The Alpha and the Huntress

***Bastet POV: ***

Dad has been in meetings with the council all morning. He is the Commander and Chief of the Hunter Association the great Abrams Helsing, is retiring soon and have the pass the title to me when he does. Chances are they are giving him a hard time because I am a woman. The business of being a Hunter well in my case a Huntress has always been something that father and son did. My father didn't have any sons, just me.

After my mother died giving birth to me, he refuses to remarry, even though the council wanted him to have a male heir. My dad being my dad refuses to have a child with a woman he didn't love. He tells me all the time that my mother is the love of his life. And that's the same way I feel about John, my second. I reached my dad's office door and knocked then walked in.

"Hey baby girl how are you?", my dad greets me with a smile. I am 25 years old, and he still sees me as his baby girl.

"I'm good dad, I am here to take you out to lunch", I say as I hug him.

"Where are we going this time", he asked.

Every Friday my dad and I go to lunch no matter what we are doing. And today I am taking him to a café I found while on a surveillance mission. We get in the car and go to the Flair Café, it's a French-style bistro. I ordered a banana foster crepe with a French vanilla latte, and my dad got a steak, egg, and cheese crape, with a black coffee.

"So, dad how did it go with the council", I asked sipping my latte.

"It went well, they are okay with me retiring. They are confident that I trained you well to take over my title", he said smiling with pride.

"So, they are okay with a woman being Commander and Chief", I asked surprised they didn't give him hard time. I watched as my dad stopped eating and grabbed my hand.

"They are okay with it as long as you get married to someone in the association", my dad said.

"DAD! tell me you didn't agree to that", I say in shock.

"No, I told them it will have to be your choice, not mine or theirs", he said he gets up and hug me.

"Who do they suggest I get married to?", annoyed as hell. Knowing if I was a male marriage wouldn’t be a topic.

"Are you going to consider it?", my dad looks at me with surprise. He said I have a stubborn spirit like my mother, so he knows I might not agree.

"No, but I am sure they have someone in mind. I was just wondering who", I said.

"McKee was mentioned", my dad said with a laugh.

"They want me to marry your second-in-command son", I say with a laugh.

"I know you guys don't like each other. Even though at one point you guys were inseparable at one point", my dad said with a laugh.

It's not that McKee and I didn't like each other. Our fathers have been best friends for years, he is the son of my father's second-in-command. But Jason McKee hates me for reasons I can't ever tell my father. The association is set up like a hierarchy. You inherit your role within the association and the only way too can get in if not born is either through adoption or marriage; that is the only way to move up as well.

So, therefore, I will be the next commander and chief, while McKee will be my second and John will be my third. However, if I marry John, he will because my second, and McKee will be my third. Jason and I were born a week apart; my dad used to tell me that he and John always hoped we would end up marrying each other.

"Was he the only suggestion?", I asked.

"No, there were some other suggestions such as unmarried council members or their sons", he said, and I can tell he doesn’t like any of the other suggestions.

"Well, damn dad sells me off to the highest bidder", I say sarcastically.

"Never, honey besides I think John would be pissed off if I married you off, especially to McKee", shit I can't believe my dad knew.

"Dad, it's not like that", I whisper.

"Really now, you guys look at each other the way your mother and I use to", he said smiling.

I thought John and I were careful, we met in secret, and we tried not to stare at each other while in the association building. Damn near all the "legacies" as they like to call themselves, the men that were born into the Hunter business hate John because he is the nephew of a Hunter who never married. John's mom was a daughter of a hunter but was never allowed to know about the business.

She could live how she wanted and marry whom she chose. John's family was killed by rouge vampires when he was 19 his uncle my dad's third took him in and had to tell him all about the association and the supernatural world and John has been with us ever since. What attracted me to John is that he was not like the other men in the association. He is not entitled, snobbish, or greedy, he was grateful for everything he has and he is a hard worker.

"Dad....do you approve of him?", I asked hoping he did.

"Does it matter?", my dad replied raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, it does", I said smiling at him.

"Well, he is a nice guy, he works, hard, and he is not entitled", he said smiling.

"Will it go over well with the council?". I asked and I know there might be some nay-sayers.

"Let me worry about them, married is married. If he asks you, he has my blessing", my dad said with a smile.

"Well, dad it's time for my training.... see you at the gym", I said as we pulled up to the association.

I walk into the association and as always, all eyes on me and I hate it. The nerve of those arrogant assholes and the way they look at me makes me sick to my stomach like I am some prize to be won or something. Those assholes think whoever catches my eyes will get the keys to the kingdom. My ancestor, the great Abraham Van Helsing, established the Hunter Association.

After his death, his son took over, and the association got bigger more sons took over after their fathers died or retired all the way down to me the first daughter of the association. At some point the Van was dropped from the last name of his successors, my dad told me the last name made it easier for the supernatural to identify Abraham's descendants.

A sexist rule the association has no wives or daughters are to know about the business unless its deemed necessary. My dad didn't follow the rules, he kept my mother informed, and because he had no sons I was allowed to join and start my training at the age of 5.

My father personally trained me I am the best fighter here. I can handle myself in hand-to-hand combat, I am an excellent sniper and a weapon specialist. I can literally kick everyone's ass in this place, except for my dad.