Cursed by Fate (COMPLETE)

Chapter Twelve

I woke up feeling more refreshed and well rested than I had in a very long time. Not to mention I was so warm and comfortable right now, that I wasn’t sure anything could dampen the moment. That is until I felt movement behind me. My body instantly stiffened, my muscles coiling painfully tight as my mind raced a million miles a second. Who was behind me? Why were they behind me? What happened last night? 

Then I remembered. I couldn’t sleep so I went downstairs for coffee. Malachi was still here. He said he wanted to keep an eye on things for Lance’s first night here. Which was actually sweet and very thoughtful of him. I really should find him and tell him thank you. But he explained everything to me. The curse of being a hybrid. Of having three mates and having to choose one. And I had to choose, otherwise I’d condemn all four of us to lives without love. 

I remember crying. And Malachi hugging me, allowing me to cry into his chest. Ugh! How embarrassing. Then growling before I was jerked away from him and into Lance’s arms. Ah, that’s right. Lance is my third and final mate. Or potential mate I should say. I remember his scent calming me down, relaxing me to the point I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I remember he tried to lay me down in my bed and leave but I wouldn’t let him. 

I buried my face in my pillow and groaned. What the hell came over me last night? I not only embarrassed myself with Malachi but with Lance as well. No, I made a complete and utter fool of myself with Lance. Malachi was just trying to soothe me, calm me down from my mini freak out over the whole mate thing. I basically held Lance here against his will. Ugh, please kill me now. I begged. 

“Good morning.” Lance’s sleepy voice came from behind me. I stifled my groan as I turned to face him. His hair clung to his face and bare chest. Bare chest? God give me strength, this man didn’t have a shirt on. And he was gorgeous. “Nicole?” Lance chuckled. My eyes snapped to his, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment at being caught staring. 

“Uh, sorry.” I mumbled. “Good morning.” I quickly climbed out of bed and threw my robe on. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to make you stay here with me. I don’t know what came over me. I’m not usually like that, I’m not a clingy woman.” I muttered. 

“You do know.” Lance said quietly. 

I dropped back down onto the edge of the bed and sighed. “You’re right. I know why, I just don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this Lance. I wasn’t raised with this. I don’t know why they never told me but they didn’t. It wasn’t until Mathias told me what I was they I knew and I honestly thought he was crazy until he shifted in the middle of my hotel living room.” I ranted. 

“You have to understand this isn’t normal for me like it is for you. Not to mention the fact that fate has decided to curse me. Not just me but all hybrids. It’s not fair, not only to me but the three men I have to choose from. How is that fair to them? They didn’t choose this. You didn’t choose this.” I dropped my head into my hands and grasped my hair tightly between my hands. 

“Nicole, stop.” Lance pleaded rubbing my back. I just shook my head, making some hair rip from my skull. I felt the bed dip as Lance got up and crossed to my side of the bed before kneeling in front of me and grasping my hands in his. He gently detangled my fingers from my hair and kissed where the hair had been pulled out. “You’re right. I may not have asked for it.” He whispered as he kissed each one of my knuckles one by one making me shiver. 

“But I also wouldn’t change it. After meeting you, and only knowing you a day, I already know I want nothing more but to get to know you better. I want to take you on a picnic under the stars. Moonlit walks on the beach. I want to take you to dinner and to see a movie. I want to be cheesy and buy you flowers for no reason. Hold your hand just because we’re walking down the street. 

I want to hold you when you cry, put you back together when you’re falling apart. I want to laugh with you, smile with you. Nicole, I want to know all of you. Good and bad, ugly and beautiful. I want to see your scars and make you see how beautiful they truly are.” 

He stopped talking, seemingly out of words to say while I was left speechless. His words, the sincerity and honesty and purity behind them were unmistakable. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get to know this beautiful man better. This man who seemed just as beautiful inside as he was on the outside, who seemed way too perfect to be real. This man who just came into my life randomly, out of nowhere, from some backwater nowhere town I decided to stop at because I thought was pretty and quaint. I was so glad I stopped now. 

Lance’s earthy brown eyes bore into mine hopefully as he waited for me to get my thoughts together. He was so patient, I squealed in my head. But all I did was smile, hiding the squealing teenager. “I’d like that too.” I said honestly. “I’d love to get to know you better.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and nestled my face into the crook of his neck breathing in his calming scent of cinnamon and pine. It really was intoxicating. Lance laughed again and pulled away, pulling something between a whine and a whimper from me. 

I balked, my brows furrowing at my reaction. “It’s normal.” Lance assured me, pulling me to my feet. 

“Are you sure?” I asked. “It seems a bit strange. Especially for me.” I said following him down the stairs. Malachi was still there, a fresh pot of coffee just finishing brewing. 

I screeched my thanks at him before tearing my way across the kitchen towards the coffee. Whoever didn’t drink coffee in the morning to wake up wasn’t human. I was convinced of it. No one just woke up in the mornings all peppy and ready for the day, especially not women. No, we woke up monsters demanding the head of anyone who dared try and make conversation with us before we’ve had a decent cup of java in our veins. Speaking of, I would have a permanent IV drip of coffee implanted within me if I could. Unfortunately it is ‘Unethical’  and a “HIPPA “ Violation. Damn cowardly doctors. 

“Looks like all you need is coffee to get in her good graces.” Malachi laughed. 

I frowned, putting my coffee on the bar. “Hey don’t make me sound so easy.” I whined. “It’s coffee and food.” I corrected. “You need coffee and food to get into my good graces. Oh, and never lie to me.” I added last minute. 

Malachi let out a low but impressed whistle. “You got a good one there. Incredibly low maintenance.” He said. “Nicole, what’s your stance on makeup?” He threw the question at me. 

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “It’s gross.” I snorted. “It’s nothing but fancy clown face paint, except it makes you look like a pretty clown instead of a creepy one.” I scoffed. 

Lance pulled me into his side, his coffee clutched in his hands. “You’re amazing, you know that.” He laughed. 

My chest tightened but I smiled. “I know.” I shrugged, taking a sip of my coffee. The guys just laughed. 

“Is there anything you’d like to do?” Lance asked, leading me to the table to sit down. I thought about it for a minute, not really sure. “Explore the town maybe.” I said, “Since I can’t hide from Mathias or Elias. I might as well enjoy myself while I can.” I told them dryly. 

Lance’s face twisted into a snarl and his arm tightened around me. I didn’t even realize his arm was still around my waist, which was odd. I am usually very well aware of my body and what or who was touching it. Mostly because I hated being touched. I’ve never been a touchy feely kind of girl, but Lance’s arm around me wasn’t bothering me. It felt comfortable and felt right. I didn’t want him to move it. 

“You don’t have to worry about them.” He growled. 

“I don’t?” I asked. 

“No.” 

"Why? Won’t they come for me?” I questioned, looking up at him. 

“Yes.” He sighed, dropping his arm. “But we will protect you. And I’ll be here too. I won’t let them hurt you or take you away. They couldn’t anyway. Hybrid law. Once a hybrid finds all three of his or her mates they have to stay together.” 

“What about the other hybrid? Won’t that get all twisted? I get mated with a hybrid, but he’ll have three mates. But then she’ll have three mates, and so on and so on. How does that work?” 

“I honestly don’t know.” Lance answered. “My best guess is the first hybrid that chooses wins. Once that hybrid is taken another takes their place. Let's say you are mates with Mathias. He has three mates which he has yet to meet but you choose him as your mate. He will be replaced as the other hybrid’s mate. It’s all a game of russian roulette I think.” 

“Well that sounds awful. And makes me feel like a chess piece in someone else’s game.” I whined. 

“We are.” Lance said. “We are all pieces on the game board of the gods. They push us around and use us as they choose. It’s how it has always been, and how the hybrids got cursed. The fates cursed them centuries ago because she fell in love with a hybrid, but the hybrid chose his mate over her, even though he loved her too. He chose not to have them both when he could have. So she cursed them to have three mates, hoping they’d fall in love with more than one then have to choose only one, breaking the others' hearts. It’s cruel but that’s the foundation of a curse.” 

I groaned. Great. I’ve been cursed by a time old god with a broken heart. Talk about a woman scorned. Could a god really not handle a broken heart? Or was she just so vengeful that she would rather curse generations of innocent people because of one man? How was that even right? What did I do? I didn’t ask to be a hybrid, I didn’t want to be a hybrid. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I am what I am and I have to accept it. 

“Well. I have to accept what I am and what I was cured with. Though accepting that I was cursed by a fate, a god, will take some getting used to.” I admitted. “Are all the gods real?” I asked. 

Lucas laughed. “I can’t say for sure. I’ve never seen any. Just stories. The stories are that the hybrids were cursed by the fates. The stories say the werewolves were created by the goddess Hectate And the vampires by Apollo, fae by Dionysus and so on. Every supernatural was said to be created by some god. Some gods were said to create more than one race.” Lucas shrugged nonchalantly “No one knows for sure if the stories are true.”

Of course not, how could they? If the gods have never revealed themselves then all we have are stories, legends. There is no way to know for sure how we came to be or how us hybrids got cursed. I’d love to know don’t get me wrong, but I’m kind of glad I don’t. It’s not like I planned to fall in love with all three men anyway. I mean yeah, I liked Mathias and Lance, but I can’t stand Elias. He was conceited and proud. Two traits I did not like in men. 

For now though, I was going to enjoy my time here with Lance. I was going to get to know him, and spend time with him. I was going to see and find out everything I could about this whole hybrid and mate thing. And I want to see where we can go, if we can even be a we. Because if I was being honest and as much as I didn’t want to admit it. I couldn’t get Mathias out of my mind.