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Chapter 23
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The Hybrid Mate Chapter 24
“Never said it was your fault. When a man leaves home on a business trip and comes back not even a week later to find everything turned upside down, he gets curious.” He looked up and removed a thick pair of reading glasses, motioning for her to come forward. “Let’s have a look at you.” His eyes were shrewd and green, and it felt like they were looking through Bella. They widened sharply as he looked her over, and he rose suddenly from his chair. Bella took an instinctive step back and hit the wall that was Darian. He put his strong hands on her shoulders and kept her steady. The longer the Alpha watched her with those piercing eyes, the more she felt like returning to the Lodge had been a mistake. Just when she was sure she was about to find out whether Darian’s protectiveness over her extended even to the man he revered so deeply, the Alpha composed himself and straightened his back to reach his full height. He had to be at least six feet tall.
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 25
Bella glanced at Darian, hoping to unravel the enigmatic comment, but he appeared just as bewildered as she was. “Well, the damage is done, and it seems you won fair and square,” Ulric stated. “There’s no reason for you not to keep the prize money.” “That’s the thing, Sir. I don’t believe I won fairly. There was another contestant named Maverick, and he would be much better suited for the title and the other… prizes.” “Other prizes?” Ulric frowned. “You mean the membership?” “Uh, no,” Darian interjected, clearing his throat. “The guys voted and decided to put the winner on the cover of that magazine Brendan runs, plus a session with you. I think it was their attempt at matchmaking since you’re retired.” “Did they now?” Ulric narrowed his eyes. “That brilliant idea was Brendan’s brainchild, no doubt. I’ll have a talk with him later.” He shook his head, appearing utterly exhausted. “I have no time for that sort of thing anymore. Bella, keep the money, a
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 26
Bella kept him in her sight as Darian took her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Come on,” he said gruffly, leading her toward the door.She looked back at Ulric with great wariness. “But I have more questions.” The Alpha smiled sadly. “I’m afraid that from this point on, none of the answers will come the easy way.” Darian pulled her out of the room, and the door fell shut, along with any belief she had in a world that made sense. To her dismay, Darian offered to take her home almost as soon as they left Ulric’s study. She wanted to protest and demand answers, but something about the look in his eyes kept her from it. Maybe it was for the best that she let him take her home and never looked back. He all but dragged her to the parking lot, and on the way to the car, they ran into the smaller wolf she remembered from her meltdown. “Hey, guys,” he called pleasantly. Darian stormed past him without a word. She looked back and waved apologe
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 27
“Seriously, he hasn’t called in five days?” Sandra sounded incredulous as she reached for the toes of her running shoes. They were both seated on the grassy area of the courtyard trying to stretch out their hamstrings before the run Bella talked her into. “No, he hasn’t,” Bella said, leaving out the fact that Darian had at least texted her every night since he had stolen her phone number up until the night she met Ulric. Sandra didn’t need to know how hard and fast she had fallen for the Wolf. “But it’s not a big deal. Like I said, we’re just friends.” She had made so damn sure of that. “You are so not friends. This is friends,” she said, gesturing between them. “You can’t be friends with someone who looks like Darian.” “As gorgeous as he is, I still don’t know how I feel,” she sighed, switching sides to grab her left heel. “I just wish I knew if he was okay. He won’t answer any of my calls.” Sandra gave her a pointed look. “Right. ‘Just
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 28
She gave me a perplexed look. “Why?” “Can’t put my finger on it,” Bella lied. “He just seems weird.” “Yeah, okay.” Bella could tell she wasn’t convinced, but she decided not to push it. She seemed too preoccupied with Jason to be in much danger. The woods were just up ahead. Bella’s pace quickened naturally as she felt herself strangely drawn to them. Bella noticed Sandra’s footfalls drop off and turned around to find her a decent distance behind her, doubled over with her hands on her knees and panting to catch her breath. “You okay?” Bella jogged over to her side and grabbed the water bottle clipped to her belt loop and offered it to her. She took a few long gulps and water poured down the sides of her mouth as she gasped. “I’m fine, this trail is just kicking my ass. Is it normal for everything to burn?” Bella smiled sympathetically. “Yeah, but you should probably head back. We’ve already gone a mile and a quarter. That’s a lot for your first
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 29
It became a chant, something to time Bella’s footfalls to. She heard the creature running behind her and knew it would overtake her again if her prayers weren’t answered soon. The horrible sounds seemed to get closer with each step she took. Bella ran down a small hill into an area that looked promising enough and ran with all her might. Just before she came to the bottom, she heard twigs snapping and branches rustling. She was forced to stop as the sound was right in front of her. A second later, it was far to the right. As impossibly fast as the movement was, it had to be a human. The pattern of footsteps was too familiar. The only human who would be out in the woods so late was either a park ranger or a psycho. Considering what was pursuing her, she decided to take her chances. “Help!” she screamed, stumbling through the particularly thick brush. The entire area was impossible to move in, although it had looked deceptively clear from the top of the hill.
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 30
Her flesh was bruised and torn all over from tripping and falling in the brush. She had stopped blacking out, but her head wasn’t throbbing anymore. Pain had been replaced by fullness, and it felt like she was experiencing the world through a thick layer of fog. She knew enough about the human brain to know that both sensations were more concerning than pain. A scream pierced the deceptive calm of the forest. A man’s scream.She huddled up in a ball and covered her ears, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the shrieks of agony that followed.As suddenly as the screams had begun, they stopped. She knew what that meant. If she did somehow survive to tell her story, she doubted that the park rangers would find a trace of the man with the golden fangs. It was a joke to think she would survive, and she knew it. The beast would surely find her; it was only a matter of time. A bloodthirsty creature that size wouldn’t be satisfied by a single meal.The question wasn’
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 31
Bella strained to lift her head, but her vision turned into a dangerous haze. She let her head fall back onto the pillow and settled for listening. “He’d better. At least I pick convenient times to disappear.” “Let’s hope this isn’t like one of your trips.” Clara gave an exasperated sigh. “There isn’t enough time as it is. Bella deserves to know what’s going to happen to her.” That didn’t sound good. Maybe she really was dying.“I know. I’ll take care of it.” “But he’s Darian’s—” “Do you see Darian anywhere around here?” Victor snapped. The next instant, he gave an apologetic sigh. “I’m sorry, Clara. I know you’re just as exhausted as I am.” “It’s alright. Just be careful. She needs to be eased into this as gently as possible before the harvest moon. If Darian isn’t here to do it, at least go slowly.” “I will. After what she saw in the woods the other day, I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy conversation.”
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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
