The Hybrid Royal

Mate

Gwendolyn

As I near our cabin I didn't see Chandler or Jacob anywhere. They must still be out looking. The storm has got to be making it harder to find Noni. Just as the thought crosses my mind, the rain almost comes to a complete stop. Now there is only drizzle. I breathed out a sigh of relief and thanked the moon goddess for reading my thoughts. Now I am more concerned about my brothers. Jacob went into the woods where the Vamwolfs disappeared and has not returned. It seems like it's been forever to me. What if something happened?! I immediately scolded myself for the thought. To have peace of mind, I decide it's just best to go check it out for myself. I imagine shifting into my vampire and just like that I feel a little pain as my bones start to rearrange, but it isn't that painful and takes seconds. Thank the Moon Goddess for my bloodline! That really should take longer and be more painful until I have practiced it more.

"Okay you can do this," I told myself aloud and, went in the direction of the woods.

Stopping at the treeline, I try to decide my best course of action. Should I just stalk right in there or perhaps try taking the trees?

I realize I didn't have time to if Jacob was in trouble so I carefully and quietly made my way into the woods, watching out for leaves and twigs that would give my location away. I notice my senses are definitely heightened, as it seems I can hear everything in the quiet forest. In the distance, I hear footsteps and a wonderful smell wafts towards me. It almost smells like homemade cookies straight out of the oven. It is intoxicating. It is coming from the same direction as the footsteps, so I start following them both. My heart is racing but I'm really really hoping I'm just about to find Jacob. Or even Noni. Maybe she decided to chase the Vamwolfs. She is definitely not scared of anything! It could be a possibility. I still need to be careful though, because it's a good chance it's not her at all. This moving slowly and stalking through the woods is taking forever. I need to try to use my super speed, at least until I'm closer. I'm not really sure how to do it so I take a few deep breaths and close my eyes imagining using super speed to be where I need to be. Noni always taught us to imagine ourselves doing it first, then make it a reality. I open my eyes as the noise seems very close and am startled to see I'm in a different part of the woods! Wow, this imagining into reality really works! I didn't even feel myself move. I am startled, but the sudden loud close noises scare me back into the mission at hand. Also, the cookie smell is almost overpowering. What the hell are they doing baking cookies out here?! I quietly move behind a tree very close to the noises and try to silently climb up it. I make it to a branch high off the ground that gives me a perfect view of the Vamwolfs below me.

Below me, my eyes set on the most handsome, intriguing man I've ever seen. He is sitting but he has a large frame with very light blonde hair and muscles upon muscles on his frame. He was beautiful, if you could call a man beautiful.

"But our father," he says and upon hearing his voice clearly for the first time, I almost fell out of my branch.

It was deep but somehow sensual. I wanted nothing more than to hear him speak more.

"Alpha, we can't go back for anyone. You saw what happened," the other Vamwolf speaks and I study her almost jealous she gets to speak with this beautiful man. She is tall and gorgeous. Long wild light blonde hair and, since she was standing facing my direction, I saw bright green eyes.

"We have to go get his body and send it into the afterlife the proper way so he may be reunited with mother," the man says sadly, and I almost feel my heart breaking for him.

"We can't! You saw they have powerful magic there and a royal," the gorgeous woman replied.

"It was probably Titus! I know he betrayed father and enchanted him to go along with this stupid plan and got him killed," the Alpha growled, and the intensity of the growl made me shiver a little. I wasn't scared of him, but I was attracted to the power of his voice and aura.

Although I felt my heart aching for this young Alpha, I also grew instantly filled with rage upon the mention of Titus. I don't care if this man's father was enchanted or not. This pack attacked MY home and they took MY Noni and for that I would make them pay. I started shaking with rage. Unfortunately, the shaking caused me to lose balance and I felt myself start to fall.Great, was my thought as I tumbled to the ground.

Trace POV

I was arguing with my Beta, my sister Teresa, when we both heard something in the branches above us. I looked up just as a big wolf landed beside us. It was a female. The most beautiful female wolf I had ever laid eyes on. Midnight blue. I don't think I've ever seen such a blue wolf. Her eyes were a dangerous violet shade that went right with her intense stare of hatred. I immediately shifted into my wolf, as had Teresa.

Mate! my wolf howled in my head as I stood looking into the eyes of the intruder.

What?! This can't be my mate! I can't even smell her and she looks like she's about to murder us!

That's our mate! he purrs in my mind.

My wolf wanted to go be by our mate's side and nuzzle her, but I held him back. Instead, I shifted back and glared right back at the intruder and let out a growl.

What are you doing here? And tell me the truth," I demanded, using my Alpha aura to try to get this wild wolf to submit.

The wolf only stared at me with her murderous eyes.

"Shift back now" I commanded.

Teresa suddenly shifted back as well and had a dagger in her hands.

"The Alpha asked you a question Trepasser," Teresa snarled.

" He is not MY Alpha. I have no Alpha."

The wolf was somehow mindlinking us even though she was not from our pack, and my Alpha voice and aura had absolutely no effect on her. She looked just as vicious as ever.

"Let's show her our undying love and devotion. Maybe that would work better than just demanding answers of her," my inner wolf pleaded.

No! We don't know her. Perhaps she was sent by Titus to bewitch us or distract us," I responded in my head.

"TITUS!"

I hear the wild wolf mind linking me again.

"I would NEVER work with him! Where is he?! I'll rip his throat out" the strange wolf's voice boomed in my mind.

I was stunned. Not only was this wolf able to mindlink us though she was not part of my pack, she could also listen in to the conversation between my wolf and I. No one was able to do that. Unless.... she's a royal! I immediately bowed my head in submission and respect.

"What are you doing?" Teresa mind linked me.

"She's a royal! She just mindlinked us and was able to hear the conversation between myself and my wolf."

Teresa followed suit and bowed her head as well. Her eyes almost bulged out of her head.

"Please forgive us, your Majesty. We did not realize! We never wanted to attack your people. Our father was the Alpha. He died in the fighting. The wizard Titus tricked him into having our pack attack yours," Teresa pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

The midnight blue wolf stopped growling and stared at us. Tears formed in her eyes. She walked over to me and used her snout to lift my chin, and then did the same to Teresa. Then she stepped back in front of me. A spark shone in her eyes and then she nuzzled my hand for a moment with her face.

"What the hell was that," Teresa asked in mind link.

"That is my mate," I stated simply.

My wolf was barely able to contain himself after getting to be near and touch his mate.

"Look how strong and forgiving my mate is! She's beautiful! She's Royal," he said as he pranced around in my mind.

"What is your name," the beautiful wolf mind linked as she stared into my eyes.

"Trace."

"Well, what the heck were those sparks, Trace? Did Titus bewitch you as well, so I would feel this pull towards you?!"

" What?! NO! No no no! We are mates," my wolf linked her back.

"We cannot be mates! I am a vampire from the Blue Blood Clan! Our mates are always found within our own clan," she replied.

"She must have hit her head hard during the fall," my wolf reasoned as we stared at the wolf in front of us, not a vampire.

"Umm, I think you must be confused. You are not who you think you are," I tried to soothe the wolf in front of me.

She looked bewildered as her eyes seemed to take in her furry paws beneath her. Then she shifted right in front of our eyes.

Suddenly, there was a naked girl standing in front of us. She tried to hide herself with her hands. She was breath taking. Bright milky white skin the moon radiated off of. Almost as if she was glowing. Long midnight blue hair with a silver streak and her eyes now a captivating mix of blue and violet. She was very small, maybe 5'2.

"She's shaking! We must comfort her," my wolf demanded, slightly taking control and walking towards our mate.

I handed her my shirt and she quickly put it on.

" Hey, it's okay. Just calm down. I think you might have hit your head," I said as my arms went around her.

" Don't touch me," she shrieked, pulling away.

I realized then that she was shaking with rage. Her cold eyes told me as much. She wasn't cold, or afraid, or vulnerable.

"I am a vampire of the Blue Blood Clan and we will have our revenge for Noni," she shouted.

I felt sorry for my poor mate. So confused.

I tried to pull her into my arms once again to comfort the poor thing. As soon as my hands reached her, she started to shift again.

Good, her wolf was a lot nicer than her human. That isn't what emerged though. I stepped back as she grew tall, sharp fangs emerged from her mouth, long dangerous talons came from her fingernails, and her hair turned completely white.

"She's a vampire now," Teresa whispered, frightened.

I, myself, was quite shocked and I didn't even have time to react as she swiped me with her talons. Pain and blood started flowing from my body. She also made a face full of pain, grabbed her side, and ran back into the forest.

Teresa started taking off after her.

"Teresa, NO," I shouted.

" She just attacked you!" Teresa retorted furiously.

" It's not fatal and that's my mate," I growled.

" How did she do that? I've never seen that before? I mean we are half and half and most of us are just wolves with some vampire abilities, but she has BOTH," Teresa started spouting wildly.

" I don't know... I've never seen it before either. One minute she's a wolf, the next she's a full blown vampire," I replied, scratching my head.

"I think Titus was right! Magical Royal wolf/vampire mix," Teresa exclaimed, still trying to process what had just gone down.

"Please Teresa, we need to keep this between ourselves right now. That is my mate, whether she accepts me or not, my wolf has already chosen her. I cannot put her in any danger. We must protect her," I roared out.

"Yes Alpha," Teresa responded, bowing her head.

"Yeah who cares what she is," my wolf said happily.

"She is ours! We could have gotten anyone, but lucky for us we are paired with such a strong, beautiful mate!"

" Unfortunately, that means everyone will be hunting her," I replied, scared for my mate.

Then my blood started boiling. Everyone will try to kill MY mate! I don't think so! Over my dead body!

"Over OUR dead body," my wolf growled in agreement.

"First things first. We need to find all of our remaining pack and let them know this was a fool's errand and we were tricked. We need to get them to safety, and then discuss future plans," I commanded, and Teresa nodded in agreement.