Page 6 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
The doors opened. Dominic didn’t turn.
“I said no interruptions.”
“The Council wants you.” Marcus Vale’s frame filled the doorway, his auburn hair swept back from his face, amber eyes assessing Dominic with quiet calculation.
Marcus wore the standard Hunter uniform, black pants and a gray shirt with their emblem, a silver wolf’s head with a dagger through it, boldly printed on the chest.
Never stopping his practice, Dominic drove his knife into the center of the last dummy’s chest before answering, “The Council will have me in five minutes.”
Marcus remained where he was, though, watching Dominic.
Can a man not get five minutes?
Dominic collected his weapons, ignoring the fellow hunter. But Marcus didn’t intend to let him have his quiet. “Word is this assignment’s high priority.”
“All our assignments are high priority,” Dominic replied simply, sliding his knife into its sheath at his hip.
Marcus smiled. “Fair point. But Xavier called this one in personally.”
That caught Dominic’s attention. The leader of the Council rarely involved himself in mission assignments.Of course, he thinks I know something.
“Interesting.” Dominic strapped his secondary weapons to his thigh holsters. “Any details?”
“Not my clearance level.” Marcus shrugged. “But something’s sure got the higher-ups spooked.”
Spooked? Nothing spooks the Council, Dominic thought, securing his weapons with practiced movements. The Hunter Organization had stood for centuries, a bulwark between humanity and supernatural threats. And for the last six years, he had been one of their hunters.
“Well, I’ll find out if it’s in my clearance level soon.” Dominic grabbed his jacket on their way out. “The others back yet?”
“Roman and Kieran are due in tonight. Adrian’s still in the tech room—hasn’t left in thirty-six hours.”
Dominic nodded. His team was scattered across the globe, hunting various targets, but they always returned to headquarters when called.
The abandoned military base that served as the Hunter Organization’s compound sprawled across fifty acres of isolatedwoodland. High walls topped with silver-infused barbed wire kept intruders out and, when necessary, captives in.
“I’ll check in with Adrian after the meeting,” Dominic said.
Marcus stepped aside to let him pass. “Good hunting, Alpha.”
Dominic’s steps echoed as he strode through the corridor, the fluorescent lights overhead lighting his path.
Six years ago, he’d been on the path to become Alpha of the Silverlight Valley Pack. Now, he led a different kind of pack—killers and hunters bound by purpose rather than blood.
The Council chambers were in the heart of the compound, an old war room with reinforced walls and no windows. Dominic passed the security checkpoint with a nod to the guards, his clearance level granting him immediate access.
The circular room was dominated by a massive round table. Three of the seven Council members were already seated. At the head sat Xavier Storm, his midnight-black hair swept back from a face that seemed ageless despite the man’s forty-five years. His dark eyes fixed on Dominic the moment he entered.
Xavier gestured to the empty chair across from him. “Right on time.”
Dominic took his seat, noting the tension. “You have a mission for me.”
Xavier slid a thin digital tablet across the table. “Capture this target, don’t kill.”
Dominic picked up the tablet, the screen illuminated with a dossier on his target’s profile. “That’s unusual.”
“We need this one alive,” said Councilwoman Helena Reid, her silver hair pulled back in a severe bun that matched her expression. “Intact.”
Dominic swiped through the preliminary information. Female, early twenties, residing in Chicago. Suspected witch with unusual power signatures.
