The Hybrid Champion

Alone

Julian POV

The journey felt longer than it was, but luckily, I had the best travelling companion. There was just something about her that could brighten even the most mundane of tasks. After finally arriving in the village and stabling the horses, we were directed to a quaint inn by the stable hand.

We were to be under the guise that we were newlyweds, which I did not mind at all. I could not help but imagine what life would be like if we actually were. There was a point in time, it seems like centuries ago, that I thought she would be my fated.

From the moment we left the kingdom with her that night when I was a boy, I felt the need to protect her. At first, I thought it may just be my sense of duty to the great kingdom and the king and queen. But as time went on, as we grew together, I became enamored with her.

She had a magnetic pull about her. The way her eyes shone with a fiery determination when she spoke of something she was passionate about was captivating. She was able to comfort the most broken of souls, always having the right words. She was powerful, determined, headstrong (almost to a fault), and not to mention drop dead gorgeous.

She was petite, at only 5’2”, she was over a foot shorter than me and her frame was tiny but muscular, and she had curves that could make even a king fall to his knees. She had the most beautiful black hair and striking indigo eyes. Any man with a pulse, or even without one, would be a fool not to fall for her. I craved her presence constantly, and so, I never left her side.

Over the years, the infatuation seemed to dwindle. She thought of me only as a family member, a brother. I could never bring myself to confess to her how I truly felt. But I so often wonder how things would be if I would have had the courage to.

We were placed in the same quarters, which I suppose helped to keep up the charade. After settling in, I helped her dress for dinner. The inn keep had raved about how delicious the food was and we had not stopped for a meal on the journey, so we were famished.

As we readied to leave the room, my eyes lingered on her. She was breathtaking in a midnight blue gown that drew life into her already gorgeous eyes. We headed downstairs to the tavern but as we descended the stairs, I saw her freeze and look around as if she were in search of something she had lost. Just as quickly as I had noticed her odd behavior, it was gone. She continued and we found a table to sit at.

The food was divine and if she had not already had it in mind, I would have made sure to thank the inn keep for the lovely meal. As she was thanking him and praising the chef lightheartedly, the inn keep mentioned that we had just missed the “king” as we were coming down.

I heard her audibly gulp and saw the blood drain from her features. She had a far-off look in her eyes, as if she were warring with herself. I hated to see her in such despair. I had to do something. I know that she is always at peace outdoors and a bit of fresh air might do her well.

“Come, let us get some air”, I said, offering her my arm so I could escort her outside.

We left the tavern and as we began to walk toward the woods and were a distance away from the tavern, I saw her inhale deeply, as if this were the first time she was taking in air. She was adorable and I could not help the chuckle that escaped me before I said

“Calm down my queen, we could not have known he would be here, that was something only the Sibling Gods could have known and they placed us here for a reason. If you ask me, that was their sign that we are on the path we are meant to be on.”

We stopped walking for a moment and stood under the shelter of a tree at the edge of the forest. She raised her head and opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, but she just stopped.

She stood there staring at me with an indistinguishable look on her face. I stared right back into her phenomenal eyes, searching for a hint of what was going through her mind.

I was entranced by her beauty for the millionth time. It never ceased to amaze me how absolutely enamoring she was. As if it were a second-natured impulse, I raised my hand and pulled a strand of her silk-like hair away from her face and tucked it safely behind her ear.

She leaned into my touch as I rested my hand on her cheek and I could not resist any longer. I found myself being pulled towards her. I leaned in closer to her with the intent of claiming her lips at last.

I had only imagined this moment for centuries. The distance between us felt like the span of an ocean as my lips moved to meet hers. Time seemed to slow to a near halt as I considered why I had never done this before.

I was completely in love with her but had never shown it to her. Why? For my fear, of course. I feared that if I were to give in, to tell her of my feelings, to kiss her, I would have to submit to the reality of the outcome.

What if she did not feel the same? What if she were repulsed by my confession and ordered me away from her? What if I kissed her and the suspicions I had of her being my fated were confirmed to be false? I do not think I could live in a reality where I knew she would never belong with me.

I was happy enough just to be by her side. I did not want to ruin this reality. I would rather live in a world where there was a possibility, a fantasy that she was mine, that she felt as I do.

Her lips were so close that I could feel her breath intermingle with mine. Before I could make a mistake, I abruptly stopped. “We should return to the inn. It has been dark for quite some time and you must be exhausted from the journey.” I said as I pulled away reluctantly and put a small distance between us. I offered my arm to her and she accepted it. I escorted her back to the inn and we retired to our quarters for the evening.

Adelaide POV

“We should return to the inn. It has been dark for quite some time and you must be exhausted from the journey.” I was shaken from the trance by his words.

Just as soon as it arose, the warmth I felt between us, the almost magical feeling as he neared my lips, was gone. I was such a fool. Why had I thought he was going to kiss me? He sees me as a little sister he needs to protect. There was no world in which he would choose me.

Part of me was disappointed, there was always a hope in the pit of my heart that he would kiss me, and I would turn out to be his fated. He was the person I trusted the most with every aspect of my being.

I never let anyone know but, I longed for my other half. The Moon Goddess blessed each of her creations with the exact piece of their soul that would complete them, with a mate. I had been here for two hundred years and still had not found my missing piece.

I felt as though I had an emptiness that would never be filled. So, to distract from my longing, I hyper focused on my revenge. I trained night and day, I built an army, a family, to help me right the wrongs done to my parents and my people.

I devoted my life to caring for the people of the family I had built and readying them for when the time came that we would return to our rightful home. Now, as the day drew so near, I was terrified.

What would be left for me after? My entire existence had been in service to my plan, to the plan of the Sibling Gods. But what was I to do after I had accomplished the goal they set me out to achieve? I would not be of any further use once the kingdom was once again at peace. I took his arm and we headed back to the inn as a million thoughts rushed through my head.

Julian was helping me to undress and I suppose I was doing nothing to hide the distant look of longing on my face.

“My queen, talk to me, what is the matter?” he asked me with concern riddling his features.

I suppose there is no harm in confiding in the man who has stayed loyally by my side my entire life. We were family, and families were able to speak shamelessly to one another.

“Do you think the Goddess created a mate for me?”

I saw hurt flash through his eyes before he composed himself and very sternly said “Of course she created a mate for you. It is foretold that you are to rule with your love at your side.”

“Then why have I not yet found him?” I asked, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

“Ady...” He said, pulling me into a comforting hug “Why do you cry? You have never once spoken of trying to find your destined mate. Why, all of the sudden, does it trouble you?”

“I don’t want to be alone when all of this is over.” I stated plainly as I let the tears fall freely down my cheeks and released a sorrowful sob into his chest.

He cradled my head as I let out all of my fears and doubts. Suddenly, he lifted me into his strong arms as though I were a feather and carried me to the bed. He laid me down and climbed into the bed with me, drawing me close to him. He covered us both with the quilt and stroked my hair as I continued to sob silently.

Eventually, I was exhausted and did not have anything left in me to let out. Noticing that I was finally calm, Julian leaned down and kissed my forehead and whispered “If there is anyone in this world that deserves love, it is you. You will never be alone.” With that, I let my body relax and drift away.

Before I was completely consumed by darkness, I could have sworn that I heard Julian whisper “I love you, my queen.”