The Hybrid Mate

Chapter 9

Izzy was not comfortable at all with Ezekiel's plan, but she understood the necessity for pretense and secrecy. He emphasized that they would start with Plan A wherein Izzy was to pretend to be the housekeeper and cook. But if the situation went awry, then Plan B was the fallback, the one where she was to pretend to be Ezekiel's mate.

Ezekiel also said he did not want Sebastian to kill him afterwards, so public displays of affection were to be minimal, but still convincing. He warned Izzy that Jaden Thorne was always suspicious about everything, so they had to play their cards right.

As they drove uphill toward the house, they met the other SUV that Joshua drove coming down on the opposite side. Both SUVs stopped alongside each other and after rolling down the windows, Ezekiel asked,

"Where are you guys headed? I thought we all had to be at the house?"

Joshua remained silent and sported a severe scowl on his face. Gabriel shook his head and replied, "Jaden wants us to return to the detention center because we supposedly didn't follow proper procedure, processing one abomination from last night. I think it's an excuse so she can have Sebastian alone with her."

Gabriel grimaced after he noticed Izzy shoot him a glance from under her hood. "Sorry, Izzy. I didn't mean what I said. What I meant was... uh... they'll be discussing important reaper stuff that only... uh... squad leaders should know. Yeah, that's right. Nothing other than that."

He tried to retract what he implied. But it was too late. Izzy already perceived the pang of jealousy in her heart, knowing that her mate was with another woman alone in the house.

Ezekiel nodded at Gabriel and Joshua as they drove away. He turned to the quiet Izzy, sitting on the passenger side.

"Izzy, you realize Seb loves you, right? He won't do anything to destroy what you guys have. You have no idea how ecstatic he was when he found you, his mate. He has searched for you for so long. He won't betray your trust."

Izzy merely nodded in response. No words uttered because of the aching in her heart and a knot stuck in her throat. Izzy did not understand the emotions flooding her heart, but she recognized something was happening at the house right now that she needed to see.

As soon as they walked inside the house, Izzy detected the distinct scent of the half-human/ half-fairy being that still lingered in the air. She surprised herself that she could identify the scent. Izzy attributed this new skill to Madame Freya's ritual. Besides cloaking her true identity, it opened up her other senses.

"Come on, Sebastian, let's do what we used to do before. Combat training is so liberating and sensual." A woman's voice floated to where Izzy and Ezekiel stood.

Before Ezekiel could react and pull Izzy back, he missed reaching out to grab her arm and watched Izzy walk toward the patio doors. All he could do was follow behind her with grocery bags in hand.

When they reached the patio, both caught Sebastian's response, "No, Jaden. There is no need for training."

"But I want to." The female whining made Ezekiel grimace in disgust.

Izzy and Ezekiel turned to where the voices came from and found Jaden Thorne jumping up and over onto Sebastian's back, wrapping her legs around his waist. Fairies fly and skip, so jumping high was a natural skill. Landing on Sebastian's back did not cause him to fall over, of course. His sturdy built could handle most hard blows forced upon him.

"Who's that?" Jaden suddenly asked, looking directly at Izzy.

Sebastian glanced up and his breath hitched in his throat. He swiftly pushed Jaden off his back and said under his breath, "Izadora."

Izzy pursed her lips and instantly turned on her heels and stomped back inside the house and straight to the kitchen.

Ezekiel also turned to walk back in, but Jaden stopped him in his tracks. "Ezekiel, who is that?"

"Ah... Hi, Jaden. Who? Oh, her? She's the housekeeper. We just returned from grocery shopping." He ran his fingers through his chestnut hair and averted her gaze.

"The council does not allow human housekeepers." Jaden started walking toward Ezekiel, then past him as she continued inside the house.

Sebastian followed quickly behind, remembering the flash of anger and sadness he saw and sensed from his mate when her eyes saw him with Jaden Thorne riding his back. His heart ached and his chest tightened. Not only was he experiencing his uncalled-for guilt, but he was perceiving his mate's heartbreak at this moment. He wanted to hold Izzy and reassure her that nothing happened. But how could he without drawing suspicion from Jaden? So, he mind-linked her.

'Izadora, My Love! Nothing happened. Jaden was trying to make me do combat training with her, and what you saw was one hold technique that you do. That's all.'

No response from her but a faint sob. Sebastian grasped his chest. He could feel her pain and her jealousy. He tried again...

'My Love, please. Talk to me. I promise you there is nothing between Jaden and me.'

"You!" Jaden Thorne walked into the kitchen and saw Izzy putting away vegetables. "What is your name and what are you doing here. The council does not authorize humans in the blank zone."

Ezekiel ran inside and got in between Jaden and Izzy. "Jaden, her name is Izzy, Izzy Barr... uh... Izzy Barlowe, yeah. She's part demon, OK."

"Where is her identification card?" Jaden placed her hands on her hips, trying to look behind the tall Ezekiel.

Ezekiel breathed a sigh and as he noticed Sebastian right behind Jaden, he declared, "Jaden… she doesn't have one because I smuggled her in here. She's my mate."

This declaration from Ezekiel caused Jaden to drop her jaw in astonishment, while Sebastian emitted a low growl, and Izzy did not care and continued to put away the rest of the groceries that Ezekiel had purchased.

"Why would you go against the law, Ezekiel? You know what I can do to you by telling me that, right?" Jaden glared and pointed a finger at Ezekiel.

"I know, Jaden, but she's my mate, OK. She... uh... doesn't say much. So, it took a lot for me to even convince her to come with me." Ezekiel was following the adage, flying by the seat of his pants.

Jaden shook her head and crossed her arms as she said, "You're lucky you have skills that the council can't do without. Fine! Give me some of her basic information, and I'll create an ID for her."

"Cool! Thanks, Jaden! I knew you'd understand." Ezekiel flashed his most dazzling smile. He then continued with the pretense and walked over to Izzy and gave her a tight hug.

This caused Sebastian to growl a little louder, which shocked Jaden, but she assumed differently, "Don't worry, Sebastian. If you don't find your mate, I'm here for you." She took his hand and tried to pull him out of the kitchen. But he did not budge from where he stood, glaring at Ezekiel embracing his mate.

He watched Izzy reach up and return Ezekiel's hug, which caused jealousy to increase from the depths within him. But he felt his mate's heartbreak again and heard her sobs. Izzy was crying against Ezekiel's chest. Sebastian looked up at Ezekiel and saw in his eyes he was there to help ease Izzy's aching heart because Sebastian could not, not with Jaden around.

Ezekiel mind-linked Sebastian, 'Seb, it's OK. I'll take care of Izzy for now. Go with Jaden before she suspects anything.'

"Sebastian, come out here!" Jaden called out from the living room.

Sebastian mind-linked Izzy once again, 'Izadora. Remember, this is all pretense until Jaden leaves here. Izadora, I love you!'

All he could sense was Izzy's pain and jealousy... and hearing her sobbing was also making it hard for him to breathe. He never intended to hurt her like this. My Izadora is too fragile for these stupid games played with the council.

"Sebastian, where are you?" Jaden's voice held a hint of seduction.

One more glance at his mate and Sebastian turned to leave the kitchen.

As soon as they left, Ezekiel whispered, "Izzy, remember what I told you. Don't make all this affect you." He lifted her chin between his fingers and wiped her tears with the sleeve of his hoodie.

"Zeke," Izzy tried to fight her sobs, "Can you please take me away from here. I... I don't want to be here anymore."

"Izzy, what you saw was nothing. It'll all be back to the way it used to be when she leaves." Ezekiel tried to reassure the petite woman, who showed how much she cared for his friend and squad leader.

Before she could answer back, both heard Jaden walk back into the kitchen saying, "You. Izzy, right? Can you cook dinner? I'm staying here overnight. It's too late to return to base now."

"Jaden, I think Ezekiel can drive you back," Sebastian suggested, glancing over at Izzy whose eyes were red and swollen from the tears she shed.

"No, I've decided to stay overnight. Can I stay in your room?" Jaden reached out and walked her fingers on Sebastian's chest.

Izzy could not stifle the low growl that came out of her, her dragon and wolf seethed in anger, possessive over her mate. She knew this and sensed their presence within her.

"Ezekiel? Did you just growl?" Jaden whipped her head after hearing the low growl but assumed it was Ezekiel who did it.

"Huh?" Ezekiel lifted his eyebrows in surprise but recovered, "Uh... yup! I'm hungry."

Sebastian smiled and his heart swelled to hear Izzy's growl. This told him she was not ignoring him and their mate bond.

Izzy bit her lower lip and quietly said, "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well. I need to go to my room and rest."

Jaden raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Oh, OK. I guess you need to take care of your mate, Ezekiel. I'll try to cook a meal for myself then."

Ezekiel nodded and guided Izzy out of the kitchen. But before they reached the doorway, Sebastian reached out and grabbed Izzy's hand as she passed by.

Izzy felt the electrical sparks shooting from her hand to her entire body with one touch from her mate. She lowered her head and forced her hand out of Sebastian's grasp, and continued to walk out of the kitchen, the black cloak floating behind her.

Ezekiel glanced toward Sebastian, then to Jaden, who had the refrigerator door open as she surveyed the food items inside.

'Seb,' Ezekiel mind-linked his friend, 'you need to fix this now. Izzy is young and hurting badly. Her senses have heightened following the witch's ritual. Your mate needs you.' He then shifted and strolled toward the staircase, following Izzy.

Sebastian understood Ezekiel well. He knew his mate needed him. He could feel all the emotions troubling her at this moment.

Sebastian looked at Jaden who had taken out microwaveable meals from the freezer. He knew he had to make this woman leave the house tonight to appease his mate.

At the top of the stairs, Ezekiel found Izzy continuing to cry with her back leaning against the wall.

Izzy looked up and mumbled, "I don't know which room I can go to. I'm afraid if she walks into Sebastian's room and catches me in there."

Ezekiel reached out and hugged Izzy again and allowed her to cry into his chest. He breathed a deep sigh and said, "Izzy, Seb's room is your room. Don't forget that, OK?! But for now, since that woman is here. Let's take you to another room, shall we?"

Izzy nodded against his chest, and Ezekiel led Izzy to the empty bedroom beside his down the hall.

"You have eaten nothing. Can I get you something?" Ezekiel helped Izzy hang the cloak she had removed.

Izzy absent-mindedly reached up and touched her talisman pendant. "No. I'm not hungry." She whispered her reply.

"I'm going to head downstairs and help Seb get rid of Jaden. And all will be well afterwards, OK?" Ezekiel knelt in front of Izzy and helped her get tucked under the covers.

Izzy nodded silently then asked, "Zeke, is it supposed to hurt this much?"

Ezekiel held her hand and said, "I'm assuming 'Yes' because of your mate bond." He sighed and added, "Izzy, Seb loves you. Remember that always. Jaden Thorne has been chasing him since they were teens. From what I know, Seb never paid her any mind. He treats her like his sister and friend. His priority was always finding his bondmate. Now that he has found you, no one can change his mind. The only complication is..." He trailed off, but Izzy completed his statement for him.

"I'm the abomination the council wants dead." Izzy closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Ezekiel sighed again and squeezed her hand that he held. "Let me at least get you some water and some soup. I'll be back." He got up and dimmed the bedside table lamps and left the room.

Izzy could not bear the aching pain in her chest anymore. She did not like seeing this blonde-haired Jaden Thorne pawing her mate and staring at him with her greedy blue eyes. Another pang of pain hit her in the center of her heart. Damn mate bond! Why does it have to hurt so much?

She focused on trying to sleep and forget everything she heard or saw when they got back from Madame Freya's. Izzy touched her pendant and calmness engulfed her, and she whispered, "Sleep. I wish to sleep." Within seconds of her quiet wish, Izzy drifted to sleep.

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