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Chapter 131
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The Hybrid Mate Chapter 132
"You seem reluctant, Foster," Bella said, choosing her words carefully. "Is there any downside to this?""No," he said, giving her a small smile that didn't even make an effort to reach his eyes. "Not for one truly devoted to Her service." "And what does being devoted entail?" Bella asked, beginning to realize that Foster was very much like a search engine. He was full of information, but they had to know exactly which keywords to use in order to get any answer out of him that was worthwhile. "Well, Her priests provide guidance and assistance to other supernaturals," he said. "They usually don't take mates so they can fully devote themselves to their work, but it's not forbidden." Clarence seemed particularly interested in that piece of information, but he mostly just seemed relieved by the knowledge that Hunter was going to be okay."How did this happen?" Bella asked. "What determines who gets the mark?""It's usually given as a result of years of devotion an
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 133
Bella went to Victor's side to show her support and gave Darian a worried look. “He's right, Darian. What we had is in the past. Nothing is going to change that, supernatural or otherwise.”He laughed. “You think that's where I've been? Learning love spells to win you back?” “It had crossed my mind.” He rolled his eyes. “I don't need magic to win you back, and I don't need some mark either,” he said, holding Bella's gaze intently. “I won your heart once the old-fashioned way, and I can do it again.” “By all means,” said Victor. “I should warn you that this isn't like all those times you 'won' against me when we were children. She's not a toy or a playmate, and I'm not just going to hand her over to make you happy. If you think you're really the one who can love, protect, and satisfy her best, then she deserves to be with you, but it will have to be by her choice,” he said coolly. “I'm not terribly concerned.”“You can't be serious,” Bella muttered. “This isn't
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 134
“Sarah?!” By the time Bella cared that her scream was loud enough to wake everyone in the house, it was too late. “You've been in contact with my psychopathic vampire mother this entire time? That's your sage?” “Hey, she's the one who contacted me,” said Darian. “That makes it worse! Have you forgotten that she tried to sacrifice you and Victor so she could use me to take control of the vampires?” “My memory has never been a problem,” he said, just standing there with crossed arms and an infuriatingly calm look on his face. “Just calm down and let me explain.” “There's no explanation that could possibly justify you talking to Sarah,” Bella said, feeling her anger building to a climax. It took over, and she did something she had never even thought of doing in her entire life. She punched Darian hard, in the stomach. “No, Bella, don’t—” Victor's attempt to warn her came a little too late. Pain vibrated through her hand like a bell that had just
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 135
"They were pretty clear about sacrificing you and Victor," Bella reminded him."That's where the translation issues come in. She thought the ritual required the hybrid to sacrifice a vampire and a werewolf, one for each soul, but she was wrong.""And I'm sure she's just eager to apologize for her grievous error," Bella said dryly."That's all well and good, Darian, but this is Sarah we're talking about. She's nothing if not a liar and a damn good one at that," Ulric said, surprisingly calm."I know and I didn't believe her either at first, but she showed me proof.""You let her go inside your mind?" Victor asked dubiously."Hell, no. She let me in hers.""She showed you what she wanted you to see," Bella said, folding her arms. "She gave me her little psychic sob story, too, but it's all a lie." "She might have manipulated you, but she can't do that with me," he said, turning his attention to Bella. "I made sure I was in my beast form when she did it. I saw her thou
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 136
Bella turned her head, partly to break away from him and partly to hide the traitorous color creeping onto her face. If there was anything more awkward than living with an ex, it had to be dating his brother. "Mature as always, Darian." "Don't pretend like you haven't missed our spirited banter," he said wryly. "I haven't, but I am starting to miss being shunned." "Oh, come on. You were begging me to come back in the dream," he reminded her. "I know Nice Bella got locked out with your wolf side, but something's still there." "If you think I'm just going to run back into your arms as soon as my wolf side comes back, you can give up now," she told him. "Oh, I don't expect you to come running," he said casually. "I took you for granted before, thinking you'd wait for me while I came to terms with you being a vampire and all. It was stupid and I'll be kicking myself for it for the rest of my life." His candor took her by surprise. She was still graspin
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 137
As usual, everyone was gone by the time Bella woke up. Darian was missing from his post at the door, and Victor was nowhere to be found in his office. She cinched her white bathrobe around her waist and wandered in the direction of Ulric's study. As she drew closer, the sound of feminine laughter became clearer. One voice was Clara's, but there was another unsettlingly familiar chuckle mingling with hers. When she knocked on the door, the other woman's voice called, “Come in!” Bella steeled herself before opening the door, displeased to find that the source of the laughter was exactly who she'd feared it was. Sarah was perched on one of Ulric's high-backed leather chairs wearing a red silk dress with a sky-high slit. Her red hair had been cropped to just below her chin, and her green eyes lit up like a traffic light when she saw Bella. She held a delicate rosebud teacup and saucer in her hands. “Hi, sweetie,” she called pleasantly. Clara was seated on th
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 138
“So what, I’m a spiritual kaleidoscope?” Bella asked. “Pretty much,” she said, smiling apologetically. “No worries. We'll be able to put the pieces back together come the next harvest moon. Assuming the hunters haven't killed us all by then, that is.” “And in the meantime?” asked Clara, watching her with a pitying gaze. “In the meantime, I can help her remove the block keeping her wolf side at bay,” said Sarah. “Won't that kill her?” asked Victor. “She didn't transform when she was supposed to.” “She blocked that side out before the moon reached its pinnacle,” Sarah answered. “The wall she put up has kept her wolf in stasis, so it should be reset for the next harvest moon. Everything goes in cycles, from the phases of the moon to the year and even our lifetimes.” “That's beautiful, Sarah,” Clara said, her eyes glimmering with infatuation. Ugh. “It's too much of a risk,” Darian said, grimacing at his own admission. If anyone had reason
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 139
Bella raised her hands, and, just like in the dream, both marks were bold and visible. She shoved them into the pockets of her robe and kept walking. “It's just some hybrid fluke, like I said.”“It's true that the hybrid has two souls, according to the legend, but you wouldn't have two marks if you weren't in love with them both,” the other person said.Her words made Bella cringe, and she stopped walking, turning to face the speaker. “You were gone my entire life. Don't show up now and try to start shit with the only people who've actually been there for me.”“I'm not,” the other person said so earnestly that Bella almost believed her. “I'm a selfish bitch, I can admit that. Hell, I own it. But there isn't a person in this world who wants to see you happy more than I do, if only because it would justify the one truly selfless decision I ever made.”“You mean abandoning me.”“It kept you off their radar, didn't it?” The other person reached out to touch Bella's cheek, and she
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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
