THE HYBRID MATES

VAMPIRES AND TRUTH

CHAPTER #7

“VAMPIRES AND TRUTH”

MEREDITH’S POV:

As Evan lifted me out of the car, cradled in his arms as he steadily exited as well, I glanced up to see a dreary grey sky. Everything about this place was wrong, it was evil and sinister, my senses were going wild. As Evan adjusted me into his arms and turned to face the entrance of the castle, that’s when I saw the sight that made my heart fall. I could feel the color leaving my face, my mouth begins to gape open, my eyes widen at the sheer shock of who and what stood before me. If I had believed things were back before, nothing could have prepared me for what I was laying eyes on now.

“Bonjour Meredith.” A low grating voice cooed at me from the top of the stone stairs. The face I had never expected to see, nor had I ever wanted to see again stood smiling at me, glaring down at me with a wickedly mischievous grin.

“Montague.” I hissed in a muted whisper, my voice hoarse from the array of medications I had been injected with over the unknown period I had been unconscious. He smiled with amusement at my recognition of him, and Evan froze in his tracks, staring down at me with bewilderment.

“You know him?” he asked me, his mustache characteristically twitching over his lip. I frowned and nodded slowly. I heard Montague clasp his hands together, as he stepped aside from the open door.

“Come in, come in.” he welcomed, staring at me with a hunger that terrified me to the core. Evan had not brought me here to sell me, had he? Was I an offering to this shady bastard as a midnight meal? I felt my heart begin to race, as I clamped my eyes closed tightly, knowing I needed to get my heartbeat under control as vampires could hear it! I felt Evan begin to walk up those imposing stone steps and I wanted to wail out loud, at this moment in time I could literally slap myself for denying and refusing my own mate. How foolish I had been, how stupid! I was still weak however, and attempting any spell, or attempting to escape would be futile. I knew I was at the mercy of anything they wanted to do to me.

“Come into the drawing room, second door to the left from the foyer.” Montague’s voice echoed, “We have many things to discuss.” Evan strode quickly down the hallway until we entered a dark room. The curtains were drawn, the silk antique wall coverings were a rich blood red with gold and black paisley designs, and a rich redwood wainscot on the lower half of the wall. The furniture was old and heavy walnut, richly carved, gothic style per the style of the house. I frowned as Evan gently sat me into a tall backed carved chair, nearest the fireplace. Montague followed us and took a seat across from me, the Dhampir beside Montague and Evan pulled a chair matching mine, beside me.

“It’s nice to know you remember me, Meredith.” Montague began. I could feel my eyes burning with hatred into his, however his black orbs shined with amusement. Montague was an ancient vampire, from what I knew about him, he was close to 650 years old. Memory served, that he had been turned by the ancient Ambrogio, who was responsible for the first vampire clan founded in Florence Italy during the first Black Death of Europe in the mid 1300’s.

“It tis unfortunate.” I snapped in retort as I returned my attention to the vampires. Lord Montague was a frighteningly handsome man, he appeared to be in his mid-forties, with a slightly wrinkled forehead, a tightly trimmed beard and mustache with a thick head of walnut hair, similar color of my own hair. He was a thinner man, well-built nonetheless, with chiseled features, but the most alluring thing about him was his radiant gray eyes. It gave him the illusion of being human and is what made him so deadly.

“This is Ralph Sabello of New York. Although his family all originated from Florence. As I’m sure you know I have close ties to Florence? Yes?” I pursed my lips at him as I glanced at the dark haired, black eyed, soulless Dhampir causally smiling at me.

“A Dhampir if I am correct.” I snorted with distaste, and I noticed the fiend raise his eyebrows at me, slightly impressed.

“Our little witch is very smart. I have never been called out before.” His thick New York accent made him sound like one of the mobsters in the movie Godfather. My eyes met his, and although I was fearful, I allowed my hatred to burn.

“Tis because you have no soul. A fool could see through it.” I could slowly begin to feel my strength returning to me. Although I wouldn’t chance to stand at this point, I was able now to raise my head defiantly. I heard the Dhampir chuckle and watched him slap the old vampire cheerily on the top of the shoulder.

“She is magnificent!” he roared, utterly pleased for some reason. However, one moment, his cheerfulness fell, and an evil haze filtered over his features. “You will be our greatest ally, our greatest treasure once we fully control you.” And I noticed an angry growl stemming from Evan, and Montague placed a hand of unease upon the young man’s leg.

“Admiring such beauty is acceptable, but we will never own this fine mademoiselle… oh, how easily I forget, Madame.” The soft gray eyes stared into mine menacingly.

“I belong to no one, I am mated to no one, I a married to no one.” I countered irritably, as the handsome vampire stood and walked over to an antique buffet, opened a drawer, and picked up a lovely handheld mirror. He turned and walked over to me, pulling my sweatshirt away from the crook between my shoulder and neck. He flashed the mirror onto my bare skin, only to reflect that my ivory skin hosted a tattooed mark of a howling wolf branded by an A that had a line that falls from the tip of the center, down to the lower horizon. I had never seen, nor did I recognize that symbol.

My mouth gaped open as I stared at the foreign mark. It still had a purple hue and some redness circling it, so that told me the mark was probably less than 36 hours old. I struggled back into my own mind to remember the current order of events. Now I knew how old the mark was, how long I had been in Evan’s hands, but what happened, how did I end up in his grasp to begin with?

FLASHBACK:

I thought back to before I had been marked, do I remember being marked? Not really. I remember being at Evelyn’s cabin, preparing the warriors alongside my uncle, the Alpha King Ethan Ryan. There was something about my mate… my mate? That’s right, I did have a mate! But I knew the mark that I wore was not his, I could sense it.

I remember my mate Ryder had asked me to go with him on a brief walk the evening before we planned on ambushing the rogues.

“Come for a walk with me.” he murmured. His voice had been husky and I remember wanting to get out of it, not really feeling comfortable being alone with him.

“I promised your grandmother tea.” I retorted.

“I deserve to take a walk with my mate so that we can talk.” His words were firm, yet kind, nonetheless. Reluctantly, I agreed to join him, as I had realized he would not take no for an answer.

“Evelyn, I’ll be back shortly. Takin a wee walk.” I told Evelyn before I strolled quickly off the porch. I wasn’t like a wolf, I was a witch, I didn’t need a mate. I didn’t need another soul to make me complete or to strengthen me as a person. I was confident in my own abilities having been raised by one of the most extraordinary Celtic witches that had ever lived.

“You know, when we find Britty, I intend to return home. There be no future here with you for me.” I had told him, although Ryder had seemed somewhat undeterred by my words.

“I will follow you to the end of the earth Meredith. I have no ties anywhere.” He had responded without a hint of hesitation.

“We be too different. Tis won’t work between us.” I muttered, and that’s when he took his liberties, swinging me around into his arms. He was so handsome, even though I was reluctant on so many levels, I could never deny how incredibly attractive he was. His boyish sandy blonde hair, his soft sage green eyes, his tan, lean muscular body.

His eyes met mine, and I recall his eyes flashing to a light gold, as his wolf rose to the surface, and he captured my lips in a passion formed kiss. His kiss was soft yet demanding. I could feel soft sparks of electricity racing under my skin, a feeling often described by werewolves when they found their mates. He traced his tongue onto my bottom lip, looking for entrance, and I found myself obliging him eagerly. He leaned into me more closely and I couldn’t restrain the moan that escaped my mouth. Then he said those four little words that brought me back to my sanity and I froze.

“I love you so much.” he breathed huskily. A sudden coldness embraced my body as I gently pushed him away.

‘No.”

“What’s wrong?” He was rightly confused and broken by my reaction. I could see the pain in his eyes, but I knew I needed to stay strong. Despite me feeling the bond, I knew I needed to return to my homeland. I didn’t belong here.

“You don’t love me. You think you love me. The only reason your attracted to me is because of the mate bond.” I said somberly, slowly backing away from him even more.

“The mate bond does have an immense factor in this, although I would be attracted to you mate bond or not.” He was resigned, but his determination to win was powerful. “But what you don’t understand is that it goes so much farther than those simple words, those feelings, and the attraction. The mate bond is more than a spell, its fate. The Moon Goddess gifted each one of us the second part of our soul. You just happen to be mine, and I am yours.” He attempted to reach my hand out for my hand when a cold breeze swept over us, forcing me to shutter. I needed to get away from him as quickly as possible.

“I just can’t.” I began sobbing, spinning around, running into the forest, and that was how I found myself sitting on the rock, leaving myself open to Evan James. I hadn’t wandered too far away from Evelyn’s cabin, but had I kept my senses about me, I would have gone back to the cabin.

As I sat on that large boulder near the rushing creek, I could sense him. Granted there were nearly a hundred wolves surrounding this immediate area. But it was a feeling, a sinister inkling that caused me to look up.

“I know you are here.” A beautiful grey wolf stepped out of the cluster of trees, into the small opening just before the boulder I was sitting on. The wolf lowered himself onto his belly and whined at me like an innocent puppy. I had been crying over the entire ordeal and wiped the tears from my face as I stood up. The wolf that was groveling at me was a soft gray with black and white points through his fur, and stunning gold eyes.

“Ye be a pretty wolf.” For some unknown reason, I had no fear of this wolf. I patted his head gently, and he affectionately shoved his nose into my hand. I remember wanting to know who this wolf was and waved my hand over his head.

“Subcinctus.” I mumbled and I heard the wolf yelp. The next thing I knew, a butt-naked man sat before me on the forest floor.

“Can’t say I ever had anything like that happen to me.” he grumbled as he stood slowly. I waved my hand once again, exuded soft cotton knit fabric of sweatpants onto the man’s lower body.

“Thanks.” he told me in a surprised tone. And that was when I began to realize the amount of danger, I was in.

“Who are you? Are you alone?” I asked firmly. He simply sneered and took a couple of slow steps towards me once he stood up.

“What are you doing wandering around the Freeland in the middle of the night? A wolf is better suited than a lady alone.” That was an honest question, yet his tone was prelude to danger.

“Just thinkin. But be not worried about me. I can hold me own.” I answered attempting to maintain my calm.

“Indeed.” You are related to that Princess person that went missing a month or so back? I heard she had funny accent too.” He teased, slowly moving more closely to me, and that’s when I began to realize that I had allowed myself to get backed up to a tree.

“Why would you ask me that when you already know.” He knew who he was, I had finally associated everything as he grinned wickedly and sprung forward, capturing me within his grasp.

“Such a brave little witch and so pretty…” as the memory surfaced in my mind, I felt my eyes begin to well up with tears. This was all my fault. I was guilty of putting myself into a situation where I could be taken. There was no one else to blame, and that’s when I realized who was holding me within his clutches.

“Evan James.” I immediately knew I needed to take action and as I allowed my characteristic glow to begin to spread from my fingers, Evan had wasted no time in piercing his fangs into my neck. The pain had been overwhelming, as he had not had permission and was not my fated mate. I attempted to recoil, to whirl away, however it only made the pain more violent and tore my flesh deeper.

“f**k you.” I remember snapping at him, still in his arms, before I fell into darkness. And that was the last thing that I remember.

END OF FLASHBACK:

I felt my lip quiver as my memories had exploded into my mind. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to keep it together once I realized what had happened to me. Despite my best attempt, my heart began to race, and that was when Montague stood and backed away.

“Andre…” he called hoarsely, and within moments, a tall slender blonde man hurried into the room.

“Madame needs to calm, and rest. Take her and Monsieur to their rooms. We will reconvene for dinner at 6pm and complete our discussion.” I had a strong recognition as to why I was being sent away, however I was feeling relieved as Evan gathered me into his arms and proceeded to follow the servant out of the room. Perhaps this was my chance to finally get out of here, as I would do anything to save myself at this point.