Her Silver Eyed Mate

Who Dares Wins?

Sienna POV

I wasn’t entirely sure what I was expecting for a supernatural full moon party in a dimensional realm, but I definitely didn’t expect it to be so… normal. The only thing that gave any indication that this was not a human event was the twinkling of multi-coloured stars as a backdrop against the mesmerising full moon hanging over the lake. It was truly breath-taking.

“Here you go, girl. Get that down ya,” Neve shoved a plastic cup filled with what I could only presume was beer in my hands. I wasn’t a big drinker. My little G&Ts after a kill were the only times I really enjoyed the feel of alcohol taking the edge off of life. I hated the way drinking could make you feel out of control. I was a control freak. Everything had to be on my terms and being prepared for anything was part of who I was. So getting drunk on a man-made beach with my enemies wasn’t exactly the best idea but… I did have to play a part here.

“Thanks,” I swigged at the bitter liquid and fought the urge to wince. Neve and I were perched on a large white bean bag around a bonfire on the beach. Harrison sat opposite on his own log that he was sharing with a few of his beefy mates who were pure blood werewolves. He clearly had his own crew and was very much the Alpha of their little pack. The not-so subtle glances he had been giving me over the dancing embers between us were clearly not going unnoticed by the others.

“So, got the hots for Hair Bear?” Neve teased, nudging my arm. I hid the amusement I felt inside at the idea of me finding him even remotely attractive. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good-looking boy but definitely not my type. I don’t even know if I had a type. Archer is the only man I have ever been with and that grew from friendship first, so what did I really have to go on? Men have never been at the top of my list of priorities.

“He is cute. But not really my type,” I chuckled into my cup.

“Cute isn’t the adjective I would choose,” she rolled her eyes.

“I am sensing some pent-up s****l tension between the two of you. Maybe you should do something about that,” I couldn’t help but taunt her. Spending time with these supernaturals, especially Neve, was exhausting, but surprisingly, I wasn’t finding them as repulsive as I thought I would. But then I only had to remind myself that they were young adults, being moulded by the worst of their kind. The sooner we can take down this establishment and its key players, the better for them and the next generations. Stanley had confided in me over the years about his plans for the supernaturals. Once his initial surprise and fear when learning about their existence had worn off, he set up the SIA to find out the truth. What risk did they pose to the human race, if any? We have been taking out any supernaturals that have been a threat to humans, but the elites were untouchable. So to hear that they had created this academy and were teaching the next generations how to be even more powerful and deadly was a worry in itself.

She scoffed loudly, “You are joking, right? I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot barge pole unless it was to hit him round the head with it.”

“So you haven’t found your mate yet?” I asked curiously. Neve was half wolf, so she probably believed in this mate bond bullsh*t.

“Not yet. Which, to be honest, I am pleased about. I want to enjoy my time here until I settle down.”

“So do you believe in it? Fated mates?” I turned to face her as she looked at me like I was an alien from another planet.

“Of course! Don’t you? I know you’re fae but you still might have a mate. It is not that unusual nowadays for fae or witches to be mated to vampires or werewolves. Just look at my parents!”

This was exactly where I needed this conversation to go. My current investigation was to find out more about the elites that are running things behind the scenes. The ones with influence. If Neve’s dad was the Beta to the Alpha King and her mother was the Queen’s best friend, then so much intel could be gathered if I could meet with them. Or at least get Neve to dish the dirt, which shouldn’t be a problem. The girl never stops talking.

“So how did your parents meet exactly?”

“Oh, that is a long, complicated story! And one for another night! Let’s just say, fate played a fair hand in their meeting. My dad never wanted to have a mate. In fact, I think he was going to take a chosen mate, but then he met mom. And well, once you meet her, you will understand. She is pretty persuasive,” Neve chuckled.

Just at that moment, the energy around us shifted with power and I peered over my shoulder to see the Romano Black Triplets stepping over a vacant log to my right in unison. They all sat at the same time, once again the two males either side of the petite striking blonde who was wedged between them. If I hadn't been so enraptured by their beauty I would have laughed. The two boys looked like her own personal bodyguards the way they subtly protected her at all costs. Yet something told me that she could look after herself if push came to shove.

“Hey guys! This is Sienna. My new roommate. It’s her first full moon party, so make her feel welcome,” Neve introduced me to the three most powerful supernaturals I had ever come across. They had a very similar aura to Arius, which wasn’t surprising seeing as they are his grandchildren.

“Hi,” I smiled politely at each of them. The brute of a werewolf who most definitely was an Alpha in the making nodded his head towards me, his black curls falling into his eyes. The other male, Leif, gave me a beaming smile as his multi-toned eyes twinkled like the stars above us. I hadn’t noticed them in the hall. But now I was up close and personal, they all had mesmerising, unique eyes. As mine connected with the girl between them, I felt oddly uneasy in her presence. She was studying me with her narrowed pink irises and her stunning face held a look of intrigue and distrust. She was the only one not smiling.

“Strange…” She spoke confidently but slowly, demanding everyone’s attention without even trying. “I cannot read you.”

I sat up a little straighter, that uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. “Read me? What do you mean?”

“I have a gift of reading people’s minds. But I cannot read yours,” she stated. My eyes widened when I realised just how f*cked I would have been if she could. I felt suddenly p*ssed off but I tried to hide it behind my calm exterior. This was why this mission was so dangerous. The SIA had no idea just how ‘gifted’ these creatures were and what they were capable of.

“You were trying to read my mind?” I replied coldly, challenge blazing in my eyes. That was an invasion of privacy to the fullest extent.

A small smile played at the corners of her lips at my boldness. “Yes. I always read people’s minds on first encounters. I like to hear what they think of me,” she said sweetly, not phased by my dark glare.

“Ilaria, we talked about this,” Neve warned her friend with no real upset in her voice.

“Bit narcissistic, don’t you think?” I talked over Neve and Ilaria’s smile widened. The tension around the bonfire grew as everyone watched our exchange with bated breath.

“100%. But don’t tell me you aren’t curious as to what others think of you on first impressions?”

“No. I am not,” I replied honestly. “I couldn’t care less what people think about me.”

“Interesting,” her smooth voice rippled through the air as she tilted her head to the side, her long blonde hair brushing her brother Lorcan’s bicep. “Lorcan, what do you think of our new friend Sienna?”

“I think she is brave,” he replied, his vibrant green and yellow eyes swirling as he looked me up and down carefully. It was a simple statement but it was laced with a tone of warning. A warning that I should back down against his sister. They were trying to intimidate me.

“Leif?” she asked for her other brother's input.

“I think if you are bored and want to play games, sister, it should involve alcohol,” the warlock chuckled deeply. Not once had Ilaria taken her eyes off me, but it seemed our little interaction had only intensified her curiosity.

“I agree with your brother. Let us get to know each other the way it is intended. By asking questions and getting answers,” I smiled as I passed her a cup of beer. She took it with a nod of thanks and I shuffled back onto the bean bag, looking across the flames and catching Harrison’s heated gaze. He winked at me with a flirty smile. It seemed watching me stand up for myself against the triplets only deepened his lust. Christ, this dog was in heat tonight. When I glanced back over at Ilaria, she was looking between Harrison and I with interest. I gritted my teeth and held my tongue. This wasn’t supposed to go like this. I was going to befriend the triplets but I fear all I have done is make them suspicious of me.

“What do you have in mind, Leif?” Harrison shouted.

“What about a good old game of truth or dare?”

I groaned internally but pretended to look ecstatic at the suggestion. Neve bounced next to me with excitement. “Okay, okay! I have got one! Lorcan, truth or dare?”

“Dare, always,” he smirked, his chiselled features shining in the moonlight.

“Okay. I dare you to kiss a girl of your choice without saying a word to her,” Neve beamed, her eyes glinting with devilish mischief. Lorcan dropped his head to his chest and groaned while Leif shoved his shoulder behind Ilaria in hysterics.

“Fine,” he stood up abruptly, his towering height making us all crane our necks as he stepped over his log and walked into the crowd of supernaturals drinking and dancing on the beach.

“Who is he going to pick?” Harrison stood up to watch with fascination.

“Whoever it is, is going to think all their wet dreams have come true at once,” Neve chuckled.

“He will choose someone you will least expect,” Ilaria spoke confidently again with a secret smile. She was the only one who hadn’t turned to watch her brother complete his dare. My eyes widened when I saw he was making his way towards a group of girls, one of them being Valentine. I mean I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose to make out with her. She was a newbie and stupid sexy. Gasps chorused around the group when he marched straight up to Amelie, grabbed her face in his hands and kissed the living daylights out of her. She stumbled back when he let go of her and walked back over to us with a smile on his face, leaving her looking like she was about to faint on the spot.

“Goody two shoes, Amelie! Really?” Neve squealed in disbelief as he slumped down on the log again with a shrug.

“Why not? She has that nerdy, hot librarian vibe going on. I dig it.”

“You have just made her life, brother,” Leif chuckled, shaking his head.

“Who is next?” Lorcan asked, clearly wanting to remove the attention from him.

“I have one for Sienna,” Ilaria said calmly. “Truth or dare?”

I held her unwavering gaze. “Dare,” I replied with a smile.

“I dare you to jump off the cliff into the lake with the person you fancy the most.”

The others whooped and clapped at her creativeness while I licked my lips and glanced up at the mountainous cliff edge. I really didn’t want to get f*cking wet tonight but I also wasn’t going to back out of a dare. I would lose all their respect, which was the whole reason I was at this party. Glancing over at Harrison, I knew he was my only choice.

“Shall we?” I challenged and his face lit up with glee. Shaking off my jacket so I was only left in my jeans and crop top, I watched as all his bro’s patted him on the back as if he had won some kind of tournament.

We both stood up and I followed him through the crowd towards the edge of the woodland. As soon as we started to make our way up the steep incline, he held out his hand to me as if I was a weak damsel who needed help climbing a hill. I smiled politely, taking it because not boosting his ego right now would only be detrimental to my mission.

“I’m not surprised you picked me but I am glad you are finally admitting how much you love me,” he smirked, his white teeth gleaming through the darkness.

“I didn’t have a huge amount of choice so don’t get too excited. You were the best of a bad bunch,” I teased and giggled when he pretended to be stabbed in the heart by my comment. God, this acting malarky was tedious to keep up with all the time. Before, my missions would be over after a few hours of artful deception, but this was a 24/7 job.

When we reached the top, I peered over the cliff edge at the inky surface below and sighed. Not what I planned to be doing tonight but let's go with it.

“So shall we go together?” Harrison asked. I looked down at our hands that were still entwined and pulled away.

“You first. I want to assess how dangerous it is before I risk my own life,” I smiled sweetly at him, which earned a chuckle.

“I’d happily throw myself in front of danger for you any day of the week,” he pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it before leaping off the edge with a whooping laugh. I rolled my eyes at the cheesiness of him but couldn’t help smiling at the fun he was clearly having. I heard the splash but couldn’t see much from way up here. I was about to shout down to him to check he was still alive when the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention under the shift in the air around me. Glancing over my shoulder, I scanned the outskirts of the forbidden forest on high alert, prepared to attack if needed. And then I saw them. Intense silver eyes sparkling from the shadows.

My lips parted instinctively as I felt hypnotised by the artistry of them. They were like nothing I had ever seen before and, for a moment, I was enthralled. It was him. The man I was sent here to find.

Turning to face him properly, I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a better look at the man who killed a human agent and traumatised a young woman.

“Raiden Romano, the man with silver eyes. So we finally meet,” I smiled, pushing down my anger. He stepped out of the shadows and my heart somersaulted in my chest. His tall, perfectly sculpted body that was clearly muscular but not too bulky, flexed against his clothing as his confident strides closed the gap between us. But it was his face that had my head spinning. His strong chiselled jaw decorated with dark stubble and his striking silver eyes were a stark contrast against the smooth, flawlessness of his skin. His raven black curls falling to his broad shoulders looked so soft and inviting, I found myself wondering how they would feel in my fingers. What? No.

“You have been waiting for me?” Oh my. That voice. The smokey, baritone husk sent a primal shiver from the top of my spine down to where it zinged between my legs. Why was my body reacting this way to this monster? OK, so he was possibly the most achingly handsome man I had ever seen, but that didn’t change who he was. Get a grip, Sienna.

“I guess you could say that,” I muttered, taking a step back when he closed the distance between us so much that I was finding it hard to breathe properly. No one had ever affected me like this before and I was losing control. I didn't like it.

I had no idea what I was expecting this man to be like, but it wasn’t this. I didn’t expect him to be so damn gorgeous. Gorgeous or not, it didn't matter. He was dangerous. He was murdering humans. But when he took another step towards me and gripped my hips in his huge, muscular hands, sending a strange sensation through my body, all rational thoughts left my brain.

“Wh- what are you doing?” I managed to stumble over my words as he bent his face down to my shoulder, his breath slipping through the material of my top to my skin. The most delectable scent invaded my senses, making me feel momentarily light-headed and unable to comprehend what was happening. A woody, sweet and fresh aroma of juniper and cedarwood. I bit my lip as my eyes fluttered shut when he skimmed his nose up my throat and nibbled my ear lobe with his teeth, which nearly caused my knees to buckle.

“MATE,” he growled into my ear and I froze. Whatever spell he had just had me under broke with that word and in a blind panic, I slammed my hands into his chest, allowing fire to burn his flesh and send him flying back.

What the...I am not his mate. No.