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Chapter 103
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The Hybrid Mate Chapter 104
Bella nodded gratefully, though his words did little to ease her concern. She had a feeling nothing would except having Victor in her arms again. “What does any of this have to do with Prentice, though?”Darian and Brendan exchanged a look. “The thirst was a lot worse with him than it usually is, right?” asked Darian.“That's an understatement. I couldn't even think about anything else. It was worse than --” Bella's voice hitched with regret as soon as she brought it up. “It was worse than the night I killed Clive Burns.”She felt like if she said his name enough times, maybe it really would etch itself into her mind just as surely as all her other mistakes were etched into her arms.Darian winced, either because of her use of the name or because of the mere mention of the event that had hastened the downward spiral of their relationship.“What did the blood smell like?” asked Brendan, mercifully giving her an out. “Was it different than usual?”“From another human's? Yeah,” she a
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 105
Bella couldn't help but smile. “Yeah, well, if I had to be leashed to a dog twenty-four seven, I guessed I could do worse.”“Leash,” said Brendan, getting a dangerous glint in his eyes. “That's a good idea.” He went over to another drawer and pulled out a thick metal chain. He hooked one end to his belt loop and the other to a ring on the back of Bella's collar. “Now you definitely can't bolt.”Darian watched the entire debacle with barely contained displeasure. “I can take her. You don't need to keep watching her, especially not with all this going on.”“Nah. Vic asked me to do it,” said Brendan. “No offense, but I think he'd be pretty pissed if I let you run off with her.”“I'm not a pet, guys.”They ignored her and kept arguing for a bit before finally deciding that calling Victor was the best course of action anyway. Brendan and Darian sat down on the floor and placed Brendan's phone between them. Darian dialed Victor's number, and the phone began to ring with the echoed effec
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 106
The day passed in a relatively uneventful manner. Bella had never actually seen what Darian did for work, but now that she was tethered to him, she learned that it involved a lot of running around, yelling at other people to do their jobs and addressing surprisingly trivial concerns around the Lodge. He also had to break up two different fights in the process, one between Jason and Clarence and the other between two club members who couldn't decide on a compromise when it came to taking turns with the shibari crane hanging from the basement ceiling. To her relief, no one seemed to think anything of the fact that she was chained to Darian. No matter how long she lived there or how attached she was growing to her bi-weekly sessions with Victor, there were some things about life at the Lodge that she was just never going to get used to. "Alright," Darian said, looking as tired as he sounded once his shift was over. "Time to eat. I'm starving, are you?" Bella had be
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 107
“Maybe not now, not like this,” he agreed. “But if we found a way to get your other half back—”“No. You really don't understand. She's gone for a reason. Bella—she's done things that can't ever be undone,” Darian said slowly. “I can't live this way. I'm not even sure I can, but I'm going to try for your brother's sake.” “You killed an attempted rapist and made the choice to save Victor over your abusive ex’s parents,” said Darian. “You haven't done anything unforgivable. I mean, you're taking blood from donors, for goddess' sake.” “For now. It's only a matter of time before I feel the urge that led me to hunt at the rest stop,” Bella said. “And it's all I could do to resist ripping out Prentice's throat.” “That's just it. I've killed hundreds of vampires in my life and I've never heard of a single one of them that was strong enough to resist a hunter's blood,” he continued. “They're walking traps set to ensnare every vampire they meet and it works one-hundred perc
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 108
"Vampire thing," Bella admitted sheepishly. "Just a precaution." Victor cleared his throat. "Yes, well, he's back so I don't think that's going to be necessary." He unclipped Darian's lead and made quick work of the restraints, tugging the jacket off moments later with a a pointed look at Darian. “Brendan's idea,” Darian said, eying the newcomer. “Let's all have a seat,” said Victor, draping his jacket over Bella's sleeveless shoulders as everyone took seats around Ulric's massive coffee table. Hunter looked like he would have preferred to stand, but he took a chair in view of the door. Clara, Foster, and Darian took the long couch while Victor and Bella took the chaise. “I'm sorry to hear about your pack and all, but why is he here?” Darian asked as soon as he had settled in. If she didn't understand why he wasn't their ambassador before, she did now. Fortunately, Hunter didn't seem to take offense. It was hard to tell since his expres
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 109
“Don't the hunters think they're descended from the sun or something?” Bella asked carefully. “It sounds like they want revenge on the vampires and werewolves for killing that prince in the legend.”“It's certainly a possible motive,” muttered Victor. “The hunters were nothing if not zealous until their most recent leader took charge. This sudden shift back to their old behavior makes me think he’s either been killed or deposed. Old age isn’t really a factor for them.”“Would they do that to their own leader?” Foster asked in disbelief.“The Family is capable of anything,” said Hunter, his voice an urgent hiss that made Foster and Clara jolt. He collected himself, but the facade was growing thinner with each passing moment. “We have to wipe them out.”“I'm inclined to agree with you,” said Victor. “But it would take far more than our small pack to do it. In order to rally the kind of support we'd need to go up against the hunters, Ulric's connections would be essential. He
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 110
“Please don't take offense to this, but how are you a vampire hunter? You're not as, um, robust as the other wolves I've seen,” Bella said carefully. He laughed. “Don't take offense to this, but vampires aren't that hard to kill. It's the feral wolves that give me a run for my money. I might be small, but I'm fast, good with weapons and I don't do reckless shit. Plus, my beastform is pretty badass. They reflect our spirits, y'know, not just our bodies.” Victor shifted uncomfortably. “Hunter is more than capable of holding his own against a variety of supernaturals. The hunters present a challenge for even the strongest among us.” “It sounds like your pack was a lot more prepared for this than ours is,” Bella said, unable to hide her concern. Hunter shook his head. “No, the truce made us complacent, too. My grandfather warned us never to let our guard down and my father ignored him. My grandfather taught me to always keep an eye on the enemy no matter
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“Aren't you going to ask me what Hunter wanted to talk to me about?” Victor asked, crawling into bed. He had spent the past ten minutes showering and now he was wearing a pair of red cotton pajama pants that rode low enough on his hips for Bella to admire the deep V that disappeared into his waistband. Small droplets of water clung to his torso and made the still-damp hair that stuck to the sides of his neck even blacker. He was a sight for sore eyes and it felt like she hadn't seen him for weeks even though it had been less than one. “No,” Bella said, moving over to make room for him. It was admittedly hard to be nosy about hunters of any kind when she had such a glorious distraction. “Oh?” he grinned, pulling her to him. “Was the Bella who stuck her ear against the wall whenever there was a fight in one of the other rooms part of your werewolf side, too?” Bella rolled her eyes. “No, it's just that I've been interacting with the other wolve
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The Hybrid Mate Chapter 158
Bella froze when she realized what she was doing and tossed the pieces in the empty bread basket to hide the evidence. “Sorry,” she murmured, blushing. “You uh, get my blood boiling.”“I can tell,” he said, blinking. He looked down at his hands. “I'm sorry. I had no idea I was that intolerable.”“But you're not,” Bella said earnestly. “You make me angrier than anyone else, but you also make me laugh more than anyone else. You push me, sometimes to the brink of sanity, but she's a better person when she's with him. He's all of those annoying things, but he's also sweet and funny and protective and so compassionate toward the other members of the pack. He's a natural-born leader, and a good one. Whenever she sees the way he is with the other wolves, the way he cares for them and puts their needs above his own without even thinking, she falls a little more in love with him.” He stared at her in shock. “You love me? And you're admitting that freely?”Bella laughed, embarrassed. T
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 157
Bella reached across the table and rested her hand on his forearm. “You make it sound like I'm the one who's out of your league and not the other way around.” His eyebrows knit into a perplexed frown. He finally relaxed as if he'd given up trying to figure out whatever it was that was bothering him. “You are. Even aside from the fact that you're probably one of the mythological creatures our entire religion is based on, I don't deserve you. Neither does he, but I'm a big enough man to admit that Vic is a hell of a lot closer to being worthy of you than I am.” “Don't be so sure about that,” Bella said with a wry smile. “You both have your positive qualities.” “And negative ones, I'm sure.” Bella smiled wider.“Well, let's have it. Give me the side-by-side analysis,” he said, sitting back and folding his hands studiously on the table in front of him since he had already finished his meal.She laughed, but stopped abruptly when she realized he wasn't kidding. “You're
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 156
Bella reached across the table and rested her hand on his forearm. “You make it sound like I'm the one who's out of your league and not the other way around.” His eyebrows knit into a perplexed frown. He finally relaxed as if he'd given up trying to figure out whatever it was that was bothering him. “You are. Even aside from the fact that you're probably one of the mythological creatures our entire religion is based on, I don't deserve you. Neither does he, but I'm a big enough man to admit that Vic is a hell of a lot closer to being worthy of you than I am.” “Don't be so sure about that,” Bella said with a wry smile. “You both have your positive qualities.” “And negative ones, I'm sure.” Bella smiled wider.“Well, let's have it. Give me the side-by-side analysis,” he said, sitting back and folding his hands studiously on the table in front of him since he had already finished his meal.She laughed, but stopped abruptly when she realized he wasn't kidding. “You're
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 155
“Not sweet, innocent Clara,” Bella said doubtfully. “Oh, I've caught Jason coming out of her apartment once or twice.” “Jason and Clara?” Bella blanched. “But he's so... He chuckled at her reaction. “I know. Doubt he's her type, but the moon makes everyone go crazy, especially unmated fleurs. The rest of us try to stick to our subs, but what happens on a full moon stays on a full moon.”“Until now,” Bella reminded him. “You just told me.”“Hey, you didn't hear it from me.”Bella grinned mischievously. “Nope. I'm thinking now I own you.”“I don't go that way, kiddo. Not even for you,” he scoffed. “Now, if you ever decide you want a new master...”“My contract with Victor isn't exclusive. And don't try to change the subject.”“Sheesh. Okay, fine. It's probably already pretty obvious, but Brendan and Clarence don't just take care of Foster's emotional needs. They share him as a sub, but there's no relationship there otherwise. I'm pretty sure even that's tapered off since
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 154
"Are all the others out?" Bella asked, noting that the lot was almost empty. "Most of them," he said. "Clara and your dad are still around, as usual. Vic has been holed up in his office all day. Hunter and Clarence are still frolicking in the woods somewhere. Brendan was heading out with Maverick last I heard and uh, I think I saw Sarah with Jason." Anger started to boil inside Bella, but it couldn't take hold for some reason. "Oh, whatever," she muttered. "As long as she's leaving Dad alone." He glanced at her as he turned onto the road that led past campus. "That's a surprisingly zen attitude you got there." "I'm trying out a new approach to life," Bella said, admiring the heavily forested path. He shrugged. "Hey, I'm not complaining as long as you're okay.""I'm okay," Bella said. For the first time in a long time, she meant it.No one said a word for the rest of the ride. Darian took them into the city, or at least what passed for one in their little section o
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 153
A knock at the door jolted Bella awake from the most delightful nap. Despite the dull throbbing in her head, she woke feeling more refreshed and alive than she had in recent memory. “Be right there,” she called, yawning as she sat up. Her head spun a bit once she got to her feet, but it wasn't bad enough to make her stagger.On her way to the door, she noticed something strange about her room. All her stuff was there, but it looked like half of the room had been cleared out. Before the thought could trouble her too much, she remembered that Victor had probably just come for the remainder of his old things. She did have his old room, after all. Strange that he wouldn't have mentioned it, though.She shrugged it off and pulled the door open to find Darian waiting on the other side. At least, she thought it was Darian. The man before her had lightly slicked back hair, a stark contrast from his usual tousled brown locks. He wasn't wearing a suit or anything, but for Darian, a gray b
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 152
When Bella turned around, he was walking toward her calmly. She pressed herself against the door and struggled to slow her fluttering pulse as she looked around the room for escape. The window was too far to reach, and even if she did somehow manage to escape, she would only be prolonging the inevitable. Once Victor set his mind on something, no matter how horrible that something was, he got it. It briefly occurred to her that maybe that was why he was doing this. Maybe he thought his will had been strong enough to conquer her own and that removing all traces of it was the only way she would truly be free to choose. “I'm sorry, pup. I didn't want this to be a traumatic experience,” he murmured. “I was planning on waiting until tomorrow night, but it's just as well that I don't have time to talk myself out of this.” “Please don't do this,” she begged for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I don't want to forget you.” “You won't forget me,” he said softly. “J
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 151
“Of course,” Bella said, startled that he felt like he had to ask. “Well, I know you didn't like him so I just thought...” He trailed off, losing his enthusiasm for a moment. “Thank you. It would mean a lot to have you there. Victor is coming, and he said your dad would probably want to come, too.” He glanced toward the stairs. “I'll let you go; I have to find Brendan.” “He's probably still out with the others celebrating, but I know he was planning on seeing if you wanted to go out later,” Bella said carefully. “Oh, darn. I wanted to invite him, but I'll just have to wait until later. Bye, Bella!” he waved, already halfway down the hall. “Bye, Mav.” Bella waved back, mystified. Barely recovered from the macabre interaction, she knocked on Victor's office door and waited for permission before she entered. “Aren't you supposed to be with him?” was his immediate response. “Hi to you, too,” Bella muttered, walking over to his desk.He gave her an apologetic sm
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 150
“I'm fine,” Bella lied, brushing past her. She grabbed Bella's arm before she could head up the stairs. “You're a terrible liar,” she said, sounding a bit disappointed. “You get that from your father, obviously. Tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help.” “I went out to watch the others shift,” Bella said, leaning on the railing. “Now there's an all-American pastime,” she said, casting a lustful glance in the direction of the forest. “Honey, trust me, if your boy toys are upset about you sneaking a little peek at the competition, they probably don't have the equipment for the job in the first place.” “That's not it!” Bella snapped. “And they both have plenty of equipment for the—they're both well equipped, okay?” Bella stammered. “That's not what this is about.” “No?” She blinked. “Then what?” “I left the Lodge by myself. Months ago, Victor put a mental block up that would keep me from leaving the Lodge without permission,” Bella said. “It was our trade
