Listen!" She giggled again, sounding like a madwoman. Aila raised her brow at her hippy-like friend and glanced at her Gamma.

"Jake, Zeke!" Chira shouted, and the two warriors clambered over from their spots on the stalls. "Get a stereo or something. We need some music. How could you guys forget-" She clipped the pair over the ear, "something so simple." She finished.

Aila bit her lip, refraining from laughing. The pair were 6ft plus henchmen being scolded by their fearsome Gamma. They ran off immediately; if they were in their wolf form, Aila imagined them looking like their tails were between their legs and ears flattened. In the meantime, Nairi continued to dance in a world of her own, though there were others the same.

Dancing to nature? It seemed she still had stuff to learn as a werewolf.

"Aila, I'm sorry-"

"Enough. No more apologies from anyone. You are my Gamma and friend; you did exactly what I expected you to do. The children are safe, are they not?" Aila interrupted Chiara with her hand held up. She meant it; what happened has happened, and now she was with her friends, her family, enjoying everyone's company at a bonfire she never expected to comfort her.

Chiara nodded her head and tucked her hair behind her ears before pulling Aila into a hug, quickly patting her on the back and looking away bashfully. Aila almost laughed again; Chiara and Ajax were so different, and maybe that's why they worked?

"Am I allowed to return to my mate now?" Damon asked from behind her wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. Nairi stopped dancing and narrowed her eyes at their Alpha.

"You've had plenty of time with her. Let us have our Luna!" Nairi folded her arms over her chest, almost glaring at Damon, but she cringed and looked down. No one could look the Alpha, especially the Alpha King, in the eyes and argue against him without consequences, even if they were friends.

Damon ignored Nairi and lowered his head atop Aila's shoulder, looking at the side of her face. "Is that what you want?" He whispered.

His voice sounded sad, and Aila knew if she looked at his devilishly handsome face, she would cave in and leave her friends for some 'time alone.' But as much as she loved him, she couldn't turn away from everyone. They set all of this up for them; they couldn't leave a bonfire party.

"Not yet anyway," Malia murmured. Her wolf was already thinking ahead. "One to two hours then we could slip away.."

Aila gulped and looked at Damon's face; his eyes burned into hers, making her mouth go dry and her head dizzy, almost giving in to what they both wanted. "I'll see you later," She whispered and kissed his stubbled cheek. Aila giggled at the shocked look on his features. She listened into his thoughts and laughed even harder, leaving a kiss on his nose before grabbing Nairi's hand and running off towards the other side of the bonfire.

Darius and Damon were so surprised by her refusal that they were almost hurt and started to wonder if they lost their charm on their mate. "No, listen to the bond," Darius growled, he sounded angry, and Aila could feel the need to punish her, radiating off him to where she was.

Damon chuckled and met Aila's eyes through the flames. He smirked, "Yeah, she still wants us."

Aila rolled her eyes and turned her back on him, starting to sway to the music that began playing. Chiara joined them, and even she danced, showing her awkward self was actually a decent dancer. They danced to the beat of the music and even danced with others who joined them. Many wanted to speak to Aila and ask about her health. They were aware that Aila was kidnapped and tortured, and she felt their rage and admiration at seeing her hunters scar on her chest.

After a while, Aila slowed her dancing down, raising her hands to the skies looking up at the stars. Her body relaxed even more after feeling the cold breeze and being surrounded by nature. She felt large hands hook onto her swaying hips, and she didn't need to turn around to know who had snuck up on her. Her hands went behind her, and she leaned back into Damon's broad chest; her hips still moved slowly, rubbing up against his jeans, and she smiled slyly at the hiss leaving his lips and his growing erection.

With her eyes hooded, she glanced at her friends; they, too, were distracted. Nairi's arms were around Kane as they danced heatedly, and Chiara was sitting with Ajax, him leaning in towards her, whispering and making her smile, with Finn on the other side of him looking awkward and surveying their surroundings. The pack was still alert to any intruders, with pack members on patrol and guarding the territory.

Aila dismissed any more thoughts about anyone else but her and Damon and enjoyed the music and the man who was growing impatient by her 'sexy dancing' as his thoughts so eloquently put it. She purposely leaned her rear into him more, and his fingers dug into her skin. He brought his lips to the side of her neck and left butterfly kisses up to her ear, nibbling on her ear lobe. "You shouldn't tease me," He growled.

"It's not teasing. I was warming you up," Aila breathed before yelping by him, suddenly turning her around. She flung her arms around his neck and met his smouldering gaze.

"Hmmm, then I should help you warm up," He licked his lips, and she felt her heart flutter. His hand slowly lowered down past her rear and grazed her thigh. His featherlight touch made her core tighten and heat up as he slowly went up her skirt.

"No, not here!" She mind-linked him. She was aware that others could still hear them; even though she started it, she couldn't help but get embarrassed still. Damon smirked, his eyes burning into hers.

"Are you sure?" Darius' voice took over, and there was an almost evil glint to his eyes. Aila shuddered in delight, but she shook her head; she could not lose herself in the moment and let him do something like this so out in the open. "I think you forgot about that time at dinner.." He continued with a smirk.

Aila narrowed her eyes and grabbed his hand, bringing it towards her face. Damon looked at her confused, then inhaled sharply as she wrapped her lips around the tip of his finger and began to suck. "Not here," She mind-linked again. A growl escaped his mouth and his eyes illuminated until she released his finger, and she bit her lip teasingly. Without another word, Damon clasped her hand in his and led her away from the bonfire.