Destined for the Lycan Prince HUNTER

"Did you finish reading that weird werewolf book again?" Jessica wrinkled her nose as she slid into the seat across from me in the cafeteria.

I clutched the battered paperback to my chest defensively. "It's not weird, it's amazing worldbuilding! The alphas, the pack politics, the fated mates..."

Jessica made a gagging sound. "You just like drooling over those muscular shapeshifter dudes."

I flushed scarlet. "Maybe a little," I mumbled. It was true, the supernatural alpha werewolves always made me swoon a bit as I devoured the juicy romantic subplots between them and their mates. Not that I'd ever admit that to Jessica.

"Earth to Leila!" Jessica waved a perfectly manicured hand in front of my face. "Put down the wolf porn for two seconds, will you? I have gossip to spill."

Reluctantly setting aside my beloved book, I sighed. "What is it now? Did Kyle Sampson finally ask you to prom?"

"Ugh, as if!" She flipped her shiny blonde hair over one tanned shoulder. "This is way juicier. There's going to be a new student starting tomorrow. From what I heard, he's crazy rich. I'm talking private jets, island-owning levels of riches."

That piqued my interest, despite my usual indifference toward the dating scene drama. Shiny Town was an affluent suburb, but we never got any billionaire-caliber arrivals at Shiny Heights High.

"Do you know anything else? What's his name?"

Jessica shrugged one sleek shoulder. "Just that he's our age and transferring in right before spring break for 'personal reasons'." She made air quotes with a mischievous grin. "Plenty of time to get properly situated before prom season."

Knowing her, she definitely had her sights set on sinking her claws into Mr. Moneybags as her latest boy toy. I rolled my eyes. Same old Jessica.

Glancing around the lunchroom at all the typical high school social scenes playing out, I wondered what an uber-wealthy guy would think of our small-town vibe. He'd probably be utterly miserable here after living the high life.

Not that I cared much either way. My life was blissfully routine - going to school, going to my part-time job at the library, going home and reading fantasy novels into the night. I didn't have time for the relentless social climbing that so preoccupied Jessica and her circle of pretty, popular girlfriends.

Still, I had to admit a tiny flutter of intrigue that someone from the rarefied world of the stupendously rich was gracing our humble halls. Maybe a fresh face would liven up the monotony around here.

Fat chance of that happening, I chided myself. Rich kid would probably take one look at this place, then bolt faster than you can say "old money." He'd be jetting off to his villa in Monaco by the weekend.

The shrill bell rang, jolting me from my momentary fantasy. I scooped up my bag and books as the lunchroom emptied out.

"Come on, Orphan Annie," Jessica teased, using her signature nickname for me thanks to my frizzy red hair. "We'd better not be late for English or Mrs. Adams will eat us alive."

Dutifully following my friend down the overcrowded hallway, I tried to shake off thoughts of the mystery billionaire boy. He'd come and go and life would remain exactly the same for a meek, ordinary bookworm like me.

Little did I know, the world as I knew it was about to be shattered forever.

A few towns over, a brooding figure gazed out the tinted windows of his family's private jet as it began its descent toward the small regional airport near Shiny Town.

Gripping the plush leather armrests, Hunter Westbrook steeled himself for rejoining the regular world, albeit temporarily. Going to public high school was just a blip, a pitstop to get through before he could return to embracing his true destiny.

He was the next alpha heir of the super-elite Crimson Hart Werewolf Pack, one of the oldest and most powerful Lycan dynasties in the world. And this season, he'd be finally undergoing his awakening - the rites and rituals to unleash the wolf within.

That transformation was all that mattered now. Finding his fated mate, carrying on his bloodline's lineage...screw algebra tests and hormonal human girls. For the next few weeks, he just had to lie low and keep his outer beast tamed.

Raking a hand through his thick, tousled hair, Hunter scowled at the thick bank of storm clouds rolling in. Like some sort of cosmic omen, thunder rumbled as fat raindrops began pelting the jet's windows.

A menacing grin spread across the eighteen-year-old's chiseled features as they soared over the petite suburban sprawl of Shiny Town below. Looks like things might be about to get a little more...interesting.

The tiny hairs prickled on the nape of Leila's neck as she settled into her usual seat in English literature, her final class of the day. A strange premonition rippled through her, the unsettling sense that something was about to change.

She tried shaking it off, figuring it was just residual adrenaline from her lunchtime conversation with Jessica about the mysterious new rich kid. Get a grip, Leila, she chided herself. It's not like billionaires show up every day at Shiny Heights.

Mrs. Adams rapped her ruler on the podium, commanding the class's attention. "Alright, everyone, settle down. Before we dive into our analysis of Lord of the Flies symbolism, I want to introduce a new student joining us."

Leila's head whipped up, her book falling from her hands as the classroom door opened. Her jaw dropped as the most ridiculously gorgeous guy she'd ever seen sauntered in.

"This is Hunter Westbrook," Mrs. Adams continued. "He'll be attending Shiny Heights for the remainder of the semester. I trust you'll all make him feel welcome."

Understatement of the year, Leila thought dazedly. It was all she could do not to gape at him.

Despite his obvious wealth that seemed to radiate from his expensive-looking clothes and effortless confidence, there was something almost...dangerous about him too. Like a wolf prowling through a room of unsuspecting lambs.

Thick, artfully disheveled chestnut hair framed his chiseled features and piercing hazel eyes that seemed to stare straight through you. As he passed her desk, she caught an intoxicating whiff of some spicy, musky scent that made her head spin.

To Leila's utter disbelief, the Adonis glanced her way and their eyes locked for the briefest of moments. She felt herself flush scarlet as those intense eyes roamed over her in a way that made her feel...hunted.

Snapping out of her trance, she realized Jessica was smirking and giving her a subtle thumbs up, clearly appreciating the new view as much as Leila. Although to be fair, every girl in their right mind was blatantly ogling Shiny Heights' latest acquisition.

As the prize specimen strode to his assigned seat in the back, Leila had to remind herself to breathe. How was she supposed to focus on analyzing book symbolism when living, breathing teen demigod material was now gracing these halls?

Risking one last peek, she gulped as she noticed a devilish smirk playing on Hunter's full lips, like he could literally smell the want rolling off her in waves. She quickly snapped her gaze forward, cheeks burning.

Something told her that with this new student's arrival, things were going to get downright primal around here...

After English was finally dismissed following the most excruciating class period in recorded history, Leila booked it out of there. As much as her hormonal daydreams might like to linger on Mr. Tall, Ridiculously Handsome and Brooding, she knew guys like him were totally out of her league.

As she hurried down the hallway, she heard a velvety voice call out from behind her. "Hey, new girl, wait up!"

Freezing in her tracks, she felt her pulse quicken as the unmistakable presence of Hunter bore down on her. Get a grip! He couldn't possibly be talking to you...

She turned slowly to see him closing in, looking even more lethally attractive up close. Hunter raked an appreciative gaze over her as he stopped mere inches away, near enough for her to catch his rugged, earthy scent.

Realizing she was gawking, Leila flushed and managed to find her voice. "I...I'm not actually new. You are." So much for sounding anywhere close to calm and cool.

Hunter flashed her a heart-stopping grin, not mocking but almost...predatory. "Then let me start over. I'm Hunter."

"Leila," she squeaked out, mentally kicking herself. Could she be any more awkward right now?

He leaned in conspiratorially, sending Leila's heart into overdrive at his proximity. "I couldn't help but notice you're not like the other mindless drones around here, Leila."

Her brows knit in confusion. Where was this going? "How's that?"

Hunter shrugged one broad shoulder lazily. "You've got this...spark about you. I can just tell you're different. Special."

Leila's mouth went dry, because for some delirious reason he seemed to be watching her lips. Suddenly, his eyes snapped back up to meet hers, glittering with playful mischief. "I thought I'd get the inside scoop on where all the fun is around here. You seem like you'd know."

All she could do was stare at him blankly, like an utter idiot. Was this real life?

Before she could even attempt a response, Jessica swooped in and looped her arm through Leila's. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you."

Fixing Hunter with an admiring smile, she purred, "And you must be our newest student." To Leila's utter mortification, Jessica not-so-subtly checked him out from head to toe.

"I'm Jessica. If you need anything at all during your stay..." She paused to bat her lashes flirtatiously. "Anything at all, just let me know."

Hunter's gaze flicked over Jessica dismissively before settling back on Leila, his stare smoldering. "I think your friend and I will be seeing a lot more of each other."

Leila's traitorous heart leaped at the obvious innuendo in his tone, but she willed herself not to read into it. Guys like this pretty much had "no entry" stamped on their foreheads when it came to her, Shiny Town's resident social leper.

As badly as she might want to take the delicious bait he seemed to be offering, she knew the unwritten rules. Guys like Hunter didn't go for girls like her, no matter what mixed signals he gave off.

Refusing to be fazed by his remarks, she forced herself to remain nonchalant. "It was nice to meet you. See you around, Hunter."

With that, she tugged Jessica toward the exit, leaving the smirking new student behind. If he wanted to play mindgames, she wouldn't bite.

Little did she know, the strange spell he seemed to be weaving over her was only just beginning...

"Alright boys, listen up!"

Hunter Westbrook sighed as his father's booming alpha voice reverberated through the cavernous great room of their ancestral pack mansion. Just another tedious "welcome home" lecture about embracing his Lycan legacy or some shit.

"My only son and heir has returned to us," Drake Westbrook continued, puffing out his barreled chest as he addressed the rest of the Crimson Hart werewolf pack.

At least fifty brawny men crowded around the crackling fireplace, their eyes gleaming with reverence for their imposing leader. From muscled beta bodyguards to wizened pack elders, all of them hung on Drake's every word.

"As we enter this new moon phase, it's time for Hunter's awakening into our sacred pack traditions. He will undergo the rituals, embrace the wolf within, and finally take his rightful place among us as the alpha heir!"

A rumbling cheer went up from the gathered wolves. They stomped and howled their approval like something ripped from an old-world medieval court.

Rolling his eyes, Hunter leaned back against the ornate stone mantle. As the voices quieted down, his father turned and fixed him with a stern look.

"I trust you've been keeping your baser instincts in check while out among the humans these past few months? We can't risk any exposure before the alignment of the planets for the awakening."

Hunter smirked. As if he'd lower himself to mindless mingling with the random townies at his temporary high school. Not after spending his whole life being mentored as Lycan royalty.

"Of course, Father. I've stayed perfectly aligned with our ways."

Which wasn't entirely true. It wasn't his fault that one of the girls at Shiny Heights High caught his primal instincts a bit...off guard. But he'd never admit the bashful little redhead made his inner wolf keen in a way no female had before.

Shaking off the thought, Hunter turned back as Drake resumed his gratuitous speech.

"The celestial events that kicked off our ancestors' first transformations won't return for another three hundred years. This awakening will irreversibly trigger Hunter's werewolf powers, cementing his place in our ancient lineage..."

As the droning continued, Hunter felt a restless energy thrumming through his veins. After countless years of grooming and discipline to lead the pack one day, this homecoming ceremony almost made it feel real.

Soon, he'd get to shed these weak human kid facades once and for all. Let his full, magnificent beast finally run free under the glow of the supernatural zodiac. Give in to the parts of himself he'd been forced to suppress for far too long.

His heightened senses had already started evolving in the past few weeks, making the mundane world seem sharper and more vibrant. Smells and sounds were amplified tenfold from how humans experienced them. And his awakened eyes could see farther, detect smaller shifts and movements from miles away.

Drake clapped him on the shoulder, snapping Hunter out of his reverie. "You were born for greatness, my son. Our pack's ruling bloodline flows through you. With your awakening, we'll finally release your true power."

Unable to mask his wolfish grin, Hunter felt his elongated canines prickling at his lower lip. Finally, embracing the side of himself he was born to become.

A few yards away, his beefy bodyguard cohort Knox winked at him conspiratorially. Knox and the rest of the other young blood pack alphas were already anticipating the bacchanalian revelries to come. The hunt, the conquest, the glory of giving in to their darker natures once Hunter completed his rites.

Dismissing the others, Drake steered his son toward one of the secluded hallways, a proud smile stretching over his rugged features. "Walk with me."

As they wound through the maze of oak-paneled passages, Drake tightened his grip on Hunter's shoulder. "Son, something's been weighing on my mind since you returned from the human realm."

Hunter tensed, wondering which one of his tamer exploits his father could've caught wind of. It wasn't like he was stupid enough to blow their cover.

"Your awakening as the next great alpha leader has been pre-destined since our ancient pack founder days. There are certain...expectations and obligations you'll need to prepare yourself for."

Ah, so that's where this was headed. Drake lowered his voice, even though they were alone.

"As the ascending alpha, it'll soon be time for you to start considering potential mates who can eventually birth a new heir for our line. A suitable female to produce powerful werewolf offspring and secure our dynasty's reign."

Hunter shrugged nonchalantly, unsurprised by the inevitable turn their discussion had taken. Elite werewolves like them didn't do feeble human courtship. They took mates, sowed their seed, expanded their regal packs.

"You needn't worry, I'll play my part when the time comes," Hunter assured him with total confidence. "I was born ready to accept my path as a true Westbrook alpha."

Drake chuckled, clapping his son's back in a rare show of masculine affection. "That's my boy. Always the pragmatic leader in the making."

Winding their way back toward the great hall's ceilings, he shot Hunter a wolfish grin, all teeth. "Just don't go picking some scrawny human mutt for our line's next supernaturally-gifted offspring, eh? Gotta carry on the family name right and properly."

A flash of that furtive redhead from Shiny Heights flickered unbidden through Hunter's mind at the words "scrawny human mutt." Not in his life would he ever seriously entertain the idea. Leila and her intriguing bookworm spark were merely a mild diversion to pass the idle hours before his grand awakening.

Any wolfborn male worth his musk knew better than to get distracted by random human skirts before taking his destined mate. When the time was right, Hunter would seek and claim his lycan queen as every great werewolf alpha before him had done.

Still, part of him couldn't resist a wolfish smirk in response to his dad's warning about not soiling their bloodline.

"Like I'd ever sully the pack's majesty by rutting with some lowborn mongrel. You should know me better than that."

The haunty redhead's fiery blush flashed through his thoughts once more as he followed Drake out, dismissing the unexpected flare of his bestial instincts. Their kind didn't mix with humans, it was that simple.

No need to overthink it. Once his awakening is done, he'd be free to indulge his most primal alpha desires - with only the finest, strongest she-wolves around to choose from as his awaiting queen.

So why couldn't he completely shake the nagging ghost of little Leila Larson's smoldering gaze from his mind?

"This is quite literally my worst nightmare."

I grimaced at Jessica's melodramatic groan as our ratty old school bus lurched over another pothole on the deserted mountain road. Talk about overstating the obvious.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," I tried reassuring her, keeping my tone light even though I was low-key terrified too. "The bus just got a flat tire. I'm sure the driver is going to have us back on the road soon."

Famous last words.

Fifteen miserable minutes later, we were still stranded in the middle of practically nowhere as the heavens opened up and rain started pelting down in biblical proportions. Our bus driver had given up trying to wrestle with the deflated tire and was on the CB desperately calling for a tow truck to come to our remote location.

"Idiots should've sprung for a more reliable ride if we were gonna be trekking two hours into the mountains," a low, irritated voice grumbled a few seats behind me.

I instinctively knew who it was without even turning around - Hunter Westbrook's gravelly timbre had been haunting me since his surprise arrival at Shiny Heights.

Of course he was on this doomed field trip bus, because what teenage disaster would be complete without the human embodiment of tormented hotness throwing off everyone's hormones?

Ever since his first day, I'd found it impossible not to be hyper-aware of his presence whenever he was nearby, like my subconscious was now hard-wired to his energy signature or something.

Ignoring the instinctive thrill that zinged through me at the mere sound of Hunter's voice, I turned to Jessica with a tight smile. "See? No big deal. Maybe they'll even cancel the rest of this lame trip if the weather stays nasty."

I was doing my sincere best to stay positive in our cruddy circumstances, but deep down I knew we were proper screwed. Our bus had gone completely kaput almost two hours out from main roads and civilization. Cell signal was virtually non-existent and the downpour was rapidly turning into a torrential nightmare.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of loud thumps and the heavy bus door crashed open, letting in a ferocious gale of wind, rain, and - to my utter disbelief - none other than Hunter Westbrook himself.

His clothes were drenched and rainwater slicked back the tousled chestnut waves away from his chiseled face. Eyes smoldering with irritation, he stalked down the aisle and dropped into the empty seat next to me, muscles rippling beneath his soaked shirt.

I blinked in shock, unable to process why the hell he'd just gone for an impromptu shower in the downpour. That's when I noticed his clenched fist was gripping the flimsy plastic bus door handle. With a powerful whip of his arm, he launched it toward the front of the bus, embedding it squarely in the driver's seat headrest.

Everyone froze in terrified silence as the driver flinched and scrambled to get away from the volatile new kid.

Hunter's frustration rolled off him in waves, mercifully not aimed at anyone in particular, but just...emanating from him like a feral beast ready to strike. The only other time I'd seen anything like it was from cage fighters right before their bloody matches.

My throat went dry as he brusquely brushed his wet hair off his forehead. It was impossible to miss the defined cut of his biceps, the rugged angles of his jawline, the wild spark in his hazel eyes that suddenly seemed...otherworldly in their intensity.

Part of me wanted to shrink away in terror at his ferocious display of unleashed alpha energy. While another deeper, more primal part felt bizarrely drawn to it in a way that made zero logical sense. Like his feral aura was a steel door I also desperately wanted to get through.

What in the actual hell was wrong with me?

Subtly gulping, I slid as far across the sticky vinyl seat as possible, trying to put some polite distance between me and the human personification of untamed masculine power beside me.

Of course, he noticed my micro movement immediately, those eerie eyes locking on me like I was his sole focus. Just as I thought he might start growling at me for no reason, he seemed to exhale and the tension seeped from his impressive frame.

"Sorry about the thing with the handle," he mumbled gruffly, a muscle working in his chiseled jaw. "I just...get a little stir crazy when I'm cooped up too long."

I swear my brain short-circuited because I couldn't seem to remember how to form words.

Luckily, Jessica came to my rescue by inserting herself right into the conversation, batting her eyelashes at Hunter in full-on thirst mode.

"Is that the understatement of the year? Being trapped in close quarters with nowhere to let off steam?" She practically purred the implication, leaning across the aisle to shamelessly put her cleavage on full display. "There are ways I could help you...relieve tension, Hunter..."

I wanted to spontaneously combust from the levels of over-the-top flirting she was deploying right in front of me and the entire bus. For Hunter's part, he barely reacted except for a subtle clench of his chiseled jaw, like she barely registered on his radar at all.

Jessica frowned, flustered by his underwhelming response. Determined not to be brushed off so easily, she licked her glossed lips and tried again in a sultry tone.

"Why don't you come sit next to me and let me help you blow off some stream..."

"That's enough!" I blurted out, cutting her off sharply.

Everyone's heads swiveled toward me in surprise, Hunter's gaze searing through me like I'd just run into a raging wildfire instead of simply opening my mouth.

Fuck it. I'd always been afraid to call out Jessica for her blatant mean girl antics, but this was too far.

"You need to have more respect for yourself, Jessica," I said in a low voice, amazed at the steadiness of my tone even as my heart thudded with adrenaline. "Stop throwing yourself at him like a desperate..."

"Excuse me?" She cut me off incredulously, a flash of her old demeaning venom sparking behind her eyes. "Since when did you become such a self-righteous prude, Lai-Lai?"

Taking a deep breath, I stared daggers at my so-called friend, refusing to back down. "Take it from someone who knows what it's like to be humiliated and degraded. Hunter clearly doesn't want your sleazy advances."

To emphasize my point, I glanced back at the brooding enigma in the seat beside me, mouth going dry from the intensity of his focused stare. It was like he saw right through the surface me, into all my secret insecurities and fears. It should have been terrifying, but instead that strange gravitational pull toward him only intensified.

"So do yourself a favor and retain your dignity. No guy is worth degrading yourself for."

A shocked silence fell over the entire bus. Jessica gaped at me, stunned by my unexpected outburst and standing up for myself for once. Half the girls looked impressed by my uncharacteristic moxie, while the other half snickered behind their hands at my ballsy call out of the most popular girl's hoe-ish behavior.

Slowly, Hunter inched closer, the blazing heat of his body igniting sparks across my hyper-aware skin as he leaned so close I could feel his hot breath on my ear.

"You really are something else, Leila," he murmured, voice like liquid sex dripping in my ear. "Maybe it's a good thing we got stranded together after all..."

I shivered despite my efforts to control the delirious tingles coursing through me. Stay cool, Lai, you're better than this.

Maintaining my stony mask despite his deliberate attempts to fluster me, I forced my voice into an even monotone. "We'll see about that, Westbrook."

As our eyes met and held in a tense stare-off, my blood rushed with the electric current of heady tension suddenly sparking between us. Like a brewing storm with no idea which way it would strike.

Jessica gaped at our fraught exchange for a long beat before rallying with a scathing sneer. "Whatever. You two deserve each other."

I schooled my features into passive defiance, tamping down the gnawing sense that I might have just inadvertently made things even worse by standing up to Jessica in front of everyone. It was a small triumph not to be walked over by her cruelty for once, even if I didn't know where this unexpected friction with Hunter was headed.