His Hybrid Mate

Chapter One

*48 Hours Ago*

My paws dug into the ground as I came back to the pack house. Before leaving the tree line, I shifted back and put on the t-shirt and shorts that were attached to my leg. My evening runs always calmed me down before I settled for the evening. I took in a deep breath of the familiar scent of my pack. The Dark Moon Pack had been my family’s home for centuries, working their way up until they became the Betas to the Alpha family. While most outsiders thought my mate to be the beta, I made it very clear that I was second in command. I was proud to be Beta for my pack. It was everything to me, next to my mate, Archer.

Speaking of, I could see the familiar green eyes watching me from the front porch of the pack house with a warm smile. I walked up to him and gave him a sweet kiss as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “How was your run?” He asked me.

“Refreshing, how was your training?” I asked him as I snuggled into his embrace. He chuckled as his face rested on top of my head. “Exhausting, but some of the new warriors show promise.” He told me.

I looked up at him and smiled. Archer trained the newer warriors in our pack. He was top of his class and has been the most effective with his lessons. I was two classes below him, but as soon as I hit my 18th birthday, he was by my side. He assisted in my training to become Beta after my father. After Alpha Nathan took over, I stepped up to be his Beta. I was one of the strongest warriors thanks to my mate, and because of that our pack has never been stronger. The 4 years I’ve been Beta have been peaceful, but that doesn’t stop the occasional bump in the road.

“Alpha Nathan came by earlier, by the way. He said he needed to talk to you.” Archer said in my ear. My brow furrowed in confusion as I looked at him. “This late? What happened?” I asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. “My best guess is something caught their attention, and he needs his Beta to investigate.” He said before giving a small peck to my forehead. “Better hurry, I’ll save a plate of dinner for you.”

I nodded and smiled before heading inside and making my way up the Alpha Nathan’s office. I knocked on his door and waited until I heard a deep voice rumble, “Come in, Esmeray.”

I stepped inside and looked across the large oak desk. Alpha Nathan was a larger man with sandy blonde hair and grey eyes. His aura was strong even from across the room. Nathan and I had been life long friends, as our parents wanted us to be before we took over for the pack. Nathan met his mate and Luna, Misty, two years ago while we were visiting a neighboring pack. Misty was head over heels in love with Nathan, but she always had a cold demeanor towards me. I never let it bother me. My duty was to be his Beta and friend, nothing more like she appeared to worry about. Misty was sitting on the couch to the left, her eyes watching me with caution. I gave her a respectful nod before I returned my attention to Nathan. “Alpha Nathan, I heard you were looking for me. What can I do for you?”

Nathan looked up at me and gave a smile. “Esmeray, I need you to make a quick run to the southern border. There’s been some disruption but none of the patrols have been able to see what. I want you to go and investigate it. I will warn you, there’s been a trace scent of vampires.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “Vampires? Vampires haven’t tried to cross our borders in over a decade. Are the patrols sure that’s what they’re smelling?” I ask him.

He nods grimly. “Even after a decade, their scent hasn’t changed. Just be careful Esmeray, don’t be reckless.”

I nodded in response before leaving, noticing Misty hadn’t taken her eyes off of me. “Is something bothering you, Luna?” I ask her with innocent curiosity. She widened her eyes at the confrontation and shook her head. “No, just watch your back.” She said. I nodded to them both before leaving the office.

I headed towards the front door of the pack house. As soon as I was out the door I began running south. I stripped my shirt off and my pants. I paused long enough to strap them onto my leg before I shifted. Black fur sprouted from my body as bones broke and shifted into a large wolf. I took off into the trees and continued south. Even after my previous run, my muscles were strong and didn’t show signs of exhaustion. I kept my nose active, constantly sniffing for any signs of something amiss. My ears perked up at the sound of fighting, and growling. My hackles raised as I charged forward. The smell of rogues filled my nostrils, until a more sickening smell hit me. A vampire. One had crossed our border and was now being attacked by rogues. I came to the top of a hill and saw two rogues cornering a male vampire. His scent enraged my wolf, and instinct told me to let the rogues finish their job before chasing them off. However, something about it felt... wrong. I couldn’t figure out why but watching the rogues attack the vampire angered the human in me. 

I bared my teeth, my wolf shocked in silence as I charged forward and attacked the rogue closest to the vampire. I sunk my teeth into its neck, shaking my head as my teeth ripped at his skin. The rogue yelped, trying to turn on me, but my size held him down. My growls reverberated through his body as my claws raked down his back. A howl of pain left his muzzle as he struggled to escape my grip, not to fight back but to run. I felt a pair of claws on my hind leg and I released one rogue to turn on the other. The rogue in my jaws escaped and took off. Unfortunately, that was the smaller wolf of the two. 

The one that clawed my leg was closer to my size. I spun around with a large growl, as my paw extended to swipe at its face. The rogue jumped back to dodge my attack, his eyes dark and aggressive. I growled in response before lunging for it. Teeth clashed as we fought, my claws digging into its chest but not without feeling its claws dig into my side. I held back the whimper of pain inside me as my teeth locked onto the soft of its neck and I clamped down as hard as I could. I felt its teeth on my own neck and I bit harder before I heard a snap. 

Our bodies collapse as my jaws release its neck. My chest heaved as I looked at the lifeless wolf in front of me. I heard a howl in the far distance. Whoever this was, they had a mate that just felt what I did. I looked up to see the vampire still standing there. His dark red eyes watched me warily as I turned towards him. I let my hackles fall as I watched him. His eyes turned from wariness to confusion, as did my own. Why did I just save him? What could possibly have driven me to do something so ludicrous? I turned away as I started to shift back. I quickly grabbed the clothes attached to my leg and put them on. I brushed my black hair back, unable to look at him. “Why?” I heard him ask. I turned towards him, my mouth open to say something, anything.

A growl distracted me and I turned towards the hill I once was on. A silver wolf looked down at me with glaring eyes and my heart stopped. Misty, my Luna, had just watched me save this vampire’s life.