My eyes fluttered open and apart from the sunlight trying to blind me, I saw two heads looking down at me.
My eyes widened as sleep immediately cleared from my eyes, I raised my upper body up in an instant, and on reflex tried to pull one of them into a chokehold.
“Woah, calm down, miss” The person said as he dodged my hand quickly. I move in again for a blow when he held my hands and pinned it above my head, bringing his face up close to mine and that's when I saw his face clearly.
I knew that face, it was Derek Halligan. The son of the sovereign leader to Vampires and the mysterious heir to the throne.
And that's when it all started coming back to me. Last night, the club, killing Tate, Marcus calling me his mate, running, then another guy calling me his mate too and lastly, me falling unconscious.
The ‘another guy’ was freaking Derek Halligan, no wonder I found him oddly familiar. I turned to the side to see Marcus with amused eyes staring at me, like I was a specimen to experiment on.
I turned my gaze to Derek who was way too close for my liking and struggled out of his hold.“Let go of me” I seethed, angrily.
“I will as long as you promise to stay calm, okay?” He said with his deep voice. I guess I really did wake up to his voice.
“I promise” I said, feigning as much sincerity as I could.
He observed me for a few seconds, his black orbs searching my grey ones before releasing his grip on my hands. That was a mistake on his part because immediately my hands got free, I punched him hard on the face.
“What the fuck! What was that for?” Derek cussed angrily as touched his face. I used the opportunity to jump out of bed and after searching for few seconds, I picked up the bed side lamp, swinging in front of me threatenly.
“Stay back, don't come closer” I said with wide eyes.
“We helped you after you were passed out on the ground outside so late at night, and this is the thanks we get” Derek thundered, apparently still angry about me punching him.
I don't let my hand waver as I still waved the lamp in front of me to them. He could hit his head on the wall for all I care. “Where am I? Where is my bag? Give it to me, I want to go home” I said.I had long noticed that I wasn't in my room. This room was way fancier with the cream and white designs. My bag contained my torture equipments, they would figure out who I am if they went through it which I figured they haven't since I was still alive and well.
“I promise you, you are safe miss so please calm down. This is my house and my name is Marcus and that is Derek. We come in peace, we just need to talk” Marcus finally spoke up softly as he raised his hands in surrender and his eyes looked at me pleadingly.
Somehow, I found it hard to refuse that voice. I looked between them long and hard before lowering the lamp down. I knew what they wanted to talk about, but I chose to feign ignorance. They didn't know I knew about them before, they were both royally rich and had overall power. I was just going to feign ignorance of the whole thing to keep my identity as a hunter safe.
“Fine, you have 20 minutes” I said
“Oh good, I made breakfast” Marcus said as he clapped his hands in excitement while Derek still had a frown on his face.
***
I had to admit, the pancakes were really good and Marple syrup? Heavenly.What? I never let good food pass me by, even though it was from a supernatural and I knew it wasn't poisoned with the mate tag they both had going about me.
I ate not so gracefully while they stared at me like I was some exhibit in a museum.
“Are you going to be staring at me weird or you are going to start talking?” I said with a bored look on my face.They both adverted their gaze immediately while Derek murmured, “For someone who is so cautious about being kidnapped, you sure do know how to eat”
“For a vampire who got punched in the face by a human girl, you sure do know how to sulk” I retorted without missing a beat. He glared daggers at me while I continued eating cheerfully.
“Alright everyone calm down, Derek quit whining, it was just a reflex punch in self defense” Marcus said and rolled his eyes.
“Thank you” I said with a smirk.
“Off course, you would defend her. Look, I have other things to do so make this quick” he said as he sipped his glass of wine.
Marcus rolled his eyes and said, “Things like what?”
“I am the next heir to a kingdom of Vampires and my coronation is coming soon” I could hear the pride in his voice but I kept eating and staring at them blankly, he was not going to a get a reaction from me.
He then continued, “Aren't you busy as well? You lost your brother to a hunter yesterday and the heir has been shifted to you”
I turned my gaze to Marcus to see his reaction, his face that was bright turned dull in seconds. I could see the pain in his eyes more clearly, he was faking being fine all this time. I didn't usually feel guilty after killing a person but I found it hard to swallow the food I was eating after seeing Marcus reaction.
Why did he have to be his brother? He couldn't just be a normal wolf, he just had to be born a brother to one of my victim. I felt sorry for him.
“I will take care of my business myself” he said firmly with no room for further discussion.
The atmosphere in room made me feel uncomfortable so I spoke up, “So, since when did a Vampire and a wolf become buddy buddies?” I asked
Vampires and wolves weren't friends, neither were they enemies. They mostly tolerate themselves due to the power they held. They were both supernatural and had their unique powers, going against each other will only stretch on for years without a victory. So since they were equally matched, they chose to try to accommodate each other. Despite that, there were still some kind of competition between them, although more subtle than against humans. Just like the crowning ceremony of both sovereign rulers for instance, they are both crowning their heirs around the same time just for it to be balanced between them.
Once one did something, the other would follow suit so as not to be lagging behind, it was actually quite childish if you thought about it.
“We are not buddy buddies. We are only talking because of you” Derek answered.
“Because of me? Why?” I asked
“Look, …” Marcus trailed off so I could say my name.
“Edna” I said. They don't need to know my last name.
“Edna, such a beautiful name” I loved the way my name rolled off his lips but I wasn't going to admit that.
“So Edna, I know you understood what was going on, that's why you ran away” Marcus added.
“I honestly do not. You just muttered something and your eyes were glowing. That's enough to make someone who just witness a traumatic death scared shitless” I said, the lies flowing out smoothly.
“Oh that makes sense, I didn't think about like that. I thought you ran away because… Nevermind” he trailed off.
I wasn't curious enough to pry so I asked, “So what is this all about?”
“Edna, we are mates” Marcus announced.
“Mates as in soulmates between supernaturals? But I'm not a supernatural, I'm human” I said genuinely confused.
Mates was only between a specie and unique to supernaturals and the absurdity of me being mated to a supernatural didn't just end there. I was freaking mated to two of them, a wolf and a vampire. Was the gods crazy or something? Is that even possible?
“Sadly so” Derek muttered and I resisted the urge to hit him again in the face.
Marcus ignored him as well, “That's the weirdest thing about it, there has never been a cross specie mateship before”
“How do I know that you are not lying to me? I mean I can't feel any bond because I'm human” I asked.
“And why would be lying to become mates with a human?” Derek asked back almost immediately as he eyed me with disgust.
That's it, “If you have a problem with me being human, why don't you just end it then? Come on, reject me” I slammed back at him. He doesn't say a word, just kept staring at me with an unreadable look in his eyes.
“Please let's not make rash decisions that we might regret later. Mateship is a one chance thing, we only have one mate per lifetime so let's take things slowly and try to relate better okay?” Marcus mediated.
Both of us did not say anything, we just kept eyeing each other with anger. Marcus was cute and nice but Derek wasn't. Was it possible to dislike a mate? That's what I felt for him at the moment. I hate supernaturals who thought themselves too mighty to mingle with human. It was the reason we were living with our one eye closed and one eye open. And to think, humans didn't do anything to offend them, they just wanted to live a peaceful and happy life. The reason for Hunters coming into play in the first place was all because of the supernaturals oppression. My parent's death was their fault too.
Surely, it won't hurt me to get rejected but at least I will be free from an arrogant jerk and have in mind that I have just one wolf mate to deal with. And then Marcus would reject me too once he finds out I killed his brother and then I would be down to zero mates. Easy life.Marcus sighed, “Edna, I know deep down that you know we are all mates. You felt the tingle too even though you are human. And I don't have any problem with you being human, I just want to give this mateship a try” He said, his eyes were clear with genuineness that it brought butterflies to my stomach.
I ignored the feeling and said, “For your sake and your sake only, I'll think about it. Everything is all too confusing at the moment and I need some time to process everything” I said.
“Sure, I understand” He replied, his face a little brighter as he heard that I would think about it.
“I would like to go now please. Where is my bag?” I asked as I stood up from the stool I was sitting on.
“It's on the couch” Marcus said as he stood up as well. “I could drop you off at your place if you don't mind” he added, nervously.
I chuckled at how adorable he looked, “Don't worry, I can find my way on my own” I said as we both walked into the living room and I took my bag from the couch.
Derek followed us closely with a permanent frown on his face and I acted like I didn't care because I didn't. He was an infuriating arrogant but freakishly hot guy. Yeah, I totally didn't care.I waved Marcus goodbye as I left the mansion. Immediately I was out of sight, I opened my bag to see if anything was tampered with. Fortunately no, I took out my phone and turned it on.
The first thing I saw was 20 missed calls, from my boyfriend.
Shit, I'm in trouble.
Derek's voice brought me back to reality. "Anyway, we need your help. The hunters have become more organized and are becoming a real threat to our kind. We think they might be planning something big."I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need my help? You're a vampire, you can handle them, can't you?"Derek leaned forward. "We need your expertise. You're a hunter, and you've proven yourself to be quite capable."I smirked. "So you want me to hunt my own kind?"Derek shook his head. "No, we want you to help us find a way to stop them. We can't keep living like this, always in fear of being hunted down."I finished my pancakes and wiped my mouth with a napkin. "Fine. I'll help you. But don't expect me to be your ally. I'm still a hunter, and I still have my own agenda."Derek nodded. "We understand. We'll provide you with whatever resources you need."I stood up and stretched. "Good. Now, where's my bag?"Marcus stood up and led me to a nearby room, where my bag was sitting on a table. I qu
One evening, as I was leaving the meeting, one of the hunters, a young man named Deaton, approached me."Hey, Edna," he said, smiling at me. "Do you want to grab a drink with me?"I hesitated for a moment before nodding. I knew that I had to keep up appearances, and spending time with them outside of meetings was a good way to do so.One evening, as I was leaving the meeting, a young man named Deaton approached me. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his face was etched with pain."Hey, Edna," he said, smiling at me weakly. "Do you want to grab a drink with me?"I hesitated for a moment before nodding. I could tell that he needed someone to talk to, and I wanted to be there for him.We went to a nearby bar, the sound of clinking glasses and chatter filling the air. We sat down at a booth in the corner, and Deaton ordered a whiskey. As he took a sip, his eyes took on a faraway look, and I knew that he was about to share his story."My sister was killed by a vampire," he said, his voice rough
The next morning, as I approached the location that Damien had given me, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The night was eerily silent, and the full moon illuminated the area with an ominous glow.As I got closer, I could hear the sound of growling and snarling in the distance. I knew that the rogue werewolf was nearby.I slowly crept forward, keeping my senses sharp for any sign of danger. Suddenly, a massive figure leaped out from the darkness, landing in front of me with a loud thud. It was the rogue werewolf.The werewolf was massive and imposing, easily towering over me. It snarled and bared its sharp teeth, ready to attack.I quickly reached for my weapon, a sharp silver knife that I had hidden in my pocket. I had trained for years to use it, and I knew that it was my only chance of survival.The werewolf lunged forward, its claws outstretched. I dodged to the side, but it caught me off guard, and I stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding its attack.I regained my footing
As I entered the hunter's warehouse, Deaton greeted me with a warm smile. I felt a twinge of guilt in my chest as I smiled back at him, knowing that I was keeping a dangerous secret from the very people who had taken me in."Good morning, Deaton," I said as I walked towards him."Good morning, my dear," he replied, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I must say, you did a fine job taking down that vampire lair."I nodded, accepting the compliment but feeling uneasy inside. "Thank you, Deaton. It wasn't easy, but we managed to do it.""I had no doubt that you could handle it," he said with a grin. "You've got a strong spirit, and you're not afraid to face danger head-on."I forced a smile, hoping that Deaton wouldn't notice the turmoil I was feeling inside. "Thanks, Deaton. I appreciate your confidence in me."He looked at me for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Is everything alright, my dear? You seem a bit distracted."I hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether I should tell
Just then, I heard a loud noise coming from outside and wondered who it could be. The leader of the vampire clan stood up and wondered what could be going on. Suddenly, the door was kicked open and in came Marcus, followed closely by Derek.I was surprised. What did they want and what were they doing here?"We have come to save the damsel in distress," Derek said with a smirk."What are you doing here unannounced? You're not supposed to be here," the vampire leader asked, clearly agitated."What are you doing tormenting a human? Do you want to kill her?" Derek demanded. "We're not supposed to be touching any humans, but you have broken the rules and regulations that guard all supernatural beings."The vampire leader sneered. "We do what we want, vampire. And who are you to tell us what to do?"“We are supernatural beings." Marcus added, his tone stern and authoritative.The vampire leader scoffed. "Who are you to lecture us on rules and regulations? We are the superior beings here, no
The next day, as we were walking to their hideout, Marcus asked me if I was okay. I looked at him and then Derek, feeling a mix of confusion and suspicion. "You would have just allowed him to kill me," I said, "Why take my side and tell him you trust me? What if I betray you and kill all your clans? After all, I killed Damien." I asked again. “Do they already know my plans or they are just stupid monsters with a conscience?" I asked myself giving them a weird stare."You killed him to gain Gerald's trust," Derek said matter-of-factly."What if I did it to gain his trust and use him to do what I want?" I asked, trying to keep up the façade of being on their side while keeping my true motives hidden.Marcus looked at me with a hint of doubt in his eyes. "We understand the risks, but we also believe in giving people a chance to prove themselves," he said, his voice firm.I couldn't deny that there was something about Marcus and Derek that made me weak. They were both handsome, charismati
As I sank into the warm water, I let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long day, and a relaxing bath was just what I needed to unwind. The steam filled the small bathroom, fogging up the mirror and making it hard to see. I closed my eyes and let the warm water soothe my aching muscles.Suddenly, I heard a noise coming from the front door. My eyes snapped open, and I tensed up. I knew better than to let my guard down. I grabbed the knife that I always kept close to the bathtub and wrapped my robe tightly around me.As I approached the door, my heart was racing. Who could be coming to my apartment uninvited? My mind raced with possibilities - was it a hunter looking for revenge? Or perhaps a vampire seeking to take me out? I knew that my life was in danger every day, and I was always prepared for the worst.With a steady hand, I reached out to turn the doorknob. As I pushed the door open, a hand suddenly reached out and touched my shoulder. I reacted on instinct and swung the knife, r
As the night went on, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to shake off the events of the day. She kept replaying the scene in her mind, the moment when Derek had pushed Keith away from her. She couldn't help but wonder what his intentions were. Was he just trying to protect her, or did he have ulterior motives? She had heard stories of vampires using their seductive powers to lure humans in, and she didn't want to fall for any of it.She tried to distract herself by thinking of her revenge plan. She had been planning it for years, and she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of it. Not even the distraction of a handsome vampire who seemed to have a protective streak toward her. No, she couldn't let her guard down. She had to stay focused.But despite her attempts to push him out of her mind, she found herself thinking about Derek more and more. He was unlike any other vampire she had encountered. He didn't seem to be driven by the same bloodlust that others were. And he was un