The Hybrid

I’m currently arguing with Indigo outside in the school’s parking lot. He’s leaning against his car and had yelled my name, quite loudly might I add, waving his arms as if directing a driver in backing up their car. Rolling my eyes, I had made my way over and looked at him questionably.

“Hey, get in.”

“Didn’t your mother ever warn you of stranger danger?” I remark, narrowing my eyes at him.

“You’re my friend, dumbass.” He mutters. “Anyways, get in. The Alp – I mean, Vulcan, wants to see you.”

“Tell him to get over it. I’m tired and hungry so, peace out.” I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest.

He looks at me in mock awe. “I love it when you get all feisty but seriously, get in before I make him come down here himself.”

I throw my head back and groan exaggeratedly, before rounding the car and hauling myself inside. Putting my seat belt on, I roll my eyes at Indigo when he grins at me before starting the car and driving out of the gates.

The radio blares with a song I can’t place a name to and Indigo’s window is open, making my open hair fly about wildly. He glances over at me, a sheepish look on his face when he notices my hair before closing the window.

“Why does he want me to go to his house? He does know there are coffee shops and whatnot that people can meet up at, right? I don’t want him to kill me where it’s quiet and nobody can hear my screams.” I ramble, slightly panicked.

“Why would he kill you?” Indigo’s eyebrows knot in confusion as he looks at me from the corner of his eyes before looking back at the road.

“I may or may not have called him a fat-ass.”

″You called him fat?″ Indigo laughs loudly, making me wiggle my finger mockingly.

“Fat-ass, my dear friend.” I settle back into my seat, nodding in confirmation. ″We had an argument. He wanted me to meet him during school hours to talk and I’m currently neck deep in trouble with the principal, one thing led to another, I called him a bunch of names and sent him on his merry way!″

Indigo’s body shakes as he tries to stifle his laughter, making me grin at him cheekily. I hear him mutter something under his breath so low that I can’t even hear it. Just as I’m about to ask him about what he said, the car jostles as we enter the woods, driving along on the dirt track before it stretches onto smooth tarmac.

I gaze up at the large houses that I had passed the last time I was here, I don’t understand why there are so many people living under one roof but I don’t have much time to think about that as we speed past the buildings and towards a familiar mansion near a lake that glints in the sun.

Butterflies form in my stomach at the thought of meeting him again but anger also rises within me. I had once again tried asking him about his eyes only to be shot down and distracted.

We drive onto the driveway and park beside the long walkway that leads up to the house. Sighing, I pout at Indigo to which he chuckles in reply and hops out of the car. Vulcan makes me so confused! I don’t understand my feelings towards him. Tingles and sparks and all that crap only happens in books, not real life!

I straighten as I walk up the steps and inside the house, nearly halting at the sight of his delicious self on the couch, typing away on his laptop. He’s wearing a navy-blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the visible veins on his muscular arms. His legs are covered in black pants that are propped up on the coffee table.

I grin and start walking over to him, the sound of my shoes hitting the tiled floor making him look up at me. A frown settles upon his kissable lips when he sees me throw my bag on one of the couches and walk up to him. He moves his legs off the table and sits up straighter in his seat when I reach him. Leaning down, I take in his features before smirking at him.

“What’s up, chubby?″ I tease, pinching his cheeks and laughing when he scowles at me, swatting my hands away.

“That’s not funny, Aurora.”

“It is to me!” I exclaim through my laughter before walking around the large lounge room. “Don’t tell me you got angry at that and now you want me to beg for forgiveness. Just to be clear buddy, you walked into that one yourself.”

My eyes land on a frame that holds a picture of six people. I notice a younger version of Vulcan and instantly know that it’s a family photo. I can see that he has inherited his father’s features. What I don’t notice as I’m looking at the picture frames on the mantle is that Vulcan has become eerily quiet.

I look back to see him already staring but with a flash of nervousness in his green eyes. He almost looks hesitant to say what’s on his mind as his hand rubs the nape of his neck, eyes flitting around the room. Suddenly, he lets out a breath of air and crosses his arms. I almost laugh out loud when he puffs out his chest as if to make him appear more intimidating.

“You are going to be staying here for a few days.” Vulcan states, his tone leaving no room for further argument. I nearly lose myself in ogling him if it wasn’t for my brain screaming at me to realize what he just said. My eyes widen and I stare at him, incredulously. “Look...you’ll be in danger if you’re not with me and I don’t want that. It’s hard to explain, just stay here until it all blows over okay?”

“No.” I shrug when he glares at me. “I want an explanation of what danger I’m in, if it’s serious then I’ll stay. If not, I’m going home.”

“I just told you it’s difficult for me to –”

“Bye then!” I wave, turning to walk out of the house.

In an instant he’s before me, halting my steps. His dark green orbs blaze with intensity and anger as he stares down at me, his lips turned into a frown. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he leans down suddenly and throws me over his shoulder.

I yell and thrash in his hold making him let out a grunt before continuing to wherever he’s taking me. After a while, I give up and just hang over his shoulder, my black hair flowing ahead of me and my eyes on his firm butt clad in denim.

Hot damn, I think appreciatively.

He walks down a hallway and up another flight of stairs. I look around at the many doors and the furniture placed around the house as we reach a floor lined with windows that look out onto the now tiny lounge room below.

My head snaps back to Vulcan as he opens two, black double doors and walks into his bedroom as I remember, placing me on his king-sized bed. As soon as I hit the soft mattress I scramble to the other side in vain. Vulcan’s arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back, my hands sliding on the covers whilst I scowl.

“There are people out there who think you are my weakness, if I leave you without protection you will get hurt. So please, listen to me and stay.” He turns me around, pleading me with his eyes to compromise.

I nod in understanding before a frown graces my lips. “So...I’m your weakness?”

“No,” He smiles softly, caressing my cheek with the back of his hand. “You are my strength, they just don’t know that.”

I stare at him, wide-eyed in shock. My cheeks feel like they’re on fire which causes his smile to widen, green eyes twinkling in amusement at my predicament. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I nod before looking around his bedroom, doing everything I can to avoid his gaze.

When he is sure I won’t run, he starts towards the door without a word. “Can I at least leave the room?”

“No. Stay here until I’m back. Do not leave this room nor this house, understood?” He asks with his back turned to me as he stops by the door, a hand on the doorknob.

“You insufferable piece of –” I throw a pillow at him, watching it hit his back and drop to the floor with a soft thud.

“Feisty, I like it.” I hear him chuckle and then, he’s gone, leaving me to muffle my frustrated scream into a pillow.

Vulcan Romanov’s P.O.V.

I walk into Damon Valentine’s office and shut the door, watching as Darius Valentine glances at me from where he stands by the large window as he looks out onto their territory with a glass of scotch in hand. Our packs are divided into districts; I’m the leader of the majority of America while Damon rules over the southern districts.

Damon leads The Venerable Pack while I lead The Renascence Pack; the name chosen by me because I had revived this pack after my parent’s death and brought it higher than the position it was at before. We are neutral allies, but I’m not so sure of it now when the former and current Alphas hear what I have to say about Aurora.

The little spitfire is running circles in my mind day and night. All I can think about is her and it infuriates me. I have tried so hard to stay away, to forget and move on and leave her be but then she got kidnapped by my own pack and tortured. My wolf and I never wanted to let her out of our sights after that. We grew so protective over her that it still surprises me when I behave or think in a way where her protection and safety is my priority. It scares me how much I put her before the pack yet, it feels right to do it at the same time.

The more time I spend with her the more I want her, in every way possible. My beast, Ruxin is a wolf that I have trouble controlling. He longs for his mate, lusts for her. He doesn’t care that she’s human and delicate, a being that is easily breakable by our kind. No, all he wants is to mate with her and mark her as his, showing every other male that Aurora Maxwell is his and his only.

Every day I have to deal with lustful thoughts of the pleasure I can cause my Aurora. Her innocence doesn’t help the situation either, always teasing me unknowingly. If you think controlling one territorial beast is hard, try two. Vampires are another species who are just as possessive over their mates, beloveds as they like to call them. The Moon Goddess has intelligently decided to give me two crazy beasts and now she’s sitting back with a bowl of popcorn with her feet propped up on a coffee table, enjoying the events of my messed-up life.

Sighing, I reign in my beasts that are currently demanding that I go back to Aurora. It’s giving me a headache because I have other things to settle first before I return to my mate.

Seating myself in the chair, I gaze at Damon Valentine. He had just taken over the pack two years ago but proved to be ruthless when it came to battles. With blonde hair and blue eyes, he is the golden boy. The exact copy of his parents, their features mixed in and prominent.

“I can’t believe she’s your mate.” He laughs humorlessly, shaking his head. “And she hid the fact that she was seeing you this whole time from us.”

“I told her to, considering what you said to her when you found out that she was texting me the other night.” I growl at him threateningly, making him narrow his eyes at me.

“I didn’t mean to imply that. I was just wondering why you were interested in her; a human.” His fists clench, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before opening them again. “I couldn’t tell her of what you are; of what we are.”

“Well, I guess I should thank you for that.” I smirk at his confused expression. “I was the one who picked her up that night, my mate crying on a random street, by herself may I add, you fucker! She let me comfort her and I can safely say that our bond is much stronger now. I’ll send you a fruit basket.”

“You bast –”

“Damon.” Darius spoke up, a warning in his tone.

There is a period of silence after that, I lean back into the leather chair and clasp my hands together. “You only had one sister yet your family claimed guardianship over Aurora.”

I watch as both father and son flinch before Damon nods. “I’m assuming you’re here to talk about Aurora?”

Only nodding in response, I wait for him to continue when he pauses, taking a few minutes to collect his thoughts whilst Darius walks over to stand behind him.

“Aurora Maxwell...her family and ours were friends for years until her parents died in a car crash just recently. Nina and I had always treated her like a sister, we were very close.” He takes a shuddering breath, his fingers clenching the edge of the mahogany table. “Aurora was there the night Nina was murdered by rogues.”

I release a heavy breath, gripping the armrests tightly. My mate, my poor baby witnessed a murder and then her parents died afterwards. How the hell is she holding up so well? If Damon had never told me I would have never found out because she hides her sorrow so well. I marvel over how strong she is, knowing how something like death can tear a person apart.

“Long story short, Aurora and I were always there for each other. Her death strengthened our bond. I’m more protective of Aurora because of that, if I couldn’t save my real sister I’ll be damned if I can’t save her. She’s like a second sister to me, always has been.”

There is a long pause, as I stare hard at the paperweight on his desk. I recall attending Nina Valentine’s funeral and there being a younger girl beside Damon. For some reason, I had been so enthralled by her. Now, I know why. “She’s mine.”

“Everyone knows what happened with Elizabeth.” Damon laughs humorlessly. “And you expect me to just hand you over my sister?! For what, the same to happen to her too?”

I snarl loudly, the pendant pulsing hot and fast under my shirt. My blood boils and flows hot and fast, seeking violence and the blood of this Alpha to be shed. How dare he!

“Kill him!” My beasts roar in my head.

Lunging forward, I grab him by the shirt collar so that we are nose to nose. “You know exactly why I did what I did to Elizabeth. Is your sister like her?”

“No!” He rips my hand off his shirt, standing up. “Aurora is pure and innocent and not made for a monster like you! You don’t deserve her!”

“Well, the Moon Goddess thinks differently no?” I straighten out my suit, staring up at him with a wicked grin. “Unless, you want to go up there and ask her? I could help you out.”

Darius looks on with a frown etched onto his features. “She won’t accept you as easily or maybe never once she finds out what you are, I hope you know that boy.”

“Trust me, I have thought about it. But, she belongs to me and I want her to stay with me. Not at her apartment where she’s vulnerable.” I hold up a hand to silence them when they protest. “I have received word from the vampires wishing for me to reign over them once more and I have refused. Who do you think will better protect Aurora, her brother or her own mate who knows first-hand what vampires can do?”

I can see the defeat in their eyes as Damon resigns to his chair with a sigh. Grinning inwardly, I think of my little kitten waiting for me back home on my bed. They don’t even have to move her to my place, for I already did. I groan lowly when thoughts of her start invading my mind again, every fiber of my being desperately craving her. What is she doing to me?

“Alright, she will stay with you.” Darius nods, bringing me out my lust driven thoughts.

“What?! No! I can protect her here; she doesn’t need him.” Damon protests, angrily.

“Son.” Darius warns, both clearly talking in the mind link when their eyes glaze over. After a few minutes, Damon relents. He nods at me but holds out a hand once I stand, ready to leave.

“I don’t want any calls from you of her pranking and whatnot if she’s staying there. She’s your responsibility now.” He smirks, a knowing glint in his eyes.

“What the fuck do you mean by pranking?” I growl, wanting to wipe that smirk off his face with my fist.

“Trouble is attracted to Aurora like she is attracted to food. She’s a prankster and, don’t give her too much sugar. She gets as high as a kite.” Both grin at me, before standing. “Good luck, Romanov. Moon Goddess knows you need it when it concerns my sister.”

I roll my eyes and walk out of the office, stalking through their pack house whilst paying zero attention to the females looking at me with lust and awe as they always do. The one thing I’m focused on is my mate. Luck, I scoff. From what I’ve seen of my mate she’s just a little spitfire, I can handle her.

I get into the car, frowning when I turn on my phone only to see many missed calls from Indigo and a few of the guards I have placed on Aurora and my siblings. Calling Indigo back, I wait for him to pick up whilst I back out of the Valentine’s driveway and onto the road before speeding off. There is an uneasy feeling growing inside of me and I don’t like it, especially when I have a suspicion that this has something to do with my mate.

“Vulcan! Aurora...she’s gone. Nikolai and Caia are also missing and so is his car.” He pants, making me growl in anger and accelerate.

Clearly, I need all the luck I can get when it comes to Aurora Maxwell.