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Chapter 37
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The Hybrid Mate Chapter 38
"What does it mean to be called?" Bella asked, partly out of curiosity and partly because Foster seemed so eager to talk about it. He was a sweet little wolf, if a strange one. More like a pup, really.Foster brightened up again at the question. "Everyone hears Her call eventually. Some just choose not to respond for a while. It's hard to explain, but when they feel it, they just know. If they ever look up at the moon and it feels like the moon is looking back, that's Her. Selene. She usually comes to them in a time of need. For me, it was right after my first shift. I was terrified, and I didn't know what had happened, but she told me everything was going to be alright and led me here." "She spoke to you?" Bella asked hopefully. Aside from that strange detail, his story sounded eerily similar to her experience in the woods."Well, no. Not in words. It was just like her light was soaking through me. I could feel her taking me as her own, comforting me.” He hugged
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 39
She was sure there had been dozens if not hundreds of men standing in her place before, and she was also sure she was the only one who’d ever thought of turning him down."Just relax," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. His voice was almost as calming as his touch. She briefly wondered if he was playing mind games again, but this time, the relaxing effect was organic. "I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. I just need you to hear me out.” “Why?” She shrugged away from his touch. “So you can feed me some line that excuses the fact that you’re using this to move in on your brother’s territory?”He arched an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t believe in soulmates.”She clenched her jaw, fighting back her irritation. She’d already had an emotional meltdown in front of Victor and she wasn’t about to lose her temper in front of him, too. “You know what I meant.” “What you say is always so much more interesting,” he said, studying her fac
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 40
"I'm sorry," Bella stammered, hoping Victor wouldn't mistakenly take her shock as a reaction to his scar. That would be the ultimate hypocrisy. “I didn't mean to stare.""It's fine. It doesn't bother me anymore."It used to? The idea that a man like Victor was capable of feeling self-conscious about anything was hard to believe.He reached into a drawer and pulled out a pair of thin, black leather gloves. Bella was transfixed as she watched him pull them on. Every move the man made was deliberate and sensual. She got the feeling he could’ve made taking out the trash look sexy and she resented herself for thinking it. She was also admittedly curious as to how he was going to do what he claimed to be capable of without touching her. She felt a twinge of guilt for being in this room with him and not Darian, but berserker or not, he was gone. He was also the reason she was in this mess. Darian was the one who’d marked her the moment he met her, taking away her ability to
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 41
"Her head," Bella groaned."What were you thinking about?" he asked earnestly. The cloth in his hand pressed against her cheek as he held her face, searching her eyes like he was able to see into her already. "Just before it started hurting. I need you to tell me exactly what was in your thoughts.""Jeff," she admitted."What about him?" he pressed.The pain grew sharper. The lights overhead were starting to stretch and distort. "I...""Bella, this is important." His voice was whispered, but the authority in it made her want to push through the pain."About how he hurt me." She felt like she'd broken through a gate as soon as those words came out. The pain intensified, but the pressure eased. Anger and urgency were both there in Victor's gaze as he watched her, like he was torn between the success of his tactics and his personal response to what she was telling him. He took the black cloth between his hands and stretched it out, a somber expression on his face.
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 42
Bella bit her lip as she tried to think of all the things she might well be in for in Victor's dungeon. She knew he wouldn't actually hurt her the way Jeff had, so that left boundaries of a different nature to consider. "You mean like sex, don't you?"The surprise on his face made her second guess it. "No. Not that I would be opposed to it," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "But I'm more referring to other forms of physical contact. I believe the euphoria associated with controlled pain helps to access deeper states of consciousness, but if you're not comfortable with that sort of thing, we'll find another way." "How much pain...?""Even a small amount can be hypnotic in the right context. Set the right mood with a bit of sensory deprivation and the mind plays all sorts of tricks," he said, his voice growing husky as he threaded a strand of her hair through his long fingers. "I don't need to leave a mark to make you writhe."She didn't doubt it. She
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 43
"They once did, but it's become rare. All Lycan wolves have a coming-of-age ceremony, but Sebastian and I are the first in the pack to have actually found the mate we saw in our visions. I won't bore you with the history lesson, but suffice it to say, we both thought we had time to sort things out." "You mean time to fight over which one of you would get me?" Victor didn’t answer, but he didn't deny it either. "Your preference would have been a major factor. We would have at least had time to court you properly before you made your choice, if he hadn’t jumped the gun.” "A major factor?" Bella asked incredulously. "Shouldn't it be the factor?" "That isn't the way things are done in the supernatural realm, Bella. Especially not among wolves. The Alpha of the pack always has the deciding vote on all binding agreements, including marriage." “And here I thought werewolves were all about howling at the moon and running around the forest. Who knew your
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 44
"No," Bella said, trying to tune him out amid the rush of blood in her head. "That's just—please stop, Victor."“It’s getting weak, isn't it?" He murmured. Something about his words told her he wasn't talking to her. Not that she could answer, anyway. The pain was no longer a weak hum, it was a full-on roar.“I said stop!” she seethed. Victor stared at her in shock. She waited for him to hit her the way Jeff had the one time she’d ever made the mistake of raising her voice to him, but he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Alright.”“I’m sorry.”“Don’t be,” he murmured. “I saw an opportunity and I went for it. It was rash. I’m the one who’s sorry.”“You really think I’m sick because of Jeff?” she asked shakily. “Because he uses it to control me, even from afar?”“I’ve seen it before,” he answered sympathetically. She hugged herself. The blanket was doing nothing to keep her warm when the chill was coming from the inside. She’d convinced herself that running from Jeff wou
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 45
"Get off me," Bella said hoarsely. Her voice echoed in reality, but she couldn't make the image in front of her go away. She couldn't breathe from Mr. Alderdice's weight on top of her. "Stop, it hurts..." A horrible snarl broke Bella out of the vision. Victor was holding her again, trembling with rage. He must have realized that his outburst had startled her and gathered her closer to his chest. He rocked her gently, whispering his apologies. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby." Bella thought he was still apologizing for his snarl and wrapped her arms around his neck to snuggle closer as the vision faded. Victor's arms chased away the dread. "It's okay. I'm not afraid of you anymore." Darian, on the other hand... Victor let out a deep, ragged breath and squeezed her even tighter. "That's enough questioning for tonight. I saw all I needed to see."Saw? "Can you keep holding me? I'm tired." Bella yawned. The sense of wonderment with ever
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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
