Fallen Mate

4 “Easy mate.”

Jesse felt like she was dreaming as she stared up at the handsomest stranger she’d ever seen. He had odd eyes. One was green while the other was red. She focused on them, trying to make sense of the strangeness. She’d never seen anyone with those kinds of eyes. Was he injured in the other eyes or something? It could happen. Since she was interested in becoming a doctor, she learned that there were a myriad of diseases that could affect a human out there.

But his red eye didn’t look like an infection. It was the colour of his iris. How odd? She thought a little fascinated.

Who was he anyway? And why was he holding her that way…was she in some house? She looked around her confused. She took in the room and then went back to the guy.

What the hell?

Why was she in someone else’s house? The last thing she remembered was she had been in her car on her way home. She had her books and everything she needed in the backseat to start her pre-med courses. How did she end up in someone’s house and in his arms?

Fear gripped her. She made a startled sound and tried to shove him off her.

“Easy mate,” he said softly, leaning close to her as if he wanted to kiss her. Jesse shoved him off confused.

“Don’t… touch me,” she said. He stared at her, his eyes looking hurt. For a second she thought that he wouldn’t let her go. But he did.

Which was a bad idea, because Jesse lost her balance and dropped. His strong arms came back around her and he settled her on the bed.

They stared at each other, and Jesse didn’t know what to make of him. But it didn’t matter. She had to go home. She didn’t understand how she got to be in someone else’s house. She turned and she thought she saw some girl in the mirror that faced the bed.

Jesse gasped, surprised.

“What?” he asked.

“There’s some girl in the mirror,” she said. He turned to it, and then looked at her worriedly. Jesse looked down at herself and screamed. What the hell?

“Oh s**t,” the guy said. “Don’t panic. I can explain.”

Explain what? Jesse shoved to her feet and ran to the mirror. She stared at herself. No. At the girl she’d seen in the mirror. Who was her…?

What was going on? Jesse raised her hand, and the girl’s body responded. She stared in the mirror, horrified. Her mind tried to make sense of what she was seeing. But nothing made sense. She must be dreaming. This was some kind of nightmare where you changed bodies or something.

“Tell me, I’m dreaming,” she said. “This has to be a dream. There’s no way this is happening.” She closed her eyes and opened them, and the girl was still there. Jesse screamed again.

“Shhh…don’t do that.”

Footsteps sounded outside, rushing to her room. The door opened just as a man with red eyes appeared in the room like some kind of ghost.

What? Jesse dropped to the floor and fainted.

***

Shit…

Triam watched as Cassia ran to his daughter. Oren burst through the door and ran to her too.

“Fallen? Fallen?”

“What happened?” Oren asked as he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He lay her down and turned to Cassia.

Fuck, Triam groaned from his position in the tree and knew his chance to see her tonight was over. There was no way her fathers were going to let him spend time with Jesse without him having to explain what happened. And he didn’t want to talk about his mate yet because he didn’t understand what was going on. How she came to be drawn into Fallen’s body?

Did she really eat her? Triam shook his head. He’d never heard of such a thing happening or a superhuman being who could do that. He touched his chest as his heart ached for his human mate. She had been so terrified to see herself in another’s body.

How the hell was he going to explain to her what was happening?

Triam stared at the window, and wished he didn’t have to leave her there. But he was sure Fallen would return now that she had fainted. That was how Jesse appeared. Fallen fainted.

He didn’t want to see her, Triam thought venomously.

At that moment, he hated Fallen with all of his heart. How could she take what was his? He clenched his hands into fists, feeling like hurting her so that she could feel the pain he felt. But his mate was inside her. He couldn’t hurt her.

Triam shook his head, feeling like he was going crazy. f**k, he couldn’t hurt Fallen. She was his cousin. But he couldn’t forgive what she’d done.

He dropped down from the tree and walked back home. The spirits followed him, silently.

He turned and stared at them. They were never silent.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked them. They looked at each other and shook their heads. Triam shrugged and ran home. He jumped into his room through the window and pulled his hoody off. He walked to the bed.

His phone started to ring on the bedside table. He picked it up and stared at it.

Fucking Kelani.

What the f**k did he want?

“I hope you stayed away from my mate,” he said smoothly. Triam snarled. “I know you were there when I left her. You went into her room.”

“So?”

“So, you and I need to talk. Or this might end badly.”

Triam laughed. He would like to see him try.

“You think this is funny?” his voice went hard. Triam could tell that he was close to turning into that beast of his. He growled, answering in kind. “This is not a game vampire. She’s my mate.”

“Then your mate shouldn’t have taken something from me.” Triam bit out. He dropped down on the bed as his heart ached all over again – his mate’s scared eyes floated in his mind. That was the only thing he had of her, her blue gleaming eyes. He’d never know anything else, because her human body was gone. But her soul, her soul was there in the Fallen…that’s all he had left. Triam stared down at his feet as it suddenly hit him again that he’d lost his mate. Tears filled his eyes. He dropped the phone on the bed as everything inside him hurt. But rage took over all over again – Fallen…he clenched his hands into fists as he thought of her.

He had to find a way to keep his mate. He didn’t know how. But he’d find a way. He sat there until the sun rose and filtered into his room. He got up and walked to the bathroom. He quickly took a shower. Once he was done, he made his way downstairs. His mom was in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

“Did you go out last night?” she asked as he walked in. Triam paused and stared at her. He could see the worry in her eyes even though she tried hard to hide it. She’d been worried about him since he was a child, and the worry never stopped. Since he was a hybrid, she was kind of scared of his power, never knowing what he’d become.

“Yes, I went out,” Triam said to keep her from worrying. “I didn’t go far. Just wanted some air.” He kept the other stuff that happened to himself. His parents would go crazy if they knew what happened. He was still reeling.

“Okay,” she said.

His father walked in that very minute. He slapped him on his back as he walked to his mom. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight for a second. Triam stared at them feeling his heart aching.

He clenched his hands into fists. He wanted his f*****g mate. He turned to the door.

“Are you leaving? You should eat first,” his mom said.

“I’m not hungry,” he said, waving to her. He walked out of the house and ran to the forest where Fallen’s house was, pulled by the need to see his mate again. He wanted to be there when she woke up. He stared up the window to the bedroom and was about to jump up when the door opened.

“Triam?” his uncle called.

Triam internally groaned, before turning to face him.

“What are you doing here so early? Is everything okay with…”

“Dad is fine. I…” he searched for something to say. He had no reason to be there so early. He couldn’t reveal that he came to see the soul in Fallen. He bit the inside of his mouth, looking around him. He saw vampires gathering in the field just a bit off the house. Since his goddess grandmother created the land that his uncle lived, they could walk in the sun. The sun didn’t burn their skin. And his vampires could train outside. “I came to join the army,” Triam said without thinking. He turned to his uncle to see the shock in his eyes.

“What? You’re a prince, and your father is the future king of vampires. You don’t have to join the army,” he said.

Triam smiled as the idea took root in his mind. This was the best way to be close to Fallen without suspicion. “I think I have to. How can I be a prince of vampires when I don’t even know my people? I should learn a bit more about them, don’t you think? I’m half vampire after all.”

Cassia stared at him contemplatively.

“Should I ask dad?” he asked.

“No, that’s fine,” he conceded. “We’re starting our training. You should go and join them.”

Triam nodded and walked to the group of vampires gathering in the field. They gave him looks as he walked amongst them. Many knew who he was. His father and grandfather were legendary – well, more like vicious and merciless. He could tell they wondered if he was the same.

He flicked his tongue over his fangs that set next to his sharp canines. He guessed they would find out soon enough.

Triam rubbed his wrists as he stood in line and stared at the house. He wondered if Fallen had woken up yet, and Jesse… he’d have to find a way to bring her out.

“Alright, let’s get started,” Cassia said, coming to a stop in the middle of his vampires. “We have a new member today. You all know him, right?”

“We do,” they said in unison.

“Let’s treat him kindly and…” Cassia began. Triam raised his hand and stopped him.

“I’m not looking for special treatment,” he said. “You don’t have to change anything for me. I’m here to train with the army.”

Cassia gave him a quelling look.

Your father is going to kill me if something happens, he said in his mind. Triam hid a smile as he heard his thought.

Cassia shook his head and turned to his army. “To the tree.”

They moved teleporting and fighting to climb the tallest tree in the forest. Triam winked at his uncle and teleported so fast the vampires gasped. They shook off their shock and rushed after him. He appeared at the tree, but they were close behind him. They grabbed him, attacking him as one. They fought him, their punches landing harder than he’d thought. Triam growled and viciously turned on them. He threw a fist, meeting one and then another. His blood boiled and he could feel his fangs lengthening and his vampire side rising with every punch that he threw. He bit into his bottom lip and tasted his blood.

His veins burned at the taste of the blood. Power surged through him. Triam gasped, and he watched himself, as if in a dream, beat the vampires. Others stood and watched him, in awe.

He fought hard. They dropped to the ground, and he climbed up the tree, reaching the top before they could recover. He stood up on a branch, breathing deep.

What the hell was that? He asked himself, staring down at the bloody vampires below.

Damn, he’d gone crazy there for a second. But he couldn’t think deeply about that. His mom had always feared that he might be a bit off…that his power was too much. Maybe she was right.

Don’t think about it, he told himself. He had to find a way to be with his mate. That was the most important thing.

He teleported back to his uncle.

“You really want to do this?” he asked.

“Yes,” he said. His eyes drifted to the house. Fallen stood at the front door. She stared at him with her strange eyes. And he hated her even more. “I want to do it to reach my vampire side.” He said, telling the truth. But most of all, he wanted his mate…