Prologue - Jax's POV

It was back in the 1820’s. I lived in a little village on the coast of Norway with my parents. I had volunteered to go hunting that night for my father because I needed to let my lycan out. We were both stressed out and need to blow some of it off.

I had been out in the woods under the full moon for over an hour when I smelt something. My lycan pointed our nose in the air and started sniffing. There was a strong scent coming up wind, and we slowly started to follow it. Actually it was more like it was dragging us in. The closer we got, the stronger the scent of blood became.

“Hello? Is anyone out here?” I hollered out but got no response.

“Maybe it’s just another animal that was being hunted.” My lycan suggested.

“That wouldn’t explain the sweet scent of a fresh snowfall and chocolate.” I furrowed my brows in confusion while still taking slow steps forward.

Within minutes we found the source of the scents. She was lying there on the forest floor, beaten beyond recognition, and left for dead. She was completely unconscious. I could smell her wolf but there was also something else that I didn’t recognize.

“Mate!” My lycan shouted just as I touched her and sparks ignited from the skin-to-skin contact.

I didn’t waste another second. I carefully scooped her up in my arms and took her back home. My father was a surgeon and my mother was a nurse. They would know what to do with her. I hollered out for my parents as I came out of the woods into our back yard. The back door flung open and they were both standing there. I could see the shock on both their faces.

“Father help! I found her laying in the forest! Someone tried to kill her but she’s still alive! Please help her!” I pleaded.

“Do you know this woman?” My mother asked.

“No ma’am, but…” I trailed off as my father took her out of my arms.

“But what son?” He said walking back towards the house.

“I think she’s my mate?” I said more as a question to myself than them.

My parents stopped and looked at each other and my mother smiled. My father wasn’t one to show much emotion so it didn’t come as a surprise when he just continued on into the house. He laid her down on the kitchen floor and then started examining her body. My mother started taking notes of all her wounds. They commented on how some of them have already started healing thanks to her wolf. It wasn’t until my father pulled her eyelids up and saw the color before backing away slowly.

“Father what is it?! What’s wrong with her!?” I asked anxiously.

“Son, there is no easy way to tell you this so I’m just going to be blunt about it. She’s a hybrid.” My father stated as serious as could be while looking me dead in my eye.

“Hybrid? How is that even possible. I know she’s a wolf, I could smell it!” I was stumbling all over my words trying to make things make sense.

“Yes son, she is part wolf, but her other part is…” My mother started but stopped and looked at my father.

“Just tell me please!” I pleaded. “She’s my mate!”

“Vampire son. Her other part is vampire.” My father said.

My eyes went wide in shock. I was thinking a hybrid of werewolf and lycan. Inter-species mating is unheard of so how did this happen! I look down at my mate still laying on the floor unconscious. I knelt beside her and softly ran my hand over the top of her head, pushing some wild strands of hair out of her face. She had the face of an angel. She had long blonde hair and ivory colored skin. I looked over her body at all the wounds before my lycan let out a possessive growl.

“I don’t care what she is father. She is my mate. I will make this work somehow.” I said looking up at him.

“Son I do not blame you for your decision. I was hoping you would say that actually.” My father said causing surprise to show on my face.

“I thought you would be upset because of her other half?” I asked.

“Although it is not the ideal mate we had hope for you, she is still your mate son. You were paired for a reason and who are we to question the Goddess?” My mother said calmly.

“We will tend to her here, but you can not tell anyone about this.” My father said coming over next to me. “If whoever did this, finds out they failed, they could come back and try to finish the job.”

“I will kill anyone who intends to do any harm to her or you guys.” I growled.

“Calm down son. We know.” My mother said calmly putting her hand on my shoulder.

*Three Weeks Later*

My mate finally woke up and we were able to talk for the first time. When she opened her eyes they were grey but so beautiful. They would flash between grey and red there for a little while before she gained more strength to keep her vampire side down. She explained to me that her father was the vampire and her mother was the werewolf. Her blood lust wasn’t as controlling as it was for other vamps. She could manage her blood lust by feeding off wild animals.

The more we talked, the more I was falling in love. She told me her name was Catherine. She had a rough upbringing being what she was. She had to hide her vamp side since she grew up in her mother’s pack. We spent the next four days just sitting and talking. I would bring her food and help her wash up. It wasn’t long after she regained her strength that our little village was attacked and we had to flee.

We managed to sneak onto a ship heading to Scotland. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t survive the trip. I lost both of them together. Thank the Goddess I had my mate there for comfort otherwise I would have went feral. Once we docked in Scotland, I found an abandoned shack along the shoreline. We decided to sleep there for the night before pressing on tomorrow morning.

I was awoken by someone grabbing my arm and dragging me out. I could hear Catherine screaming and my lycan was going crazy. I started fighting back and knock two of the attackers out before I heard a voice bellowing across the beach to stop.

We all froze and look in the direction of where the voice came from. There was man walking towards us and I realized it was the King of Lycans. I knelt down immediately and bowed my head.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” He asked me.

“Your majesty, my mate and I fled our village in Norway when it was attacked. We came here to seek refuge.” I said still looking at the ground.

“I did hear about that attack. No survivors from what I’m told. It was a great loss to our kind.” One of the guards said and the King hummed in response.

“You came seeking refuge?” The King asked.

“Yes your majesty.” I answered.

“Request granted. On one condition. You will serve in my army as one of the guards. After just seeing what you did to two of my best men, I think you will be a great addition.” The King said.

“Of course your majesty. Anything you want, I will do.” I said.

“Come. Let’s get you kids cleaned up and fed.” The King said.

I stood up and took my mate in my arms. We followed the King back into a mountain where he showed us our room and around the establishment. It was the perfect place to hide my mate from those who wished to see her dead because of her heritage. Or so I thought anyways.

*Five Years Later*

Catherine and I hadn’t had any children. We had tried countless times, and she blamed herself for it. She said it was because she was part vampire. The King eventually found out what she was and he ordered her death immediately. I begged and pleaded for her life. I asked that he just took her fangs instead of her life.

“Your majesty, when a wolf loses their canines, they lose their wolf. Can’t the same be done with the vamps?” I pleaded.

“I would think so. There is still a lot of unknowns when it comes to their kind boy.” The King answered.

“Take her fangs and spare her life. If you do this, I will take complete responsibility for whatever consequences come of this action and will do whatever is necessary to rectify the situation.” I said.

The King thought for a moment before finally agreeing to my terms. Catherine begged for me as they held her and ripped her fangs out. I tried everything to get to her, even though this was my idea, I still couldn’t stand the sight of her in pain. I was restrained back by shackles and four guards standing all around me. No matter what I did, I couldn’t free myself.

Not long after that, Catherine completely lost control. Her blood lust only increased and her wolf went feral. She was sneaking out and wreaking havoc on the human village at the bottom of the mountain. She had even went as far as killing woman and children alike.

The King told me that she was to be killed and I volunteered to do it myself. I knew this was my fault. If I hadn’t suggested taking her fangs this wouldn’t have happened. So I had to do the unthinkable and kill my own mate.