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Chapter 76
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The Hybrid Mate Chapter 77
Champagne. Chandeliers. The most exquisite collection of men and women who had ever been gathered in a room, all draped in silks and brocades in a variety of rich hues, were dancing and mingling on the floor. A jazz band played with precise timing and a wealth of soul. Everything was warmth, bliss, electric energy buzzing as if something truly spectacular was going to happen at any moment. And then it did. The band started playing a different tune, one far more regal than lively. Everyone took note of the silver thrones on the center of the stage and turned to focus on the doors behind them. Applause thundered and the partygoers lifted glasses of some red nectar as they welcomed the guests of honor.It was Bella and Sarah. She was wearing a golden strapless gown, looking the part of a Hollywood starlet from the early thirties. Bella was draped in a flowing silver suit, smiling proudly and looking the part of a proper prince as she shook hands with the guests sh
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 78
"She doesn't care!" Bella's heart clenched as she remembered her own role in that last vision. "The thing that makes her like this is inside of me, too. It's part of me, just as much as being a wolf is. I felt it. The fact that she suppressed that side of me is probably the only reason I'm not like her." He lowered the stake reluctantly and tilted Bella's chin toward him. "You're not like her because you're not her. Period.""If I let you kill her, I will be," Bella said, refusing to break eye contact.His jaw clenched in frustration but he grabbed Bella's hand and dragged her toward the stairs. "Let's go."They were barely off the stage when they heard, "Isn't that sweet?" They both froze as Sarah's voice rang out from behind them. When Bella turned, she saw Sarah already on her feet, wiping the lip that had been split open in her fall."Your boyfriend is right, though, sweetie. You should really listen to him more. He is the smart one," she said, stalking towar
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 79
Bella couldn't look at Victor even though he was now free to move around. It wasn't his condemnation that she feared but rather his pity. She knew it would be waiting for her the moment she looked into his eyes, and she couldn't stomach it. Not now.Sarah had called the rest of her troupe out, or at least everyone who was present at the gathering. Saban watched her with a surprisingly sympathetic gaze and the peddler who had given her the drugged rose in the airport kept making off-color jokes about the whole sordid affair. The only other woman in the group said nothing at all but kept a watchful eye on her and Victor the entire time.The other vampires in Sarah's troupe were all drinking and having a grand old time while the party guests watched them from the dance floor. One of the heavily controlled waiters walked by the edge of the stage where they were sitting and she snatched a glass of wine off his tray. She waited for Victor to protest when she guzzled the entire
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 80
If Sarah noticed her lack of reaction, she said nothing."Then I'll leave the pack," said Victor. From the look on her face, his words surprised Sarah as much as they surprised Bella. "Just let me stay by his side." "A loyal dog," she said once she'd recovered from her shock, "but a dog all the same." She watched him with crossed arms and an appraising gaze she didn't like at all. "I guess it would be a hoot to keep one of Ulric's beloved packmates as a guard dog," she mused. "He doesn't know what she's saying," Bella interrupted, ignoring the stern look Victor was giving her."The hell I don't."Sarah sighed. "Alright, children, we'll fight it out later. For now, be a good boy and try to make yourself less of an imposition, hm, Victor?"He remained silent but Bella could feel his anger, refined and smoldering."Can we just get this over with?" Bella pleaded. "This is not a punishment, little one," said Saban. His deep, rich voice at once chided and soothed her
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 81
She narrowed her eyes. "You were at the conference?""Of course." She shrugged. "I've been keeping tabs on you for a long time, and frankly, I'm not impressed with the direction you've taken lately. All but dropping out of school, living with a pack of wild dogs, fraternizing with hunters. Sacrificing Victor is just killing two birds—or should I say dogs?—with one stone.""Hunters?" She glared at her. "The only hunter I've seen is the one you sent after me."She smirked. "Details, darling, details. The point is, it's time for you to put your dog down. Don't you think you've let him suffer long enough? All those years, pining away over his brother's soulmate. That has to take a toll on the male ego, doesn't it, Victor?" He was on his knees, shaking with what she could only assume was rage. He didn't answer. When his body contorted violently, he gave a guttural scream that was more beast than man."Guess he's busy," she mused."Stop," she cried, running to his side.
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 82
It was too late. The stake was driven into her chest with full force, catching Victor off guard before he could turn against her again. A fearsome snarl escaped his lips from the other end of the stage. Closing in, his pupils narrowed, revealing faint rings of familiar gray encircling them. The creature charged towards her, its posture shifting from aggression to desperation in a matter of moments. The trance that had ensnared him was broken, marking the success of at least half of her hastily concocted plan. The second part of her scheme lay untouched in her pocket, a secret shared only between them. Though it was within reach, it might as well have been a world away. Bella's body began to stiffen, the vampire equivalent of rigor mortis slowly taking hold. Even if Victor were in a state of mind to consider it, she doubted he possessed the fine motor skills required to uncork the delicate vial concealed within her pocket. It was undoubtedly the best course, s
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 83
As Bella stared into Darian's eyes, they burned only with hatred. Any love he had once felt for her had surely vanished with her werewolf half. As sinister and cold as her remaining half liked to imagine itself to be, it was helpless before the beast in front of her, his paws dripping with the blood of the creatures he found so abhorrent. Now she was one of them. He crouched down and she knew he was about to pounce. All she could do was sit there, hunched over on the middle of the stage, and brace herself to be torn apart. When the sound of something sailing through the air at an unnatural speed met her ears, she looked up sharply just in time to see a metal blade stick in the beast's chest. Darian threw his massive head back and let out a painful roar. Her newly beating heart lurched and she struggled to stand. "Easy, child. The blade won't cut deeply enough to kill him, only to stall him for a moment," said Saban, moving past her to
The Hybrid Mate Chapter 84
Bella moved away from Darian and pulled herself up on the edge of the stage. "I guess I should be glad he's not trying to kill me anymore," she said, freezing when she heard a soft growl from somewhere behind her. She turned and ran to the other side of the room, or at least limped as fast as she was capable of. The journey involved a lot of stumbling and staggering, but she finally made it. Victor was still in his wolf form, making the faintest of whimpering sounds as he clutched his head. "Hey," Bella murmured gently, climbing over the debris to get to him. She knelt beside him and put her hand over his. It was bigger than her entire head. "Let me see what's wrong." Watery gray eyes watched her with caution, but he allowed her to move his hand away from his face, revealing a small but rather deep gash in his forehead. It looked like a piece of cutlery had been turned into a projectile when he had been thrown along with Darian, but he had done far more damage b
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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
