The Hybrid King's Hidden Mate

Chapter 5: His Wolf

-Ronan-

She’s so much smaller than Adrianna, was all I could think as I stared at the woman before me. Yet there was no denying the truth any longer. The red eyes staring back at me proved her heritage. How was this possible? While I remained frozen, somewhere deep inside me, in the dark place my wolf had retreated to for hundreds of years, I felt him stir.

Are you back? I asked him.

He didn’t answer. As if having broken free from somewhere, he was forced to crawl forward, his interest growing within me. Then, finding what he sought, he spoke for the first time in so long: Mate!

His voice wasn’t as strong as when he had claimed Adrianna as his, but years of drowning in agony would weaken anyone. When I met the woman’s eyes again, I saw that she dared to look right at me, and she didn’t look pleased at all. Whether it was because of the bond between us or because she knew why I was here, I couldn’t tell. But she had nothing to fear from me. There was only one woman who—

What’s that scent? I wondered as something finally hit me: a sweet scent of chocolate. And it pleased me. Strange. I had never really liked chocolate, or sweets for that matter. Growing curious, I slowly crouched in front of the little hybrid, watching her eyes dart behind me, likely noticing that we weren’t alone. But no one would enter without my permission.

“What is your name?” I inquired before reaching out, taking some of her dark brown hair, feeling its softness and sniffing it.

I didn’t do it to be creepy. Scents revealed many things, and since the cell reeked from years of neglect, I merely wanted to know if she’d been treated well. But what I found worried me. Even she smelled bad. This is how they treat the last hybrid female? I growled inwardly. Ridiculous!

Suddenly, the little firecracker decided to spit on me. “F*ck you,” she growled.

For a moment, I was stunned. Never in my life had anyone dared to do that. But this woman, this tiny, furious creature, was clearly born with a fiery soul. Had she been a man, I would’ve made her one of my warriors. I slowly wiped the spit from my cheek, feeling a little annoyed.

“I’m going to ask again,” I stated. “What is your name?”

She responded by looking away. So I wrapped my hand around her jaw, forcing her to meet my gaze again, but it was a mistake. I had felt numb, cold even, for years. Yet one touch of her warm skin, and my entire body came to life. My blood rushed faster, heat pooling low, making me hard in an instant.

I hadn’t lived completely celibate since Adrianna died. I still needed blood, and those I drank from, I slept with as well. But I had never taken them into my bed, always keeping a distance. None of them had managed to fill the emptiness. In truth, they’d only left me more hollow, even slightly disgusted. This one, though… something deep inside me knew I wouldn’t feel so empty afterward.

“Tell me!” I growled.

She continued to stare back at me, refusing to bow. Very strong indeed, I concluded, and my wolf seemed even more pleased by it. But how would I make this one talk? My eyes shifted to the chains bolted to the wall behind her. Why would she tell me anything with those still around her wrists? Releasing her jaw, I reached for the chains and easily pulled them from the wall. She looked at me in confusion.

“That’s better, isn’t it?” I remarked.

She continued to stare at me, still appearing perplexed.

“Going to tell me your name now?”

She didn’t answer me, but I was okay with that. There was something almost calming merely looking at those same red eyes.

“Let me help you stand,” I offered.

I reached out my hand, hoping to show her that I wasn’t going to hurt her. She eyed it warily, but like a kitten not yet ready to trust its owner, she slowly placed her hand in mine. I was just about to lift her when she startled me, hissing, her fangs lengthening before my eyes. She moved so fast I wasn’t prepared. In an instant, she ripped down the collar of my jacket and shirt and sank her teeth into the side of my neck.