The Vampire Prince's Hybrid Mate

Breeders

Dominik’s POV

2 Weeks ago 

“Tell me you are joking?” My voice came out from between clenched teeth, the sound seething with my rage.

My father looked up at me from his mahogany desk, his face unperturbed by my sudden outburst. His brow lifted slightly before his eyes returned to the pile of paperwork in front of him. “About what? You need to be more exact, Dominik.”

A growl escaped my mouth before I could contain it. He was toying with me only to antagonise me more. “You know exactly what I mean. The Games!”

My father sighed and rubbed a hand across his weary eyes and for a moment I remembered just how old he truly was. He had been living for almost half a millennium.

“If you think there is a better way, my son, I am all ears.” He looked up at me, his gaze expectant. "You know how I feel about... half-breeds. But I have run out of options."

At that moment my younger brother Daniel waltzed in the door, carefree and completely unaware of how our father, The King, was about to ruin our lives.

I was almost envious of Daniel. He didn’t have half the responsibility that fell onto my shoulders as a burden, and it definitely showed in the differences within our personalities. He was young and wild at only 133 years old, which in human years was the equivalent of around the development of 19. I was the older brother, almost 25 in human development and 174 in vampire years. Daniel’s white-blonde hair was perfected in the tousled, bed-hair look and his broad frame was desirable to many she-vampires, not that he kept many of them for long. He was, in a lot of ways, the light to my darkness.

I was the brooding one as Mother called me. If only she really knew. My father had tainted me, creating a monster of his own making. I was his trigger man, being sent on all the missions that required discretion and a quick solution. I wasn’t called the Dark Prince for no reason.

But it had allowed a darkness to grow and fester within me, one that pushed me away from just about everyone, including my brother who was now giving me a wide grin. I was definitely jealous of his freedom, and how Father allowed him to run wild, after all I was always there to clean up after him. I had to get him out of many difficult situations when he had let his mouth run before his brain could catch up.

“Ah, Daniel, there you are. Have you heard the news yet?”

Daniel stopped mid-step, his eyes flicking between Fathers nonchalant attitude and my rage-filled stance, his mouth slightly hung open. “No…”

“Father is going to hold some Games for us…” I let my voice trail off, my teeth clenched again as the anger and betrayal swelled within me.

Father knew I planned to make Angelica my Queen when I took over as King, and now he was throwing this at me. It was only going to infuriate the both of us and make my life more difficult. I had no idea whether Angelica would accept this willingly. I knew I didn't want to.

She wasn’t exactly my girlfriend, but she was what I called friends with benefits. We f****d, regularly, and she was able to take it as rough as I could give it. Plus she came from a powerful family within the world of vampires, someone my father approved of. But she was also somewhat irritating with her clinginess.

I had followed his every order up until now, doing things that were beyond even salvation, but this, this was too far.

“Games?” Daniel asked, his brow raised in question. "Sounds fun."

Father sighed again, glanced between the two of us before he stood. He was tall, but not as tall as his sons. It was easy to see where Daniel got his bulky build from, whereas my slimmer frame was from our mother.

“I am sure you have heard of the vampires going wild all across the country regions.” Daniel and I gave each other a quick glance.

It was no mystery as to what Father was talking about. There were rumours, of vampires losing their minds, their humanity, and attacking anything and anyone that got in their way. It was like they were turning feral and reverting back to early times when the craving for human blood was stronger than our ability to control it.

“The Doctors have found the source,” Father continued, his mouth a hard line. “I hate to even think of doing this. To be muddying our Pure Blood line with a… human, but I will not allow this rabid gene to continue.”

“Rabid gene?” Daniel asked, his gaze flitting to my own confused expression.

What was Father talking about?

“There is a link between Pure Blood mating and the offspring created. A gene has mutated over the centuries and once the vampire hits puberty, the gene is activated, sending them into a spiral of blood rage so powerful it is only stopped by death.” He glanced my way, his gaze hardening as we acknowledged the secret even my brother didnt know. “I hate the idea of impure breeding within my own house, to be actually creating hybrids, but I will not allow the continuation of this mutation. And the likely chance of creating a vampire is better with a human. A humans’ lineage is easily overwritten. But no family is safe.”

Realisation hit me hard in the stomach. “Lord Archaki's son?”

“Yes. He had just reached maturity. It was a loss we had not anticipated.”

“But Angelica-”

Father cut me off with a growl. “Angelica will live with the knowledge that whatever offspring you create will be safe from this mutation. That is why it must be a non-vampire – a human. And as King, she will abide by my decision or face the consequences.”

Darkness swirled in his eyes, and I felt his dominant power wash over me. He wasn’t going to change his mind, no matter what case I plead. It didn’t help abate the anger that swirled inside of me.

No matter what pitiful human won the Games Father had in place, I would not breed with her.

3 Days ago

“What do you mean breed with them?” Angelica’s voice screeched loudly. I hated when she raised her voice like that, the sound becoming so grating I had to clench my teeth against it.

I had finally built up the courage to face her after almost two weeks of her trying to get me alone. The women were being presented to us in two days and I knew if I didn’t do it now, it would be too late.

“Father has decided to organise a Games to select a woman for both Daniel and I to breed with. To create offspring free from the mutation.”

Angelica glared at me; her mouth twisted in disgust. For a beautiful woman, she really could have the ugliest reactions to things. I didn’t mind it so much, but Daniel would often point out I was going to be stuck with her for the rest of my existence and that it wasn’t too late to change my mind.

“Offspring? As in a child… A child that would not be mine?” her voice rose to a high-pitched shriek as tears threated to spill from her eyes.

“I had no choice in this.”

Her head whipped eyes, her eyes filled with rage and betrayal. “You could have said no,” she spat at me. Her lips curled up in disgust revealing her sharp fangs.

“You don’t think I tried?” I cupped her face gently and she leaned into it, sniffing as she fought against her tears. “It won’t change how I feel about you, and I will do everything in my power to avoid breeding with her.”

Angelica looked up at me through her lashes, a trail of tears running down her porcelain skin. My thumb swiped across her cheek soothing her.

“He will force you, and then she will bear your child.” She closed her eyes as if thinking for a moment before she opened them, her pupils widening. “That is supposed to be me! I can’t make any promises that I will care for any child another woman bears by you.”

I wanted to flinch away from her, a stab of hatred filling me, but I understood. The idea of another woman being swollen and filled my child sickened me to the stomach. The thought that I would have to… I couldn’t bring myself to finish the thought.

“I will do what I can to avoid breeding with her, whoever she is, I promise you that,” I vowed, my tone low and serious.

Angelica smiled softly, her hand brushing through my hair and down my neck. She gazed at me, her look calculating. “You would defy your father for me?”

“I would do anything for you.”

Her smile grew and she moved forward, her lips brushing mine in a soft kiss that soon turned passionate. For the next few hours, Angelica found ways to distract me from the coming days.

Present

We were being escorted to the large arena Father had purpose built by two of the guards that normally stood outside of the palace gates. I followed their broad shoulders as they moved with precision through the corridors and into the outdoor area. Daniel seemed to be bouncing about, his mood enthusiastic.

“You are Mr Grumpy Pants today aren’t you Dominik,” he joked, punching me in the arm. I growled loudly, glaring at him.

“I don’t know how you can be so casual about this.”

Daniel looked at me thoughtfully, before a huge smile appeared on his face. “The way I see it, more s*x for me and this time with a human. I was getting bored of she-vampires to be honest, and I hear those humans can be pretty kinky.”

He winked at me, and my eyes rolled instinctively. I almost felt sorry for the girl who would win the Games for the right to be with him.

“How did Angelica take the news?” he asked me in a hushed tone as we moved to stand behind Father and Mother. They were talking in quiet tones to Ariel, our little sister.

“She wasn’t too pleased.”

“I can only imagine.”

I turned to look at him, but he was facing forward his hands fiddling with his shirt. It was something he did whenever he was nervous.

“Nervous brother?” I asked, a smirk touching my lips.

His gaze met mine and he brushed off my question with a noise. “Not nervous, more curious. I have been with my fair share of vampires, and none have held my attention for long.” He smiled widely and I knew there was a joke coming at my expense. “I’m not actually quite sure how Angelica holds yours to be frank. She isn’t exactly a pleasant person.”

“Who isn’t a pleasant person?” Angelica interjected, her tone sour. She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then glared at Daniel.

For some reason they had never gotten along. I understood it to some degree, but I never quite understood why Daniel didn’t like her. Sure, she could get grating at times, but she was smart and funny, and very attractive.

“You, of course,” Daniel quipped without a second thought.

A low snarl left her mouth, but I tugged on her hand, redirecting her attention as the large doors before us opened. It was time.

Angelica wound her arm around mine, pushing herself as close to me as she could, and I knew it was her way of staking her claim on me, letting these humans know who exactly I belonged to. I didn’t mind it much as I felt much the same.

Two groups of women entered the arena, following Ezekiel and Gabriel, two of the triplets who were in charge of security in the palace. Their brother Azrael must be around somewhere, probably keeping a lookout just in case. They never did seem to stray far from each other.

The humans were dressed entirely in red from head to toe.

How appropriate I thought. Humans dressed in the colour of blood.

I noted that there wasn’t a single person over the age of 25, someone had organised this to perfection, choosing the optimal breeding age within the humans. Knowing my father, it was probably Reuben, his adviser and Angelica’s father. They had been friends for centuries and Reuben was like an Uncle to me.

Each woman looked slightly different, some with short hair, others long. There were some women with skin so pale they could have almost been mistaken for vampires. Others had golden skin, or skin the colour of chocolate.

Each woman possessed something that made them beautiful, whether it was the shape of their body, or the symmetry of their face. If I wasn't so disgusted by the idea of having to breed with one of them, I might have appreciated the sight before me.

I could feel Angelica stiffen beside me, her anger and hatred pulsing off of her. It frustrated me how easily her jealousy rose to the surface. She held far more of my attention than any of the women before me.

The two groups stopped before us, and I heard my father begin to speak, welcoming the humans here.

A gust of wind blew our way, bringing with it the most delicious scent I had ever smelt, distracting me from anything Father was saying and making my mouth water. Human blood.

Out the corner of my eye, I saw Daniel stiffen as he smelt it too, but there was something else in the scent, something sweeter. I lifted my head, trying to catch it. It smelled of freshly cut grass, and of rain on a hot day – a hint of caramel and strawberries all mixed into one. It was so fresh and so sweet and all I wanted to do was taste it, devour it. I wanted it running down the back of my throat and quenching the burning thirst that now took over my senses.

My eyes scanned the women, and I was drawn to one in particular, her hair a gorgeous dark auburn colour. Her gaze was lowered, but I could see the delicate features on her face, her small nose, full lips and chiselled cheeks. She was extraordinarily beautiful.

As if she could feel me staring at her, her gaze lifted and I was met with the most perfect blue eyes I had ever seen, crystal-like, clear and large. Her face seemed frozen in a look of horror as our gaze locked and something within me shifted as I stared at this gorgeous woman.

Everything in that moment melted away and all I saw was her, but in the background, I heard my father’s gruff voice call out.

“And this group will be competing for my son, Dominik.”

This angel with the amazing scent was going to be competing for me, and for the first time in my life, I never thirsted for someone’s blood more than what I did right in that moment. I felt the intense darkness bloom more than right now, swirling within me and pushing me move forward and end my suffering.

I wanted to kill her.